The Scoop
DORNER STRIKES AT STURGEON BAY OPENER – REGIONAL DIRT FEATURE TOTALS & MORE
Posted on: Monday May 20, 2024
Luxemburg’s Craig Dorner fired the opening salvo in his sportmod title defense by capturing the opening night feature win at The Hill Raceway. (@KaylaLyn)
The Hill Raceway in Sturgeon Bay got it’s opening night of racing in this past weekend on Saturday.
The lid lifter was the maiden voyage for the new promotional team of cousins John and Adam Sternard.
Sturgeon Bay was the last local track to get their season going in 2024. Saturday capped off a solid weekend for veteran Jason Geyer. The Brussels racer scored Unified street stock feature wins both at Sturgeon Bay and the night prior at Luxy Raceway. At Sturgeon Bay Geyer beat his son Garrett Geyer to the line for the checkers.
It was a solid night as well for three of the four defending track champions as a trio of them opened up their title defenses in strong fashion. Two Rivers’ Brett Wenzel, Luxemburg’s Craig Dorner and Cleveland’s Scott Schlafke all won features in the stock car, sportmod and four cylinder classes, respectively. They are also the three defending track champions in those respective divisions as well.
The next night of racing at the Sturgeon Bay oval will be Sunday, May 26 as the track will host the Nathan Bouche Memorial. The track’s weekly classes will be in action: sportmods, stock cars, Unified street stocks, four cylinders and a guest class the grand nationals will kick off their traveling series. Action gets underway at 6 p.m. at John Miles Park.
After this weekend of racing, Beaver Dam’s James Fletcher leads all Unified Street Stock drivers with five victories so far in 2024. (danlewisphoto.net)
It was a week of double feature winners as not only did Geyer double down on feature wins so did Beaver Dam’s James Fletcher. Fletcher won at his home track Beaver Dam Raceway Tuesday night and followed that up with a victory at 141 Speedway in Francis Creek Saturday night. Both of Fletcher’s ‘W’s’ came in the Unified street stock division.
Wausau’s Marcus Yarie was declared the IMCA modified feature winner at Outagamie Speedway in Seymour Friday after apparent winner John Schultz was docked two spots for a deck lid height infraction. Yarie followed that up with another win at Shawano Speedway the following night.
And Denmark’s Cole Czarneski scored the IMCA modified feature win at BDR Tuesday and pulled off another win at 141 Speedway in Francis Creek in the modified as well.
141 will host a doubleheader weekend of racing this Memorial Day weekend. Saturday night May 25 the Nathan Bouche Memorial will play host to a $1,000 payday for the winner of the IMCA stock car feature. Sunday May 26 it will be the traditional return of the IRA sprint cars with the Lightning sprints, legends and sport compacts.
DIRT KINGS TO SEYMOUR – The Dirt Kings late model tour will make a stop at Outagamie Speedway in Seymour Friday, May 24. The late models will join the track’s weekly, regular divisions and the 6:30 p.m. start time will remain in effect at the Outagamie County Fairgrounds.
EAGLE RIVER OPENS – If a trip to the northwoods is something you are looking at doing this weekend, Eagle River Speedway will host it’s season opening race Sunday May 26 at 6 p.m. New in 2024 at the third-mile, clay oval will be the sanctioning of the IMCA stock cars. The other divisions that compete weekly are the Eagle River late models, B modifieds, street stocks, 300 and 600 micro sprints. The Dairyland Vintage racers will also be on hand at the season opening race.
BY THE NUMBERS – 61 is the number of career IMCA modified feature wins for Yarie after this weekend of racing. .028 seconds was the margin of victory for Krakow’s Josh Mroczkowski as he nipped former IMCA national stock car champion Rod Snellenberger at the line for feature win at Outagamie Speedway Friday night. 22 is the number of Midwest Trucks that were in attendance at State Park Speedway in Wausau Saturday. 32 is the number of 410 IRA Outlaw sprint cars in attendance at Plymouth Dirt Track Saturday.
Fourth generation racer Levi White of Green Bay was among the winners Friday night at Little Buckaroo Jr. Motorsports Park.
KARTING KORNER – GSR Kartway in Clintonville is scheduled to host it’s weekly kart and lawn mower races Wednesday, May 22 beginning at 7 p.m. Race fans can check out the track’s webpage at gsrkartway.com for additional information.
Little Buckaroo Jr. Motorsports Park returns to action Friday night, May 24. The karting program in Cecil is scheduled to commence at 7 p.m. You can check the track’s Facebook page for updated and race day information.
PAVEMENT PONDERINGS – The season opening ‘Thursday Night Thunder’ at Wisconsin International Raceway kicks off this Thursday night, May 23. The defending track champions for the Fox River Racing Club (FRRC) include Darboy’s Sawyer Effertz (super late model); Freedom’s J.J. Vanderloop, (late model); Menasha’s George Schwalbach (super stock); Freedom’s Jason Van Handel (sport trucks); Harrison’s Mitchell Opsahl (sizzlin’ 4); Hilbert’s Mike Meyerhofer (figure 8) and Neenah’s Braison Bennett (¼ mile late models). Action gets underway at 6:45 p.m.
The Midwest Tour super late models will make their traditional Memorial day weekend stop at Jefferson Speedway for the ‘The Salute The Troops 100’ Saturday May 25. Joining the super lates will be sportsman, hobby stocks and bandits. Racing gets underway at 6 p.m.
Appleton’s Brandon Reichenberger picked up the Midwest Truck Series win at State Park Speedway in Wausau May 18. (QC Willy photo)
Appleton’s Brandon Reichenberger scored the ‘W’ in the Midwest Truck Series event at State Park Speedway in Wausau Saturday. Amherst’s Eugene Gregorich III placed second, Appleton’s Cody Vanderloop took 15th and Freedom’s Kasey Vanderloop finished 21st. The next Midwest Truck Series event is slated for Monday, May 27 at Golden Sands Speedway for the Memorial Day 50.
Neenah’s Braison Bennett finished second in the Pro late model feature at Golden Sands Speedway Friday. Wisconsin Dells Kendrick Kreyer scored the win. 34 cars were in attendance.
Memorial day weekend typically provides a big weekend of racing. Make sure to get out and enjoy the races IN PERSON this weekend and whenever possible! Have a great week! As for me I’ll be on the call at Little Buckaroo Friday night and at Eagle River Sunday night. I also look forward to chasing down some stories in the pit area at WIR Thursday night.
NORTHEAST WISCONSIN REGIONAL DIRT TRACK FEATURE WIN TOTALS 2024 (as of 5/19 )
(Tracks included, but not limited to, include Outagamie Speedway, 141 Speedway, Shawano Speedway, Plymouth Dirt Track, Gravity Park, The Hill Raceway, Beaver Dam Raceway, The ‘Burg & Plymouth Dirt Track. These totals will also reflect any driver feature wins that occur out-of-state or at other ovals in Wisconsin)
LATE MODEL
Brett Swedberg 2
Mike Mullen 1
Nick Anvelink 1
Brad Mueller 1
Mitch McGrath 1
Ron Berna 1
Troy Springborn 1
MODIFIED
Benji LaCrosse 3
Marcus Yarie 3
Cole Czarneski 3 (UMP mod win)
Shawn Kilgore 1
Lucas Lamberies 1
Marcus Hoeppner 1
Dan Roedel 1
Will Garceau 1
Cody Afelbeck 1
Jason Czarapata 1
Steve Mueller 1
Derek Janke 1
Konnor Wilinski 1
Greg Gretz 1
Steve Schneider 1
Joel Crowbridge 1 (Wilmot)
STOCK CAR
Mitch Meier 4
Benji LaCrosse 2
Trent Nolan 2
Tyler Wilson 1
Brandon Czarapata 1
Kyle Frederick 1
Cole Czarneski 1
Jeremy Christians 1
Brandon Schmitt 1
Travis Van Straten 1
Dave Bouche 1
Nick Buckarma 1
Shawn Havel 1
Travis Welch 1
Tim Warner 1
Josh Mroczkowski 1
Brett Wenzel 1
Jesse Krahn 1
SPORTMOD
Colton See 2
Matthew Radtke 2
Alec Wery 2
Travis Schmidt 2
Dustin White 1
Elijah Koenig 1
Robert Wittkopf 1
AJ Springborn 1
Nick Kresbach 1
Cole Thomas 1
Tommy Rindt 1
Tony Gates 1
Dylon Waldvogel 1
Colton Van Hierden 1
Jake Carpenter 1
Cole Magnin 1
Jeffrey Teske 1
Craig Dorner 1
STREET STOCK
James Fletcher 5
Travis Zirbel 3
Jason Geyer 3
Mark Hoeppner 2
Kenny Richards 1
Courtney Atkinson 1
Paul Diefenthaler 1
Cory Romenesko 1
GRAND NATIONAL
Dustin Weiss 2
Josh Pierce 2
Brad Weiss 1
Greg Haese 1
Daniel Schumacher 1
TJ Smith 1
Maverick Ruh 1
Aaron Streblow 1
Nick Schumacher 1
FOUR CYLINDER
James Reese 3
James Riske 2
Dalton Nelson 2
Scott Schlafke 2
Shaun Bangart 2
Trevor Cronick 1
Adam Broehm 1
Taylor Junk 1
Brian Watzka 1
Carl King 1
Brett Deprez 1
Lucas Hacker 1