The Scoop
CARPENTER CLOBBERS GRAVITY FOES, WEEKEND WRAPUP AND UPDATED DIRT FEATURE TOTALS

Outagamie Speedway 970x250

Posted on: Monday April 24, 2023

Green Bay’s Jake Carpenter captured the sportmod feature at Gravity Park USA in Chilton April 21. (Jake Carpenter photo)

The past weekend of racing provided a mixed bag of sorts as Mother Nature still refuses to release her grip – which has prevented many tracks from getting races or even practice sessions in some cases.

Regardless there was some racing in Wisconsin – and for one dirt track in Calumet County they can lay claim to hosting two nights of racing in this early season.

GRAVITY PARK TWO-FOR-TWO – For the second consecutive week Gravity Park USA in Chilton was able to get their weekly, Friday night show in. 105 cars turned up to scrap in the six-division program. Winners included hometown racer Mitch Meier (stock car), Green Bay’s Jake Carpenter (sportmod), Greenville’s T.J. Smith (grand national), Eagle’s Steve Mueller (modified), Pell Lake’s Cody Potter (Unified street stock) and Faithorn, Michigan’s Trevor Cronick (4 cylinder).

HEADED SOUTH – A handful of Wisconsin drivers ditched the subpar Wisconsin weather headed south to Davenport (IA) Speedway Friday night. Beaver Dam’s Brandon Schmitt took eighth in the IMCA modified A main while Juneau’s Geoff Jeche placed 15th.

In IMCA northern sportmod action Beaver Dam’s Skyler Woods placed 7th in the northern sportmod A. Malone’s Tim Warner placed 10th in the same contest.

THIRD TIME THE CHARM? – After having their respective season openers weathered out the first two Saturdays, a pair of northeastern Wisconsin dirt ovals will attempt to get their respective season opening nights on Saturday, April 29.

Shawano Speedway’s half-mile is set to kick off with the Dirt Kings late model tour. The track’s regular lineup of IMCA modifieds, stock cars, northern sportmods and four cylinders are also on the card. A 6:30 p.m. start is set for Shawano.

141 Speedway in Francis Creek will kick off it’s six division show at their quarter-mile oval. IMCA modifieds, stock cars, northern sportmods, sport compacts, Unified street stocks and grand nationals are on the card.

WE’RE TALKING ABOUT PRACTICE – Shawano is going to attempt to get a pair of practices in this week. Shakedowns are slated for Wednesday April 26 and Friday April 28, respectively. The practice sessions are set to run from 5 p.m. to dusk both nights.

Outagamie Speedway in Seymour has its test and tune session set for Saturday, April 29. The pit area is set to open at 9 a.m.   Plymouth Dirt Track has a practice session set for Tuesday, April 25 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Burg Speedway has pushed their entire schedule back one week, with an open practice set for Sunday, April 30 and the season opening race set for Sunday, May 7.

The Hill Raceway in Sturgeon Bay has its annual car show/test and tune set for Saturday, May 6. The season opening race at the John Mile Park clay oval is set for Saturday night, May 20.

ROCKFORD, SLINGER OPENERS – Despite bitter cold temps and even a few snowflakes, the racing seasons kicked off at a pair of historic quarter-mile paved ovals in Southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, respectively.

Slinger Speedway hosted the Midwest Tour with its season opening “Miracle on the High Banks” and when the dust settled it was Wales racer RJ Braun who emerged triumphant in the season opener. Slinger Speedway regulars dominated the top five with Steve Apel, Jacob Nottestad, Dennis Prunty and Jeremy Lepak placing second through fifth, respectively.

The next Midwest Tour event will be the Joe Shear Classic 200 May 7 at Madison International Speedway. A $15,000-to-win top prize is on tap for the super late models. This event is also a ASA National Tour and ASA Midwest Tour combo event. The Midwest Truck Series will also be a part of the card at the lightning fast paved half-mile. Qualifying begins at 12:45 p.m. with the first green flag flying at 2 p.m.

For the Rockford speedplant, 2023 is the “Swan Song” for this long-standing racetrack. Madison’s Dale Nottestad captured the Big 8 Series win while Lockport, Illinois’ Josh Nelms kicked off the 30th anniversary year for the Mid-American stock car series winning the last ever Mid-American spring classic win. Kaukauna’s Andrew Meyerhofer scored a fourth-place finish. 

WIR OVAL STUFF – The Fox River Racing Club (FRRC) will host its annual practice and tech day Saturday, May 6 at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The popular pre-season pit party is set for Thursday May 11 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The first oval track race at WIR will be the TUNDRA super late model series opener Saturday, May 13 for “The Bear 66.” The Mid-American stock car series will join the TUNDRA series. Visit tundrasuperlates.com for more information, including start times.

The FRRC’s “Thursday Night Thunder” season opener will kick off May 18.

LUXEMBURG HALL OF FAMERS – A trio of Luxemburg Speedway retired racers including a veteran tow truck operator will be ushered into the 2023 Hall of Fame. Former street stock champion Dennis Young of Seymour copped back-to-back street stock titles in 1990 and 1991 is set to be inducted.

Oconto Falls “Smokin’ Joe” White, a two-time IMCA stock car champion in 1998 and 1999 will also be inducted along with Green Bay’s Gene Rollins. Gene was the owner of Gene’s Deep Rock in Green Bay. Gene’s wrecker crews were a fixture at the track for decades, setting the bar high for speedy cleanup of wrecks on the track.

Hall of Fame night at The ‘Burg will take Sunday, June 25.

2O23 NORTHEAST WISCONSIN DIRT TRACK FEATURE WINNERS (after April 21, 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

None yet

MODIFIED

Mike Mullen               1

Steve Schneider          1

Steve Mueller              1

STOCK CAR

Jeremy Christians        1

Eric Mahlik                 1

Mitch Meier                1

SPORTMOD

Jimmy Berkevich       1

Doug Maurer               1

Jake Carpenter            1

STREET STOCK

Cody Potter                 2

Jesse Krahn                 1

Nick Wunrow             1

GRAND NATIONAL

Aaron Streblow           1

T.J. Smith                    1

FOUR CYLINDER

James Riske                1

Trevor Cronick           1

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