Lepak Nets Third Victory of the Season In Transport Services 65! By Dan Margetta

(Slinger, WI); August 17, 2008 - Jeremy Lepak raced to his third late model feature win of the season in the Transport Services 65 Sunday night at the Slinger Super Speedway.

Matt Kocourek and Mike Meyerhofer led the field to the green flag with Meyerhofer taking the early lead as everyone fought to get to the inside groove with Dennis Prunty setting into second ahead of Kocourek, Nick Schumacher and Dan Jung. With Meyerhofer out front, the field remained tightly bunched and the caution flag flew early when Josh Bauer spun in turn four while racing hard with Dale Prunty, blocking the track behind them as the field tried to avoid them.

Photo Highlights

Jeremy Lepak (right) earned his third Super Late Model feature victory of the 2008 racing season at Slinger Super Speedway. Jeremy Lepak (#40) works the high line past Dennis Prunty (#42) on his way to the lead in the Super Late Model feature. A multi-car tangle slowed the pace of the Super Late Model main event.  All of the drivers were able to continue with the exception of Mike Strupp (#10). Jamie Wallace (#87) works by Al Schill (#14) to top the Super Late Model semi-feature contest. Jeremy Lepak (#40) showed fans he was going to be fast during the evening by setting quick time during the Super Late Model qualifying. Josh Bauer (#71) won the Super Late Model dash. Ron Schimtt (#6) captured the Midwest Modified dash race. Steve Schulz (#45) kept is winning streak alive in Midwest Modified action.  He turned in the fastest qualifying lap of the evening and won yet another feature event. Al Stippich (#66) topped the Midwest Sportsman dash.a Mike Graczkowski (#2) continued his hold on the Midwest Sportsman qualifying. Al Stippich (#66) turned in fast time and won the feature in the Thunderstocks.

Mike Strupp became the only casualty of the incident as he was the only car swept up in the melee that was unable to continue as Meyerhofer lined up on the inside for the restart with Dennis Prunty alongside. As racing resumed, Prunty had his car wound up on the outside and he was able to use the high groove to take the lead from Meyerhofer as Jeremy Lepak and Schumacher also took to the high side for second and third place respectively, dropping Meyerhofer into a battle over fourth with Lowell Bennett. The action was slowed under the yellow flag again on lap 27 when Eddie May spun out of a tight pack of cars in turn one and collected Scott Schoeni. Back to green, Prunty held onto the lead but he was pressured heavily by Lepak who tried an outside maneuver a few times before diving down to look toward the inside by lap 30, while Bennett muscled his way to the inside of Schumacher for third place two laps later.

Eric Fransen worked his way by Meyerhofer for the fifth spot just before the caution waved again on lap 36 when an accordion-like jam-up between cars deeper in the field resulted in Mike Egan’s car looping around in turn three. Prunty chose the inside lane for the restart, leaving Lepak with the top and the two went wheel to wheel for the top spot as the green flag reappeared. As Prunty and Lepak raced door to door, touching slightly in the corners, neither was able to gain enough advantage for the lead until Lepak gradually was able to get a better run off the corners and he eased ahead while racing down the backstretch on lap 42. Bennett was right there behind the battle for the lead and he immediately went to work on Prunty for second while David Prunty advanced forward, racing by Fransen and into the top five.

Dennis Prunty fended off challenges on both the high and low side from Bennett as the intense battle for second allowed Lepak to scamper away from the field in the closing laps. Bennett finally made his way around Dennis Prunty for second with five laps to go, but Lepak was too far ahead and he steadily drove to his third late model feature win of the season. Bennett settled for second place just ahead of Dennis Prunty while Nick Schumacher and David Prunty rounded out the top five finishers. Bennett’s second place finish unofficially gave him the season points lead over David Prunty by a mere six points as the fight for the track championship begins to wind down. Dale Prunty finished sixth and Matt Kocourek was seventh while Al Schill came out of the semi-feature to finish eighth. Dan Jung and Eric Fransen were ninth and tenth respectively.

Jamie Wallace won the 30-lap late model semi-feature over Al Schill and Fred Winn. Jerry Eckhardt and Jeff Way finished fourth and fifth respectively. Josh Bauer was the winner of the late model fast dash and Jeremy Lepak was the fastest qualifier after touring the speedway in 11.520 seconds.

After four runner-up finishes to his credit, Rob Braun finally put it all together and held off defending track champion Jon Reynolds Jr. to win his first Wisconsin Corn Growers limited late model feature of the season in the 35-lap main event.

Braun took the lead at the drop of the green flag over Corey Funk, Jon Reynolds Jr., Steve Apel, and Jon Ovadal Jr. as the field settled into place before the caution flag waved on lap seven for a spin by Trevor Dassow on the frontstretch. As racing resumed, Braun maintained the lead while Reynolds charged by Funk for second and began to track down Braun for the lead. Reynolds pulled to Braun’s rear bumper and dogged him for the lead during the middle stages while Apel, Funk, Ovadal, and Ryan DeStefano raced for third. Using the outside lane, Reynolds pulled alongside Braun many times but Braun remained strong off the turns and was able to keep the lead, eventually shutting the door on Reynolds challenges during the closing laps. Braun drove the final laps flawlessly and kept Reynolds at bay to score his first Wisconsin Corn Growers limited late model feature win of the season. Reynolds finished a strong second while Apel completed his strong run with a third place result. Ryan DeStefano was fourth and Wes Biswell made a late charge to finish fifth.

Jon Ovadal Jr. won the limited late model fast dash and Jon Reynolds Jr. paced qualifications after circling the track in 12.385 seconds.

Jay Shambeau turned back all challenges to win the 30-lap Midwest Sportsman feature, holding off Jeff Holtz and Dave Thomas at the finish.

Shambeau jumped into the lead at the start ahead of Tony Sancinati, Brian Holtz, and Tom Elsinger. Shambeau worked the high groove to maintain the lead while Holtz also looked to the outside of Sancinati with Elsinger running down low. Sancinati’s car kicked loose on the backstretch as he was in the middle of a momentarily three-wide situation and his car clipped Elsinger’s, sending it around as the field scattered with the caution flag waving. As racing resumed, Shambeau and Brian Holtz swapped the lead for numerous laps while Mike Graczkowski, Dave Thomas, and Jeff Holtz closed in. On lap 12, Brian Holtz’s car dirt-tracked sideways through turns three and four and as his car washed up the track on the exit of the turn, Graczkowski and Thomas ducked underneath resulting in some more three-wide racing down the frontstretch. Graczkowski and Holtz made side to side contact which got both cars out of shape and when Graczkowski’s car ramped over the left front tire of Holtz’s machine, both cars slammed the wall entering turn one to produce the caution flag for the second time. Shambeau led on the restart over Thomas and Jeff Holtz while Mike Borchardt Jr. and Kenny Joosten moved into the top five. With Shambeau hugging the inside, Thomas made several attempts on the outside, but while he was able to pull alongside, he was unable to complete the pass as Shambeau continued to lead at the line. Eventually, Thomas’ efforts on the top cost him as Jeff Holtz was able to sneak inside and grab second place as the laps wound down. Holtz also made attempts on the outside but like Thomas, could not make the pass as Shambeau drove to the victory. Holtz finished second ahead of Thomas and Borchardt Jr. Al Stippich rounded out the top five in fifth.

Stippich earlier scored his first division win in the Midwest Sportsman dash and Mike Graczkowski was the fastest qualifier at 12.677 seconds.

Steven Schulz remained perfect for the 2008 season as he won the 30-lap Midwest Modified feature, continuing his streak of winning every feature in the division to date this season.

Joe Houpt and Ron Schmitt raced side by side for the top spot during the first two laps with Houpt leading at the stripe before Schmitt charged by on the outside for the lead on lap three. Behind the leaders, Eddie Bentfield and Steven Schulz were in their tire tracks with Justin Okruhlica, Russ Moberly, and Matt Pate close behind. Moberly looped around on lap eight while racing with Pate in turn four and the event remained under green with Schmitt leading over Houpt and Bentfield. Houpt and Bentfield touched wheels on the backstretch a lap later and before they could get sorted out, Houpt spun entering turn three. Both were placed at the rear of the field for the restart, moving Schulz into second place while Schmitt led. As racing resumed, Houpt and Bentfield somehow found themselves together again on the front straight, sending both cars scraping along the wall to quickly draw the yellow flag again with Bentfield exiting the event. Schulz used the outside lane on the restart to power into the lead around Schmitt as Okruhlica and Pate raced for third. A final caution flag on lap 24 occurred when Okruhlica spun in turn four while battling with Pate, setting up a six lap charge to the finish. No one had anything for Schulz however as he charged to the win to remain undefeated at the speedway in the modified division this season. Schmitt finished second while Houpt rebounded from his earlier issues to finish a strong third. Pate and Okruhlica rounded out the top five in fourth and fifth respectively.

Al Stippich was the winner of the 18-lap Thunderstock feature over Ryan Farrell and John Daley. Daley paced the first five laps as Stippich sliced through the field to second place, using the outside to take the position from Stephanie Losiniecki and then the inside lane to grab the lead from Daley a lap later. Ryan Farrell moved up into second and was able to catch up to Stippich’s rear bumper as he worked lapped traffic, but was unable to make a charge and Stippich took the win with Farrell finishing second. Daley was third followed by Eric Lingford and Bernie Leonard.

Tom Berens took the lead on lap 11 from Brandon Tackes and charged to the win in the 18-lap Slinger Bees feature. Erik Long made a late race charge to finish second while Mike Lang, Ken Schraufnagel, and Brandon Tackes rounded out the top five finishers. Ken Schraufnagel was the fastest qualifier at 15.963 seconds. Kurt Manthey was the winner of the Spectator Eliminator races and Scott Goetzke bested a field of nine cars to win the Figure 8 event to close the night.