Berna rockets to first Late Model feature win of the year at Shawano Speedway
Shawano, WI (July 31, 2010) – Great racing action greeted a large crowd at Shawano Speedway, as Ron Berna won a thrilling WISSOTA Late Model feature. Jerry Wilinski won his second IMCA Modified feature of the year, while Larry Karcz Jr. won his first IMCA Stock Car feature of the year at the Speedway. A.J. Diemel won his fifth FASTRAK Late Model feature and Clint Forstner won his fourth IMCA Northern SportMod feature of the year.
With an opening lap pass, Todd Frank motored into the lead over Troy Springborn, Ron Berna, Joe Reuter and Chris Oertel in the WISSOTA Late Model feature. Frank pulled out to a slight lead with Justin Ritchie joining the top five on the second lap. Through the middle portion of the race, Frank and Springborn pulled away comfortably from the rest of the field as Oertel and Ritchie were involved in a dogfight for fourth.
A caution with four laps remaining slowed the action and bunched up the field. Berna pulled ahead of Frank on the restart and did a slide job in turns one and two in an attempt to keep the lead. Frank reclaimed the lead but only briefly as Berna again moved to the front. Frank slid high in corners three and four allowing Springborn to move to second. Springborn pulled alongside Berna in turn three on the last lap, but Berna was up to the challenge and took the win.
In the IMCA Modified feature Jerry Muenster led the first five laps before giving up the lead to Jerry Wilinski. The only caution of the race then flew on lap six. Wilinski continued to lead on the restart with Brandon Czarapata, Jason Czarapata, Pat Zdoik and Muenster following.
Just past the halfway point of the race, Jason Czarapata grabbed the second spot and immediately began gaining on Wilinski. Jason Czarapata caught Wilinski with six laps remaining and pressured for the lead up through the final lap. Czarapata pulled to the inside of Wilinski on the backstretch on the final lap in an attempt to take the lead. The two raced side by side into turn three but Wilinski gained the advantage and raced to the win.
Vern Stedjee jumped into the lead on the second lap of the IMCA Stock Car feature leaving Kerry Douglas, Mitchell Stankowski, Larry Parshen and Dan Michonski in pursuit. Larry Karcz Jr. joined the top five on the third lap and began making his way through the top five. Karcz Jr. took the lead two laps later after a lap six caution
By the time five laps remained in the race, Karcz Jr. had built himself a small lead while Shawn Wagner, Stedjee, Michonski and Rod Snellenberger raced in a tight pack. There was no running down Karcz Jr., as he took the win.
Jeff Curtin jumped out to the early lead over Josh Moesch, Dave Fieber, Wayne Block and Aaron Wickersheim in the FASTRAK Late Model feature. A.J. Diemel joined the top five on the third lap and moved to third place on the next lap. Diemel began gaining on Fieber when the caution came out.
Diemel took the lead on the restart with Fieber moving to second one lap later. It stayed that way until another caution came out midway through the race when Curtin retired to the pits with motor problems. Diemel pulled away from the field on the restart and cruised to the win over Fieber, Joel Bennett, Wickersheim and Justin Hirt.
Matt Oreskovich took the lead of the IMCA Northern SportMod feature on the second lap leaving Greg Magsam, Clint Forstner, Les Yaeger and Don Woller following. Johnny Whitman pulled into the top five on lap four, while Forstner pulled alongside Oreskovich on lap six.
Forstner took the lead on the seventh lap and pulled out to a slight advantage. Oreskovich batted back and caught Forstner with five laps remaining but could not make the pass for the lead during the remaining laps. Forstner took the win over Oreskovich, Whitman, Travis Van Straten and Magsam.
The Speedway will be hosting the World of Outlaws Late Model Series on Wednesday, Aug. 4. The WoO Late Model feature will pay the winner $10,000. The local IMCA Modified drivers will also be racing for $2,000 to win that night. Racing action gets underway at 7 p.m., with hot laps and time trials preceding that.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.shawanospeedway.net.
RACING SUMMARY
WISSOTA LATE MODEL FEATURE: 1)Ron Berna, 2)Troy Springborn, 3)Todd Frank, 4)Justin Ritchie, 5)Chris Oertel, 6)Paul Parker, 7)Craig Bartz, 8)Terry Anvelink, 9)Tom Naeyaert, 10)Ryan Huettl. FIRST HEAT: 1)Oertel, 2)Springborn, 3)Berna. SECOND HEAT: 1)Ritchie, 2)Parker, 3)Joe Reuter.
IMCA MODIFIED FEATURE: 1)Jerry Wilinski, 2)Jason Czarapata, 3)Pat Zdoik, 4)Brandon Czarpata, 5)Jerry Muenster, 6)Tim Van De Hei, 7)Eddie Muenster, 8)Marcus Yarie, 9)Brad Rohloff, 10)Mike Mullen. FIRST HEAT: 1)J. Czarapata, 2)B. Czarapata, 3)Van De Hei. SECOND HEAT: 1)Wilinski, 2)Zdroik, 3)Kyle Lentz. THIRD HEAT: 1)Rohloff, 2)E. Muenster, 3)J. Muenster.
IMCA STOCK CAR FEATURE: 1)Larry Karcz Jr., 2)Shawn Wagner, 3)Dan Michonski, 4)Rod Snellenberger, 5)Brandon Czarapata, 6)Vern Stedjee, 7)Kerry Douglas, 8)Tony Seefeldt, 9)Barry Van STraten, 10)Justin Jacobsen. FIRST HEAT: 1)Karcz Jr., 2)Harley Simon, 3)Larry Parshen. SECOND HEAT: 1)Mitchell Stankowski, 2)Michonski, 3)Seefeldt. THIRD HEAT: 1)Snellenberger, 2)Stedjee, 3)Greg Gutt.
FASTRAK LATE MODEL FEATURE: 1)A.J. Diemel, 2)Dave Fieber, 3)Joel Bennett, 4)Aaron Wickersheim, 5)Justin Hirt, 6)Cody Grosskreutz, 7)Terry Gorst, 8)Josh Moesch, 9)Wayne Block, 10)Todd Casper. FIRST HEAT: 1)Jeff Curtin, 2)Brett Swedberg, 3)Moesch. SECOND HEAT: 1)Fieber, 2)Grosskreutz, 3)Diemel.
IMCA NORTHERN SPORTMOD FEATURE: 1)Clint Forstner, 2)Matt Oreskovich, 3)Johnny Whitman, 4)Travis Van Straten, 5)Greg Magsam, 6)Tracy Wassenberg, 7)Joey Taycher, 8)Rob Charapata, 9)Les Yaeger, 10)Cody Hudson. FIRST HEAT: 1)Orekovich, 2)Jason Jach, 3)Forstner. SECOND HEAT: 1)Kevin Bethke, 2)Wassenberg, 3)Magsam. THIRD HEAT: 1)Jason Guyette, 2)Chad Guyette, 3)Yaeger.