RACIN AROUND TITLETOWN by Joe Verdegan

June 11th, 2003

We were able to get our first dose of four straight nights of racing this past week, with the help of the WISSOTA Challenge Series. With stops at Shawano Speedway on a Wednesday night and Seymour Tri-Oval Raceway the following night, eastern Wisconsin fans got a good look at some traveling cars from out west. Shawano's race drew 35 cars, which included 22 eastern cars and 13 travelers. As always the travelers showed they were tough, but when the checkers flew Terry Casey wound up in victory lane before a sparse crowd. With Matt Kenseth making a two hour appearance at a nearby casino and a very brief appearance at the track, the Winston Cup points champion wasn't even interviewed by the track announcers, which was kind of a surprise. One would think Kenseth would be a big box office draw, but the grandstands were maybe one-third full, at best.

Casey should be sitting pretty in the WCS points, as he followed up his Shawano win with a second place the following night at Seymour. The WCS does bring cars from different areas. But with passing points being used in the heat races to qualify for the mains, the fans in the stands are left to wonder just who transferred and who didn't. A couple of drivers I talked to said they'd love to chase the whole series. But with shows scheduled way out in Montana and Wyoming, it's real difficult for most drivers (unless they have an abundance of vacation time or own their own business) to get off to travel to these shows. IMCA stock cars were the support class for Shawano's WCS event. Track management made it a points night, forcing the top point getters to show. Horicon's Jeremy Christians made it worthwhile, as he won at Shawano and the following night at Seymour.

Seymour's Thursday night WCS show also featured IMCA stocks and street stocks. The late model main was one of the best I've seen at the Tri-Oval, which traditionally has not been a real favorite of late model drivers in recent years. Four drivers swapped the lead all race long, including defending series champ John Kaanta, Duane Mahder, Casey and rookie Jeremy Hedrick. Hedrick's hard-charging style and willingness to run the high line certainly keeps the show interesting. Hedrick's season racing sprint cars last year certainly shows, and he drives his full-bodied race car just as if it were a sprinter. In fact Hedrick nipped former track champion Tom Naeyeart at the checkers in one of two last chance events.

Nearly all of the western Wisconsin/Minnesota/South Dakota drivers stuck around for the Seymour show, which kept things real interesting. 31 late models were at Seymour's show. The show ran right up until curfew, and I personally wish (along with those sitting near me) wished the late model main would have been run before the street stock feature.The visitors appeared to have very little trouble adapting to the often tricky tri-oval.

Friday night 27 WISSOTA late models checked in for the "Battle of The 'Burg II" late model show at Luxemburg. Two time WISSOTA national champion Mitch Johnson was a pleasant surprise, as he stuck around to try Luxemburg. Unfortunately Mother Nature had other plans. Despite the best efforts to push the show along in a very pesky, light drizzle, the rains really picked up during the third modified heat, which forced track officials to pull the plug. It's a shame, because with humid conditions and that drizzle the track probably would have stayed wet, tacky and fast. The event will not be rescheduled. The late models will return to Luxemburg this Saturday in the big doubleheader with the Bumper To Bumper IRA Outlaw sprint cars in the biggest paying show in track history. IRA president Steve Sinclair predicts somewhere around 35 or so 410 sprint cars (give or take a few). And we could also have close to 30 late models, too. A regular Friday night program will also be run.

Saturday night at Thunder Hill Raceway in Sturgeon Bay the best track surface I've ever seen there in the past two years was prepared by Billy Hays and his staff. Problem is, the drivers in every division drove way over their heads, and the entire evening was filled with a ton of hard crashes, spinouts and blown motors. Rick Mahlberg's IMCA stock car took probably the hardest knock on the fronstretch wall, crunching the front and passenger side of his racer.

While car counts in the mods, stocks and streets remain steady, slow growth is seen in the 4 cylinder class. Five machines showed up, including a pair new local cars. The big news was that for the first time in more than 20 years late models will make an appearance at Sturgeon Bay's very round and wide third-mile, clay oval on Wednesday night, August 6 during the Door County Fair. Details have yet to be worked out, but it will pay $2,000 to win. More on that later.

During the next few weeks on occasion we'll throw out a few stories that eastern Wisconsin drivers have regarding their car numbers and why they've chosen them. Here are a few: Nick Anvelink, #15 WISSOTA Late Model - "My dad's number (Terry Anvelink) was 32. I wanted 16 because it was half of 32. I didn't like the way the number looked. Brian Birkhofer helped me out when I started out and he ran 15. Plus 15 was my number when I played quarterback in high school (Bonduel Bears)."

RM Van Pay, IMCA modified #00 - "My brother Norb ran that number years ago. He started with #18 and then later in his career he switched to #00. That's why I run it."

Scott Mullen, IMCA modified #1 - "When I started running mods I wanted 7 because of Alan Kulwicki. But there was another driver who had already chosen that. So I chose 1. It's a single digit number and you can get more sponsor room on the doors that way."