Will Gerrits of Waupun jumped out the lead with a low move in turn four of the opening lap. Gerrits held down the top spot while Boltonville’s Bill Taylor, who started on the pole, road the high groove to pressure the lead on lap 6.
The first of five caution flags appeared on lap 7 when Tyler Brabant of Waupun spun in turn four. Two more caution periods ensued before another green flag lap was completed. The first came when Taylor and 2008 PDTR Sprint Car champion Lance Fassbender of Burnett collided in turn two, and the second appeared for debris in turn one.
When green flag action resumed, 2010 PDTR Sprint Car champ Kurt Davis of South Milwaukee, who started fifth, used the high line to take second. One lap later, Davis charged around Gerrits to assume the top spot.
Meanwhile, two-time PDTR Sprint Car champion Danny Schlafer powered up from his 11th starting spot to take third on lap 9. After the fourth caution of the race came out for Jeremy Hunt’s spin in turn four, Schlafer flexed his muscle to sweep past Gerrits and Davis to take over the lead on lap 11.
Schlafer and Davis each rode the high groove over the second half of the race with Davis staying within five car lengths as the leaders worked through lapped traffic starting on lap 16.
Just as Schlafer appeared set to cruise to the victory the fifth and final caution flag was displayed on lap 23 when Shane Wenninger of Kewaskum and Waupun’s Tim Haddy made contact in turn three.
That set up a mad two lap dash to the finish between the two winningest drivers in the history of the Midwest Sprint Car Association. After a single-file restart, Davis used the high groove in turns one and two to set up a slide job in turns three and four, which vaulted him past Schlafer into the lead on lap 24.
However, Schlafer was not to be denied as he ducked under Davis in turns one and two and slid in front of Davis in turn four of the final lap to post his third PDTR Sprint Car victory of the season, 19th career A-main PDTR Sprint Car triumph and 48th MSA A-main victory of his career.
Davis finished second by just a car length, point leader Brandon McMullen of Oshkosh, who started seventh, finished third, 10th starter Justin Miller of Plymouth placed fourth and Dannon Tessmer of Slinger rounded out the top five after starting eighth.
HEAT 1
1, DANNY SCHLAFER. 2, DICK KAISER. 3, EMILY PORTSCHY. 4,
BRANDON MCMULLEN. 5, JOSH TEUNISSEN. 6, SCOTT CONGER. 7,
ANTHONY KNIERIM.
HEAT 2
1, JUSTIN MILLER. 2, LANCE FASSBENDER. 3, Bill Taylor. 4, KURT
DAVIS. 5, TONY WONDRA. 6, MAYER AUTOMOTIVE. 7, JEREMY HUNT.
HEAT 3
1, DANNON TESSMER. 2, TIM HADDY. 3, CHRIS CLAYTON. 4, WILL
GERRITS. 5, KEVIN KARNTZ. 6, TYLER BRABANT. 7, PAUL POKORSKI.
A FEATURE
1, DANNY SCHLAFER. 2, KURT DAVIS. 3, BRANDON MCMULLEN. 4,
JUSTIN MILLER. 5, DANNON TESSMER. 6, WILL GERRITS. 7, CHRIS
CLAYTON. 8, PAUL POKORSKI. 9, KEVIN KARNTZ. 10, LANCE
FASSBENDER. 11, SCOTT CONGER. 12, DICK KAISER. 13, JOSH
TEUNISSEN. 14, TONY WONDRA. 15, Bill Taylor. 16, EMILY PORTSCHY.
17, JEREMY HUNT. 18, TIM HADDY. 19, MAYER AUTOMOTIVE. 20,
TYLER BRABANT. 21, ANTHONY KNIERIM.