9/20/2016
Luxy Raceway
KILGORE DOUBLES DOWN AT THE DUEL
(Luxemburg, WI; September 17, 2016) It was billed as the “Dairyland Duel”, and Shawn Kilgore took that title literally.
The Luxemburg Speedway 2016 IMCA Modified track champ scored two convincing feature wins Friday night as the Speedway ended its season in grand fashion with a full six division show, with four Badgerland Championship All-Star features to close out the night.
A total of 215 race teams packed the Luxemburg pits, extending into an overflow area on the Fairgrounds midway. The total included a whopping 51 cars in the tough IMCA-style Stock Car class.
Kilgore rolled away easily in the primary Duel modified feature, advancing quickly from his second row starting spot to move past Jason Czarapata. Pole sitter Russ Reinwald was able to hold him at bay briefly, but once he circled to the outside of Reinwald, there wasn’t much question as to who would pocket the $1,500 winner’s share of the purse.
Reinwald had to settle for second, with a charging Todd Dart third, advancing from his 4th row starting spot.
Later in the night, Kilgore was back in the spotlight again as the modifieds rolled out for their shot at the Badgerland Championship. 16 of the 20 starting spots in the event were set based on point power rankings from all area tracks. The final four spots on the grid were filled with the highest placing Duel feature finishers that were not already qualified.
Luck of the draw place Kilgore on the outside pole, and even though he led the distance, he could never quite shake veteran R.M. Van Pay who kept the winner in his sights until the checker. Van Pay was able to close within a couple car lengths as the duo caught lapped traffic in the closing stages, but in the end, the night belonged to Kilgore as two trophies headed back to New Franken.
215 cars, an early start and sunshine for these late season specials generally means that a dirt track will get a bit hard and dry as the day wears on. That may have been the case to a degree, but it didn’t mean that the track was locked down with no passing lanes. Smooth and fast was a bit more accurate.
Shawn Havel proved that as he flew from his 5th row starting spot to win the Stock Car feature.
Billy LeMieux and J.J. Heinz were vying for the lead when Havel joined the party on the 12th lap, Using the outside cushion, he swept past the lead duo, kept the momentum up, and raced away to the win,
His 5th row starting mate, Dave Bouche, also motored forward placing fourth behind Heinz and LeMieux.
The Badgerland race in the class was one of the best of the night with Troy Muench, Kyle Frederick and Bouche running, at times, three-wide for the lead, with Muench prevailing in the end. Jeremy Wiitala advanced from the 10th row to fourth at the line.
Not to be outdone by Havel, the Sport Mod feature winner came from even farther back on the starting grid. Chris Budzban began the event in the 12th starting spot; outside row 6.
His march to the front was nearly matched by Manitowoc champ Brian Bruechert who started in the 4th row. The two attacked leader Randy LeMieux, Jr together. Getting the edge on Bruechert, Budzban shot to the outside of LeMieux and pulled away to a convincing win.
First year Sport Mod driven Craig Dorner logged am impressive third place finish in the solid field.
Budzban came close to the doubleheader, falling just short of Travis Arenz in the Badgerland, Arenz, the runner-up to Bruechert at Manitowoc and also the runner-up in Seymour, had built a lead just large enough that Budzban couldn’t quite mount a serious challenge.
Mark Fieber may have finished 4th to Brian Cesar in the Grand National standings at Plymouth this year, but Friday night it was Fieber’s turn to come out on top.
Fieber led from flag to flag despite nearly constant pressure from Steven Wirtz and Cesar. Manitowoc champ Brad Lubach finished fourth.
In the Street Stocks, Paul Deifenthaler matched Kilgore with a double-trophy night, but his first feature win proved to be a bit more dramatic.
Bolstered by a good draw – the pole position – the 141 Speedway champ was in cruise control into the latter stages of the feature. After a late caution bunched the field, Deifenthaler looked to be in the process of resuming control again when contact with Luxemburg champ Scott Boulanger sent the two into near spinouts.
With Deifenthaler fighting to regain control as he slid toward the infield, both Dan Van Pay and John Hill got by him.
With just four laps to go, he was not only able to get back up to speed, but did it fast enough to pass both Hill and Van Pay to take the win.
He backed that up with another victory in dominating fashion, this time without the late race drama, in the Badgerland.
Luxemburg Sport Compact champ Calvin Stueck ended his season with another trophy taking top honors in the 4 cylinder division.
He passed Missy Clark en route to the win, holding off veteran dirt and pavement racer Roger Braun down to the wire. Oshkosh champ Chris Maas completed the podium finishers placing third with Manitowoc champ Shawn Bangart 4th.
LUXEMBURG SPEEDWAY RESULTS 7/22/2016
MODIFIED 25 LAP FEATURE: Shawn Kilgore – Russ Reinwald – Todd Dart – Jason Czarapata – Tyler Hackett – Brad Theys
B Main 1: Eric Scribner – R.M. Van Pay – Luke Lemmens – Lance Arneson
B Main 2: Jerry Muenster – Todd Wiese – Trevor Spaulding – Brandon Long
Heat 1: Kilgore – Jay Matthias
Heat 2: Dart – Eddie Muenster
Heat 3: Reinwald – Theys
Heat 4: Mark Schuenemann – Brian Crapser
BADGERLAND 20 LAP CHAMPIONSHIP: Kilgore – Van Pay – Josh Long – Jeremy Jacobs – Steve Schneider - Dart
STOCK CAR 25 LAP FEATURE: Shawn Havel – J.J. Heinz – Billy LeMieux – Dave Bouche – Shawn Wagner – Tony Bouche
B Main 1: Jerry Winkler - Derek Moede – Phil Hiles – Vern Stedjee
B Main 2: Jeremy Wiitala – Robbie Waechter – Scott Reinhardt – Don Aregoni, Jr
B Main 3: Dylan Heilmann – Rod Snellenberger – Brandon Gagnon – Matt Reinke
Heat 1: Dave Bouche – Heinz
Heat 2: Kyle Frederick – Brett Koehler
Heat 3: LeMieux – Dan Michonski
Heat 4: Tony Bouche – Havel
Heat 5: Wagner – David Hoerning
Heat 6: John Adams – Stephen Hiles
BADGERLAND CHAMPIONSHIP 20 LAP FEATURE: Troy Muench – Frederick – Dave Bouche – Wiitala – Michonski - Snellenberger
NORTHERN SPORT MOD 25 LAP FEATURE: Chris Budzban – Brian Bruechert – Craig Dorner - J.R. Hansen – Kelsy Hayes – Randy LeMieux, Jr
B Main 1: Wayne Haines – Kyle Raddant – Brandon Knepprath – Tailar Ness
B Main 2: Tom Schneider – Scott Besaw – Bernie Reinhardt – Race Van Pay
Heat 1: Karah Taycher – Sawyer Haese
Heat 2: Bruce Belland – Hansen
Heat 3: Budzban - Bruechert
Heat 4: LeMieux – J.J. Andersen
BADGERLAND CHAMPIONNSHIP 20 LAP FEATURE: Travis Arenz – Budzban – Bruechert – Hayes – Andersen –Jacob Zellner
GRAND NATIONAL 25 LAP FEATURE: Mark Fieber – Steven Wirtz – Brian Cesar – Brad Lubach – Tim Simon – Luke Scholten
B Main: Tim Reichenberger – Josh Pierce – Brett Wachowiacz – Shawn Schmitt – Kevin Lubach
Heat 1: Brad Lubach – Dave Gauger, Jr
Heat 2: Cesar – Matt Jackson
Heat 3: Simon – Fieber
STREET STOCK 25 LAP FEATURE: Paul Deifenthaler – Dan Van Pay – John Hill – Scott Boulanger – Cody Potter – Eric Turner
B Feature 1: Kraig Koehler – Allen Schlueter – Adam Crapser – Jesse Krahn
B Feature 2: Jason Jensen – Shawn Haydon – Allen Dillon – Ryan Glembin
Heat 1: Matt Warner – Jeff Jungwirth
Heat 2: Turner – Brady Baldry
Heat 3: Deifenthaler – Lexii Ashcraft
Heat 4: Mike Carter – Boulanger
BADGERLAND CHAMPIONSHIP 20 LAP FEATURE: Deifenthaler – Alex Crapser – Jungwirth – Van Pay – Paul Ambrosius - Ashcraft
SPORT COMPACT 20 LAP FEATURE: Calvin Stueck – Roger Braun – Chris Maas – Shaun Bangart – Tanner Westphal - Matt Brehmer
B Main: Jordan Klemmer – Shawn Olson – Nick Everard – Corey Suttner
Heat 1: Bangart – Maas
Heat 2: Stueck – Mitch Meier
Heat 3: Braun – Mike Meier
Article Credit: Tom Wagner
Submitted By: Ashley Stevens