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Brian
Mullen Scores "Three-Peat" in Luxemburg IMCA Mods!
By Joe Verdegan |
July 19, 2002;
Luxemburg, WI. - After nine straight weeks of different winners
former track champion Brian Mullen is out to change all that. The Seymour veteran
charged through the pack from row six and went on to win his third
straight 25 lap IMCA modified feature at Luxemburg Speedway Friday night in a caution-free
event.
Polesitter Dave Fischer took the early lead trailed by Sean Jerovetz
and rookie Jay Matthias. Jerovetz slipped underneath Fischer for the lead on lap
three with veteran Jerry Muenster moving to second on lap four.
By lap six Mullen, who had started twelfth, sliced his way into the third spot.
Mullen ran door-to-door with Muenster for the runnerup spot, with Mullen coming out on top
on lap nine.
Mullen began applying pressure to Jerovetz on the high side. But a slight bobble by
Jerovetz in turn one at the contest’s halfway point allowed Mullen to duck underneath
Jerovetz and secure the lead. Mullen wasted no time in building up a sizeable full
straightaway margin, an advantage he kept until the checkers flew.
Jared Siefert mounted a late race charge from ninth, and muscled his way inside of
Jerovetz in the final laps to take second. Jerovetz hung on for third, with Jerry
Muenster and Art Siefert rounding out the top five. Points leader Eddie Muenster
battled his way from nineteenth to take sixth at the finish.
Hometown ace Benji LaCrosse fought of a tenacious duo of Pat Davister and Shawn Kilgore to
clinch his third 22 lap IMCA stock car feature of the season.
Snoot DeGrave and Davister scrapped for the lead in the early going of the race, with
Davister taking the lead on lap three. Two laps later the caution flew when
“Hot Rod” Snellenberger’s mount stalled on the fronstretch.
When racing resumed LaCrosse marched from fifth into second and began chopping away
at Davister’s lead. The defending track champion had whittled Davister’s
margin down to less than a car length by lap 10 and passed Davister for the top spot on
lap 16. Shawn Kilgore joined the lead duo as he and Davister put the heat on
LaCrosse but it was a little too late as LaCrosse mopped up his third feature win of the
year. Trailing at the checkers were Davister, Kilgore, Dave Bouche and Junior Karcz,
who scratched and clawed his way to fifth from thirteenth.
In a race that saw a pair of black flags among some of the top point getters, hometown
driver Laurel Ettien kept his nose clean and captured his first 20 lap street stock
feature of the season.
After an aborted restart the main event got underway with Leon Schott wrestling the lead
away from Frank Paul on the opening circuit. Schott’s lead was short-lived when
he skated off the track in turn three, handing the lead to Fred Davister. Davister,
Ettien and points leader Mike Coel pulled away from the field, and the trio ran
nose-to-tail for several laps.
With five laps to go Ettien began pulling away from the field. On lap 18 Charlie
Kroll, who was running fourth, caught up with Coel and Davister. The trio tangled,
with Kroll being sent to the pits for rough driving. Both Coel and Davister
went to the back.
With a two lap shootout to the finish, Ettien kept all challengers
at bay to capture his first feature flag of the season. Davister, charging through
the pack in the final laps, tangled with David Baenen and was black flagged.
Paul took second, followed by Keith Kickbush, Darci Czarapata and Coel, who passed seven
cars in the final two laps to take fifth.
Sturgeon Bay’s Gregg Aregoni swept action in the bomber division, winning both the
heat and 15 lap feature.
Next Friday night will feature a kid’s coin toss sponsored by The Bank of Luxemburg.
The sport trucks and four cylinder sport fours will be in action, along with IMCA
modifieds, IMCA stock cars and street stocks. For more information, visit the track
website at www.luxemburgspeedway.com.
IMCA Modified
25 Lap Feature - Brian Mullen, Seymour; Jared Siefert, Green Bay;
Sean Jerovetz, Suamico; Jerry Muenster, Green Bay; Art Siefert, Green Bay; Eddie Muenster,
Green Bay
14 Lap Semi-feature - Eddie Muenster; Doug Maurer, De Pere; Dale
Boerschinger, Little Suamico; Jeremy Jacobs, Algoma
First 10 lap heat: Jared Siefert; Scott Mullen, Seymour
Second: Jerovetz; Brian Mullen
Third: Art Siefert; Mike Klenz, Sobieski
Fourth: Jerry Muenster; Jay Matthias, Green Bay
IMCA Stock Car
22 lap feature - Benji LaCrosse, Luxemburg; Pat Davister, Green
Bay; Shawn Kilgore, Kewaunee; Dave Bouche, Algoma; Junior Karcz, Pulaski; Tim Van De Hei,
Green Bay
12 Lap Semi-feature - Jon T. Wolf, Green Bay; John Heinz, Green Bay;
Jason Czarapata, Pulaski; Brian Bruechert, Kewaunee;
First 10 Lap Heat: Adam Clark, Shawano; Joe Lebotte, Kewaunee
Second: Snoot DeGrave, Green Bay; Van De Hei
Third: Davister; Tony Bouche, Algoma
Street Stock
20 Lap Feature - Laurel Ettien, Luxemburg; Frank Paul, Kewaunee;
Keith Kickbush, Kewaunee; Darci Czarapata, Pulaski; Mike Coel, Green Bay; Jeff
Treml, De Pere
First 10 lap heat: Jesse Colwell, Greenleaf; Leon Schott, Green Bay
Second: Kickbush; Fred Davister, Luxemburg
Bomber
15 Lap Feature: Gregg Aregoni, Sturgeon Bay; Corey Haen, Brussels;
Wayne Moore, Sturgeon Bay; Joe Hegnet, Sturgeon Bay; Dave Serrahn, Algoma; Derrick
Moede, Casco
10 lap heat - Aregoni; Evan Madden, Algoma |
