(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) June 21, 2019 – In a race that combined the varying elements of a hotly contested Sprint Car event and a survival of the fittest competition, Scotty Thiel of Sheboygan endured seven caution periods and turned back spirited challenges from a pair of highly accomplished veteran competitors to score a convincing victory in a Midwest Sprint Car Association 25-lap A-main event at SK Speedway in Unity, Wis. on Friday, June 21.
The second MSA travelling event of the 2019 season drew a stout field of 27 MSA 360 Sprint Car teams and a robust and highly appreciative crowd eager to see the only Sprint Car race of the 2019 season at the SK Speedway third-mile dirt oval, known previously as the Spring Lake Speedway.
Behind the wheel of Randy Sippel’s 39s machine, Thiel led the 22-car A-main field to the green flag flanked by outside front row starter Tony Wondra of Campbellsport. The current Interstate Racing Association 410 Sprint Car Series competitor, who began his Sprint Car career as a regular with the MSA series, bolted out to a commanding lead in the early going on the smooth and slick track surface.
Just as Thiel was about to negotiate heavy lapped traffic, the first of seven caution flags appeared on lap 9 when Josh Walter of Plymouth stopped in turn two. After a trip to the work area, Walter restarted at the rear of the field.
Thiel ruled the restart and again opened up a solid lead over Wondra and two-time MSA champion Danny Schlafer of Sussex, who had worked his way into third. The second caution flag flew on lap 13 when rookie Blake Wondra of Fond du Lac spun to a stop in turn one.
On the restart, fourth starter Tim Haddy of Waupun made a bold move to advance past Schlafer and Tony Wondra into second on lap 14. Haddy then quickly moved in to pressure Thiel for the top spot. Haddy used the high groove to pull even with Thiel in turn four on lap 15. However, the third caution was then displayed for a spin in turn two involving Robbie Pribnow of Lomira on lap 15.
The restart saw Schlafer get the jump on Haddy and slingshot his way into second while four-time MSA champion Kurt Davis of South Milwaukee, who started seventh, advanced into the top five on lap 16.
Another caution appeared on lap 17 when Will Gerrits of Waupun stopped along the frontstretch. On the restart, Schlafer dove low in turn three and pulled off a daring slide job in turn four to briefly wrestle the lead away from Thiel.
However, Thiel battled back to return the favor by pulling off a similar move on Schlafer in turn one to regain the top spot. On lap 19, rookie Tyler Davis of South Milwaukee brought out the fifth caution when he spun his machine in turn one.
A ragged restart led to Schlafer getting bottled up and turning sideways in turn four as the field was about to take the green flag, which triggered a chain reaction accident, which resulted in Josh Teunissen of Waldo rolling his car over on its side in turn four to bring out the sixth caution of the race. The damage sustained in the melee forced Schlafer to become the first car to officially retire from the race.
Thiel rocketed away from Haddy on the next restart and appeared on his way to the victory. However, one more caution was displayed for debris in turn two just as the field took the white flag.
The seventh caution set up a green-white-checkered flag finish, which saw Thiel execute another strong restart as he pulled away from Haddy to notch his 11th career MSA A-main victory in the 10th MSA race ever to be contested at the SK Speedway facility.
With the victory, Thiel joins 2018 MSA Rookie of the Year Travis Arenz of Sheboygan, who captured the first MSA Series travelling event of 2019 at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie on June 2, as a 2019 MSA travelling race winner.
Haddy had to settle for second, Tony Wondra finished third, Kurt Davis placed fourth and defending Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 360 Sprint Car champion Justin Miller of Plymouth charged up from the 16th starting spot to place fifth.
Spyder Akright of Sheboygan Falls was victorious in the MSA B main, while Al Schlafer of Sussex, 2005 MSA champion Lance Fassbender of Burnett and Kurt Davis earned heat race victories.
The next traveling MSA Series event will take place at the Dodge County Fairgrounds Speedway on Wednesday, July 3 prior to the first of two 2019 appearances at the TNT Speedway in Three Lakes later in the week on Saturday, July 6.
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Midwest Sprint Car Association
SK Speedway
Unity, Wis
June 21, 2019
HEAT 1
1, Al Schlafer 2, Ben Schmidt 3, Danny Schlafer 4, Travis Arenz 5, Justin Miller 6, Chris Flick 7, Preston Ruh 8, Sean Rayhall 9, Justin Erickson.
HEAT 2
1, Lance Fassbender 2, Tim Haddy 3, Tony Wondra 4, Paul Pokorski 5, Scotty Thiel 6, Josh Walter 7, Jack Vanderboom 8, Brandon Berth 9, Josh Teunissen.
HEAT 3
1, Kurt Davis 2, Robbie Pribnow 3, Tyler Davis 4, Adam Miller 5, Tyler Brabant 6, Will Gerrits 7, Spyder Akright 8, Blake Wondra 9, Scott Conger.
B FEATURE
1, Spyder Akright 2, Scott Conger 3, Sean Rayhall 4, Blake Wondra 5, Josh Teunissen 6, Chris Flick 7, Jack Vanderboom 8, Brandon Berth 9, Preston Ruh 10, Tyler Brabant 11, Justin Erickson (DNS).
A FEATURE
1, Scotty Thiel 2, Tim Haddy 3, Tony Wondra 4, Kurt Davis 5, Justin Miller 6, Ben Schmidt 7, Travis Arenz 8, Adam Miller 9, Lance Fassbender 10, Scott Conger 11, Josh Walter 12, Al Schlafer 13, Paul Pokorski 14, Robbie Pribnow 15, Sean Rayhall 16, Chris Flick 17, Will Gerrits 18, Tyler Davis 19, Josh Teunissen 20, Spyder Akright 21, Blake Wondra 22, Danny Schlafer.