Prunty Nails Down Win #4 IN U.S. Army 75! by Dan Margetta

(Slinger, WI); June 24, 2007 - Defending track champion, David Prunty notched his fourth late model feature win of the season Sunday night at the Slinger Super Speedway in the US Army 75.

Prunty began the event from the ninth position and steadily worked his way through the field before kicking in the afterburners with 20 laps to go and using an outside pass to take the lead for good from Mike Strupp on lap 55.

“I didn’t think I had it for a sticky track like this,” Prunty told the crowd from Victory Lane. “It was hard to do, but we got it.”

Photo Highlights

Current Super Late Model point leader David Prunty (#1) scored his fourth feature win of the 2007 season and is joined in victory lane by representatives of the U.S. Army, the evenings event sponsor. David Prunty works the inside of Conrad Morgan (#92) on his way to the front of the Super Late Model feature. In the closing laps Al Schill (#14) and Lowell Bennett (#2) were engaged in a side by side duel for the third spot.  Bennett would prevail taking third. Mike Strupp (#10) would lead much of the Super Late Model main event before having to settle for second place.  He is shown passing Conrad Morgan (#92). Brad Dahmer (#45) and Scott Schoeni (#31) did battle for the win in the Super Late Model semi-feature.  Dahmer would collect the checkered flag. Colin Bamke (#27) was this evening's winner of the Super Late Model dash. David Prunty would set the fastest qualifying lap, and later come back to win the feature contest.. Chris Ratajczyk (#21) topped the Limited Late Model feature race. John Reynolds Jr. (#10) winner of the Limited Late Model dash. Dan Jung (#68) the evening's fast qualifier in the Limited Late Model division. Mike Graczkowski (#2) took the lead with three laps to go in the Midwest Sportsman feature and showed his enthusiasm in victory lane after winning the event. Mike Borchardt (#29) topped the Midwest Sportsman feature. The Midwest Sportsman fast qualifier was Pat McIntee.

Strupp set the pace for most of the event, leading at the start over Fred Winn, Gary LaMonte, and Conrad Morgan. The strong contingent of Prunty, Lowell Bennett, and Al Schill marched their way toward the front and into the top six by lap 20. A solo spin by Brad Dahmer on lap 24 drew the first caution flag, erasing Strupp’s advantage and bunching the field for the double-file restart. Strupp continued where he left off, stretching his way to another lead over Winn, while Morgan used the outside to shut the door on Prunty for third. Morgan and Prunty then used the inside line to dispatch Winn for second as he became caught on the outside and subsequently lost two more spots to Bennett and Schill. Another single car spin by Brad Keith on lap 32 slowed the race for the second and final time as Strupp led Morgan, Prunty, Bennett, and Schill.

Once again, Strupp hit the marks on the restart and maintained his lead as Morgan did all he could to hold off Prunty and Bennett. Using all the available real estate, Morgan fended off challenges on the inside from Prunty and outside from Bennett until just before the 50-lap mark when both were able to work inside of Morgan for second and third. Once into second, Prunty quickly made up ground on Strupp, pulling to his bumper within five laps. On lap 55, Prunty took to the high side and racing around Strupp for the lead. Over the final 20 laps, Prunty pulled away to his fourth win of the season while Strupp was forced to settle for second. The best battle on the track in the final laps was for third place between Schill and Bennett as they drove door to door to the checkered flag with Bennett edging Schill for the spot. Josh Bauer finished in fifth ahead of Morgan, John Mueller, and Winn. Nick Schumacher and Mike Meyerhofer completed the top ten finishers.

Brad Dahmer held off Scott Schoeni to win the 30-lap late model semi-feature as both transferred into the main event. Mark Bitzan finished in the third spot, just ahead of Randy Schuler and Tom Hromadka. Collin Bamke took home top honors in the late model fast dash and David Prunty paced qualifying after turning in a lap of 11.564 seconds.

Kevin Harvick Inc development driver Cale Gale made his first career Slinger Speedway start at the wheel of Shawn Roethle’s #53 Hi Rev Chevy. Cale adapted well, charging toward the front before contact with another car sent him to the back of the field. The 30 lap semi feature race was just enough to get a good taste of the Slinger high banks and Cale said if he makes the trip back for the Slinger Nationals he would be ready!

Chris Ratajczyk took command of the 30-lap limited late model feature just before the halfway mark and went on to drive to the victory.

Corey Funk led at the green flag while Ratajczyk battled Jerry Eckhardt, Tyler Jame, and Jon Reynolds Jr. for track position behind the leader. As Funk led, Eckhardt’s car became momentarily crossed up on the backstretch on lap eight and as he caught the car, Ratajczyk moved into sole possession of second place. Eckhardt’s adventure cost James two spots as he slowed to avoid an accident and the race remained green. Ratajczyk tracked down Funk for the lead, passing by on lap 14 to take command of the race. A minor tangle in turn one involving Bill Shavlik, Jeff Graf, and Ryan DeStefano brought out the lone caution flag of the race on lap 17 with Ratajczky leading Funk, Eckhardt, James, and Reynolds. Ratajczyk took off on the restart as Funk became caught in the upper groove and Eckhardt, James, and Reynolds all went by. Ratajczyk was never headed from there and he drove to the win over Eckhardt and Reynolds. James finished in fourth place while Dan Jung broke free of traffic late in the race to advance to fifth place at the checkers.

In earlier action, Reynolds was the winner of the limited late model fast dash and Jung topped qualifying with a lap of 12.442 seconds.

Mike Graczkowski charged to the lead with three laps to go en route to the win in the 30-lap Midwest Sportsman feature.

Jay Shambeau led the field to the green flag and paced the opening laps as Jeff Holtz, James Swan, Dave Thomas, and Mark Kissinger jockeyed for position behind him. Swan’s race came to an early end on lap five as he exited the speedway with mechanical problems as Shambeau continued to show the way. Holtz was able to take sole possession of second place on lap 13 after minor contact between Thomas and Kissinger briefly slowed their momentum as Graczkowski and Joosten closed in on the top runners. Holtz took to the outside on lap 22 and made the move stick to bypass Shambeau for the lead and a lap later, Graczkowski also used the top side to move to second, leaving Joosten to battle with Shambeau for third. As Graczkowski began to pressure Holtz for the lead, Joosten maneuvered his way by Shambeau for third place. Graczkowski once again chose the high line in his attempt to gain the lead and the decision paid off on lap 27 as he eased around Holtz for the top spot. With Joosten challenging Holtz for second in the waning laps, Graczkowski charged to the checkered flag for the win. Joosten edged Holtz for the second spot while Shambeau and Kissinger completed the top five finishers.

Mike Borchardt was the winner of the Midwest Sportsman fast dash and Pat McIntee was the fastest qualifier.

Sam Haven conquered a stout field of Wisconsin Sport Trucks to take top honors in the division’s 20-lap feature event.

The field chased Taylor Vandermoss at the start as the caution flag flew quickly at the completion of lap one when Matt Stake and Sean Gruett hooked together and rode along the frontstretch wall. As the green flag appeared, Vandermoss had his hands full with Brad Davis and Scott Baker as both made serious bids for the lead. Baker and Davis came together in turn one on lap three, sending Davis around and triggering a collision that eliminated the truck of Jeff Looker with heavy body damage. Haven used the outside groove on the restart to snag the lead from Vandermoss as Josh Jeske, Mark Ziegelbauer, Kyle Quella, and Dan Vixmer all raced tightly together behind the leader. Quella moved into second place just before the halfway mark while Baker rocketed his way forward from deep in the field to get fifth place. The stalled truck of Jason Roberts brought out the final yellow flag on lap ten with Haven leading over Quella, Jeske, Vixmer, and Baker. Baker continued his charge to the front as racing resumed, advancing all the way to second place as the laps wound down. With Baker hot on his trail, Haven used the inside lane to maintain the lead as Baker made valiant efforts to work his way by. At the finish, it was Haven who took the checkered flag first to score the win over Baker and Quella. Vixmer finished in fourth place while Mark Ziegelbauer crossed the stripe in fifth.

In preliminary events, Baker was the winner of the first Wisconsin Sport Truck heat race and Jeske captured the win in the second heat. Quella was the fastest qualifier after touring the speedway in 13.767 seconds.

Paul Konieczny started on the outside of the front row and led flag to flag to capture the win in the 18-lap Thunderstock feature.

Konieczny raced out to a sizeable lead as Seth Lootans, Dave Edwards, and Aaron Cain sliced their way through the field. Al Stippich also marched towards the front after starting deep in the field, making the top five by lap 14. Konieczny remained out front all the way to the checkered flag to score the win over Lootans and Dave Edwards. Aaron Cain finished fourth and Stippich crossed the stripe in fifth. Lootans also was the fastest qualifier at 13.836 seconds.

Bob Losiniecki held off Jared Apel to win the Slinger Bees fast heat while Tom Berens finished in third ahead of Matt Westphal and John Henning. Zack Durham was the winner of the second Slinger Bees heat over Ken Schraufnagel and Matt Feucht. Michael Martin and Mike Lang rounded out the top five.

Robert Coffey was the winner of the spectator eliminator races and C.J. Corallini topped the Speedway Guest Car event. Paul Williams scored his first Figure 8 race win of the season after the event ended under the red flag when Scott Goetzke and Donald Van Camp crashed together while battling for the lead. Van Camp’s car drove straight into the backstretch wall and rolled back onto the speedway on its roof, bringing the event to an early conclusion. Van Camp was not seriously injured in the mishap as Williams was declared the winner over Justin Poenitsch.

For Complete results from the RACESTAT computer CLICK HERE 

(Slinger, WI) June 25, 2007 – Sunday Night July 1^st Keith’s Marina presents the 2007 Firecracker 85!  See a HUGE Fireworks Display and an 85 lap Late Model Feature along with our regular Sunday program that includes Limited Late Models, Midwest Modified, Midwest Sportsman, Thunderstocks, Slinger Bees, Figure Eights, West Bend Savings Bank Speedway Guest Cars and the Spectator Eliminators. Gates open at 4:45, Qualifying at 5:15, and Racing at 7:00.  Rain date is Tuesday night July 3rd.