Stephen Scheel Claims Serenity Concepts Opener
JEFFERSON, WI (Saturday, May 5, 2018) The 2018 racing season at Jefferson Speedway kicked of on Saturday night in style as Lake Mills pilot, Stephen Scheel, held off a hard charging Dale Nottestad in the closing laps to pick up the Serenity Concepts 50 lap Late Model feature event. After putting his machine out front just past the half way point of the race, Scheel outdueled the defending Late Model champion to stake an early claim in the season long title chase.
Jerry Eckhardt and Kyle Smith paced the field to green in the first Late Model thriller of the season. After an early caution on the opening lap, Eckhardt held the advantage at the completion of lap one. Another quick caution on lap three slowed the pace with Eckhardt still showing the way followed by Josh Madell in second and Smith back to third. As racing resumed, Scheel went to work on Smith for the third position. Scheel drew even with Smith on lap seven, clearing for the spot two laps later. Riley Stenjem followed into fourth before the third caution period waved on lap 23 when Madell got loose and spun on the front stretch. This placed Scheel on the rear bumper of Eckhardt for the restart. As racing resumed, Scheel began to peek to the low side of the leader, pulling up next to him on lap 27. After a brief battle, Scheel moved to the point while Nottestad began to pick his way through the top five. A final yellow appeared on lap 30. Scheel led the pack back to green followed by Eckhardt and Nottestad right behind. Scheel quickly stretched his advantage while Nottestad went to work on Eckhardt for second. The defending champ cleared for second with 14 laps remaining as he set his sights on Scheel. Nottestad spent the next ten laps trying to reel in the leader while Jacob Nottestad made his way up to third. With five circuits to go, Dale Nottestad caught Scheel at the front and began to search for an opening. On lap 46, Nottestad got under Scheel on the entrance to turn three and the duo charged off turn four side by side. Neither driver gave the other an inch in the closing laps, trading paint and trying to hang on. Scheel held the advantage as they flew under the white flag to begin the final lap. Scheel held that momentum through the checkered flag to score the win with Nottestad settling for second. Jacob Nottestad was third followed by Michael Grueneberg and Stenjem.
Fort Atkinson’s Mark Deporter charged to the front of the field and drove away to win the 30 lap Sportsman main event. Tyler Deporter and Jim Tate Jr battled wheel to wheel for the lead at the opening of the race as the pair of drivers opened up a lead over the rest of the pack. Tyler Deporter moved into sole possession of the lead on lap four with his father, Mark, up to third. Mark slipped past Tate on lap ten and pulled up behind his son. Mark looked to the high side of Tyler, drawing even on lap 12 and sliding out front on the exit of turn four. Mark immediately began to open up a healthy lead while Jason Thoma was making his way forward. Thoma caught Tyler Deporter on lap 18, using the high lane to work his way into second. Chris Chenoweth made a late race move to get to third, but Deporter and Thoma were already well on their way to a one-two finish. Chenoweth came home third with Tyler Deporter and Chris Jones rounding out the top five.
Watertown’s Scott Hoeft claimed the 20 lap International feature event. Dave Schmidt led lap one from the pole with Joe Cross back to second and Nick Schmidt in third. Nick Schmidt got by Cross for second on lap two with Hoeft in tow for third. The first of two cautions waved on lap five. The Schmidt brothers led the field back to green, this time with Nick taking command of the top spot. Hoeft followed into second as Mark English joined the lead pack just before the second yellow on lap ten. This time, Nick Schmidt and Hoeft led the field back to action. Hoeft charged out front on the restart with Schmidt back to second. English and Dave Schmidt spent the remainder of the race battling for third while Hoeft drove his way to victory lane with the win. Nick Schmidt was second followed by English, Dave Schmidt and Josh Marx.
Philip Wuesthoff of Beaver Dam got out front early in the 25 lap Hobby Stock feature and hung on to pick up the win. Wuesthoff drove to the high side of the early leader, Jared Vike, on lap three. Vike held him off to reclaim the lead with Wuesthoff settling into second. Wuesthoff made another attempt at the pass on lap six, once again using the outside lane. Wuesthoff drove even with Vike, inching his way into the lead. Wuesthoff cleared on lap 16, putting Vike back to second. The first of two cautions slowed the pace on lap 19 when Jim Tate Jr and Lucas Buckingham made contact on the back stretch. Wuesthoff led the field back to green with Vike in second and Scott Riedner up to third. On lap 23, contact between Vike and Riedner sent Vike spinning to force the second caution of the event. Both drivers restarted in the rear with Wuesthoff still out front ahead of Bud Riedner and Chester Williams. Wuesthoff remained strong out front in the closing laps despite a challenge from Riedner. At the checkers, it was Wuesthoff for the win with Bud Riedner in second. Williams, Dustin Ward and Dan Snyder completed the top five at the finish.
Ethan Ross of Waupun charged to the lead of the 20 lap Legends feature and hung on to pick up the win despite a hard charging defending champion trying to run him down. Ross flew into the lead on lap two past Tony Moyer and quickly opened up a large lead. Meanwhile, defending champ, Aaron Moyer was slicing his way through the pack and into second by lap five. Moyer immediately began to attempt to close the gap between himself and Ross as the laps ticked away. The leaders encountered heavy lapped traffic in the closing circuits, but Ross remained in control. At the checkers, it was Ross out front for the win with Moyer finishing second. Dilon Schwanbeck finished a strong third followed by Kyle Vergata and Frank Beutel.
Watertown’s Nick Schmidt picked up the win in the 20 lap Bandit feature event. John Remsik led lap one from the pole with Tyler Deschaine quickly up to challenge. Deschaine slipped past Remsik on lap two and began to stretch his lead while DJ Hill made his way to second. A caution on lap eight closed up the pack for the restart with Deschaine and Hill showing the way back to green. Deschaine regained his spot out front with Schmidt following into second. Schmidt began to shadow the leader as he searched for an opening. Schmidt got a run under Deschaine on lap 15 as he drew alongside looking to lead. Schmidt grabbed control of the top spot with four laps to go and hung on to score the victory. Deschaine was second followed by Jeremy Bredeson, Hill and Cade Watters.
Next Saturday, May 12, is a full program of racing including the Late Models, Sportsmen, Hobby Stocks, Road Warriors, Bandits and Bandoleros. Time trials begin at 5pm with racing at 7pm. Jefferson Speedway is located halfway between Jefferson and Cambridge on Hwy 18. Please visit jeffersonspeedway.com for more information.
JEFFERSON SPEEDWAY RACE SUMMARY
Late Model-
Feature Results- 1) Stephen Scheel, Lake Mills 2) Dale Nottestad, Cambridge 3) Jacob Nottestad, Utica 4) Michael Grueneberg, Madison 5) Riley Stenjem, Cambridge 6) John Ovadal Jr, Watertown 7) Jerry Eckhardt, Johnson Creek 8) Jason Erickson, Fort Atkinson 9) Luke Westenberg, Jefferson 10) Josh Madell, Mayville 11) Kyle Smith, Lake Mills 12) Shaun Scheel, Lake Mills 13) Seth Reamer, Beaver Dam 14) Don Gaserude, Fort Atkinson 15) Kyle Taylor, Deerfield 16) Dylan Schuyler, Jefferson 17) Lincoln Keeser, Johnson Creek 18) Jody Krueger, Edgerton
Fast Qualifier- John Ovadal Jr—14.290 seconds
Last Chance- Lincoln Keeser, Kyle Taylor, Seth Reamer, Jody Krueger
Heat Winners- 1) Kyle Taylor 2) Kyle Smith 3) Josh Madell
Sportsman-
Feature Results- 1) Mark Deporter, Fort Atkinson 2) Jason Thoma, Jefferson 3) Chris Chenoweth, Watertown 4) Tyler Deporter, Fort Atkinson 5) Chris Jones, Capron (IL) 6) Jim Taylor, Stoughton 7) Michael Giloman, Northfield (MN) 8) Terry Wangsness, Jefferson 9) Brady Lilly, Milton 10) Dan Harris, Janesville 11) Cody Houseweart, Machesney Park (IL) 12) Jake Biever, Janesville 13) Tim Coley, Madison 14) Jason Uttech, Watertown 15) Jim Tate Jr, Doylestown 16) Ed Jackson, Madison
Fast Qualifier- Chris Chenoweth—15.056 seconds
Last Chance- Cody Houseweart, Jason Uttech, Dan Harris, Ed Jackson
Heat Winners- 1) Jason Uttech 2) Jake Biever 3) Mark Deporter
International-
Feature Results- 1) Scott Hoeft, Watertown 2) Nick Schmidt, Watertown 3) Mark English, Edgerton 4) Dave Schmidt, Cudahy 5) Josh Marx, Dousman 6) Ashley Gottschalk, Fort Atkinson 7) Mike Lambert, Fort Atkinson 8) Neil Higgins, Watertown 9) Joe Cross, Sun Prairie 10) Keith Bell, Brodhead 11) Noah Pankow, Jefferson 12) Dakota Smith, Johnson Creek 13) Tom Berens, Slinger 14) Chris Jackson, S.Beloit (IL) 15) Aaron Donovan, Janesville
Fast Qualifier- Mike Lambert—15.872 seconds
Heat Winners- 1) Dave Schmidt 2) Scott Hoeft
Hobby Stock-
Feature Results- 1) Philip Wuesthoff, Beaver Dam 2) Bud Riedner, Waunakee 3) Chester Williams, Waukesha 4) Dustin Ward, Waterloo 5) Dan Snyder, Madison 6) Jordan Egli, Stoughton 7) Korey Bengsch, Fond du Lac 8) Lucas Buckingham, Whitewater 9) Jon Benninger, Windsor 10) Chuck Egli, Stoughton 11) Jessica Breunig, Columbus 12) Jared Vike, Sussex 13) Scott Riedner, Waunakee 14) Jim Wolf, Watertown 15) Jim Tate Jr, Doylestown 16) Brandon Angileri, Beloit
Fast Qualifier- Jim Tate Jr—15.813 seconds
Heat Winners- 1) Jon Benninger 2) Scott Riedner
Legends-
Feature Results- 1) Ethan Ross, Waupun 2) Aaron Moyer, West Bend 3) Dilon Schwanbeck, Poynette 4) Kyle Vergata, New Berlin 5) Frank Beutel, Racine 6) Noah Eisenhouer, Freeport (IL) 7) Matt Rohde, 8) Mike Storkson, Evansville 9) Paul Schwanbeck, Poynette 10) Tony Moyer, Allenton 11) Cole Grey, Endeavor 12) Lucas Stevenson, Janesville 13) Dominick Troyan, Menomonee Falls 14) James Lynch, Palos Park (IL) 15) Michael Hoffman, Pembine 16) John Magnuson Jr, Davis (IL) 17) Richie Nelson, Janesville
Fast Qualifier- Aaron Moyer—15.571 seconds
Heat Winners- 1) Cole Grey 2) Ethan Ross
Bandits-
Feature Results- 1) Nick Schmidt, Watertown 2) Tyler Deschaine, Loves Park (IL) 3) Jeremy Bredeson, Deforest 4) DJ Hill, Watertown 5) Cade Watters, Sun Prairie 6) Bart Brockman, Rockford (IL) 7) Bill Kohn, Madison 8) Tyler Edmundson, Janesville 9) Carter Watters, Sun Prairie 10) Chad Olds, Whitewater 11) John Remsik, Madison
Fast Qualifier- Nick Schmidt—14.284 seconds
Heat Winners- 1) Tyler Deschaine 2) Bart Brockman
