Plymouth’s Melis wins MSA Sprint feature
by George Baumann Special to The Review
PLYMOUTH – The final races of the 2009 season at Sheboygan County Fair Park provided plenty of exciting racing on a very tacky track here Saturday night.
The IRA and MSA Sprints ran their final points shows of the season and were joined by the WIMS (Wisconsin-Illinois Mini-Sprints) – giving fans 92 sprint cars to watch.
Tim Melis of Plymouth led all 25 laps of the MSA A-main and John Kirk (Johnsburg, Ill.)) claimed the WIMS A-main.
Mike Kertcher (Fillmore) won the IRA A-main, passing Tommy Sexton (Antioch, Ill.) just a few feet from the finish line.
Melis started on the pole in the MSA Main and ran strong every lap. Wayne Modjeski (Oak Creek), the 2008 series champion, tried to stay close but could not catch the leader.
Brian Kristan (Zion, Ill.) finished third after moving to the outside and passing several cars late. Fourth went to Shane Wenninger (Kewaskum) and 2009 champion, T.J. Luedke of Plymouth was fifth.
B-mains were won by Pete Ostrowski (Milwaukee) and Jason Johnson (Allenton). Heat races were won by Pokorski, Melis, Wenninger and Kristan. Pat Richer (Bark River, Mich.) escaped injury after flipping hard in turn four during the second heat.
Kertscher found the outside of the quarter-mile oval to his liking and after a number of attempts, was finally able to get past Sexton just as the they raced under the checkered flag.. Sexton finished second with Donny Goeden (Kewaskum) third. Mike Reinke (Howards Grove) and Billy Hafemann (Waldo) rounded out the top five, respectively.
The race was stopped after Joe Symoens (Franksville) went for a wild ride in a hard flip on the backstretch. He appeared to escape injury.
Scotty Neitzel (Beaver Dam) won the B-main with John Haeni (Brownsville), Symoens, and Kim Mock (Kenosha) also transferring.
Heat race winners were Sexton, Billy Balog (Eau Claire), Darrell Dodd and Reinke.
Balog had sealed the IRA Championship before the race program started which gave him back-to-back titles.
The WIMS A-main saw Kirk lead early before Todd Lehr (Genoa City) passed him and built a sizeable lead. Misfortune struck for Lehr on lap eight when he pulled out with a mechanical problem.
That put Kirk at the point again, and he was able to lead until the finish. Series points leader Tom Brown (Wonder Lake, Ill.) started seventh and made a late charge to finish second.
Jessica Brannam (Johnsburg, Ill.) finished third with Rick Corso (McHenry, Ill.) and Austin Archdale completing the top five, respectively.
Alyssa Griffin (Johnsburg Ill.) was running in the top-five until getting involved in an incident in turn two ended her run. Lehr and Kirk won heat races.
