4/21/2015
Schuerenberg Wires MOWA “Deuces Wild” Feature
(Photo by TeeJay Crawford Photography)
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio – Since leaving the winged sprint car world to head for the USAC tour for the 2006 season, Hunter Schuerenberg has just a handful of winged starts, which came nearing the end of last season. Over the winter, he decided to set his sights on primarily winged racing in 2015. It didn’t take him long to find success; “Hunter Percent” corralled his first win of the season on Friday night in his third winged start this season, then backed it up with a sixth-place finish on Saturday.
Friday night’s Midwest Open Wheel Association venue was to be Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Illinois. 25 sprint cars convened to match up in three heat races of ten laps apiece, a six-lap dash, and a 25-lap feature. Schuerenberg, who has taken to the track in both a wingless sprint and a midget but never a winged sprint, picked up a strong second-place performance in heat race action after starting sixth.
The charge earned him a spot in the dash, which would line up the front three rows of the A-main. The dash inversion draw played in Schuerenberg’s favor; he would be starting from the inside of the front row alongside a fellow Sikeston, Missouri native, four-time and defending MOWA champion Jerrod Hull. With a great start, Schuerenberg pulled ahead on lap one and handily took the win to earn the pole position for the feature.
Schuerenberg, again starting beside Hull, would quickly pull away from the field on the start of the main event, but could only complete one lap before a yellow slowed the pace. After three more laps, the lone red flag was displayed for an overturned car in turn four. Schuerenberg would pull away each restart, doing the same on cautions with five and 13 laps completed. Until this point, Schuerenberg had preferred the high side of the race track, but rubber began to lay down around the bottom of the track just before the lap 13 stoppage. Picking between the top and bottom each corner the rest of the way, Schuerenberg calmly navigated the No. 20N Roof Bolt Express/Nolen Racing machine around the three-eighth mile Tri-City with precision to bring home the win, his first in a winged car since taking the checkered at Little Rock, Arkansas’ I-30 Speedway in the summer of 2005. “It’s pretty awesome to be able to get a win in just the third night out with this car,” he said after climbing from the car.
With only half of the weekend’s action in the books, Schuerenberg and Company loaded up and began their four-hour trip back to the shop, followed by another four-hour drive to Saturday night’s setting. Ohio Valley Sprint Car Association competition was up next: Chillicothe, Ohio’s Atomic Speedway would host 30 sprint car participants. With more luck on his side for heat race pill draw, Schuerenberg would lead the second heat race to green and go on to take the win.
The heads-up lineup put Schuerenberg outside the front row for the feature event. Falling back one spot on lap one, where he’d run until a lap-eight caution period. The restart again saw Schuerenberg fall back, this time to sixth after a slidejob slowed his momentum and allowed two additional cars to pass. The next caution would fly on lap 13, and Schuerenberg would wisely use the bottom of the speedway to minimize his losses while battling his loose-handling car. Unable to reel in the top-five after a red with 15 laps down, he would hold on to finish in the sixth spot. Though it wasn’t the finish Schuerenberg had hoped for after starting from the front row, he acknowledged that he’s still re-learning the ropes of winged racing, and just happy to be having fun at the track with a great supporting cast: his wife Jessica, his father Rick, and his friend Justin Marvel, a decorated sprint car racer in his own right.
Schuerenberg would like to thank Roof Bolt Express, Nolen Racing, Mach 1 Chassis, Competition Suspension Inc., AFCO Racing, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Hinchman Racewear, Keizer Wheels, High Side Design, and Ron Gorby’s Howard Johnson, as well as all of his fans for their continued support.
Schuerenberg is next scheduled to compete on April 24 at Attica Raceway Park in Attica, Ohio and on April 25 at Fremont Speedway in Fremont, Ohio, both in the No. 20N 410ci winged sprint entry.
Quick Results
April 17 – Granite City, IL – 410ci Winged Sprint – Heat: 2nd (6); Dash: 1st (1) Feature: 1st (1)
April 18 – Chillicothe, OH – 410ci Winged Sprint – Heat: 1st (1); Feature: 6th (2)
2015 Stats
6 races, 5 features, 1 win, 2 top fives, 5 top tens, 0 DNFs
Social Media
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hunterschuerenberg
Twitter: http://twitter.com/hunterpercent
Instagram: http://instagram.com/hunterpercent
Website: http://www.hunterpercent.com
Article Credit: Redbeard Promotions
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