Full Event Results (PDF)
By: Paul Reichert May 27, 2022
We all have some great memories waiting for us as we unofficially kick start the summer season during the Memorial Day weekend. Graduation parties, boating on the river, family vacations and so much more fun times are ahead for us. Among those fun times ahead include spending your Friday nights at Tomah- Sparta Speedway. The traveling or touring series that pay ‘Daytomah’ a visit always put on a good show for the fans, and the Midwest Dash Series did not disappoint on this night. Multi-time series champion Phil Malouf took the lead before halfway then survived a late race shootout to claim the feature win.
In the Godfather 30 Midwest Dash Series feature Mike Dixon outdueled Jeremy Bredeson into turn one to take control of the race. Defending series champion Phil Malouf began to pick his way through the field as he cracked the top three on lap four after getting around Justin Pearson. Three laps later Malouf shot past Merek Pankow to settle into second place. Malouf quickly gobbled up Dixon’s lead before going to the outside to move into the top spot on lap 11. Malouf build up a hefty lead but would have to deal with young lion Karter Stark. After breaking his own track record earlier in qualifying, Stark would drive around Tim Finstad to break into third as the field reached the mid-race point. Stark needed only two laps to catch up to and pass Pankow to claim the runner-up spot. Over the next several laps Stark would start to close the distance between him and Malouf. Stark suddenly slowed down the back straight with six laps remaining due to a mechanical issue that forced him to retire. The yellow flew shortly after that for Dixon’s spin and dropping fluid on the racing surface. After an extensive cleanup Malouf powered away from Finstad on the final restart to capture the first feature of the new season for the Midwest Dash Series.
Ken Steinhorst drove by Troy Dobbartz for the race lead at the start of the Sportsmen feature. While the 60 year old racer from Oxford, WI led the field around ‘Daytomah’, Dobbratz was trying his best to keep pace with the leader in his first race of the season. Dobbratz had his hands full as he was also trying to hold back both Jim Hendricks and defending track champion Dan Frye. After not turning in a particularly fast qualifying effort, Steinhorst had a handle on the race as he continued to show the way. With four laps to go Dobbratz looped his race car in turn two. Frye and Hendricks slowed to avoid him but Frye got on the gas quicker to take over second. Dobbratz was able to rejoin the race without a yellow being displayed. All of that did not stop Steinhorst from pulling off an upset and capturing his first career checkered flag at Tomah.
Charles Vian, Jr. needed a lap before powering around the outside of Shelby Lockington for the lead in the Clark Powersport of Hillsboro Hobby Stock feature. As Vian, Jr. began to open his lead on the field, Andy Moore was slicing and dicing his way through his fellow competitors. Moore moved into third on lap five as he got past Aaron Hendricks, then quickly moved to the outer lane to get around Lockington for second a lap later. Moore eventually caught up to Vian, Jr. at halfway and the battle was on for the top spot. Vian, Jr. stuck to his guns on the inside and gave Moore the outside to pass him. Vian, Jr. appeared to be hooked up better on the inside as he maintained the lead. Mike Kreuger, Jr. had a good view of that battle from third as he waited for a slip up. That slip up would never happen. Vian, Jr. slowly began to pull away from Moore by a few car lengths over the last three laps to cross the finish line in first.
In the Command Post Hornet feature Bryan Wallace got the better of Michael Hennessy, Jr. at the start to lead the race. The veteran Wisconsin Dells area racer stuck to the outer groove and got a run to drive back around Wallace to become the king of the mountain on lap three. Hennessy, Jr. maintained a four car length lead on Wallace, who was trying to catch back up and get another chance to take the lead again. While there was still a fair distance between those two, the fight over third was getting interesting between Shawn McCarthy and Paul Finch. Both exchanged the third spot a couple times before McCarthy settled that battle for good on lap 11. Those two would not be able to make a late run on the lead duo that were long gone. Hennessy, Jr. kept Wallace in his rear view mirror to score a feature win for the second straight year at ‘Daytomah’.
Pole sitter Tim Murphy, Sr. charged under Mike Gratz to lead the early going of the TACU Credit Union Six Shooter feature. Murphy, Sr. would soon have to deal with the prominent Malibu of defending track champion Matt Moore. Moore quickly made his way through the field before catching and passing Murphy, Sr. to assume command of the race on lap five. Moore would not have an easy time holding onto the lead as Dustin McCracken made his presence known. McCracken would drive to the high side to get around Murphy, Sr. to move into the runner-up spot at halfway. Moore kept McCracken a safe distance behind before Zachary Morgan spun in front of the leader in turn two with three laps to go. The leaders slowed but no caution flag flew for the incident. Moore realized this and quickly hit the gas to pull away from McCracken down the stretch to capture his second victory of the year.
Action continues next Friday, June 3 with the return of the Late Models to Tomah-Sparta Speedway after a three year absence for the first round of the inaugural Late Model Triple Crown Series. The High School Racing Association will make their season debut and join the Hobby Stocks, Hornets and Soccer Moms. We also celebrate Stacy Oliver’s birthday with a ton of giveaways as part of “Stacy’s Birthday
Bash”. Gates open at 5, qualifying revs up at 6:15 and the first green flag of the night flies at 7:30.
Call the track office at 608-461-1920, visit our web site at tomahspartaspeeway.com or check out the track’s Facebook page for more information about Tomah-Sparta Speedway and the 2022 schedule of events.
