The Vault
MCGRATH SCORES WIRE-TO-WIRE BADGER MOD TOUR WIN @ BDR

TOUR MAIN AT BEAVER DAM RACEWAY by Joe Verdegan

(Beaver Dam, WI) July 29 2012–  The “Neosho Nightmare” lived up to his nickname for his Badger Mod Tour competitors Saturday night.  Mitch McGrath shot out from his front row starting spot and led every lap en route to victory in the A main for the Custom Windows Plus Badger Mod Tour presented by Floors By Design & Directional Drilling Services at Beaver Dam Raceway Sunday night.

The win was the second straight for McGrath, who just nine days earlier pulled off the same fete at a track just a mile or so up the road at the Dodge County Fairgrounds.

The race itself almost looked like déjà vu in the early going, as second row starter Tim Lemirande of Middleton broke loose from the pack into second  by lap seven.  That exact same scenario took place at Dodge County the week prior.  McGrath began coming up on lapped cars on the high-banked, third-mile, clay oval as early as lap 7.

Juneau’s Russ Reinwald caught up with Lemirande by lap ten and the pair swapped the runnerup spot.   Meanwhile by lap 17 Seymour ace Brian Mullen had sliced his way up from row four, wrestling the runnerup spot away from Reinwald by lap 20.  A lap 22 caution flew for a four car melee which sent Antioch, Illinois’ Scott Kuxhouse and hometown driver Aaron Rake off on the hook.

With a three lap sprint to the finish Mitch’s dad Joe McGrath hugged the bottom, with Mullen running inches from the concrete wall.  The elder McGrath hung on to take second at the checkers.  Mullen settled for third, in his second straight podium finish along with Mitch McGrath.  Reinwald would hang on for fourth with hometown driver and former track champion Craig Priewe rounding out the top five finishers.

Local favorite Jeremy Christians of Horicon took home the Wild Inc. hard charger award.  Christians took a series points provisional into the A main, and started 23rd and wound up 7th.

A total of 45 BMT modifieds checked in to compete in the event, which was a raindate from May 26.

The Tour’s next stop will be the wide, 3/8 mile clay oval at Oshkosh Speedzone on Tuesday, August 21. The BMT will share the bill with the W.D.L.M.A. late models and IMCA northern sportmods in an event sponsored by Mike Hansel Trucking with racing getting underway at 7 p.m.  For more information on Oshkosh Speedzone you can check Oshkoshspeedzone.net or call (920) 426 1111.  Oshkosh Speedzone is conveniently located off highway 41 off the Jackson street exit at the Sunnyview Expo Center on the north side of Oshkosh.

For more information please check badgermodtour.com.  You can also follow us on both Facebook and Twitter.  For further information call (920) 905 1112 or (920) 676 5990 141 Speedway is located 15 minutes south of Green Bay on County “R” in Francis Creek.

Mitch McGrath, Neosho; Joe McGrath, Neosho; Brian Mullen, Seymour; Russ Reinwald, Juneau; Craig Priewe, Beaver Dam; Don Scheffler, Milwaukee; Jeremy Christians, Horicon; Tom Schaal, Gillett; Mike Mullen, Seymour; Jeff Steenbergen, Watertown; Matt Rechek, Beaver Dam; Mike Mueller, Fond Du Lac; Eddie LeMay Jr, Beaver Dam; Brian Joski, Abrams; Chris Piquette, Random Lake; Jared Siefert, Green Bay; Tim Lemirande, Middleton; Jason Zdroik, Eagle River; Scott Kuxhouse, Antioch, IL; Aaron Rake, Beaver Dam; Jeff Bodendorfer, Waterford; Randy Markwardt Jr., Sheboygan Falls; Lance Arneson, Oconto Falls; Jamie Schmidt, Seymour

B MAIN 1) Priewe

B MAIN 2) Mike Mullen

HEATS 1) Bodendorfer 2) Kuxhouse

 3) Markwardt Jr

4) Schmidt 5) LeMay Jr.

PROVISIONALS – Christians, Piquette

CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS

Wild Incorporated Hard Charger Award – Christians (23rd to 7th)

Vlies Custom Race Bodies –  Lemirande (17th place)

Comp Cams –  Joe McGrath, Reinwald (2nd, 4th places)

Quartermaster Clutches- Brian Mullen, Schaal (3rd, 8th place)

Jerovetz Shock Services – Rake (20th place)

Long Haul award –Pat Zdroik, Eagle River

R2C Performance – Reinwald, Schaal (4th, 8th place)

Wehr’s Machine & Racing  Products –  Steenbergen (10th place)

Lena Bumper to Bumper – Mitch McGrath