By: Paul Reichert
August 1, 2025
The bigger top level divisions always get the attention and the glory week in and week out at a racetrack. Every now and again the lower and entry level divisions get their own special night in the spotlight. That has been the case at Tomah Sparta Speedway with our other racing divisions for at least the past four years. Tonight it was the Hornet division’s turn to take center stage with the annual running of the Hornet Hustle. A big 30 lap feature with a larger feature purse was on the line for an angry swarm of drivers. Paul Finch took over the lead after Glen Bush, Jr. suffered a flat tire with six laps to go. Ashtin Quinnell tried to make a late race run but Finch was able to hold him off to become the fifth different winner of the Hornet Hustle in five years.
The 30 lap Hornet Hustle feature stumbled out of the gate when Braxtyn Moore and A.J. Finnigan tangled coming out of turn two. Attempt number two went better as Glen Bush, Jr. powered underneath Joshua Schwartz to lead the early going of the race. Jacob Iverson put a squeeze play on Tristan Finnigan into the front straight wall to bring out the yellow flag on lap five. Schwartz pulled away from Bush, Jr. on the restart to take command of the race. Bush, Jr. gathered it back up and resumed his battle with Schwartz. Both drivers made contact that saw Bush, Jr. take the lead on lap 11 and caused Schwartz to fall through the field. First time Tomah racer Jonathan Leatherberry looped his car in turn two just past halfway in front of the leaders. Second place Taylor Dawson clipped the left side of Leatherberry’s car, while fifth place Braxtyn Moore made nose-to-nose contact with the disabled 96 machine. As Bush, Jr. quickly moved back in front, Paul Finch applied a ton of pressure on the leader as Finch had to battle with Landon Peterson for second. Getting ahead of Peterson with ten laps to run, Finch looked high and low to find a way around Bush, Jr. A blown tire ended Bush, Jr.’s hopes of victory with six laps remaining. Contact between Peterson and Schwartz quickly brought the yellow back out and dashed the hopes of a big victory for Peterson. Finch rockets away from his competition, but suddenly Ashtin Quinnell began to battle Finch on the outside for the win. Finch had the inside lane working as he held off Quinnell by a hundredth of a second to keep the Hornet Hustle in the Finch family. Daughter Jordan was the surprise winner of last year’s running of the race.
Rick DeVito powered by family member Anthony DeVito to lead the first few laps of the A-main for round two of the Modified Mayhem Showdown. Chuck Muller powered by DeVito on lap four to settle into the lead position. Muller led his teammate Larry Devito before the former Tim Myer Memorial Modified champion shot to the front on lap eight. Two laps later first round winner Bill Schott surged ahead of Muller to move into second and begin his pursuit of DeVito. DeVito maintained a sizable lead as Schott began to fall back into the clutches of Muller. Both drivers made contact coming out of turn four coming to seven laps remaining that forced Schott to pull into victory lane and end his night a little early. Corey Swanson powered by Muller with six laps to run before Antonio DeVito spun in turn one shortly after that. Swanson would pull off the same move around Muller on the restart, but DeVito pulled away from both as he captured yet another big feature race win.
The Sportsmen feature saw this year’s Tim Myer winner Mike Kreuger, Jr. and Jesse Vian have an exciting close quarters battle for the first two laps. Krueger, Jr. surged into first place on lap three, but points leader Charles Vian, Jr. began to close up on Krueger, Jr. Vian, Jr. got loose in turn four on lap eight, which sent him back to third. Vian, Jr. rallied back to get into a heated side-by-side with Krueger, Jr. for much of the second half of the race. The lead seesawed back and forth between the two drivers as they waited for the other to make one little slip up. They took the white flag still together, and when Krueger, Jr. made the slightest of bobbles in turn four that allowed Vian, Jr. to capture his third feature triumph of 2025.
Christopher Neal powered past newcomer Izayah Hughes to lead the first few laps of the Sixer feature. Alivia Moore shot around Neal to move into first place on lap four. A lap later Curtis Hellickson drove by Neal to take over second and the season-long fight resumed between the top two in the point standings. Moore maintained about a six car length advantage over Hellickson, who would have to deal with Ghage Moore after the crossed flags were displayed. Contact between Hellickson and Moore resulted in an issue with Hellickson as he was forced to park his car in the infield as they were coming to the white flag. Moore got the better of this battle as she claimed her third feature win on the year and wrapped up yet another clean sweep.
The lead of the Hippo feature was a hot potato for the first few laps. Christopher Neal drove around Zachary Neal to lead the opening lap, but was quickly overtaken a lap later by Monty Odegard. Christopher Neal and James Gratz got tangled together in turn two on lap four. Thanks to the restart, Mike Gratz would go from following the field at the back at the start to leading the field. Kevin Laufenberg took over second from Christopher Neal on that restart, and now the battle was on between the points leaders. Gratz and Laufenberg put on another thrilling race as they battled side-by-side for much of the race. Laufenberg tried to make the outside lane work, but Gratz stood his ground on the inside groove. There were several bumper tag attempts by Laufenberg, but Gratz stood fast in the lead as he captured another checkered flag win and scored a clean sweep of the night’s racing action..
The Chaos novelty race was the Joker Lap Race. A cone was placed in turns three and four. The drivers had to go around the outside of the cone on one lap, then to the inside of the cone on the next lap, and alternate like that for the five laps of the race. He may have hit the cone during the warm-up laps, but Christopher Neal surged into the lead on lap three and hit the finish line in first place.
Big time returns to Tomah Sparta Speedway next Friday, August 8 as the Big 8 Late Model Series returns after a year away for the Ron Meister Memorial race. A huge 58 lap A-main will bring some of the top Late Model competitors from across the midwest to Cranberry Country. The Hobby Stocks, Hornets, Sixers and High School Racing Association will complement a very exciting night of racing action. Gates open at 5:30, group qualifying takes to the track starting at 6 and a very action packed night of racing takes the green begins at 7.
Call the track office at 952-994-1282, visit our website at tomahspartaspeedway.com and be sure to like the track’s Facebook page to learn more about Tomah Sparta Speedway and the 2025 schedule of events.
RESULTS
Hornets
Hornet Hustle Feature (30 laps): 1. Paul Finch, 2. Ashtin Quinnell, 3. Joshua Schwartz, 4. Justin Iverson, 5. Jacob Iverson, 6. A.J. Finnigan, 7. Glen Bush, Jr., 8. Jody Halterman, 9. Ben Radavich, 10. Aubrie Leis, 11. Landon Peterson, 12. Taylor Dawson, 13. Braxtyn Moore, 14. Jonathan Leatherberry, 15. Tristan Finnigan
Heat #1 (10 laps): 1. Justin Iverson, 2. A.J. Finnigan, 3. Ben Radavich, 4. Jody Halterman, 5. Jonathan Leatherberry, 6. Aubrie Leis
Heat #2 (10 laps): 1. Joshua Schwartz, 2. Glen Bush, Jr., 3. Braxtyn Moore, 4. Jacob Iverson, 5. Ashtin Quinnell
Heat #3 (10 laps): 1. Taylor Dawson, 2. Paul Finch, 3. Tristan Finnigan, 4. Landon Peterson
Qualifying: 1. Landon Peterson 17.485, 2. Tristan Finnigan 17.530, 3. Paul Finch 17.541, 4. Braxtyn Moor 17.614, 5. Ashtin Quinnell 17.748, 6. Jacob Iverson 17.750, 7. Joshua Schwartz 17.763, 8. Glen Bush, Jr. 17.984, 9. A.J. Finnigan 18.163, 10. Justin Iverson 18.404, 11. Ben Radavich 18.963, 12. Aubrie Leis 19.766, 13. Jonathan Leatherberry 20.128, 14. Jody Halterman NO TIME, 15. Taylor Dawson NO TIME (DQ)
Strike Zone Modified Mayhem Showdown
Feature (25 laps): 1. Larry DeVito, 2. Corey Swanson, 3. Chuck Muller, 4. Rick DeVito, 5. Anthony DeVito, 6. Antonio DeVito, 7. Bryan Schott, 8. Andy Muller, 9. Bill Schott
Heat #1 (10 laps): 1. Andy Muller, 2. Rick DeVito, 3. Anthony DeVito, 4. Antonio DeVito, 5. Bryan Schott
Heat #2 (10 laps); 1. Chuck Muller, 2. Bill Schott, 3. Corey Swanson, 4. Larry DeVito
Qualifying: 1. Larry DeVito 15.023 (New Track Record), 2. Bill Schott 15.132, 3. Corey Swanson 15.193, 4. Chuck Muller 15.266, 5. Andy Muller 15.480, 6. Anthony DeVito 15.562, 7. Rick DeVito 15.718, 8. Bryan Schott 15.841, 9. Antonio DeVito 15.983
MJ Services and Contracting Sportsmen
Feature (20 laps): 1. Charles Vian, Jr., 2. Mike Krueger, Jr., 3. Jesse Vian, 4. Logan Backus
Heat #1 (10 laps): 1. Mike Krueger, Jr., 2. Charles Vian, Jr., 3. Jesse Vian, 4. Ken Steinhorst, 5. Logan Backus
Qualifying: 1. Mike Kreuger, Jr. 15.480, 2. Charles Vian, Jr. 15.618, 3. Jesse Vian 16.002, 4. Logan Backus 16.182
Sixers
Feature (15 laps): 1. Alivia Moore, 2. Ghage Moore, 3. Landin Frye, 4. Christopher Neal, 5. Izayah Hughes, 6. Curtis Hellickson
Heat #1 (8 laps): 1. Alivia Moore, 2. Ghage Moore, 3. Christopher Neal, 4. Izayah Hughes, 5. Landin Frye, 6. Curtis Hellickson
Qualifying: 1. Ghage Moore 18.139, 2. Alivia Moore 18.189, 3. Curtis Hellickson 18.215, 4. Chrstiopher Neal 18.676, 5. Izayah Hughes 19.649
Hippos
Feature (15 laps): 1. Mike Gratz, 2. Kevin Laufenberg, 3. James Gratz, 4. Christopher Neal, 5. Russell Allen, 6. Monty Odegard, 7. Zachary Neal
Heat #1 (8 laps): 1. Christopher Neal, 2. Monty Odegard, 3. Russell Allen, 4. Zachary Neal
Heat #2 (8 laps); 1. Mike Gratz, 2. Kevin Laufenberg, 3. James Gratz
Qualifying: 1. Mike Gratz 18.930, 2. Kevin Laufenberg 19.017, 3. James Gratz 19.218, 4. Monty Odegard 19.271, 5. Russell Allen 19.393, 6. Christopher Neal 19.490, 7. Zachary Neal 19.859
Chaos
Joker Lap Race (5 laps): 1. Christopher Neal, 2. James Gratz, 3. Monty Odegard, 4. Russell Allen, 5. Zachary Neal