5/31/2018
High Flying Cam Shafer races to Win at Rice Lake
Rice Lake Speedway’s annual Memorial Day weekend sprint car celebration took place Saturday as a full grandstand was on had to cheer the POWRi Lucas Oil UMSS invasion.
After some crisply run caution-free PIRTK Fluid Transfer Solutions heat races, the Traditional sprints were the first to take to the 1/3 mile Rice Lake speed plant. Pole starter Scott Brandt squirted out to the early lead, with his 7B on a rail in the track’s low groove. As he often does, the throttle-stomping Cam Schafer quickly found the top groove and set off for Brandt. With a handful of green flag laps in, Schafer made a slight adjustment to his line through turns one and two and found enough speed to reel in, and then pass, Brandt for the lead. Once Schafer established his position up front, the field diverged into distinct high and low grooves.
After the feature’s lone caution, first heat race winner Brad Peterson started working on Brandt, who had relinquished the runner-up spot to reigning series champion Mike Mueller. Peterson momentarily held the position, but Brandt was able to get more speed out of his low groove to reclaim his podium spot. Further back, Anna Hippe was moving and shaking her #16 sprinter, working from her tenth starting position to pressure Jon Lewerer for fifth.
At the final checkers, it was Cam Schafer parking his #14 mount in the Rock Auto victory lane. Schafer is the first repeat winner of the month-old 2018 season. Mueller finished a strong second, ahead of Brandt, Peterson and Lewerer. Hippe crossed the line in sixth, followed by Kevin Bradwell, Blake Anderson and Jeremy Kerzman, with Neal Matuska rounding out the top ten.
With just eight winged competitors on hand for the holiday weekend show, UMSS raced all eight competitors in “tandem” PIRTEK Fluid Transfer Solutions heat races. After the first eight lap heat, the full field inverted from the original line-up and raced a second eight lap heat. “The Ice Man”, Duluth’s Jamey Ogston was strong in winning both heats. Unfortunately, Ogston was tripped up on a technicality. The RLS scales are on the tracks infield, a rare configuration in modern short-track racing, and Ogston reflexively left the track prior to scaling his winning sprinter. Series rules require the top finishes to immediately scale, so the euphoria of the dual wins was quickly doused with disappointment over the blunder.
For the 20-lap winged main event, outside pole starter Chase Viebrock of New Richmond quickly bolted to the high-side lead. Third starting Ryan Bowers immediately applied pressure to Mike Mueller for second, while Viebrock stretched his advantage. When Bowers finally worked around Mueller, he set right to the task of reeling in Viebrock, who had built up nearly a straight away lead. By the crossed flags, it was a two car battle to be settled over the final ten laps. Under constant pressure from the two-time series champion Bowers, “The New Richmond Nightmare” held steady and strong, fending off every Bowers attempt at a pass, finishing the twenty lapper a heartbeat in front of Bowers at the checkers. It was Viebrock’s first visit to Rock Auto victory lane this season. Behind Bowers, Ogston once again showed his strength on the night, charging up from his last row starting spot to finish on the podium. Mueller was fourth across the stripe ahead of Reed Allex, rookie Ryan McVitty and Kyle Finnegan. Cam Schafer was unable to restart after bringing out the event’s lone caution on the opening lap.
Both divisions of the POWRi Lucas Oil UMSS are back in action on Sunday to wrap up their traditional Memorial Day weekend in Wisconsin at the Eagle Valley Speedway in Jim Falls.
POWRi Lucas Oil UMSS TSCS Feature – Cam Schafer, Mike Mueller, Scott Brandt, Brad Peterson, Jon Lewerer, Anna Hippe, Kevin Bradwell, Blake Anderson, Jeremy Kerzman, Neal Matuskz, Denny Stordahl, Joseph Kouba, Gary Mueller, Jack Berger, Bryan Roach, Al Stettner.
POWRi Lucas Oil UMSS 360 Winged Feature – Chase Viebrock, Ryan Bowers, Jamey Ogston, Mike Mueller, Red Allex, Ryan McVitty, Kyle Finnegan, Cam Schafer.
Article Credit: Terry Lehnertz
