Hales Corners Speedway, FULL Results
06-21-2003
Sievert & Specht Split UMP
LM Twins at Hales Corners
By John Shea
Franklin, Wis., June 21--Defending track champ Bret "The Jet" Sievert and
Scott Specht split twin 25-lap UMP late model features Saturday on Sorce
Services Night at the Hales Corners Speedway.
Jeff Tondryk won the night's sportsmen feature, while the win in the
time-shortened modified main went to Spencer Frost. J.J. Weickowski and Pat
Krimmer closed the night with wins in the Hales Whales and 4-cylinder Mud Puppy
divisions, respectively.
The first of two 25-lap UMP late model features got off to a rough start
when Spencer Frost and last week's feature winner Jimmy Watson tangled on the
opening lap coming to the green flag. When the track was cleared, nine-time
track champ Russ Scheffler grabbed the lead over Bill Rezutek and began to pull
away.
Sievert moved up to third by the event's first caution flag on lap nine
for debris. When the race resumed Sievert quickly got by Rezutek on lap 10 and
set sail for Scheffler. Frank Smith brought out another quick yellow when he
looped his car in turn three on lap 12.
On the restart Sievert turned the heat up on Scheffler as for the next
five laps the two veterans disputed the top spot. Sievert was finally able to
get ahead with a move to the low side of turns one and two on lap 16. Behind
the lead duo Dan Sorce got around Rezutek for third and Chris Carlson joined
the top five.
Once in front Sievert was able to keep Scheffler at bay and pick up the
victory. Sorce finished third, with Carlson getting around Rezutek in the
final five circuits to place fourth.
Visiting racer Justin Fegers of Bloomington, Ill. took the lead at the
start of the second 25-lap feature over Scott Specht and Phil Rehberg. Using
the night as a tune-up for Tuesday's upcoming UMP Late Model Summernationals
event at Hales Corners Speedway, Fegers quickly opened up a healthy gap before
the field was tightened back up for a caution on lap four when Sievert, Ron
Stroika and Sorce spun in turn one.
Sorce, Jim Zdroik and George Scheffler crashed on the ensuing restart,
causing further delay, but when the race resumed, Fegers continued to maintain
his spot at the front of the pack. Fegers looked destined to pick up the win
until he ran afoul of Frank Smith's slower car on lap 20. Fegers ended up spun
out of the lead with Smith black-flagged for the night.
Feger's misfortune gave Specht the lead and he went on to post the
victory over Carlson, with Russ Scheffler third, Rehberg fourth and Sorce fifth.
Bob Brent started from the pole and took the lead at the start of the
20-lap sportsmen feature with Mark Lewis, Jeff Tondryk and Joe Altenhofen
following. Just five laps were completed before the event went under yellow for a
Mike Borchardt Jr. spin in turn four.
When the race restarted, Tondryk, now second, went to work finding a way
past Brent as Altenhofen followed in third. Using the outer lane in turns
three and four, Altenhofen went past both Brent and Tondryk to take command of
the event at lap seven.
Tondryk battled back and got around Brent before closing in on
Altenhofen. On lap 11 Tondryk dipped to the inside of turns three and four to make what
proved to be the winning pass. Altenhofen slowly faded and finished seventh
as defending sportsmen track champ Don Sorce Jr., Pat Heaney and Don Scheffler
moved into the top-five in the final five laps.
Tondryk went on to take the win while Scheffler got around Sorce Jr. on
the final lap to place second. Heaney finished fourth, with Roger Lee fifth
and Dave Gorny sixth.
The modified feature was scheduled for 20 laps, but was stopped after 17
carnage-filled laps and nearly 45 minutes. A total of 15 of the 22 starters
crashed in turn three on the opening lap. After a lengthy delay to clean the
track, no more than five laps could be completed without the amber lights
coming on again for crashes, spins, stalled cars, or debris from a seemingly
endless number of incidents that slowed what could have been a six-minute main event
down to a snail's paced hack-fest.
Everette Fitch and Jason Zdroik battled for the lead during the minimal
green-flag laps, with Zdroik taking the spot and holding it until his car
failed on lap 14. Fitch got the lead back but lost it on a restart to Spencer
Frost. Unfortunately for Fitch, he didn't have a chance to fight back as the race
was called a lap later after Bill Tandetzke and Tony Peterson crashed in the
middle of the backstretch, bringing the event to a premature finish at lap 17.
Trailing Frost and Fitch at the finish were Scott Barnharst, semi-feature
transfer Dan Tafelski and Jeff Bodendorfer Jr. A dispute on the finish is
currently pending, with track officials slated to review it early this week.
New technical inspections at HCS led to two of the top five finishers in
the 20-lap Hales Whales feature being disqualified for failing post-race tech.
Not among them was winner J.J. Weickowski, who picked up the win over Chris
Hoedel, Keith Faber, Jim Reinhardt, and Jim Shambeau in the revised order.
Pat Krimmer won the 4-cylinder Mud Puppies nightcapper over Eddie Lemay
III and Chris Blake.
Racing continues at the Hales Corners Speedway on Tuesday night, June 24
with the popular annual visit of the UMP Late Model Summernationals tour. Top
late model racers from around the nation will converge on the historic Hales
Corners Speedway vying for a spot in the night's big $6,000-to-win main event.
In the past such traveling stars as Scott Bloomquist, Billy Moyer, Rick
Eckert, Don O'Neal, Kevin Weaver, Dan Schlieper, Jimmy Mars and many more have
followed the UMP Late Model Summernationals tour right into the Hales Corners
Speedway. And for 2003, NASCAR Winston Cup star Ken Schrader will be on hand to
race and meet fans and sign autographs. Qualifying begins at 6:15 p.m. with
racing immediately following qualifying.
On Friday night, June 27 the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association stars
will visit the third-mile Hales Corners Speedway for the annual Milwaukee Cup
Midget Classic. Joining the BMARA racers will be the MSA 360 sprint cars.
Time trials are at 6:15 p.m., with racing immediately following qualifying.
Then on Saturday, June 28 a full program of UMP late model, sportsmen,
modified and Hales Whales racing, plus the 4-cylinder Mud Puppies, is on tap for
West Allis Salvage Night. The night will be highlighted by a 30-lap feature
for the high-powered UMP late models and the second round of the Da Boys Pro
Graphics Modified Triple Crown. Time trials are at 6:15 p.m., with racing
immediately following qualifying. Hales Corners Speedway is located on Hwy. 100,
one half-mile south of Forest Home Avenue in Franklin, next to Hiller Ford.
For more information, call (414) 778-4710 during regular business hours, or
(414) 425-4700 on race day. You can also visit Hales Corners Speedway on the
world wide web at www.halescornersspeedway.com.
SUMMARY
UMP LATE MODEL
25-lap Features--First: 1. Bret Sievert, Franklin; 2. Russ Scheffler,
Waukesha; 3. Dan Sorce, Franklin; 4. Chris Carlson, South Milwaukee; 5. Bill
Rezutek, Big Bend.
Second: 1. Scott Specht, Sheboygan Falls; 2. Carlson; 3. Scheffler; 4.
Phil Rehberg, New Berlin; 5. Sorce.
8-lap Heats--First: 1. Russ Scheffler; 2. Rick Scheffler, Waukesha.
Second: 1. George Scheffler, Waukesha; 2. Sievert.
6-lap Dash--Carlson.
Fast Qualifier--G. Scheffler; 16.178 seconds (74.175 mph).
SPORTSMEN
20-lap Feature--1. Jeff Tondryk, Milwaukee; 2. Don Scheffler, Wauwatosa;
3. Don Sorce Jr., West Allis; 4. Pat Heaney, West Allis; 5. Roger Lee, Wind
Lake.
8-lap Heats--First: 1. Ryan Stalter, Hubertus; 2. Mike Marshall,
Mukwonago. Second: 1. Bob Brent, Milwaukee; 2. Mark Lewis, Colgate. Third: 1. Sorce
Jr.; 2. Lee.
Fast Qualifier--Scheffler; 19.059 seconds (62.962 mph).
MODIFIED
17-lap Feature--1. Spencer Frost, Waterford; 2. Everette Fitch, Racine;
3. Scott Barnharst, Franklin; 4. Dan Tafelski, West Allis; 5. Jeff Bodendorfer
Jr., Waterford.
12-lap Semi-Feature--1. Joe McGrath, Neosho; 2. Tafelski; 3. Marc
Caswell, West Allis; 4. Jimmy Muth Jr., Greenfield.
8-lap Heats--First: 1. McGrath; 2. Tafelski. Second: 1. Fitch; 2. Jeff
Bodendorfer Jr., Waterford. Third: 1. Frost; 2. Jason Zdroik, Big Bend.
Fast Qualifier--Frost; 17.895 seconds (67.058 mph).
HALES WHALES
20-lap Feature--1. J.J. Weickowski, Waukesha; 2. Chris Hoedel, ,
Greenfield: 3. Keith Faber, Greenfield; 4. Jim Reinhardt, Milwaukee; 5. Jim Shambeau,
Milwaukee.
8-lap Heats--First: 1. Reinhardt; 2. Bill Graf, Milwaukee.
4-CYLINDER MUD PUPPIES
Feature--1. Pat Krimmer, Milwaukee; 2. Eddie Lemay III, Milwaukee; 3.
Chris Blake, Milwaukee.
This is the Hales Corners (Wis.) Speedway media mailing list. You have been
added to this list as a Media Professional. If, at anytime, you would like to
be removed from this list, simply reply with the words "Remove Me" in either
the Subject Line or the Body of your mail. You will then be removed
permanently. To get back on the list, you will need to send a request to this address.
Thank you for your interest in the Hales Corners (Wis.) Speedway and see you
at the races!!!
