Beaver Dam, WI – August 9, 2008.
The 2008 racing season at Charter Raceway Park is
winding down but the action was heating up on Saturday night. Double
points were on the line as all five divisions competed. The Street
Stock division started things off with a highly competitive A-Main.
Jon Schultz, who got engaged Friday night looked as if he was going
to make it an even better weekend for himself as he jumped out to
the lead at the drop of the green and started to open up a lead over
Craig Lepple. Starting back in the 9th position, Jesse Kanas was on
the move and was running fourth behind Schultz, Lepple and Nate
Gross as the caution came out on lap five for a single car spin. By
lap 10, Kanas had moved up to the 2nd position and started to
challenge Schultz for the lead. Schultz was able to hold Kanas off
until lap 19 and Kanas got past him coming out of turn four and they
picked up the white flag. Something went wrong with Schultz’s car as
he went through turns one and two and he lost several positions down
the back straight before he got his car back up to speed. Kanas came
across the line first ahead of Jeremy Schwoch and Lepple. Kanas,
however, was stripped of the win later in the evening by track
officials and the win given to Schwoch.
The Grand National points race got a lot closer after the Feature
event with Roger Lee cutting Don Sorce’s lead from 22 down to 12.
Will Schumacher started the even from the front row and went right
to the front as lap 1 went in the record books. However, the lead
was short-lived as Kenny Richards made it look easy going past
Schumacher to take the lead the following lap. When the yellow came
out on lap four, Lee had worked his way up to second place behind
Richards and in front of Troy Weich and Schumacher. Lee was unable
to do anything but chase Richards over the next six laps when Eric
Grunst came to a halt. Sorce used a brilliant move in turns three
and four to get past Brian Gerber on lap 14 and was trying to do the
same to Weich on lap 16. However, Weich came down the track to block
Sorce and the two cars made heavy contact and the yellow came out.
Weich was sent to the pits and Sorce to the back of the field.
Richards headed to the pits with a mechanical problem giving the
lead to Lee. Lee held off Larry Richards and Gerber for the win and
closed the gap in the points race.
A non-stop A-Main in the Modified ranks took just about six minutes
to complete the 20 laps and give a win to Aaron Rake. Brian Crapser,
starting on the pole looked as if he was going to be hard to beat as
he immediately opened up a lead over the field at the drop of the
green followed by Larry Zirbel, Jeremy Christian and Rake. Mitch
McGrath, after a couple of weeks off, was out to make up some ground
and was flying through the field and took the second position on lap
four. Mechanical problems would sideline McGrath just a few laps
later moving Christian up to second and Rake to third. Crapser had
problems with consistency through the corners and Rake worked past
him on lap eight along with Christian dropping Crapser to third.
Before Crapser could regain himself, Steve Mueller and Russ Reinwald
also would get past. Crapser, however, was able to get past
Christian and hold onto the fourth position. Mueller, driving a
brand new car, started reeling in Rake and got locked into a great
battle for a few laps. Reinwald, joined the battle and was able to
get past Mueller on lap 19. Mueller, Dave Schoenberger and Crapser
battled for third on back with Schoenberger finishing third, Mueller
fourth and Crapser fifth.
The closest race of the night came in the Legends division. Three
yellows in the first six laps kept the field close with Brad Weber
leading Phil Van Tatenhove and Aaron Muhle to the line each lap.
Following the restart on lap six, the race would run the last 14
laps under green. Joel Wyttenbach, starting ninth, completed lap
nine in fifth and moved up to fourth on lap 13. The crowd, sensing
an exciting finish, rose to their feet as Wyttenbach got past Muhle
on lap 16 and started closing the gap on Weber. It looked like he
would run out of laps, but a lapped car in front of Weber coming out
of turn two on the final circuit, caused Weber to slow and giving
Wyttenbach the break he needed. Weber went to the outside of the
lapped car, Wyttenbach to the inside coming out of four and
Wyttenbach picked up the win by a mere two feet. Weber finished
second and point’s leader Eric Barth third.
The final event of the night was the Dirt Devil A-Main. Other than
one caution for Eddie LeMay on lap five, the event ran under green.
Tim Draheim got past Jim Merkel on lap five and that was the way
they finished. Matt Janke finished third and Steve LeMay fourth.
Next week, Charter Raceway Park will host the Interstate Racing
Association (IRA) sprint cars in their final 2008 season. They will
be joined by the Modifieds, Grand National, Street Stock and Legend
divisions. Pits open at 3:30 and the main gates open at 4:30. Racing
is scheduled to start promptly at 6:30. Contact the track office for
more information at 920-382-7858.
MODIFIEDS
HEATS Aaron Rake, Jay Schraufnagel, Tim Lemirande, Mitch McGrath,
Larry Zirbel
B MAIN 1 Russ Reinwald, Frank Firari, Joel Crowbridge, Ralph
Schneider, Larry Romprey
B MAIN 2 Craig Priewe, Eddie LeMay Jr, Dennis Krause, Scott
Barnharst, Scott Magsmen
A MAIN Aaron Rake, Russ Reinwald, Dave Schoenberger, Steve Mueller,
Brian Crapser, Jay Schraufnagel, Larry Zirbel, Craig Priewe, Jeremy
Christian, Frank Firari
LEGENDS
HEATS Joel Wyttenbach, Brad Weber, Eric Barth
A MAIN Joel Wyttenbach, Brad Weber, Eric Barth, Aaron Muhle, Jeff
Steenbergen, Kevin Brill, Joe Johnson, Greg Hartlaub, Phil Van
Tatenhove, Mike Mueller
DIRT DEVILS
HEAT Tim Draheim
A MAIN Tim Draheim, Jim Merkel, Matt Janke, Steve LeMay, Kevin
Allard, William Young, Mika Allard, Robert Nelson, Dylan Reinhard,
Eddie LeMay
STREET STOCKS
HEATS Craig Lepple, Jon Schultz
A MAIN Jeremy Schwoch, Craig Lepple, Nate Gross, Matt Bedker, Aaron
Streblow, Jon Schultz, Andrew Araco, Gordon Schultz, Justin Brown,
Joe Brenner
GRAND NATIONALS
HEATS Kenny Richards, Don Sorce Jr
A MAIN Roger Lee, Larry Richards, Brian Gerber, Don Schumacher, Dan
Schumacher, Tommy Moore, Craig Boettcher, Don Sorce, Will
Schumacher, Will Sorce
