By: Paul Reichert
June 10, 2022
Today’s Modified race cars are highly technical and have powerful engines that can get around the racetrack, even a smaller 3/8-mile track, in a matter of seconds. The Modified race cars that raced back in the heyday of racing took various forms from stock cars to supermodifieds, and even a few home built chassis. The Vintage Modified Stock Car Club of Milwaukee joined the weekly Modifieds that headline racing at Tomah-Sparta Speedway for a memorable night of racing. Veteran modified racer Jeff Allard was victorious in the Vintage Modified feature, while youngster Weston Marthaler scored his first ever Modified feature win at ‘Daytomah’ as part of his first career clean sweep.
Cal Maute powered his way to the lead at the start of the Vintage Modified Stock Car Club of Milwaukee feature. Starting at the back of the field Darrin Allard and his father Jeff quickly began to make their way through traffic. Darrin drove around Jerry Jacobson to take second spot in turn one on lap five, while Jeff wrestled third position away from Jacobson entering turn three. Before catching up to Maute and challenging him for the lead Jeff powered his way under Darrin to take over the runner-up spot on lap seven. Jeff wasted little time to drive around Maute to assume command of the race on lap nine. A lap later Darrin would motor his way past Maute for second. Maute caused a late race caution with three laps remaining when he spun out in turn one. The father would get the better of the family feud on the final restart as Jeff Allard pulled away to win the feature.
In the Modified feature Larry DeVito would charge past his brother Rick to take charge of the race. It only took a couple of laps for 15 year old Weston Marthaler to cut and slice his way through traffic to go from fourth to second. Marthaler showed the patience of a veteran to slowly close the distance on Larry DeVito and waited for the right moment to make his move. Marthaler stuck to his guns on the outside groove while taking his time to go after the lead. On lap six Marthaler would get a run in turns one and two to drive past the 2021 Hobbyfest champion down the back straight and into the lead. Jesse Vian began to put pressure on DeVito for second after the mid-race mark of the race, but DeVito began to pull away from Vian in the final few laps and keep a tight hold on second. Marthaler went unchallenged the rest of the way to capture his first career checkered flag and complete his clean sweep of the division.
The Clark Powersport of Hillsboro Hobby Stock feature got off to a crazy start when Andy Moore and Aaron Hendricks tangled in turn three. Moore was experiencing power glitches with his race car that forced his immediate retirement. That would give anyone in the field a chance to win, including a number of possible first time winners. Shelby Lockington got the better of her brother Landon to assume the race lead on the second try to start the race. The rest of the field was trying to sort themselves out as Lockington began to pull out to a rather large advantage. At the halfway point of the race Robby Robinson broke out of the pack to settle into second. Over the next several laps Robinson was reducing the deficit he had to make up on Lockington. Robinson reached the back bumper of Lockington with three laps to go, then moved to the outside to surge past Lockington for the lead with two laps remaining. Robinson pulled away to score his first feature win at Tomah since his track championship back in 2015.
Bryan Wallace followed Jazelynn Myer past Tristan Finnegan then passed her for the lead at the start of the Command Post Saloon Hornet feature. After a lap three yellow for Finnegan’s spin in turn one, Mason Morphey wasted little time on the restart to make forward progress and set his sights on the lead. Morphey powered by Matthew Heim for second on lap four. Morphey got into a hard fight for the lead with Wallace for a few laps with Wallace on the inside and Morphey taking the high line. They traded the lead back and forth for a couple laps before the reigning track champion took charge at halfway. As Morphey began to open his lead, 2020 champion Shawn McCarthy dove low on Wallace down the back straight on lap 11 to claim second. Morphey would keep McCarthy in his rear view mirror as he captured his second victory this season.
In the TACU Credit Union 6 Shooter feature rookie Zachary Morgan took command of the race early on. Matt Moore stopped on track with a flat track to bring out the yellow on lap two. Morgan continued to show the way on the restart but he would have his hands full with Matthew Heim. Heim took the long way around to get past Morgan for the lead position on lap five. Now Heim would have to watch out for Tomah veteran Tim Murphy, Sr., who was on the move in a big way. Murphy, Sr. would catch and drive around Heim to become the new leader on lap nine. Dustin McCracken was following Murphy, Sr.’s tire tracks and needed only two laps to shoot past Murphy, Sr. for the race lead. McCracken would drive away from Murphy over the final laps to hit the finish line first.
The wacky Chaos division’s next event on the schedule was the Tag Team Race. Here one driver would run a lap to start, then tag the rear bumper of their teammate who would run the next lap. This would go on for the four lap distance of the race. Dustin McCracken and Matt Moore were the top team on the track as they would win the Tag Team Race.
Action continues next Friday, June 17 with the 8th Annual Tim Myer Memorial Shootout taking place. Big features and big money are on the line for not just the Sportsmen, but also the Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Hornets and Six Shooters. Gates open at 5:00, qualifying happens at 6:15 and the thrilling racing action begins 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.
RESULTS
Vintage Modified Stock Car Club of Milwaukee
Feature (15 laps): 1. Jeff Allard, 2. Darrin Allard, 3. Steve Bengdorf, 4. Cal Maute, 5. Brian Titel, 6. Jerry Jacobson, 7. John Koran, 8. Matt Schellinger
Heat #1 (8 laps): 1. Cal Maute, 2. Jerry Jacobson, 3. Matt Schellinger, 4. John Koran, 5. Jim Straseski
Heat #2 (8 laps): 1. Darrin Allard, 2. Brian Titel, 3. Jeff Allard, 4. Steve Bergdorf
Modifieds
Feature (15 laps): 1. Weston Marthaler, 2. Larry DeVito, 3. Jesse Vian, 4. Rick DeVito, 5. Kirk Olson
Heat #1 (8 laps): 1. Weston Marthaler, 2. Larry DeVito, 3. Rick DeVito, 4. Jesse Vian, 5. Kirk Olson
Qualifying: 1. Weston Marthaler 16.318, 2. Jesse Vian 16.717, 3. Larry DeVito 17.034, 4. Rick DeVito 17.118, 5. Kirk Olson 17.739
Clark Powersport of Hillsboro Hobby Stocks
Feature (15 laps): 1. Robby Robinson, 2. Shelby Lockington, 3. Alex Rud, 4. Aaron Hendricks, 5. Jake Schiller, 6. Landon Lockington, 7. Andy Moore
Heat #1 (8 laps): 1. Andy Moore, 2. Robby Robinson, 3. Shelby Lockington, 4. Alex Rud, 5. Aaron Hendricks, 6. Landon Lockington, 7. Jake Schiller
Qualifying: 1. Andy Moore 17.530, 2. Robby Robinson 18.083, 3. Alex Rud 18.710, 4. Jake Schiller 18.811, 5. Shelby Lockington 18.963, 6. Landon Lockington 19.552, 7. Aaron Hendricks NO TIME
Command Post Saloon Hornets
Feature (15 laps): 1. Mason Morphey, 2. Shawn McCarthy, 3. Bryan Wallace, 4. Matthew Heim, 5. Tristan Drazkowski, 6. Tristan Finnegan, 7. Jazelynn Myer, 8. James Hendricks, Sr., 9. Ken Mees, 10. Matt Drazkowski, 11. Waylon Robinson, 12. Josh Schaller, 13. Devon Swenson
Heat #1 (8 laps): 1. James Hendricks, Sr., 2. Tristan Finnegan, 3. Jazelynn Myer, 4. Matt Drazkowski, 5. Ken Mees, 6. Devon Swenson
Heat #2 (8 laps): 1. Bryan Wallace, 2. Mason Morphey, 3. Matthew Heim, 4. Shawn McCarthy, 5. Josh Schaller, 6. Waylon Robinson, 7. Tristan Drazkowski
Qualifying: 1. Mason Morphey 18.843, 2. Shawn McCarthy 18.949, 3. Josh Schaller 18.996, 4. Tristan Drazkowski 19.187, 5. Bryan Wallace 19.296, 6. Waylon Robinson 19.312, 7. Matthew Heim 19.375, 8. Jazelynn Myer 19.789, 9. Tristan Finnegan 20.181, 10. Travis Atkinson 20.191, 11. Matt Drazkowski 20.491, 12. James Hendricks, Sr., 20.525, 13. Ken Mees 20.867, 14. Devon Swenson 22.617
TACU Credit Union Six Shooters
Feature (15 laps): 1. Dustin McCracken, 2. Tim Murphy, Sr., 3. Chuck Muller, 4. Matthew Heim, 5. Mike Gratz, 6. Greg Brown, 7. Zachary Morgan, 8. Seth Gnewikow, 9. Chris Brown, 10. Trenton Frye, 11. Tim Murphy, Jr., 12. Austyn Blank, 13. Matt Moore, 14. Ashley Tauscher
Heat #1 (8 laps): 1. Matthew Heim, 2. Chris Brown, 3. Greg Brown, 4. Tim Murphy, Jr., 5. Zachary Morgan, 6. Ashley Tauscher, 7. Austyn Blank
Heat #2 (8 laps): 1. Dustin McCracken, 2. Seth Gnewikow, 3. Matt Moore, 4. Chuck Muller, 5. Mike Gratz, 6. Tim Murphy, Sr., 7. Trenton Frye
Qualifying: 1. Chuck Muller 19.318, 2. Matt Moore 19.410, 3. Seth Gnewikow 19.432, 4. Dustin McCracken 19.536, 5. Mike Gratz 19.614, 6. Tim Murphy, Sr. 19.779, 7. Greg Brown 19.858, 8. Chris Brown 20.017, 9. Matthew Heim 20.062, 10. Zachary Morgan 20.539, 11. Austyn Blank 20.792, 12. Tim Murphy, Jr. 20.858, 13. Ashley Tauscher 22.956
Chaos
Tag Team Race (4 laps): 1. Dustin McCracken and Matt Moore, 2. Jay Raines and Mike Gratz, 3. Alex Rud and Tristan Drazkowski, 4. Rick Porter and Matt Drazkowski
