By: Paul Reichert
August 30, 2019
Labor Day weekend is traditionally the end of the summer season. Sadly, it is also the end of the racing season at Tomah-Sparta Speedway. All of our weekly divisions decided their points championships for the season, but not without some intense racing action to close out the 2019 campaign. It would be the last few times we would get to hear the ringing of the Victory Bell in TACU Victory Lane.
Derrin Salo started on the pole for the Modified feature and quickly jumped out to the lead. Nick Quinnell started to thread his way through the field and got around Larry DeVito for second by lap six. Salo continued on his merry way as Quinnell tried to make a dent in Salo’s lead. Jay Potter drove past DeVito to move into third by the halfway mark. Quinnell and Potter would end up in their own battle over second as Salo was clearly the driver to beat this night. Salo would claim his second win in three weeks, while Brad Wildes ran fourth in the feature to gift wrap his first Modified championship.
In the Sportsmen feature, Jake Schiller shot past the front row of Lonnie Wood, Sr. and Troy Dobbrartz to take command of the race. David Borntrager followed Schiller’s tire tracks to move into second by lap three. Jason Backus powered by his way by Wood, Sr. and Dobbratz on lap four to move into third place. Schiller, Borntrager and Backus would be on a dog fight over the win the rest of the race. Borntrager looked high and looked low, but could not make hsi way around Schiller. Backus patiently waited for a mistake by either driver to take over the lead. That mistake would never come as Schiller held off the hard chargers behind him to score the victory. Borntrager’s runner-up finish was good enough to take the championship, the first of possibly two different track crowns.
Aaron Hendricks made his way from fourth to take the lead early in the Hobby Stock feature. Coming from a little deeper in the field, Mike Krueger, Jr. would move up to second by lap three and put the pressure on Hendricks for the top spot. Krueger, Jr. would motor past Hendricks on lap five to become the new leader. Brandon Gallagher would find a gear and get around Hendricks for second with six laps to go. Meanwhile, Krueger, Jr. continued to build up his advantage over the field. Krueger, Jr. captured the checkered flag first to drive away with the win. Despite crashing at the end of his heat race, Andy Moore hopped in Bill Schott’s car in the feature. Moore secured the track championship with a fourth place effort.
In the Hornet feature, Tyler Stuber took the lead early behind the wheel of Alex Rud’s car. After a yellow two laps into the race for Ronnie Foster’s spin in turn two, Stuber began to slowly pull away from the field. Mason Morphy continued his steady improvement as he got around Jams Rittenhouse for second on lap seven. Morphy would slowly close down on Stuber over the next few laps. Morphy powered on the outside around Stuber for the lead coming to the white flag. Stuber used the inside line to sneak under Morphy on the final lap to claim his first Hornet win at Tomah. Jazelynn Myer ran fourth in the feature and earned her first ever track championship.
The Mini Stock feature stepped up the competition with multi-time Jefferson champion Mark English making an appearance. Paul Finch led the opening three laps before English powered his way around Finch to take over the race lead. As English began to pull away from the field, Finch would be in yet another battle with Mike Carlson. Carlson tried using the low groove to get around Finch, then tried to work on the high side to take over second. Finch had his hands full, but he found a way to hold off Carlson. English was the unstoppable force as he claimed his first ever win at Tomah and swept the division. By starting the feature, Paul Finch wrapped up the season championship.
The final race of the season was the TACU Credit Union Six Shooters feature. Justin DeLap powered by pole sitter Cameron Riggs to take the early lead. The race lead would turn into a ‘hot potato’ going back and forth between the two drivers. Riggs would get back around DeLap on lap three to be the new race leader. DeLap stayed close behind Riggs, taking the lead back on lap nine. Riggs hung tough on the outside lane and kept pace with DeLap. Riggs would power past DeLap to take the lead back as the white flag was displayed. DeLap stuck to his guns on the inside and found a way to power by Riggs to claim his second win of the season. With the wild happenings up front, Frye pulled back to run fifth and take the track crown.
Before we close the books on the 2019 season, we have one last fun event to run at ‘Daytomah’. The first ever ‘Night of Chaos’ happens on Saturday, September 14. You will see a drifiting exhibition, a Dukes jump, a burnout contest, a go ’til they blow contest, a trailer t-bone crash and other fun events. There will also be five Chaos races run with an overall ‘Night of Chaos’ champion crowned. Gates open at 5:00 and the Chaos fun begins at 7:00. For more information about Tomah-Sparta Speedway or the 2019 schedule of events, please call the office at 608-461-1920 or visit tomahspartaspeedway.com.
RESULTS
Modifieds
Feature: 1. Derrin Salo, 2. Nick Quinnell, 3. Jay Potter, 4. Brad Wildes, 5. Paul Brown
Heat 1: 1. Salo, 2. Potter, 3. Rick DeVito
Heat 2: 1. Keenan Shaw, 2. Quinnell, 3. Wildes
Qualifying: 1. Wildes, 2. Quinnell, 3. Brown
Sportsmen
Feature: 1. Jake Schiller, 2. David Borntrager, 3. Jason Backus, 4. Taylor Dawson, 5. Troy Dobbratz
Heat: 1. Backus, 2. D. Borntrager, 3. Schiller
Qualifying: 1. D. Borntrager, 2., Backus, 3. Schiller
Hobby Stocks
Feature: 1. Mike Krueger, Jr., 2. Brandon Gallagher, 3. Aaron Hendricks., 4. Andy Moore, 5. Pete Carlson
Heat 1: 1. Hendricks, 2. Gallagher, 3. Shelby Lockington
Heat 2: 1. Krueger, Jr., 2. Bill Schott, 3. Carlson
Qualifying: 1., Andy Moore, 2., Alex Rud, 3. Krueger, Jr.
Hornets
Feature: 1. Tyler Stuber, 2. Mason Morphy, 3. James Rittenhouse, 4. Jazelynn Myer, 5. Shawn McCarthy
Heat 1: 1. McCarthy, 2. Stuber, 3. Jordan Finch
Heat 2: 1. Rittenhouse, 2. J. Myer, 3. Morphy
Qualifying: 1. J. Myer, 2. Amelia Marshall, 3. Morphy
Mini Stocks
Feature: 1. Mark English, 2. Paul Finch, 3. Mike Carlson, 4. Kendon Thurk
Heat: 1. English, 2. P. Finch, 3. Carlson
Qualifying: 1. English, 2. Carlson, 3. P. Finch
TACU Credit Union Six Shooters
Feature: 1. Justin DeLap, 2. Cameron Riggs, 3. Tim Murphy, 4. Matt Moore, 5. Dan Frye
Heat 1: 1. Riggs, 2. DeLap, 3. Austin Schott
Heat 2: 1. Frye, 2. M. Moore, 3. Al Bartels
Qualifying: 1. M. Moore, 2. Clayton Haessig, 3. Frye
