The Scoop
SHAWANO HALL OF FAME NIGHT, WEEKEND WRAPUP & REGIONAL DIRT FEATURE TOTALS
Posted on: Sunday June 4, 2023
Former Shawano Speedway racers Eddie Muenster (left) and Gordie Seegert Jr. were inducted into the Shawano Speedway Hall of Fame Saturday at the Speedway.
For this scribe “life” itself and it’s challenges have been preventing me lately from getting out and about to catch much short track racing action.
Despite a few recent roadblocks one thing was certain – there was no way my wife Kim and I were going to miss Shawano Speedway’s Hall of Fame night. And we didn’t.
The two inductees were a pair of drivers I had the privilege of announcing many races over the years – IMCA modified champion Eddie Muenster of Green Bay and Oostburg late model racer Gordie Seegert Jr.
Many in the know are aware Eddie has faced some significant health challenges the past couple of years. Those challenges have prevented him from racing. Still, through it all whenever I was able to pop in to visit Eddie on trips to Green Bay, he was still cracking jokes and for a guy whose mobility has been severely limited remained as positive and upbeat as one could be.
I consider Eddie a great friend and one of the toughest SOB’s I’ve ever known. His ’23 HOF induction was well deserved. When IMCA modifieds were introduced to Shawano in the late 1980’s Eddie and his 82-year-old legendary Dad Jerry Muenster (who finished 8th in the IMCA modified feature by the way) were staples at the track.
Abrams’ “Rocket Ron” Berna picked up the late model feature at Shawano Speedway Saturday.
We caught up with many old friends, including 55-year-old “Rocket Ron” Berna, who’s won a total of 13 track championships at Shawano over the years. Berna scored the late model win, and he readily admits between himself and long-time crew chief Jim Kibilowski, the rigors of racing, including all the long nights at the shop, have begun to take it’s toll. “It’s getting physically harder for all of us at this age to work on the cars anymore it seems,” Berna admitted. “Every year we consider stepping back and we’ve been taking things year by year.”
Wausau’s Marcus Yarie put his Banshee chassis to the test, winning the IMCA modified feature. With the victory Yarie posted his 56th career IMCA modified win. Yarie sits 10th among all time Wisconsin winners and closed to within one feature flag of New Franken’s Shawn Kilgore, who scored his 57th career win one week ago.
Wausau’s Marcus Yarie scored his 56th career IMCA modified feature win at Shawano Speedway Saturday.
In the IMCA stock car class Green Bay native Jared Siefert returned to Shawano, behind the wheel of the Sniper Speed 25. Siefert swept the action in the class dubbed “too tough to tame” winning his heat and the feature race. “This is essentially an R and D car,” said Siefert, who ranks 8th in all time IMCA modified wins amongst Wisconsin drivers with 59 victories. “We came here for Eddie (Muenster’s) Hall of Fame gig, and this was a shakedown for the big special coming up here.”
Former IMCA modified track champion Jared Siefert swept action in the IMCA stock car class at Shawano Speedway Saturday.
That special Siefert referred to the June 17th, $4,000-to-win race for IMCA stock cars for the “Racing For a Reason” night at Shawano.
BENJI HITS 133 – With his IMCA modified feature win at The ‘Burg Speedway in Luxemburg Sunday, Luxemburg native Benji LaCrosse collected career IMCA modified win No. 133. That leaves LaCrosse with a four win all time lead over fellow Wisconsinites – veteran modified wheelmen Brian Mullen of Seymour and Green Bay native R.M. “Buck” Van Pay who sit tied at 129 wins apiece.
AN UP AND COMER – One young racer to keep an eye on is second-generation racer Coy Vlies. The 16-year-old son of Jeff “Pepe” Vlies, Coy bested a stout field of 30 IMCA northern sportmods to garner his first feature flag at 141 Speedway in Francis Creek Saturday.
THE WEEK AHEAD – The ‘Burg Speedway in Luxemburg will host the 4th annual “Rick Goral Memorial night” Sunday, June 11. The race honors the longtime race promoter who, with Bobby Dorner, promoted the weekly races at the Kewaunee County Fairgrounds from 2002 through 2011. Goral passed away in August, 2018. It’s also “Buck Night” with one dollar adult admission. You won’t find a better deal around. The action kicks off at 5 p.m. That’s another race I won’t miss for anything.
The IMCA stock cars will scrap for a $1,000 top prize at Outagamie Speedway in Seymour Friday, June 9. All other divisions will be in action with a 6:30 p.m. start time at the third-mile, clay oval.
A reminder that The Hill Raceway in Sturgeon Bay will be off this weekend but will return to action Saturday, June 17th with the street stock Busch Shootout being in the spotlight with the track’s other weekly classes. A 6 p.m. start is slated at John Miles Park in Sturgeon Bay.
TUESDAY NIGHT RACING – Eagle River Speedway in Eagle River will begin it’s weekly Tuesday night racing on June 6. The popular Northwoods third-mile clay oval should be on the bucket list of every race fan. A 7:30 p.m. start time is in effect every Tuesday. The weekly program consists of late models, B modifieds, stock cars, street stocks, 300 and 600 micro sprints. Check the Eagle River Speedway Facebook page for updates.
KARTING KORNER – Bike giveaways will be a part of the Hobbytown USA night at the races at GSR Kartway in Clintonville. Action featuring karts and lawn mowers begins at 7 p.m. Meanwhile at Little Buckaroo Jr. Motorsports Park in Cecil Raddant Electric will sponsor the action in nine divisions with a tribute to the karters will take place the following night at Shawano Speedway. Action at the Cecil oval gets underway Friday, June 9 at 7 p.m.
PAVEMENT PONDERINGS – The 51st running of the prestigious Red, White and Blue state championship series kicks off with the “Red Race” at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna Thursday, June 8. The “White Race” will be July 13 with the three-race series wrapping up with the “Blue Race” August 10.
The TUNDRA super late model series swings into Marshfield Motor Speedway Saturday, June 10 for the annual Bev Aschenbrenner Memorial race. The pavement super late models will be joined by the Upper Midwest Vintage Racing Series, Legends, Xtreme 4’s and Bandits. Check out tundrasuperlates.com for more information.
2O23 NORTHEAST WISCONSIN DIRT TRACK FEATURE WINNERS (after June 4, 2023)
(Divisions include late model, modified, sportmod, stock car, grand national and four cylinder. Tracks included will be Seymour, Chilton, Francis Creek, Shawano, Sturgeon Bay, Luxemburg, Plymouth and Beaver Dam. It will include IMCA sanctioned and non-sanctioned classes)
LATE MODEL
Taylor Scheffler 2 (Farmer City)
Ron Berna 2
Brad Mueller 1
Gunnar Frank 1
A.J. Diemel 1 (Red Cedar, DK)
Mike Mullen 1
Nick Anvelink 1
MODIFIED
Mike Mullen 3
Marcus Hoeppner 3
Brandon Schmidt 3
Johnny Whitman 3
Jesse Cullen 2
Lucas Lamberies 2
Matt Klenz 2
Benji LaCrosse 1
Steve Schneider 1
Steve Mueller 1
Joel Crowbridge 1 (Wilmot)
Todd Dart 1
Jeff Schmuhl 1
Kevin Feck 1
Shawn Kilgore 1
Marcus Yarie 1
Tim Ward 1
STOCK CAR
Mitch Meier 4
Travis Van Straten 3
Tyler Wilson 3
Kenny Richards 2
Luke Lemmens 2
Tim Warner 2
Jared Siefert 2 (Jackson)
Kyle Frederick 1
Jeremy Christians 1
Brett Wenzel 1
Eric Mahlik 1
Tim Mueller 1
Devin Snellenberger 1
Dylan Stedjee 1
Brandon Czarapata 1
Travis Stadler 1
Chase Parker 1
Caden LeMieux 1
Nick Strobbe 1
SPORTMOD
Jake Carpenter 3
Zach Raab 3
Brady Hashbarger 3 (Iowa)
Jimmy Berkevich 2
Nick Schultz 2
Tyler Sobiesczyk 2
Randy LeMieux Jr. 2
Coy Vlies 1
Doug Maurer 1
Skylar Woods 1
Tim Warner 1
Jeff Vlies 1
Sean Falk 1
Tim Sheppard 1
Elijah Koenig 1
Tony Gates 1
Mason Woods 1
J.J. Vanderloop 1
Craig Dorner 1
Jeffrey Teske 1
Cody Rass 1
Derek Fehling 1
Tom Schneider 1
STREET STOCK
Paul Diefenthaler 4
Jesse Krahn 3
Cody Potter 2
James Fletcher 2
Justin Jacobsen 2
Jon Schultz 2
Brian Gundrum 2
Ed Anschutz 1
Nick Wunrow 1
Mike Zitzer 1
Parker Derks 1
Travis Zirbel 1
Matt Warner 1
Trey Van Straten 1
Shaun Bangart 1
Justin Jacobsen 1
Dan Van Pay 1
Jared Spaulding 1
GRAND NATIONAL
T.J. Smith 3
Nick Schumacher 2
Derek Schrauth 1
Aaron Streblow 1
Brad Weiss 1
Chad Espen 1
Will Source 1
Maverick Ruh 1
Dustin Weiss 1
Dan Schumacher 1
FOUR CYLINDER
Trevor Cronick 4
Adam Broehm 3
Roman Blank 2 (Wilmot)
Tanner Westphal 2
James Riske 2
Brian Watzka Jr. 1
Tom Schulte 1
Carl King 1
Scott Schlafke 1
Nathan Lisowe 1
Bailey Tate 1
Justin Finlan 1
Brad Wedde 1
Matt Brehmer 1
James Reese 1
Tanner Pari 1