First Day of the Fall Spectacular taken by Kelly & Swan!  By Mary Langreck and Matt Panure

September 22, 2007; Marshfield, WI: - Kris Kelly finishing second in qualifying worked his way smoothly from an 11th place starting position and into the lead of the 40 lap limited late model feature. Brian Back took the early lead from him pole position start, holding off Mike Springstroh and Brandon Conrad. Rocky Breezer was holding his own in fourth position with Tyler Reedy and Kurt Clapper fighting over fifth. Jesse Oudenhoven overtook the fifth spot on lap four, and the first caution would fly before the next lap was completed.

Photo Highlights

#1 Kris Kelly wins the Limited Late Model Fall Spectacular 40 lap feature. #71 Brian Back tries to hold off limited late model feature winner #1 Kris Kelly. #97 James Swan wins the Fall Spectacular Mid-American feature. #97 James Swan uses the inside groove to win the Mid-American 40 lap feature. #9 Derk Hauser wins the Fall Spectacular 4-Cylinder feature. #19 Steve Hauser holds off #75 Tucker Miller during the 4-Cylinder feature. #44 Mike Lichtfeld wins the pure stock feature. And they're off! A motorcycle heat race start, one of two for the Fall Spectacular weekend. #00 Mark May wins the Saturday night Oldtimers feature. Quite a few of the young drivers from the Minnesota Quarter Midget Racing Association were on hand this evening for an exhibition race. This group provides racing for those as young as 5 years.

Kelly was in sixth before the caution, using it to his advantage moved up into fourth by the next lap. Kelly steadily passed a car every few laps, and began to pressure Back for the lead. Lap 13, Kelly using the outside, passed Back for the lead. Two laps later, Conrad would find his way past Back for second. Cory Kemkes and Back would battled for ten laps over the third place position. Kemkes would take it and then set his sites on second. It would take Kemkes only five laps to place himself ahead of Conrad, but would be unable to take the lead from Kelly. Kelly won, Kemkes second, Conrad third, Back fourth and Clapper fifth.

HE'S BACK: SWAN VICTORIOUS IN
 MID-AM'S MARSHFIELD DEBUT
By Matt Panure

(Marshfield WI), September 22 -- This is more of what James Swan and his team had in mind when they pictured their 2007 campaign to defend the Mid-American Stock Car Series championship. Heading into the Faith’s Luxury Spas and Billiards Fall 40 at Marshfield, Swan was winless but had four second place finishes to keep his head above water in the points standings after several disappointing runs. Swan notched his first “W” of the season on Saturday night strengthening his point lead heading into Mid-American’s final two events. “This was excellent,” said Swan who had a crowd of sponsors on hand to witness the event. “I had never even seen this place before.” Swan took the lead on lap 33 after a three lap side-by side shootout with 2002 series champion Rod Brewe.

Hank Tews and Troy Shear Jr. paced a field of 23 cars to Dave Sankey’s green flag. The inside line immediately took off as Tews moved into the lead and Shear struggled on the outside line. Brewe, Lyle Nowak and Swan who started seventh, ninth and eleventh respectively used Shear’s misfortune on the outside line to move into fourth, fifth and sixth on the second lap. As those three moved through the field Tim Schmitt who started right behind Tews swiped the lead from him on lap 6. Schmitt had no time to try to build an advantage over the field as a spin by Louie Goss in turn four brought out the first caution of the event.

On the lap 8 restart after a Danny Powell spin Schmitt and Damrow, who had worked his way around Tews, broke away from Tews. While Damrow was looking for a line around Schmitt, Brewe, Nowak and Tews went three-wide for the third spot on lap eleven. Nowak wisely backed out as Brewe took third and Tews settled in fourth. The next lap Damrow finally seized his opportunity to work the inside line and nosed ahead of Schmitt at the line for the lead. At the same time Swan and Piontek worked their way around Nowak and Tews using the outside line.

In a preview of things to come, Swan and Brewe went side by side for the third spot. Brewe, who was trapped on the outside line shot past Schmitt and again Swan and Piontek did the same. Brewe then began to reel in Damrow. Brewe’s car was too strong on the outside line for Damrow to hold off his charges and on lap 20 Brewe was the new leader. That very same lap another caution flew for a Bobby Gutknecht spin. It was a rough night for Gutknecht who was fighting an ill-handling car all day long, he ended up 18th.

Three laps after the restart Swan and Piontek again stuck their machines on the outside line and both moved around Damrow into second and third. Brewe had built a strong advantage by that time, yet he was still running the outside line. “It wasn’t by choice,” said Brewe of his preferred line. “At first I thought I was going to get ‘freight-trained.’ I tried the high line and it kind of surprised us that that’s how the car liked it,” he added.

While Swan was reeling in Brewe, Nowak and fast qualifier Bill Prietzel were engaged in a battle of the Mid-American veterans. First Nowak and Prietzel used a three wide pass on Damrow to move into fourth and fifth. They then wrestled for the fourth spot for the final fourteen laps of the contest.

By lap 30, Swan had caught Brewe. Just as they had done earlier, the two went side by side as Brewe’s machine used the momentum of the high line to rocket down the back stretch. Finally, on lap 33 Brewe could not find the grip on the outside and Swan took the lead away. “I was getting a little intimidated trying to hold on out there. I knew he was fast. I got too high in the marbles and heated up the tires a little too much,” said Brewe.

Piontek continued right in the tire tracks of Swan taking the second spot away from Brewe with four laps remaining. One lap later the caution flag flew again for a spin by Tews out of turn four. Swan looked strong on the restart as he broke away from Piontek. That advantage was short lived as another caution flew for an incident involving Tews and Louie Goss on the backstretch that brought out the red flag due to debris on the track.

With only two laps to go, sitting idle on the backstretch, hoping for his first feature win of 2007, Swan had a lot on his mind. “I was sitting on the backstretch looking at the wrecked cars thinking, ‘I’ve been there,’” commented Swan. I told the guys on the radio that I was happy just to be leading a race. The told me to relax and run smooth. That’s what I did.”

However, Piontek did not go away with out a fight. Piontek stayed with Swan on the restart and got his nose onto Swan’s back bumper on the final two laps. “He made me nervous,” said Swan. “Piontek was pretty good. I was pretty impressed,” he added.

Piontek was happy with his run as well. “We were set up for shorter runs anticipating a lot of cautions. We got a couple but not as many as we planned,” said Piontek. Brewe held on for third as he clipped Nowak at the line. Prietzel rounded out the top five.

The next event for the Mid-American Stock Car Series is next Sunday, September 30th at the Rockford Speedway in Love’s Park, IL as part of the 42nd Annual National Short Track Championships. The series will end the 2007 regular season at the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway on Saturday, October 6th as part of the Oktoberfest Race Weekend. For more information about the Mid-American Stock Car Series including results, standings, the remaining 2007 schedule and driver info visit www.midamericanracing.com.

Mark Zeidler of Ringle , Wisconsin put the seat of his leathers on the blacktop during a practice crash, but kept his win streak alive with both victories in both the fast heat and feature. Lee Johnson of Big Falls brought his Rotax out of the pack for the victory in the second heat. The great night of racing was marred by the practice crash of Brad Seavers of Rib Lake. In the fifteen cycle ten lap feature race holeshot artist TJ Zeidler paced the pack for the initial lap before his brother blasted by on the backstretch. While Mark Zeidler stretched his lead, his sibling TJ came under attack from Steve Kasten and Cliff Eckes Jr. Newcomer Clay Johnson carved his way through the pack to a fourth place finish.
Results: 1. Mark Zeidler HON 2.Steve Kasten YAM 3. Cliff Eckes Jr. YAM 4. Clay Johnson HON 5. Troy Johnson ROT 6. TJ Zeidler KAW 7. Craig Lewis YAM 8. Shawn Purkis HON 9. Lee Johnson ROT 10. Kyle Weiss YAM 11. Marky Will HON 12. Woody Eckes YAM 13. Randy Ruffi YAM 14. Ron Bean YAM 15. Ted Strebe
Story and results by Woody Eckes

The 25 lap 4-cylinder feature started off on the wrong foot. After a couple of attempted starts, and an ambulance call, the first lap was in the books. Steve Hauser led the field with Ron Sischo close in second. Sischo would relinquish second to Tucker Miller by lap three. Lap four the caution flew again. Steve Hauser again led the field with a single file re-start. Miller, unable to take that lead, soon had to deal with Derk Hauser, vying for second. JJ Flick, fast timer, and Kyle Opelt were on a charge right behind Derk Hauser. The caution flew again on lap nine, determining the decision to cut the feature back to a 15 lap race. Steve Hauser again led the field for the final re-start. Derk Hauser would battle with Miller for second and take it at the white flag. Derk then began to challenge his dad, Steve, for that lead. It was a nail biter, but Steve Hauser, seeming to have mechanical difficulties on the final lap, was passed by Derk Hauser, Flick and Opelt. Derk Hauser won, Flick second, Opelt third, Steve Hauser fourth and Jeremiah Strauss fifth.

Fourteen vintage racers joined the Fall Spectacular event on Saturday night. Robert Heine led the first lap of the feature event. Mark May then took charge of the lead. The only caution flew on lap three for the spun car of Darrel Bassuener, making contact with the outside turn two wall. Ken Varing stayed in the second spot, until Chris Loberg overtook him on lap seven. The battle was on between the two over second, it would be Varing at the finish. May won, Varing second, Loberg third, Mike Hed fourth and Heine fifth.

Quite a few of the young drivers from the Minnesota Quarter Midget Racing Association were on hand this evening for an exhibition race. This group provides racing for those as young as 5 years. More details available at www.mqmra.com/index.htm

Jeremiah Strauss led the first four laps of the bus race. Ryan Pribbernow ran second for those four laps, but when it counted, it was Pribbernow at the checkered for the win. Strauss second, Chad Krueger third, Andy Dean fourth and Road Toad fifth. The buses will return as part of the final 2007 Eve of Devastation next Saturday.

Marshfield Super Speedway is located 3.5 miles west of Marshfield on County Road H with weekly Saturday night stock car racing April through September

Coming Saturday, September 29th, the final 2007 Eve of Devastation. Grandstand gates open at 1 p.m. and the show starts at 3 p.m. More details and $1 off admission flyer available at www.marshfieldspeedway.com.

Race Results September 22, 2007