December 23rd, 2002

Last season AJ Diemel dangled his toe in the WISSOTA late model waters during the last half of his racing campaign. What he found was that the water was warm. In fact, this season he'll do a cannonball off the diving board and go full speed with the late model, ditching the IMCA modified division he's been a part of for five seasons.

"I raced the late model sparingly at Seymour because I was going for the modified title at Shawano," said Diemel. "We won three features having raced just fourteen times. I had a blast and we've decided we'll run three nights a week (Antigo, Shawano and Seymour) this year." Diemel's wins came at Seymour's third-mile, clay oval, a track that ironically he had the least amount of seat time on compared to the bigger half miles of Shawano and Antigo. "For whatever reason things just seemed to click there. I raced one of Terry Anvelink's old cars and he helped me with the setup and some other tips."

Diemel's racing career started when he was in high school. A third generation driver, the Bonduel driver was also a top notch lineman for the Bonduel Bears, earning all-state honorable mention honors as a senior. "I loved football," said Diemel. "In fact, when I started as a sophomore Nick Anvelink was our quarterback. He was a great athlete. Nick was actually better at basketball than football." Diemel took his talents and size (6'4", 230 lbs.) with him to UW Stout in 1999, where he studied construction management, as well as play football. "I played the entire year my freshman season and I decided to hang it up before my sophomore season," Diemel recalled. "I loved football but racing and maintaining a car just took too much time. The two passions collided and I decided to give up football."

For Diemel racing is also a family tradition. His father Don raced up until 1979 and his grandfather Lyle "Pappy" Diemel raced in the old Wolf River Racing Association at Shawano, Seymour, Shiocton and Apple Creek in the '60's and 70's. "That's why I run number 58 because both my dad and grandfather both ran that number," said Diemel. "Thing is, I was born in 1980, one year after my dad decided to hang it up. I never got to see him race." The 2003 season is already starting to shape up for this college senior. "I just picked up a MasterSbilt Smackdown chassis from Papa Smurf (Jon Olson) last week with the help of Ed (Bertram) at Gold Star Racing Supplies. Mike Suebert is on board and is sponsoring our motor program. I've got a Tesar motor that A.E.B. race engines willfreshen up."

While Diemel will run the three eastern Wisconsin-sanctioned WISSOTA tracks he'll run on unfamiliar territory early in the season. "I've got a Friday class that runs until 4:30 p.m. so I plan on running at Red Cedar Speedway (Menominee) early in the season until finals are done. I'll keep the car up at school."

While bidding farewell to the modifieds, Diemel says he'll miss the tough competition the most. "I won't miss the IMCA claim rule. But I'll miss running against guys like Eddie Muenster, Brad Rohloff and Wade Schutt. Those guys are tough racers who made you better by racing against them every week."

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With regards to the local dirt late model scene...there are rumblings of a six to eight race series similiar to the Amsoil Series up north being formed in eastern Wisconsin. While nothing is yet cast in stone all indications are that the "pieces of the puzzle" are being put together and would include a couple of tracks that don't host late models weekly. A point fund would be involved and it's got the local dirt late model community excited. We'll keep you posted.

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Some well-earned accolades for one of the Midwest's top sprint car promoters. Bumper To Bumper IRA Outlaws President Steve Sinclair was named National 410 Outlaw Sprint Car promoter of the year at the Performance Racing Industry show in Indianapolis last month. Sinclair was one of four finalists nominated by a panel of national sprint car media members, parts manufacturers and other promoters. "I couldn't believe it," explained Sinclair. "I mean, I was there with all the major players in sprint car racing in the room. I'm proud to say IRA as an organization is on the map nationwide. This award was huge." Sinclair's touring series will be making their first appearance at Luxemburg Speedway's third-mile, clay oval in several years on Saturday night, June 14.

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Green Bay's Bruce Jerovetz will return to the dirt late model ranks in 2003. Jerovetz competed in a late model a few years back but has focused his racing efforts in an IMCA modified in recent seasons. Bruce's son Sean had an eye-popping DirtWorks IMCA modified on display at the Racer's Auction in Green Bay. Word is Sean may pilot the late model for three late model specials at Luxemburg next summer.

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The mini sprints will no longer be a part of the Friday night, weekly program at Calumet County Speedway in Chilton next year. Recently the Calumet County Racing Association voted to stop running the division weekly as car counts have taken a plunge into the single digits last year. Same goes for the Pro 4 division, which will be no more.

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Carlsville's Corey Haen, the 2002 bomber champion at Luxemburg, is moving up to the IMCA stock car class this season. Word also has it we may see more of IMCA modified hotshoes Brad Rohloff, Jerry Wenzel and Eric Scribner Friday ngihts at Luxemburg this year. Brett Wenzel, who last season raced a grand national sportsman Friday nights at Chilton and Saturday nights in a stock car at Sturgeon Bay will concentrate his efforts in the stock car division Fridays at Luxemburg and Saturdays at Sturgeon Bay this year.

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There will be new flagman throwing the sticks at Seymour Tri-Oval Raceway in 2003. Tracy Thrun of Horicon will serve as starter, taking over for Tom Christensen and Art Siefert, who split the duties in 2002. Thrun is the son of former late model and modified racer Elroy Thrun and has been an active member of the
Saturday night program at Dodge County Fairgrounds in Beaver Dam.

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Forest County Potawatomi has been named as the title sponsor for the 2003 racing season at Thunder Hill Raceway in Sturgeon Bay. The track, which will feature the name of the gaming hall this year, made the announcement at the Green Bay Racer's auction last month.

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On the pavement scene it looks like 2002 Planet Pages Mid-Am series champion Rod Brewe will be moving up to the super late model division this year. Also, Steve Swoboda has purchased Brett Piontek's IMCA stock car and will race "sparingly" we're told at Luxemburg.

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I had a nice chat with John Surges from the Vintage Modified Stock Car Club recently. The club will once again be part of Luxemburg Legends night, which will be held this year on Aug. 8. John tells me he knows of about four old race cars that are currently in the process of being restored. "Last year we had 14 old cars show up and we'd like to get as many as 20 at Luxemburg again next year," said Surges. The group has a number of old car buffs who have scoured Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan for old coupes and winged mods, some of which have been sitting in garages or behind barns for decades now.

Quite the shakeup at Madison International Speedway (MIS) with new ownership, a new announcer in longtime Slinger veteran pitchman Todd Behling, and the switch back to Hoosier tires from Goodyears. Look for a few more Slinger regulars to give MIS a try once again as it sounds like there is a mutual "cooperation" of sorts between Slinger's Wayne Erickson and Kenseth. MIS is also the lone Wisconsin track on this year's ASA schedule.