Mueller Wins a Thriller in Russ Darrow Toyota 60! By Dan Margetta

(Slinger, WI); August 3, 2008 - While Brad Mueller only led one lap of the Russ Darrow Toyota 60 Sunday night at the Slinger Super Speedway, it was the one that counted as his last lap pass of Mike Strupp netted him his first late model feature victory of the season in a highly competitive and thrilling main event.

“This just goes to show that you stick in there until the end because the best race car doesn’t always win,” an excited Mueller told the crowd afterwards. “We drove the death out of this thing tonight and there is no better feeling than winning at Slinger Speedway, it’s just absolutely awesome.”

Photo Highlights

Brad Mueller (#89) took the lead on the final lap of the Russ Darrow Toyota 60 to earn his first Super Late Model feature win of the 2008 season at Slinger Super Speedway. Mike Strupp (#10) works past Nick Schumacher (#16) in the Super Late Model feature.  Strupp would lead the contest until the final lap when he was passed by Brad Mueller.  Strupp would settle for second place. Brothers Dennis (#42) and David (#1) Prunty battle for position during the Super Late Model feature contest. A late race spin by David Prunty (#1) in the Super Late Model feature would negate any shot he had at a win this evening. Mike Egan (#89) runs wheel to wheel with Nick Schumacher (#16) for the lead earl in the Super Late Model feature contest. Dan Jung (#0) gets headed the wrong direction in the Super Late Model main event. Brad Mueller (#89) stearted his day the way he would end it in Super Late Model action.  At the head of the class.  Mueller not only won the feature race, but set fast time as well. Pat McIntee (#35) and Steve Apel (#16) battle wheel to wheel for the lead in the Limited Late Model feature. Pat McIntee (#35) was a double winner this evening, topping an exciting feature and the dash evening, in Limited Late Model action. Steve Apel (#16) turned in the fastest qualifying lap of the night in Limited Late Model action. Jeff Holtz (#3) won his third Midwest Sportsman feature win in a row this evening at Slinger Super Speedway. Mike Graczkowski (#2) added another fast qualifying effort to his list of accomplishments in the Midwest Sportsman division. Ron Schmitt (#6) topped the Midwest Modified dash.l Steve Schulz (#45) set fast time and later came back to win the feature in Midwest Modified action.

Mike Egan and Nick Schumacher raced in tandem for the lead over the opening laps with Dennis Prunty and David Prunty lined up side by side behind them. With Egan and Schumacher swapping the lead, the field was slowed under the caution flag for the first time on lap ten when Dan Jung spun in turn four. Egan maintained the point on the restart but Schumacher became caught on the top side and Dennis Prunty, David Prunty, and Mike Strupp all were able to get by. Dennis Prunty took his shot at the point by jumping to the outside to challenge Egan just before the caution flag waved again on lap 17 when Race McComb spun and smacked the turn one wall. On the restart, Egan and Dennis Prunty once again renewed their side by side battle for the lead with Egan hugging the inside and Prunty riding the top. Dennis Prunty was able to clear Egan for the lead on lap 24 and Mike Strupp and David Prunty also used the outside groove to pass Egan for second and third respectively. Fred Winn and Jung tangled in turn three on lap 28 and the field was slowed under yellow again with Dennis Prunty leading over Strupp, David Prunty, Egan, and Lowell Bennett. As racing resumed, Dennis Prunty and Strupp went wheel to wheel for the lead while Bennett and David Prunty were side by side for third. Strupp kept his run going on the outside and cleared Prunty for the lead on lap 30 as Bennett and David Prunty continued their battle for third. Five laps later, the hard racing between Bennett and David Prunty came to a head when Bennett slid through turn three and made slight contact with Prunty, sending his car around to bring out the caution flag and placing both at the rear of the field.

Strupp led on the restart over Dennis Prunty and Dale Prunty while Brad Mueller advanced to fourth place, just ahead of Egan in fifth. Strupp and Dennis Prunty renewed their battle for the lead as racing resumed while Mueller went to work on Dale Prunty for third. Mike Meyerhofer had something break on his car and he slid to the fence on lap 43 to produce another caution and as the field went back to green, Strupp and Dennis Prunty turned up the wick on their battle for the lead. Both drivers raced door to door, determined to take the top spot as Mueller made his way around Dale Prunty to take over third. On lap 51, Dennis Prunty made an inside charge for the lead exiting turn two, but lost the handle and spun down the backstretch, the tail end of his car rising in the air as he bounced through the infield grass.

The caution flag waved two laps later as the safety crew was summoned to check on Prunty with Strupp now leading over Mueller, Dale Prunty, Nick Schumacher, and Egan. Strupp was able to shut the door on Mueller’s bid for the lead from the outside on the restart and kept the lead as the laps wound down. As the leaders came to the white flag, Strupp’s car pushed high exiting turn four, opening the door for Mueller to stick the nose of his car to the inside as they charged down the front stretch. Mueller was able to make the pass and hang onto the lead over the final lap, taking the checkered flag for the win with Strupp on his rear bumper in second. Dale Prunty finished third while Mike Egan and Lowell Bennett completed the top five. Nick Schumacher finished sixth ahead of Jamie Wallace and David Prunty. Fred Winn and Brad Dahmer were ninth and tenth respectively.

Al Schill scored the victory in the 30-lap late model semi-feature to transfer to the main event along with second place finisher Chris Carlson. Scott Schoeni finished third ahead of Ron Ragan and Jerry Eckhardt who were fourth and fifth respectively. Mike Meyerhofer took top honors in the late model fast dash and Brad Mueller set fast time with a lap of 11.396 seconds.

Pat McIntee held off Steve Apel to win the 35-lap limited late model feature in a thrilling side by side finish.

Corey Funk took command of the race at the drop of the green flag as McIntee slotted into second place ahead of Dave McCardle, Trevor Dassow, and Becca Kasten. McIntee took to the high side on lap four and was able to work his way around Funk for the lead as farther back, Apel and Rob Braun advanced their way forward, racing just outside the top five. The yellow flag waved on lap ten when Becca Kasten and Trevor Dassow got together in turn two, resulting in Dassow’s car looping around. McIntee maintained the point on the restart while McCardle and Apel went to work on Funk for second. McCardle and Apel took over second and third respectively just before the caution flag flew again on lap 12 for a spin by Ryan DeStefano in turn two. Once again, McIntee kept the others at bay as the green reappeared while Apel began to battle McCardle for second, eventually taking the spot on lap 16. Once into second, Apel began to track down McIntee for the lead while McCardle raced with Funk over the third spot. Trevor Dassow and Becca Kasten had their second incident of the race on lap 20 which slowed the field under the caution flag again. McIntee chose the inside for the restart and Apel lined up alongside while Funk held third place ahead of Jake Vanoskey and Rob Braun. McIntee and Apel took the green flag side by side and remained that way for the final fifteen laps in a thrilling battle for the lead. McIntee was able to inch ahead slightly off the turns, but Apel remained tough on the high side and made up the ground entering the corners. On the white flag lap, McIntee and Apel remained glued together, side by side, and out of the final corner McIntee crossed the finish line ahead of Apel by a fender. Funk took the checkered flag in third place while Braun and McCardle rounded out the top five finishers.

Pat McIntee also scored the win in the limited late model fast dash and Apel was the fastest qualifier, turning in a lap of 12.318 seconds around the speedway.

Jeff Holtz won his third Midwest Sportsman feature in a row, taking the victory in the 30-lap main event.

Mike Borchardt Jr. led at the start with Dave Thomas challenging on the outside and Kenny Joosten, Mike Graczkowski, and Holtz racing for position behind the leaders. Joosten used the inside to take second place by lap five with Holtz sliding into third as Thomas and Graczkowski battled over fourth. Two laps later, Joosten bobbled slightly in turn three and Holtz took advantage of the miscue, taking over second place as Borchardt maintained the lead. Holtz went to the upper groove and began to close the gap between himself and Borchardt for the lead. On lap 12, Holtz charged around Borchardt on the outside to take the lead. While Graczkowski and Joosten closed on the top two. Once out front, Holtz pulled away as Graczkowski and Joosten worked their way around Borchardt for second. Holtz charged to the win, his third main event win in a row while Graczkowski held off Joosten for second. Dave Thomas and Mike Borchardt Jr. were fourth and fifth respectively.

Jeff Holtz also was the winner of the Midwest Sportsman fast dash and Mike Graczkowski was the fastest qualifier at 12.581 seconds.

Steven Schulz drove to a convincing win in the 30-lap Midwest Modified feature over Ron Schmitt and Joey Bentfield.

Schmitt paced the opening laps with Bentfield holding down second while Schulz charged his way to third by lap eight. A few laps later, Schulz raced around Bentfield for second and set his sights on Schmitt for the lead. Using the outside groove, Schulz caught Schmitt and raced around him for the lead on lap 14. Once out front, Schulz drove away from the field, taking the convincing win over Schmitt. Bentfield took the checkered flag in third place while Bill Tandetzke and Matt Pate put on the best battle on the speedway for over fourth place. Tandetzke came out the winner of the battle and finished fourth ahead of Pate who settled for fifth.

Ron Schmitt was the winner of the Midwest Modified fast dash and Steven Schulz topped qualifying with a lap of 12.283 seconds.

Al Stippich drove to another win in the 18-lap Thunderstock feature, taking command of the race with five laps to go. Bernie Leonard and Jim Bentzler raced door to door for the lead at the start while Ryan Farrell and Eric Lingford battled with John Daley for third. As the leaders continued to race side by side with Leonard able to lead each lap at the stripe, Stippich and Aaron Cain made their way through the field and ran just outside the top five by lap five. Bentzler finally was able to wrestle the lead away from Leonard using the outside groove on lap eight as Stippich edged his way to second with Cain holding down the fourth spot. Bentzler paced the next four laps before a spin by Jacob Sproelich in turn four drew the caution flag. Cain was unable to avoid Sproelich’s spun machine, making contact with it in turn four. Eric Lingford was also unable to avoid the incident and he piled hard first into Cain’s car and then the turn four wall. Bentzler chose the inside lane for the restart but was unable to hold off Stippich, who charged from the outside into the lead on lap 13. Farrell made his way by Bentzler for second but couldn't chase down Stippich, who raced to the win. Farrell finished second ahead of Leonard, Bentzler, and John Daley. Aaron Cain was the fastest qualifier at 13.670 seconds.

Erik Long won the 18-lap Slinger Bees feature over Tom Berens and Ken Schraufnagel. Brandon Tackes and Derek Hoerig rounded out the top five. The event was slowed on lap nine when D.J. Schroeder’s car hit the turn four wall hard. After being extricated by the safety crew, Schroeder was taken to a local hospital for precautionary measures but returned to the speedway later in the night. Schraufnagel was the fastest qualifier with a lap of 15.892 seconds. Al Strobel won the Speedway Guest Car race and Carl Trapp took top honors in the Spectator Eliminator races with his 1972 Chevy Nova. Shane Becker closed the night with a win in the Figure 8 race.