By: Bert Lehman
Shawano, WI (July 25, 2009) - Two separate rain showers couldn’t stop the show at Shawano Speedway as the track was able to complete a wild racing program that included three rollovers during the night. Three drivers won their first features of the year at the Speedway with Ron Berna collecting the WISSOTA Late Model feature, Jerry Wilinski winning the IMCA Modified feature and Larry Karcz Jr. winning the IMCA Stock Car feature. Todd Casper and Matt Oreskovich each won their second features of the season in the Fastrak Late Model and IMCA Sport Mod divisions, respectively.

Starting on the outside of the front row Ron Berna jumped out to the quick lead over M.J. McBride, Gordie Seegert, Troy Springborn and Craig Bartz. Seegert grabbed the second spot on the next lap, while A.J. Diemel also joined the top five. Seegert began gaining on Berna and pulled alongside him on lap eight. Berna fended him off, as Diemel was gaining on Springborn.

With eight laps remaining the top four cars of Berna, Seegert, Springborn and Diemel raced in a pack. Two laps later Seegert made another attempt at the lead, pulling alongside Berna, only to be denied once again. Diemel made the pass around Springborn at this time and raced after the top two cars. There was no denying Berna, as he went on to the win over Seegert, Diemel, Terry Anvelink and Nick Anvelink.

John Peters led the first two laps of the IMCA Modified feature before Brian Joski grabbed the lead with John Berna following. Joski pulled out to a slight lead only to have the caution flag wave on lap six. Joski continued to lead on the restart, only to have another caution four laps later when Berna’s car came to a stop in turn four.

On the restart, Jerry Wilinski drove to the low-side and made the pass for the lead with Joski, Lance Arneson, Brad Rohloff and Ron Figlinski following. Joski faded out of the top five over the next several laps with Arneson moving into the runner-up spot. Wilinski pulled out to a slight lead while Rohloff was making his way to the front. Rohloff grabbed the second spot with two laps remaining and immediately began gaining on Wilinski. He caught Wilinski on the last lap and pressured for the lead but couldn’t make the pass. Wilinski took the win with Rohloff, Arneson, Figlinski and Tim Van De Hei following.

In the IMCA Stock Car feature Devin Snellenberger took the early lead with Larry Karcz Jr., Greg Gretz, Alan Gast and Michael Brehmer following. Snellenberger relinquished the lead on lap five as Karcz drove around him on the high-side. The race was slowed on lap nine for a caution.

Karcz continued to lead on the restart with Gast, Shawn Wagner, Rod Snellenberger and Devin Snellenberger following. That’s the way it ended, with Karcz taking the win.

The Fastrak Late Model feature got off to a rough start when A.J. Diemel rolled his car in turn three on the second lap. Diemel was not injured. When the race was restarted, Todd Casper took control of the lead with Zack Barrow, Justin Hirt, Terry Gorst and M.J. McBride all in pursuit. Hirt took second on the next lap, while McBride grabbed the fourth spot. Over the next several laps Hirt began gaining on Casper and McBride took the third spot from Barrow. The caution came out with eight laps remaining, but with the time limit up, the race was ruled complete. The win went to Casper with Hirt, McBride, Brett Swedberg and Barrow following.

While running in second place, Kevin Bethke’s car got sideways in front of the pack, collecting several other cars, resulting in Johnny Whitman flipping his car in the IMCA Sport Mod feature. Whitman was not injured in the accident. Matt Oreskovich grabbed the lead on the restart with Tim Jorgenson, Jason Jach, Tom Natzke and Travis Cain following. Jorgenson began gaining on Oreskovich, when another caution with three laps remaining slowed the action.

Oreskovich continued to lead on the restart with Jach making the move by Jorgenson and Eric Arneson grabbing the fourth spot. In the end it was Oreskovich taking the win over Jach, Jorgenson, Arneson and Natzke.

Racing action continues Saturday, Aug. 1 with racing getting underway at 6 p.m. For more information about Shawano Speedway, visit www.shawanospeedway.net.

RACING SUMMARY

WISSOTA LATE MODEL FEATURE: 1)Ron Berna, 2)Gordie Seegert, 3)A.J. Diemel, 4)Terry Anvelink, 5)Nick Anvelink, 6)Troy Springborn, 7)M.J. McBride, 8)Craig Bartz, 9)Justin Ritchie, 10)Chris Oertel. FIRST HEAT: 1)Springborn, 2)Ritchie, 3)Diemel. SECOND HEAT: 1)Seegert, 2)Berna, 3)N. Anvelink.

IMCA MODIFIED FEATURE: 1)Jerry Wilinski, 2)Brad Rohloff, 3)Lance Arneson, 4)Ron Figlinski, 5)Tim Van De Hei, 6)Jerry Muenster, 7)Jason Czarapata, 8)Mike Wedelstadt, 9)Brian Joski, 10)Mike Knapp. CONSI: 1)Rohloff, 2)Van De Hei. FIRST HEAT: 1)Knapp, 2)Joski, 3)Mike Mullen. SECOND HEAT: 1)Arneson, 2)Figlinski, 3)Muenster. THIRD HEAT: 1)John Peters, 2)John Berna, 3)Julie Wedelstadt.

IMCA STOCK CAR FEATURE: 1)Larry Karcz Jr., 2)Alan Gast, 3)Shawn Wagner, 4)Rod Snellenberger, 5)Devin Snellenberger, 6)Kyle Fredrick, 7)Dan Michonski, 8)Barry Van Straten, 9)Michael Brehmer, 10)Nate Michonski. CONSI: 1)D. Michonski, 2)Mitchell Stankowski. FIRST HEAT: 1)Wagner, 2)N. Michonski, 3)Bob Schampers. SECOND HEAT: 1)Gast, 2)Brehmer, 3)Van Straten. THIRD HEAT: 1)D. Snellenberger, 2)Karcz Jr., 3)R. Snellenberger.

FASTRAK LATE MODEL FEATURE: 1)Todd Casper, 2)Justin Hirt, 3)M.J. McBride, 4)Brett Swedberg, 5)Zack Barrow, 6)Mike Stangl, 7)Joe Reuter, 8)Jeff Curtin, 9)Dave Fieber, 10)Aaron Wickersheim. FIRST HEAT: 1)A.J. Diemel, 2)Wickersheim, 3)Barrow. SECOND HEAT: 1)McBride, 2)Casper, 3)Hirt.

IMCA SPORT MOD FEATURE: 1)Matt Oreskovich, 2)Jason Jach, 3)Tim Jorgenson, 4)Eric Arneson, 5)Tom Natzke, 6)Tracy Wassenberg, 7)Travis Van Straten, 8)Travis Cain, 9)Clint Forstner, 10)Aaron Holiday. FIRST HEAT: 1)Oreskovich, 2)Josh Moesch, 3)Jach. SECOND HEAT: 1)Johnny Whitman, 2)Wassenberg, 3)Chad Jaje.