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by Greg Aregoni
(Seymour, WI)- Racing matched the weather Sunday Night at Seymour Super Speedway. Gary Kasperek only knows victory lane so far in the 2012 racing season in the Street Stocks. He has won all three main events this season. Other winners from Sunday included Jason Czarapata (IMCA Modifieds) Brandon Czarapata (IMCA Stockcars) Josh Long (IMCA Sportmods) Calvin Stueck(4 Cylinders).

Mert Summers led through three race cautions in the first two laps of the Street Stock race. The race was then halted to work the track. When racing resumed, Jon Ashcraft would get the lead from Summers with Phil Hiles and Gary Kasperek in the top four. Hiles and Kasperek would show the dominance in the class as they would run to the lead. With Kasperek on the bottom, Hiles was forced to run the top. Kasperek would keep the lead by running down low and keep his feature win streak in tact to start the season. With a perfect three for three on the season Kasperek is the point leader. Hiles, Summers, Joe Schwister and Aaron Melchert were the top five.

Cody Hokenstad and Tyler Wilson would lead the first couple of laps in the IMCA Northern Sportmod Main. Brad Theys and Eric Mahlik would quickly get to the back of Wilson. With Theys running the bottom he would grab the lead. As soon as Theys grabbed the lead Eric Mahlik would make a three-wide pass for the lead. Mahlik would continue to lead until a lap ten caution. Mahlik would have to go down pit lane for a door panel that was deemed unsafe for racing conditions. Josh Long and Kurt Moeller would use the caution to their advantage and restart right behind Theys. Long would make the move to the lead down low with Moeller right behind. Moeller would run the top but never make a strong enough charge. Long would grab first place money with Moeller settling for second. Theys wound up third with Tyler Hackett and Jeremy Cota in the top five.

Josh Mroczkowski and Greg Wichman started up front in the IMCA Stockcar main event and waged an impressive early race war. The duo would keep it even for the first six laps until Wichman finally took command. Kyle Frederick and Brandon Czarapata would get to the top three by the caution flag on lap ten. Frederick and Czarapata would eventually make the trip around Wichman for the top spots. Czarapata would run the bottom with Frederick up top. Czarapata would use the shortest way around the track, running the bottom to gain the lead. He would pull away for the win, extending his point lead. Frederick would lose second to Larry Karcz Jr late in the race. Shawn Wagner would finish in the fourth spot with Bill Kelsey fifth.

On Friday night, we stopped at Luxemburg Speedway for their practice session. All the drivers and crews were getting acclimated to the new pit area, which is now located in turns 1 & 2 instead of 3 & 4. Overall, the car felt very good, which was a positive sign after all the work put in to repair the car from racing at 141 Speedway last Saturday.

I only went out for one session, feeling confident enough that the car would be alright for Saturday night at 141. However, cold and damp weather cancelled the scheduled races so we decided to make the tow to Seymour Speedway on Sunday evening.

We expected a higher car count than their opening night of 18 cars, and there ended up being 28 cars signed in to hit the track. We were the very first heat race to hit the track, and I would start in last place (10th). The car handled great, as I made my way up to 7th about midway through the race. I battled for 6th on the final lap, but fell just inches shy of securing that spot at the checkers.

That finish would set me up with a 4th place starting spot in the semi-feature, where the top 5 would transfer to the feature event. Early on the car felt good, as multiple cautions flew restarting the race. I didn't quite have as much traction as I would have liked, but was able to hang on to 5th place at the end.

Starting 20th on the grid for the feature, we made an adjustment to the car we hadn't tried before, and it seemed to work alright. I didn't advance many positions in the feature, coming home with a 17th place finish on the night.

This coming weekend we plan on racing at Luxemburg Speedway on Friday night for their season opener, and then heading back to 141 Speedway on Saturday night.

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by Greg Aregoni
(Seymour, WI)- Close finishes is how you could sum up the night at Seymour Super Speedway Sunday night. 136 cars competed in the five divisions on Da Swamp Bar night.

Shawn Kilgore used his pole position starting spot to secure the lead in the Budweiser IMCA Modified feature. Benji LaCrosse made his way from third to the tail of Kilgore right off the drop of the green flag. LaCrosse would shadow Kilgore for the next 16 laps to wait for a bobble. The bobble finally came with four laps to go as LaCrosse darted inside Kilgore out of turn two. Kilgore fell in behind LaCrosse and with two laps to go moved to the outside of LaCrosse. With Kilgore on top, the momentum off the corners would close him in on Lacrosse’s front horns as the two crossed to take the white flag. The duo ran side by side until out of turn four when Kilgore would find just enough bite up high to take the win. LaCrosse would settle in second for the second time this season. Brian Mullen would run to a third place finish. Russ Reinwald would finish fourth and point leader Jason Czarapata fifth. The race went green flag to checker flag.

After a crank shaft sidelined him on opening night, Kyle Frederick ran out front early on in the IMCA Stockcar main. Brandon Czarapata would start twelfth, and in three laps make his way to second place. Czarapata would run Frederick down from half a straightaway at the midway point of the feature. Czarapata would try his luck inside numerous times but would back off as to avoid contact with the leader. Czarapata would finally get room off of turn four with three laps to go. Frederick would be forced to run the top groove to get around Czarapata. Frederick would finally get even as they came to the white flag. The pair stayed even out of turn four where Frederick would nip Czarapata at the line for the win. Larry Karcz Jr, would finish third with Shawn Havel fourth and John Heinz fifth. The feature went green to checker.

Rob Charapata used his front row as a slingshot early in the IMCA Northern Sportmod Feature. Charapata would build a comfortable lead over Eric Mahlik and the rest of the field. Only two cautions halted the race. The last caution would be for a Tyler Wilson spin in turn three with four laps to go. Josh Long restarted third and quickly joined Brad Lautenbach as the duo made it a three way dance. Charapata would hold off the advanced of Long and comfortably win his first feature of the season, leading every lap. Long would settle for second. Point leader Lautenbach third. Mahlik and Jeremy Cota would round out the top five.

Mert Summer’s jetted out to the point in the Street Stock feature event early. A lap three caution would halt the race. Weston Frenchie would spin and rookie Dan Juszczyk would take a hard hit straight on. Both drivers were fine but their night’s were over. On the restart, point leader Gary Kasperek used every inch of the track to make his way to second and eventually grab the lead up high. Travis Springsttoh would make his way to second right behind Kasperek. The veteran would keep Springsttoh at bay after taking everything he had. Springsttoh would come up just short of the win as Kasperek crossed the checkers for his second straight win. Summers wound up third while Shawn Haydon made his way to fourth. Phil Hiles took fifth.

by Greg Aregoni
(Seymour, WI) After a successful opening night at Seymour Super Speedway, night two will be this Sunday April 29th. Da Swamp Bar will be the night’s sponsor. Racing gets underway at 5 p.m. with the five regular divisions.

Dan Lewis Photo - danlewisphoto.netby Greg Aregoni
April 22nd (Seymour, WI) - The season opener at Seymour Super Speedway is officially in the books. On a cool night, 95 cars took part in the night’s races with 5 winning features in the respective divisions.

Phil Hiles used his pole position to grab the lead and take off in the opening laps of the Street Stock Feature. Gary Kasperek would work his way from sixth to second after three laps and three cautions. Gary Kasperek would use the final caution to stay on the bumper of Hiles. Kasperek would move up the track and use the middle to make the eventual race winning pass. Kasperek would set sail and would make his way through lapped traffic and pick up the win. Hiles would run second with Tony Everard third, Frank Groeschel fourth and Travis Springstroh fifth after being involved in an earlier caution.

Jeremy Cota decided to grab the lead from the pole and never relinquish the lead in winning the IMCA Northern Sportmod Feature. Brad Lautenbach would run second until eight laps to go in the race when the final caution was thrown. On the restart Cota would get a great jump and shoot out to a half straightaway lead. Lautenbach would reel in Cota one car length at a time over the last five laps but would run out of time. Cota would win by half a car length over Lautenbach. Tracy Wassenberg, Tyler Hackett and Kurt Moeller would finish top five.

Shawn Havel ran the bottom early on in the IMCA Stockcar feature and held court over Brandon Czarapata. Havel would get loose off turn two on lap five and Czarapata would bolt inside. The duo ran wheel to wheel for a couple of laps until Czarapata would gain the lead for good. Shawn Wagner and John Heinz would have a great battle for second in the waning laps. Czarapata cruised to a straightaway win for his second feature win in a row after winning the Spring Thaw. Wagner edged Heinz at the line for second. Havel finished fourth while Brian Ambrosius ran fifth.

James Tebon and Mike Mullen put on a show early on in the Budweiser IMCA Modified Feature. Tebon would lead the first two laps until Mullen used a bump and run move off turn four to move into the lead. The duo would continue to dominate while Jason Czarapata made his way from eighth to third half way through the race. A Caution would fly with nine laps to go. Czarapata used his outside restarting sport to move to second over Tebon. With Mullen securing the bottom, Czarapata shot passed using the middle groove and went unchallenged on his way to the win. Mullen ran a great runner up finish. Tebon a solid third. A spin by Brian Mullen on the last lap would put him and Benji LaCrosse to the tail of the field. Fourth would then go to Lance Arneson and fifth to Jeremy Christians.

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by Greg Aregoni
The 2012 season at Seymour Super Speedway is officially underway after Sunday Night April 1st. Over 135 cars competed on the 1/3 mile.

The Street Stock feature kicked the main events off with Shawn Hayden and Tony Everard leading the pack. Hayden would continue to lead with Everard right in tow. Andy Gross made his way quickly from fifth to second and set his sights on Hayden. Gross would eventually catch Hayden and a game of cat and mouse ensued. Gary Kasperek would make it a three-way dance with five laps to go. Gross could charge on the outside of Hayden with two laps remaining and make his trip from Menominee a successful one taking the feature win. Kasperek would come home with second place money. Hayden would finish third followed by Dan Gracyalny and Phil Hiles. The race went green flag to checker flag.

Brad Theys used his pole position to jump out to a good lead in the IMCA Northern Sportmod Feature. 2011 champ Brad Lautenbach would make his way to second and start tracking down Theys. Lautenbach would eventually work his way inside Theys but an eventual spin would end Lautenbach’s hopes for triumph. They’s would continue to lead through a series of midrace cautions and hold off challenges from the likes of Eric Mahlik and Tracy Wassenberg. They’s would go on to win his second straight Spring Thaw race at the speedway after a green, white, checker finish. Wassenberg would settle for second with Troy Jerovetz, Tyler Hackett and Brian Bruechert rounding out the top 5.

Mike Coel started up front in the IMCA Stockcar feature and looked early on to be the man to beat. Dave Bouche would make his bid for the lead on lap four and the duo would battle for the top spot. Through a series of cautions Brandon Czarapata who started dead last in 21st would make his way into the top 4. With a couple laps to go Czarapata made his way past Mike Schmidt and John Heinz and ran second. Czarapata would catch Coel and get side by side coming into turn three on the last lap. Czarapata used his inside presence to grab the lead off of turn four and take the checker flag. Coel would have to settle for second place money. Heinz would recover from an early caution and finish third. Schmidt would run fourth with 2011 champion Kyle Frederick finishing fifth.