Champions Crowned at Jefferson Speedway
JEFFERSON, WI (Saturday, September 9, 2017) Cambridge driver, Dale Nottestad, entered the Griffin Ford Mercury Season Championship Night with a mere one point lead over Lake Mills pilot Shaun Scheel in the Late Model standings. The pair of drivers spent the entire 2017 season battling one another both on the track and in the standings. Scheel owned the top position early in the season, giving way to Nottestad around the halfway point. But it all came down to one night to decide who would stand tall atop the mountain. While that battle took place, it was John Ovadal Jr of Watertown who would finally overcome his recent struggles to put his ride in victory lane as the winner of the 60 lap main event.
Jerry Eckhardt and Kyle Smith paced the field of 20 of the area’s best racers to the green flag with Smith taking the early lead. Cody Erdmann followed into second with Stephen Scheel quickly up to third. Scheel drove to the high side of Erdmann to gain the second spot on lap five. Meanwhile. Dale Nottestad and Shaun Scheel was both mired deep in the field as they fought both the traffic and each other for position on the track. Stephen Scheel made his move on the leader, Smith, on lap 13. Getting under Smith as they raced into turn one, Scheel inched his machine out front, clearing for the top spot on lap 15. Ovadal entered the top five a lap earlier and began to make his way toward the front. On lap 21, Ovadal got past Erdmann for third. Further back in the pack, the two point leaders raced each other very hard, trading paint as each driver looked to gain the advantage over the other. A caution on lap 25 slowed the action when Kody Hubred’s motor expired in turn one. As racing resumed, Ovadal made his way around Smith for second. But another yellow flag on lap 30 closed the field back up at the halfway point of the race. Once the green returned, Ovadal went to work on Scheel for the lead. Ovadal muscled his way under Stephen Scheel on lap 31, sliding his ride into the lead on lap 33. Scheel came back hard at the new leader, getting under Ovadal on lap 34 after some contact. The duo raced wheel to wheel for five laps until Ovadal returned to the point. Back in the field, Shaun Scheel held the advantage over Dale Nottestad as they raced for tenth and eleventh. On lap 44, Nottestad got run on the low side of Scheel as they raced into turn one. After trading some more paint, Nottestad slipped by Scheel. The move put him ahead of Scheel both on the track and in the point standings. All Nottestad had to do at this point was remain ahead of Scheel on the track, and the championship would his. Out front, Ovadal continued to stretch his lead over the field as the laps ticked away. Nottestad began to pick off positions inside the top ten with Scheel trying to stick close. At the checkers, it was Ovadal for the convincing win. Stephen Scheel hung on for second with Jacob Nottestad, Michael Grueneberg and Jason Erickson rounding out the top five.
A sixth place finish for Dale Nottestad, combined with an eighth place for Shaun Scheel, handed Nottestad the 2017 Late Model crown. Nottestad noted, “With such a slim margin between Shaun and I, it was whoever could finish ahead of the other. So I wanted to stay out of trouble and finish ahead of him.” The title is Nottestad’s fourth in the last five years. It also ties him with Jason Erickson for the most Late Model championships in track history. “It means a lot to get the fourth for [late team owner] Sonny and to tie Jason, who has been a friend of mine for a long time,” stated Nottestad. “We weren’t sure what the plans were for next year, but now I’m thinking we have to come back and go for that fifth title!”
Fort Atkinson’s Mark Deporter continued his recent winning ways by claiming the 35 lap Sportsman feature event. Ed Jackson led early from the front row with Jake Biever up to second on lap two. Biever took to the high side of Jackson on la four, drawing even as they fought for the lead. Biever cleared a lap later while Jason Thoma powered towards the front of the pack. On lap six, Deporter, Thoma and Dustin Ward raced three wide for third with Deporter and Thoma emerging side by side. The pair of drivers continued forward under Jackson as they know battled for the second spot. On lap ten, Thoma gained the position and quickly began to challenge Biever for the top spot. Thoma drew even with Biever on lap 14, clearing for the lead down the back stretch. Deporter followed into second as the top two tried to break away from the rest of the field. On lap 24, Thoma’s machine caught fire, forcing him to dive off the racing surface and bringing out the yellow flag. Thoma was unable to continue as Deporter now led the field back to green. Another caution waved when Robert Hansberry Jr and Tony Ciano tangled as they raced for second. Terry Wangsness now drew in behind Deporter for the final five laps. But Deporter held him off to see the checkers first and claim the win. Wangsness was second followed by Chris Chenoweth, Biever and Ward. Beloit’s Robert Hansberry Jr was crowned the 2017 Sportsman track champion.
Fort Atkinson’s Ashley Gottschalk was the winner of the 25 lap International feature event. Adam Schook took the initial lead on lap one with Gottschalk up to second. A caution on lap two slowed the pack with Schook and Gottschalk leading the field back to green. Schook held the advantage as Gottschalk tried to battle back on the outside. She did just that, stealing the top spot on lap five while Gary Stark moved into third. Stark got by Schook for second on lap seven and pulling up next to Gottschalk a lap later. By lap nine, Stark was out front and pulling away while Gottschalk tried to fend off Nick Schmidt for second. Stark crossed under the checkers first, but following post-race inspection, he was forced to vacate his finishing position. Gottschalk was proclaimed the winner with Schmidt, Josh Marx, Noah Pankow and Jamie Kohn completing the top five. Watertown’s Neil Higgins was crowned the 2017 International track champion.
Kenny Storkson of Indianford hung on to claim the 30 lap Hobby Stock feature event. Jordan Egli led lap one from the pole with Chuck Egli up to second on lap two. After an early caution on lap three. Jordan Egli continued to lead while Storkson drove up to second on lap five. Another caution slowed the pace on lap seven. As racing resumed, Storkson dove under Egli looking to lead. Storkson moved into control of the top spot on lap 12 with Dan Snyder following in his tracks for second. While Storkson continued to lead, Bud Riedner and Jim Tate Jr were making their way towards the front as well. The third and final caution waved on lap 19, closing up the field for the restart with Storkson out front followed by Snyder, Riedner and Tate. On lap 23, Riedner got under Snyder for second while Tate watched closely from fourth. On lap 25, Tate decided he couldn’t wait for an opening, so he dove to the bottom of turn three, making it a three-way battle for second. Tate cleared for the position and began to to close in on the leader with five laps to go. Tate inched closer each lap while Storkson tried to stay out front. At the checkers, Storkson held the lead with Tate finishing a close second. Riedner came home in third followed by Snyder and Egli. AJ Lloyd of Loves Park, IL, was crowned the 2017 Hobby Stock track champion.
Fort Atkinson’s Chris Gottschalk capped off his 2017 Road Warrior track championship by capturing the 25 lap feature event as well. After a caution on the opening lap. Chester Williams took the lead with AJ Accardi working the high side in second. Accardi pulled up next to Williams on lap three, clearing for the lead a lap later. Gottschalk joined Accardi at the front on lap five, using a crossover move to draw even with the leader. Gottschalk moved out front alone on lap six and immediately began to pull away. Gottschalk cruised to the checkers from there to claim the win followed by Bill Reynolds, Craig Henning, Bryan Gottschalk and Accardi.
Watertown’s Nick Schmidt picked up the win in the 25 lap Bandit feature event. Tyler Edmundson led lap one with Bart Brockman up to second. Edmundson and Brockman led the field back to green after an early caution on lap three. Brockman moved out front on the restart, leading until the second yellow flag of the race waved on lap nine. As racing resumed, Brockman returned to the lead with Jeremy Bredeson up to second followed by Schmidt in third. On lap 12, Schmidt took to the high side of the speedway, drawing even with Bredeson. Schmidt continued forward next to Brockman, looking to lead on lap 13. After a brief battle, Schmidt cleared for the top spot on lap 15 with Bredeson following into second. But Schmidt ran the final laps unchallenged to score the win followed by Bredeson, Chad Olds, Tyler Deporter and Brockman. Chad Olds was crowned the 2017 Bandit track champion.
Utica’s Riley Stenjem captured the 25 lap Legends feature event. Stenjem rocketed into the lead as racing got underway. Frank Beutel raced up to second with Aaron Moyer quickly up to third behind him. Moyer slipped by Beutel for second on lap six as he looked to cut into Stenjem’s already large lead. A caution on lap seven closed the gap between Stenjem and Moyer on the restart. Moyer gained the advantage as racing resumed, but Stenjem wasn’t ready to give up. Stenjem slipped back under Moyer on lap ten, stealing the point back for himself. But Moyer spun entering turn three on lap 13, forcing the second caution period of the race. Stenjem and Matt Berlin led the field back to green with Stenjem reclaiming the point on the restart. Moyer tried to rip back through the field to get another shot at the top spot. Moyer got all the way back to second by lap 23, but it was Stenjem crossing under the checkers first to score the win. Moyer settled for second followed by Berlin, Ethan Ross and Ryan Weyer. Moyer was crowned the 2017 Legends track champion
Wausau’s Kolton Guralski capped his 2017 Bandolero championship by claiming the 20 lap feature event as well. Keegan Kehoe stole the early lead from Kaeden Wangsness on lap two with Chase Wangsness following up to second. Chase got past Kehoe before the caution waved on lap seven for a spinning Alex Hartwig. Chase Wangsness and Guralski paced the field back to green with Wangsness gaining the advantage while Karter Stark battled Guralski for second. Contact sent both Stark and Guralski spinning on lap nine to force another caution. Both were relegated to the rear on the restart as Wangsness continued to show the way. Guralski and Stark sliced their way back through the field, finding themselves in second and third. With five laps to go, the leaders found themselves in very heavy lapped traffic with Guralski searching for a way around Wangsness. A final caution on lap 18 set up a green-white-checkered finish with Wangsness and Guralski leading the pack back to green. As racing resumed, Wangsness inched out front. Guralski dropped back to second as they raced towards turn three. Guralski dove to the bottom and powered up next to Wangsness. Guralski cleared for the lead on the final circuit, coming home with the win. Wangsness settled for second followed by Anna Malouf, Jevin Guralski and Stark.
Next Friday and Saturday, September 15-16, is the 37th annual Wisconsin State Championships presented by American Ethanol. The two day event kicks off with time trials on Friday at 5pm and racing at 7:30. All the information can be found at jeffersonspeedway.com. Jefferson Speedway is located halfway between Jefferson and Cambridge on Hwy 18.
JEFFERSON SPEEDWAY RACE SUMMARY
Late Model-
Feature Results- 1) John Ovadal Jr, Watertown 2) Stephen Scheel, Lake Mills 3) Jacob Nottestad, Utica 4) Michael Grueneberg, Madison 5) Jason Erickson, Fort Atkinson 6) Dale Nottestad, Cambridge 7) Dylan Schuyler, Jefferson 8) Shaun Scheel, Lake Mills 9) Noel Ramge, Helenville 10) Cody Erdmann, Horicon 11) Jerry Eckhardt, Johnson Creek 12) Brent Edmunds, Monticello 13) Steve Dobbratz, Rio 14) Luke Westenberg, Jefferson 15) Craig Phillips, Edgerton 16) Don Gaserude, Fort Atkinson 17) Kyle Smith, Lake Mills 18) Ed Wolff III, Watertown 19) Steven Sauer, Waterloo 20) Kody Hubred, Cambridge
Fast Qualifier- Jason Erickson—14.174 seconds
Last Chance- Ed Wolff III, Brent Edmunds, Steven Sauer, Craig Phillips
Consi- Brody Willett, Josh Bilicki
Heat Winners- 1) Lincoln Keeser 2) Greg Bowers 3) Cody Erdmann 4) Dylan Schuyler
Sportsman-
Feature Results- 1) Mark Deporter, Fort Atkinson 2) Terry Wangness, Jefferson 3) Chris Chenoweth, Watertown 4) Jake Biever, Janesville 5) Dustin Ward, Waterloo 6) Kyle Stark, Marshall 7) Jim Taylor, Stoughton 8) Tony Ciano, Janesville 9) Jason Kubicz, Whitewater 10) Ed Jackson, Madison 11) Dan Silberhorn Fond du Lac 12) Boyd Eichelkraut, Stoughton 13) Robert Hansberry Jr, Beloit 14) Jason Thoma, Jefferson 15) Tim Coley, Madison 16) Michael Heimann, Waunakee
Fast Qualifier- Robert Hansberry Jr—14.848 seconds
Heat Winners- 1) Mark Deporter 2) Jim Taylor
International-
Feature Results- 1) Ashley Gottschalk, Fort Atkinson 2) Nick Schmidt, Watertown 3) Josh Marx, Dousman 4) Noah Pankow, Jefferson 5) Jamie Kohn, Madison 6) Adam Schook, Palmyra 7) Mark English, Edgerton 8) Neil Higgins, Watertown 9) Steve Zoromski, Slinger 10) Joe Cross, Sun Prairie 11) Keith Bell, Brodhead 12) Chris Jackson, Jefferson 13) Bob Peters, 14) Josh Rusch, Fort Atkinson 15) Jason Uttech, Watertown 16) Todd Buckley, Slinger 17) Gary Stark, Sun Prairie
Fast Qualifier- Josh Marx—16.029 seconds
Heat Winners- 1) Jason Uttech 2) Mark English
Hobby Stock-
Feature Results- 1) Kenny Storkson, Indianford 2) Jim Tate Jr, Doylestown 3) Bud Riedner, Waunakee 4) Dan Snyder, Madison 5) Jordan Egli, Columbus 6) Jared Vike, Sussex 7) Jim Robinson, Orfordville 8) Brandon Angileri, Beloit 9) Phil Wuesthoff, Beaver Dam 10) Lucas Buckingham, Whitewater 11) Chester Williams, Waukesha 12) Robby Robinson, Beloit 13) Jon Benninger, Windsor 14) AJ Lloyd, Loves Park (IL) 15) Chuck Egli, Stougton 16) Jamie Tate, Doylestown 17) Rodger Stephenson, Cambridge 18) Gary Paulick, Union Grove
Fast Qualifier- Jim Tate Jr—15.551 seconds NEW TRACK RECORD
Last Chance- Robby Robinson, Gary Paulick, Jamie Tate, Rodger Stephenson
Heat Winners- 1) Jon Benninger 2) Bud Riedner 3) Jared Vike
Road Warrior-
Feature Results- 1) Chris Gottschalk, Fort Atkinson 2) Bill Reynolds, Watertown 3) Craig Henning, Helenville 4) Bryan Gottschalk, Jefferson 5) AJ Accardi, Madison 6) Merek Pankow, Jefferson 7) Rodger Stephenson, Cambridge 8) Mark Dewey, Janesville 9) Leroy Gronert, Jefferson 10) Matt Weber, Whitewater 11) Miguel Baladez, Jefferson 12) Bill Sweeney, Lake Mills 13) Chester Williams, Waukesha 14) Richie Nelson, Stoughton
Fast Qualifier- Chris Gottschalk—16.542 seconds
Heat Winners- 1) Chester Williams 2) Chris Gottschalk
Bandit-
Feature Results- 1) Nick Schmidt, Watertown 2) Jeremy Bredeson, Deforest 3) Chad Olds, Whitewater 4) Tyler Deporter, Fort Atkinson 5) Bart Brockman, Rockford (IL) 6) Cade Watters, Sun Prairie 7) Tyler Edmundson, Janesville 8) Josh Lenz, Lake Mills 9) CJ Hemiller, Jefferson 10) Bill Kohn, Madison 11) Kenny Au, Watertown 12) Brett Carson, Fort Atkinson 13) DJ Hill, Watertown 14) Lyle Phillips, Edgerton
Fast Qualifier- Chad Olds—14.204 seconds
Heat Winners- 1) Tyler Edmundson 2) Bill Kohn
Legends-
Feature Results- 1) Riley Stenjem, Utica 2) Aaron Moyer, West Bend 3) Matt Berlin, Mequon 4) Ethan Ross, 5) Ryan Weyer, Hubertus 6) Shelby Berlin, Mequon 7) Derek Mueller, Verona 8) Mark Ritger, Elkhart Lake 9) Noah Eisenhower, Freeport (IL) 10) Dale Kiley-Schaefer, West Bend 11) Lucas Stevenson, Janesville 12) Frank Beutel, Caledonia 13) Michael Hoffman, Darien 14) Dilon Schwanbeck, Poynette 15) Cole Grey, Endeavor
Fast Qualifier- Riley Stenjem—15.618 seconds
Heat Winners- 1) Cole Grey 2) Aaron Moyer
Bandolero-
Feature Results- 1) Kolton Guralski, Waupun 2) Chase Wangsness, Jefferson 3) Anna Malouf, Rhinelander 4) Jevin Guralski, Waupun 5) Karter Stark, Marshall 6) Emma Hunstiger, Helenville 7) Kaeden Wangsness, Jefferson 8) Robbie Rucks, Deefield 9) Alex Hartwig, Portage 10) Keegan Kehoe, Fort Atkinson 11) Carli Lenz, Lake Mills 12) Michael Guderski, Markesan 13) Logan Taylor, Watertown 14) Keagan Benz, Wausau 15) Mason Wilcott, Watertown
Fast Qualifier- Kolton Guralski—13.830 seconds NEW TRACK RECORD
Heat Winners- 1) Keegan Kehoe 2) Karter Stark
