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Loch Ends Long Drought and
Haese Scores First Career Win in Coca-Cola & Subway Fan Appreciation Night Twin 50's!
By Dan
Margetta |
(Slinger,
WI) August 21, 2005 - Rich Loch ended a long dry spell as he scored the win in
the first 50-lap late model feature Sunday night at the Slinger Super Speedway and Gregg
Haese took top honors for his first ever Slinger feature win in the caution-filled
nightcap as part of the Coca-Cola and Subway-Eat Fresh Fan Appreciation Twin 50’s
Night.
“This is what
we’ve been waiting for all year long,” Loch exclaimed after scoring his first
Slinger feature win in over a year. “It seems like it has taken forever to get back
here in victory lane.”
Loch and Mike Egan led the field to the green flag and both drivers set into a
side-by-side battle for the lead immediately at the start of the first 50-lap event. Loch
was able to ease ahead to take sole possession of the top spot, using the inside lane on
lap four while Nick Schumacher and Brad Mueller began to dispute the third position. Gregg
Haese and Robert Maynor touched on the backstretch on lap six which sent both cars sliding
into the infield and as the cars reached turn three, a minor stack-up occurred behind them
involving the cars of Matt Kocourek, Chad Barker, and Fred Winn. Loch led Egan on the
restart and those two edged ahead while Mueller looked to the high side for a way around
Schumacher for third. After numerous unsuccessful attempts on the outside, Mueller finally
was able to turn under Schumacher and take the spot by lap 20 as behind them, Austin
Konetski, Lowell Bennett, Dennis Prunty, and Al Schill were involved in a heated race over
fifth place. As Loch continued to show the way, Schumacher began to drop back as he was
freight-trained by the line of cars in the inside lane, while Mueller began to track down
Egan for second. With ten laps to go and Loch comfortably out front, Mueller slid under
Egan and made the pass for second place as Konetski and Bennett raced hard for fourth
while Dennis Prunty exited the event with mechanical problems. Loch was unchallenged over
the final laps and drove to the win with Mueller having to settle for second place. Egan
finished a strong third while Bennett edged Konetski to claim a fourth place finish.
“I had a very good car and I had a lot of fast guys behind me,” Haese explained
after winning the second 50-lap event that was strewn with incidents, leaving only five
cars on the track at the finish. “I was kind of nervous that they were going to start
catching me, but everything went in the right direction and we won. It was a good
night.”
Chad Barker and Randy Schuler paced the field at the start and Schuler jumped into the
early lead while Haese advanced from the outside of row two to snag second in the opening
laps. Barker fell into third place and was followed closely by Travis Dassow and Matt
Kocourek as the field was slowed under the caution flag for the first time when Austin
Konetski experienced mechanical problems on lap ten. Haese maintained his lead on the
restart over Schuler and the rest of the top five as John Mueller advanced to battle with
Kocourek over fifth. The tussle for fifth resulted in Kocourek spinning in turn one on lap
14 and the field was slowed under the yellow flag a second time. As Haese led on the
restart, Barker and Schuler touched entering turn one and Schuler looped around exiting
turn two. By the time the dust settled, Rich Loch and Mike Egan piled into Schuler’s
stopped car and the red flag was flown to clear the track.
A lap after racing resumed, the fireworks started again as contact between Al Schill and
Dave Feiler spun both cars in turn one, collecting Kocourek in the process and the race
was halted again with Haese leading Dassow, Nich Schumacher, Lowell Bennett, and Brad
Mueller. Back under green, Haese still led but further back John Mueller worked his way
back through the field and caught the top five as Dassow looked for a way around Haese for
the lead. Dassow pressured Haese for numerous laps before sliding wide in turn four on lap
26. Dassow’s momentary misfortune benefited John Mueller as he took advantage of the
situation, passing three cars on the inside lane as Schumacher and Brad Mueller were
forced to slow down to avoid Dassow. John Mueller’s good fortunes came to an abrupt
end three laps later as he slowed on the backstretch and the yellow flag appeared for a
fifth time when Fred Winn collided with Mueller’s wounded machine. Haese was perfect
over the final laps and continued to lead as Feiler rebounded from his earlier incident to
join the top five in the closing stages. Feiler worked his way up to second place in the
waning laps but couldn’t catch Haese who raced to his first ever Slinger late model
feature victory. Feiler finished second and Brad Mueller was third. Dassow took the
checkered flag for a strong fourth place finish and Ken Wills crossed the line in fifth.
Feiler’s second place finish in the nightcap earned him the overall Coca-Cola/ Subway
Series point championship over Brad Mueller and Austin Konetski. Mark Bitzan held off
Scott Schoeni to win the 30-lap late model semi-feature as Jeff Way, Kris Kelly, and Jerry
Eckhardt rounded out the top five finishers. Dennis Prunty won the fast dash and John
Mueller was the fastest qualifier at 11.413 seconds.
Brad Keith held off a hard-charging James Swan to win an exciting 30-lap Midwest Sportsman
feature.
Jay Shambeau used the outside groove to lead the opening circuits as Scott Ascher advanced
into second ahead of Jan Kantner and Gary Tisler. Keith moved into fifth place and raced
hard for position with Swan, Collin Bamke, and Gary LaMonte. Shambeau and Ascher made
slight contact on lap five and that got both cars out of shape but both drivers saved
their machines and avoided spinning. Ashcher, however, was tagged from behind with tore
the rear bumper cover loose from his car and the flapping piece of debris produced the
caution flag. Shambeau paced the field as racing resumed but Keith worked the top side and
took over second place by lap ten as Graczkowsi, Swan, LaMonte, and Bamke fought hard
behind him. Graczkowksi got a little out of shape exiting turn two on lap 11 and was
forced to use the whole width of the track to regain control of his car while Swan
threaded the needle, staying on the gas to miss Graczkowski’s car and take over third
place. Both Keith and Swan then took to the top groove and worked their way by Shambeau
and into first and second respectively a few laps later. Once out front, Keith and Swan
staged a classic duel for the lead with Swan making numerous attempts on the outside to
get by. On the final lap, Swan was able to draw alongside Keith in turn three using the
top lane but Keith proved to be too strong off the corner and charged to the win with Swan
trailing him at his tailpipes. Bamke held off LaMonte to finish in third place and
Shambeau finished in fifth place.
Keith also won the Midwest Sportsman fast dash earlier in the evening and LaMonte set fast
time at 12.653 seconds.
Steven Schulz left the field in his mirrors as he cruised to victory in the 25-lap Midwest
Modified feature.
Schulz started from the outside of the front row and out-gunned Eddie Bentfield to take
command of the race at the start. Ron Schmitt kept Schulz honest throughout most of the
event as he stayed in Schulz’s tracks while Wes Biswell raced with Steve Huelsbeck
and Jason Feyereisen for third. The top five remained static and Schulz saw his lead grow
on lap 16 when Schmitt slid wide in turn two. Schulz was unchallenged on his way to the
checkered flag and scored a comfortable win over Schmitt and Biswell. Huelsbeck and
Feyereisen rounded out the top five.
Schmitt was also the winner of the fast dash and Dale Prunty paced qualifying, turning in
a lap of 12.293 seconds.
Joe DeStefano Jr. won the 12-lap Thunderstock feature over Rick Schaefer and Joe DeStefano
Sr. Aaron Cain finished in fourth and Bob Gigstead was fifth. Ryan Zielski and Steve
Paukner each scored wins in Slinger Bees events and Ron Olson took top honors in a wild
Port-A-John Speedway Guest Car race. Russ Lorbecki won the Spectator Elimination events in
his Camaro and Scott Goetzke closed the night with a win in the Figure 8 race.
For Complete results from the RACESTAT computer CLICK HERE
Behling Racing Equipment Race Of Champions Twin Late
Model Features
(Slinger, WI) Sunday
Night August 28th Behling Racing Equipment presents The Race of Champions. 60 Lap Late
Model Feature and a 30 Lap Late Model Race of Champions Feature along with a Full Racing
Program that includes Midwest Modified, Midwest Sportsman, Thunderstocks, Complete Car
Care Slinger Bees, Figure Eights, Port A John Speedway Guest Cars and the Spectator
Eliminators. Plus Wisconsin Sport Trucks!
General Admission Gates Open
at 4:45, Time Trials are at 5:15 and Racing Starts at 7:00 pm.
There are select advertising and sponsorship opportunities as well as company and group
hospitality outings available for the 2005 season. For more information, contact the
speedway’s public relations department at: 262-370-0440, the track office at:
262-644-5921 or our web site at: www.slingersuperspeedway.com. |
