In the tough, no-holds-barred field of local IMCA modified competition, it's not uncommon for a driver to toil for several years before he or she can collect their first feature flag. For Luxemburg hotshoe Benji LaCrosse that wait was short lived. The rookie driver stunned his foes Sunday night at Seymour Tri-Oval Raceway by passing multi-time track champion RM Van Pay of Green Bay on the risky outer groove on lap nine to win the 20 lap contest. What's so impressive about LaCrosse's feat is that it was only his sixth race on area dirt ovals this year. "When I was in the claim area I just kept saying I can't believe it," said LaCrosse. "RM started up front and he came up to me and said he's never been beat from the pole position before." LaCrosse started deep in the pack from his 12th starting spot. "I knew right away after a couple of laps that I had something for them," exclaimed LaCrosse. "Some lanes kept opening up. The setup I threw in worked big time up on top. I was the only guy running up there. Everyone else was hugging the bottom."

LaCrosse, who just turned 26, had 33 career feature wins in IMCA stock car competition. LaCrosse also nabbed two track championships and one state title as well. All that in just three years of racing. To say he's a quick learner would be an understatement. So far this season LaCrosse has qualified for the main event an impressive five out of six nights racing. LaCrosse purchased a championship car from top gun Brian Mullen. LaCrosse accompanied Mullen down to a big money special in Texas over the winter where he quickly learned the ropes of modified racing. "Brian's been real helpful as far as getting me in the ballpark setup-wise," said LaCrosse. "But I also throw a few things of my own in there. I've struggled with my car up at Sturgeon Bay. I think I've found something that will work well at Luxemburg. We had a fast car but I clipped one of those tires in the infield and broke a tie rod. We'll get it figured out yet." LaCrosse has taken some pretty detailed notes on his winning setup from Seymour Sunday. "I made some changes at the track. I scaled it at home in the garage and made sure I put it down on paper. It's a deal I don't want to forget. Another thing we've done this year is try a completely different setup each night at every different track. I'm starting to get a handle on what works the best and where."

LaCrosse will continue his three-nights-per-week assault on the area dirt tracks this summer. Down the road, though, he'd like to give racing on the pavement a try, something he knows is a very costly endeavor. "I know how expensive these modifieds are alone. Going to run a late model at WIR (Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna) is something right now I don't have the money to do. I'd like to rent somebody's late model or run for someone, just to give it a try sometime."

BALDRY/BUCO - It didn't take Omro's Terry Baldry long to mesh with the Green Bay-based BUCO Racing team. Baldry scored a convincing win in Sunday's Jim Pagel Memorial 100 lap late model feature at WIR Sunday. Regular Thursday night racing will get underway at WIR tonight under the direction of the Fox River Racing Club. Racing gets underway at 7 p.m.

BERNA WINS - Green Bay's "Rocket Ron" Berna scored his second WISSOTA late model feature win of the season last Friday night at Monster Hall Raceway in Unity in central Wisconsin. Berna will take his show on the road this weekend and compete in an $11,000-to-win WISSOTA Cup event at Cedar Lake Speedway near the Wisconsin/Minnesota border.

OUT WEST TONIGHT - The season opening race for the WISSOTA Challenge Series gets underway tonight at Red Cedar Speedway in Menominee Wisconsin. A handful of local racing teams will attend this event, including Terry Casey, Greg Dhein and Tim Buhler, just to name a few. It's probably a good two and one-half hour hike and then some on highway 29. Racing starts at 7:30 p.m. for those interested in a mid-week "road trip".

HOLY MAN HOURS! - After the first two nights of sub-par track conditions at Luxemburg Speedway track prep guru Bobby Marquis took it personally. With the help of several track and county workers the crew put in a whopping 180 man hours during the week, completely digging up and reworking turns three and four. The result? A very smooth and tacky race track, the kind the drivers expect at "The 'Burg" on Friday nights. A record 138 race cars were in attendance.

SHAWANO SPRINTERS - In addition to it's regular Saturday night program Shawano Speedway will host an MSA 360 sprint car race on Sunday night beginning at 7 p.m. My "favorite division" the limited late models will also be part of the show.

NEVILLE EXHIBIT - The exhibit "Racecar: The Science of Speed" kicks off this Saturday at Neville Public Museum. The touring exhibit, which will run through Labor day weekend, brings NASCAR racing and Indy to Green Bay, giving folks an up-close-and-personal look at the world of big time stock car racing. There will also be a 2,000-square-foot exhibit which includes a banking curve and fencing, a car's roll cage and a driver's racing suit. Local Eddie Muenster will also have his car on display. Admission to the museum at 210 Museum Place, Green Bay, is free. Watch this column for several additions to the exhibit all summer long.