***Hales Corners Speedway Full Results
08-09-03***
Sievert and Lee Victorious
In Hales Corners Features
By John Shea
Franklin, Wis., Aug. 9--Defending track champion Bret "The Jet" Sievert
was victorious in the UMP late model feature Saturday on Central Services'
American Heroes Night at the Hales Corners Speedway.
The night, dedicated to military and police, fire and rescue personnel,
featured a flyover by World War II aircraft and a parade of fire and rescue
vehicles prior to night's racing program.
Roger Lee took a narrow win in the third leg of the Borchardt Speed -
Automotive Sportsmen Triple Crown, while Jason Zdroik topped the modified main
event. Barry Cates won the championship round of the N&S Towing Hales Whales
Triple Crown and the evening was capped by a tie in the 4-cylinder Mud Puppies
show closer, with the victory shared by Chris Baur and Aaron Stolp.
Despite a near-perfect racing surface, the UMP late model feature turned
out to be a caution-riddled affair as a total of eight caution flags slowed
the 30-lap headliner. Bill Rezutek grabbed the lead at the start with Jimmy
Watson slotting into second on lap three. The lead duo broke away from the pack
and quickly ran up on slower traffic in the form of Jason Krogstad. With
Rezutek going one way and Watson another, Krogstad found himself booted into the
backstretch infield by the charging Rezutek on lap seven. Krogstad's disabled
mount brought out the first caution flag as a result.
On the restart Jim Letizia's car coasted to a stop at the pit entrance in
turn two, bringing out the second yellow flag on lap eight. Seven laps later
Rick Scheffler suffered a solo spin in turn two for the event's third caution
flag. At this point Sievert was up to second and challenging Rezutek for
command on every restart. Scott Specht spun from fourth on lap 11 in turn one,
bringing out the fourth yellow.
When the race resumed, Sievert quickly put the pressure on Rezutek for
the lead, taking it with a move to the high side in turns one and two on lap 14.
Russ Scheffler, meanwhile, moved by Watson for third place and set sail for
the now second-running Rezutek. Contact between the two sent Rezutek spinning
along the frontstretch on lap 17 and produced the fifth yellow on lap 18.
During the yellow, Scheffler was put to the tail of the field for his
involvement in the incident.
A lap after going back to green, Turk Letizia spun himself out in turn
one to bring out the sixth yellow on lap 20. Two laps later, Letizia repeated
his gyrations, again in turn one, with the seventh yellow the end result.
Letizia was shown the black flag for producing two unassisted yellows, yet
remained on the track despite track officials motioning him off the speedway.
Letizia's actions cost him pay and points for the night.
George Scheffler blasted the turn one wall on lap 23 to bring out the
event's eighth, and thankfully final, caution. When action resumed Sievert was
able to maintain his lead to the finish and picked up the win aboard his
Central Services mount. Russ Scheffler battled back from the tail of the field
after his lap 18 incident with Rezutek and actually tied Chris Carlson for second
at the checkered flag. Watson was fourth in the final order, with Specht
fifth.
Much like the late model main before it, the 35-lap Borchardt Speed -
Automotive Sportsmen Triple Crown feature proved to be a marathon event thanks to
a multitude of caution flags, including two before even one lap was scored
complete. Jeff Tondryk led the field when the race actually got underway but
yielded the top spot to eventual winner Lee on lap three.
Mike Arnold and Steve Printz turned on the yellow lights on lap six for a
pair of spins in turn one, with Tommy Moore and Mike Borchardt Jr. getting
together a lap later in turn four. Bob Brent was victimized in a multi-car
incident on lap 15, with Joe Altenhofen producing another yellow on lap 17 with a
solo loop in turn one. That incident led to a five-car crash on the ensuing
restart involving Pat Heaney, Tondryk, Altenhofen, Mike Marshall and Bob Parker
in turn four.
With the field sufficiently thinned to allow for ample racing room on the
third-mile oval, the final 17 laps were run without incident and featured
top-notch racing amongst the leaders. Lee continued to lead with Don Scheffler
second, defending sportsmen track champ Don Sorce Jr. third, Dave Gorny fourth
and Moore back up to fifth after his earlier incident.
Sorce Jr. and Gorny raced each other hard and caught Scheffler, demoting
him to fourth place as the race closed in on a finish. Lee, meanwhile,
enjoyed a healthy, albeit shrinking, lead. With five laps to go Sorce Jr., Gorny
and Scheffler were on Lee's heels in what was shaping up to be a great finish.
Gorny tried Sorce Jr. several times in a bid for second, with Sorce Jr.
keeping Lee running hard in the top lane as Scheffler watched from fourth
place. On the final lap Lee ran a bit wide in turn two, losing momentum in front
of Sorce Jr. and opening up the bottom for Gorny. Gorny dove low going up the
backstretch and raced under Lee and Sorce Jr. in turns three and four in a
three-car battle back to the checkered flag. Lee had just enough to take the win
in his American United Taxi Monte Carlo as Gorny couldn't get the bite he
needed on the bottom and settled for second, less than a half car length ahead of
Sorce Jr. Scheffler placed fourth, with Moore a solid fifth. With his win,
Lee completed a sweep of the program after setting fast time and winning the
fast heat.
Zdroik bagged a narrow win in the nearly caution free 20-lap modified
main event over Sievert, who once again pulled double-duty after racing his UMP
late model. Mike Bodendorfer was third, with defending modified champ Jim
Zdroik fourth and Brian Crapser fifth.
Barry Cates held off Jim Reinhardt and J.J. Weickowski to take the win in
the green to checkered record setting 35-lap N&S Towing Hales Whales Triple
Crown feature. Ken Fleury Jr. and Chris Hoedel rounded out the top five.
Baur and Stolp spent several laps swapping the lead in the Mud Puppies
nightcapper. When the two crossed the line even and the caution flag appeared
for an incident involving Pat Krimmer, the race was called two laps short of
full distance due to curfew. Baur and Stolp were honored as co-winners, with
Chris Blake, Eddie Lemay III and Kevin Kuhnke third through fifth, respectively.
Racing continues at the historic third-mile oval on Saturday night,
August 16 with a full program of UMP late model, sportsmen, modified and Hales
Whales racing, plus the 4-cylinder Mud Puppies. 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
30-lap Features--First: 1. Bret Sievert, Franklin; 2. (tie) Russ
Scheffler, Waukesha; 2. (tie) Chris Carlson, South Milwaukee; 4. Jimmy Watson, Big
Bend; 5. Scott Specht, Sheboygan Falls.
8-lap Heats--First: 1. Specht; 2. Bill Rezutek, Big Bend. Second: 1.
Scheffler; 2. Sievert.
6-lap Dash--George Scheffler, Waukesha.
Fastest Qualifier--R. Scheffler.
SPORTSMEN
35-lap Feature--1. Roger Lee, Wind Lake; 2. Don Sorce Jr., West Allis; 3.
Dave Gorny, West Allis; 4. Don Scheffler, Wauwatosa; 5. Tommy Moore, Muskego.
12-lap Semi-Feature--1. Terry Thomas, Muskego; 2. Moore.
8-lap Heats--First: 1. Moore; 2. Mike McNeil, Milwaukee. Second: 1. Mark
Lewis, Colgate; 2. Jim Fisher, Milwaukee. Third: 1. Lee; 2. Sorce Jr.
Fastest Qualifier--Lee.
MODIFIED
20-lap Feature--1. Jason Zdroik, Big Bend; 2. Bret Sievert, Franklin; 3.
Mike Bodendorfer, Waterford; 4. Jim Zdroik, Big Bend; 5. Brian Crapser,
Milwaukee.
12-lap Semi-Feature--1. Scott Barnharst, Franklin; 2. Mike Conn, Big
Bend.
8-lap Heats--First: 1. Barnharst; 2. Billy Lemay, Lannon. Second: 1. Dan
Mech, Greenfield; 2. Conn. Third: 1. Jimmy Muth Jr., Greenfield; 2. Mark
Brunner, Wauwatosa. Fourth: 1. Jason Zdroik; 2. Sievert.
Fastest Qualifier--Spencer Frost.
HALES WHALES
25-lap Feature--1. Barry Cates, Greenfield; 2. Jim Reinhardt, Milwaukee;
3. J.J. Weickowski, Waukesha; 4. Ken Fleury Jr., Franklin; 5. Chris Hoedel,
Greenfield.
8-lap Heats--First: 1. Weickowski; 2. Jim Shambeau, Milwaukee. Second:
1. Cates; 2. Jeff Graf, Milwaukee.
4-CYLINDER MUD PUPPIES
Feature--1. (tie) Chris Baur, Greenfield; 1. (tie) Aaron Stolp,
Milwaukee; 3. Chris Blake, Milwaukee; 4. Eddie Lemay III, Milwaukee; 5. Kevin Kuhnke,
South Milwaukee.
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