Lepak Drives to Victory in Pepsi Challenge Series 60! by Dan Margetta

(Slinger, WI); July 8, 2007 - Jeremy Lepak notched his first win of the season in the 60-lap late model feature Sunday night at the Slinger Super Speedway in the second round of the Pepsi Challenge Series.

“What a run, we really needed that, “ a noticeably excited Lepak told the crowd afterwards. “We’ve had a good car lately but just couldn’t keep it together,” Lepak continued. “We worked so hard in the heat tonight to get it right and it feels good to get the win.”

Photo Highlights

Jeremy Lepak has a successful tuneup for the Slinger Nationals when he topped the Pepsi Challenge Series Round Two at Slinger Super Speedway. It was his first Super Late Model victory of the 2007 on the high-banked quarter-mile oval. Jeremy Lepak (#40) moves under race leader Nick Schmuacher (#16) late in the Super Late Model main event to take over the lead. Nick Hammer (#40) and Gary Lamonte (#63) did battle near the front of the pack early in the Super Late Model main event. Tricky Travelstad's stunt show proved to be a thriller.  Here he demonstrates how not to add an addition to your travel trailer. Ty James (#27) captured the Limited Late Model feature contest earning his first feature of the 2007 season. Pat McIntee (#35) topped the Midwest Sportsman main event. Unlucky 13 ... Andy Haver got upside down during the Midwest Sportsman feature contest. Fortunately he was able to escape injury.

The action began quickly as a jam up near the front of the field resulted in turn one resembling a parking lot at the start with numerous cars sliding to a stop. All cars were able to drive away from the incident and only the machine of Travis Dassow was forced to leave the track with significant damage. Nick Hammer raced to the front of the field following a complete restart and paced the beginning laps over Nick Schumacher and John Mueller. On lap five, Schumacher was able to turn under Hammer in turn two to take over the top spot while Lepak, Lowell Bennett, Al Schill, and David Prunty began to move forward. Schumacher stretched out his lead over Hammer and Gary LaMonte as Lepak worked his way into fourth place by lap 21. Two laps later, Lepak used the inside groove again to get third place while Schumacher began to encounter lapped traffic. By lap 33, Lepak had made his way into second while behind the leaders, Bennett, Schill, and Prunty continued their march forward, occupying the third through fifth spots.

The lapped traffic proved to be detrimental to Schumacher and gradually, his large lead was erased as Lepak moved to his back bumper. On lap 39, Lepak again made his signature move, slipping to the inside of Schumacher exiting turn two to take the lead while Bennett battled with Schill and Prunty for third. Once out front, Lepak began to extend his lead while Schumacher fell into the clutches of Bennett as Schill and Prunty disputed the fourth position. Over the final ten laps, Bennett and Schumacher raced side by side for second while Schill and Prunty ran likewise for the fourth spot. With five laps to go, Bennett was able to pass Schumacher for second, but couldn’t catch Lepak who charged to his first feature win of the season. Bennett settled for a second place result, just ahead of Schumacher in third while Prunty edged Schill to finish fourth. Matt Kocourek finished in the sixth position and Nick Hammer took the checkered flag in seventh. Josh Bauer, Gary LaMonte, and John Mueller rounded out the top ten.

James Swan took top honors in the 30-lap late model semi-feature over Randy Schuler and Mike Meyerhofer. Steve Carlson made a trip to Slinger and finished a respectable fourth place in the semi-feature while Wayne Freimund finished in fifth. Lowell Bennett was the winner of the late model fast dash and Lepak set the pace in qualifying after turning in a lap of 11.637 seconds.

Pat McIntee topped the 30-lap Midwest Sportsman feature over Kenny Joosten and Dave Thomas.

Scott Shambeau pulled off an impressive three-wide move on Andy Haver and Jake Vanoskey to grab the lead on the opening lap with McIntee moved into second place a few laps later, bringing Dave Thomas with him and into third. Dan Church and Tom Elsinger tangled in turn four on lap ten, drawing the caution flag when Church looped his car around. A lap after racing resumed, Haver and Vanoskey came together and hooked on the backstretch, sending Haver’s car into the wall on its roof. The car slid upside down through the third and fourth corners before rolling back over on its wheels in the infield as the race was halted under the red flag. Haver escaped serious injury in the incident but his car left the speedway on a flatbed. Shambeau spun the tires and kicked loose on the restart, allowing McIntee to get a run on the outside to take the lead on lap12. Shambeau continued to slide off the turns and Thomas raced around him for second on lap 23 while Kenny Joosten also made his way by Shambeau for third a lap later. With McIntee showing the way, Joosten began to apply serious pressure to Thomas’ rear bumper for second. McIntee held off all challengers and charged to the win while Thomas washed wide in the first turn on the final lap as Joosten raced by to finish second. Shambeau took the checkered flag in third while Thomas recovered for a fourth place result, just ahead of Mike Borchardt in fifth.

Mike Borchardt was the winner of the Midwest Sportsman fast dash and Kenny Joosten was the fastest qualifier after circling the speedway in 12.800 seconds.

After coming close a few weeks ago, Tyler James put it all together to nail down his first feature win in the 30-lap limited late model main event.

Steve Apel and James battled handily for the lead at the drop of the green flag with Apel using the bottom of the track and James working the high side. The two ran door to door with Apel being able to nip James at the stripe each lap before James inched ahead to lead lap seven. Apel was able to use the inside to once again edge ahead at the stripe as the two remained glued together side by side for the lead. With the tremendous battle occurring for the lead, Chris Ratajczyk maintained the third spot, trying to hold back the challenges of Dan Jung and Jon Reynolds Jr. who advanced forward into fourth and fifth respectively. A slight bobble by Apel on lap 18 was all James needed to take sole possession of the lead while Apel fell into a battle with Jung and Ratajczyk for second. Jung was able to complete the pass for second on lap 27 as James continued to lead. James hit his marks over the final laps and drove to the win over Jung while Apel held off Ratajczyk for third. Reynolds Jr. crossed the finish line in fifth.

Dan Jung was victorious in the limited late model fast dash and Jon Reynolds Jr. led all drivers in qualifying after posting a lap of 12.469 seconds.

Dave Edwards took the checkered flag first in the 16-lap Thunderstock main event.

Bill Johnson took the lead at the drop of the green flag and paced the opening two laps before Jim Bentzler took over the point on lap three. Bentzler spent two laps at the front of the field before Aaron Cain moved into the top slot while Edwards and Paul Konieczny began to charge forward. Cain kept his car out front until Konieczny and Edwards caught him to mount a charge with three laps to go. Konieczny was able to work his way into the lead on lap 14 but his car became extremely loose and he spun in turn two. As the white flag was displayed, Edwards charged by into the lead and then held off Cain to score the win. Chris Sackman finished a strong third while Seth Lootans advanced from deep in the field to capture fourth place at the finish. Bentzler took the checkered flag in fifth. Earlier, Lootans became the Thunderstock fastest qualifier with a trip around the speedway in 13.848 seconds.

Brandon Wolf scored the win in the first Slinger Bees event, holding off Ken Schraufnagel for the victory. Roman Blank, Steve Mueller, and Desi Wiedenhoeft rounded out the top five. Bob Losiniecki took top honors in the second Slinger Bees race, taking the checkered flag ahead of Jared Apel and C.J. Corallini. Stephanie Losiniecki finished in fourth place while Zack Durham finished in fifth. Corallini was the Slinger Bees fastest qualifier at 16.363 seconds.

Michael Arantz topped the Spectator Eliminator races in his Ford Mustang and Scott Goetzke took top honors in the Figure 8 event.
 

For Complete results from the RACESTAT computer CLICK HERE