Along with joy, racing is also filled with heartbreak
For awhile on Saturday night it looked like another new driver was going to add his name to the feature wins list at Shawano Speedway. Life can throw you a curveball sometimes and racing isn’t immune to those same curveballs.
Josh Moesch and Jeremie Hedrick started on the front row of the WISSOTA Late Model feature. Since Moesch is in his rookie year in the division, and has limited racing experience, I’m sure a lot of fans assumed he would eventually fall toward the back, especially considering Terry and Nick Anvelink were starting right behind him. That didn’t happen though.
As temperatures rise, emotions run high
With some of the warmest weather of the year over the last week, it was a hot night of racing at Shawano Speedway — on and off the track. Nobody can deny that racing isn’t an emotional sport. There is the thrill of victory, but there is also the agony of having victory within your grasp, only to have it slip away. And depending on how it slips away, emotions can and do run high.
Emotions began to rise during the IMCA Stock Car feature. As usual, there was some very close racing during this feature. Mitchell Stankowski, Devin Snellenberger and John Heinz were battling for the lead for much of the race, with Heinz racing on the high-side. Heinz was able to take the lead with around five laps remaining, only to have a caution come out, regulating him back to second place on the restart.
Shawano Fans Fund ends on July 23
Where has the summer gone? It is hard to believe, but the World of Outlaws Late Model show at Shawano Speedway is right around the corner. This show was a huge success last year, so it will be interesting to see if more drivers from around the country show up for this race.
There were 32 Late Models on hand last year, and as I wrote about it earlier this year, there is an effort to get some new drivers to the show, who otherwise might not show up. The Shawano Fans Fund has been collecting donations from fans and those fans then get to vote for drivers from a list of 11 drivers. For every $500 raised, that amount will be offered to the drivers receiving the most votes.
Point battles heat up at Shawano Speedway
With the recent heat wave that has hit the area, I guess you can say the “dog days of summer” have arrived. As the weather heats up outside, so are the battles for the track championships in each division at Shawano Speedway.
Last week’s racing action had a major impact in the point standings in some of the divisions at the Speedway. The battle for the WISSOTA Late Model track championship has become a toss-up at this point. After the first week of the season when defending track champion Ron Berna finish 18th in the feature, one had to wonder if he could repeat as champion. Berna was able to put that bad night behind him, and with his second feature win of the year last week, he is only two points behind Paul Parker in the standings.
“Highside Hustler” receives most Shawano Fans Fund votes
For those race fans who donated to and have been following the Shawano Fans Fund, there now is a winner. With a very good final weekend for donations, the total was pushed to $2,005. That means the top four vote getters will be offered $500 each to come and race at Shawano Speedway on Wednesday, Aug. 3 with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series night of racing.
When the final votes were tabulated, Jason Feger, a.k.a. “The Highside Hustler,” had received the most votes with a total of 317. Feger is from Bloomington, Illinois. He will be making his first appearance at Shawano Speedway. There is a reason his nickname is “The Highside Hustler,” and I bet most fans can guess why. If the track has a “cushion” on the high-side, you can expect Feger to try and make that the fast way around the track.