Hephner wins PDT feature
by George Bauman Special to The Review
PLYMOUTH — The Interstate Racing Association sprint cars invaded the Fair Park Saturday night and Todd Hephner from Hartford won the 30-lap A-main.
Brian Gilles (Plymouth) won the 25-lap Grand National A-main while Michael Strean (Sheboygan) won his first career Main in the Outlaw Compact Division.
Hephner, who always runs well at Plymouth, started eighth and took the lead on lap twelve. A four-car mishap on the backstretch early in the race resulted in Scott Biertzer (West Bend) flipping.
Hephner wasted no time taming the track and by lap six was in second chasing early leader Brian Kristan (Zion, Ill.). Scotty Neitzel (Beaver Dam), who started twelfth, was running third in the late laps.
Defending Champion Billy Balog (Eau Claire), who was involved in the early crash, had to restart in the back. He showed his championship driving, worked his way forward and on the last lap passed Neitzel for third.
The Grand National A-main was stopped several times in the early laps but then settled into a very close race. Gilles took advantage of his pole position start and led every lap, but never by more than a car length.
Brett Wenzel (Manitowoc) and Brad Lubach (Elkhart Lake) swapped the second spot several times before Lubach settled in behind Gilles. On lap 23 Lubach went to the pits with a flat tire and Wenzel was back in second.
Mark Fieber (Cascade) finished third with a late charge while John Schultz III (Milwaukee) and Kevin Lubach (Elkhart Lake) rounding out the top five.
Strean passed Cole Fenske (Cascade) on lap 10 and led the remainder of the Outlaw Compact race. Racing was very close behind the leader with Fenske staying in second. Andy Singer (Cascade) passed Travis Arenz (Sheboygan) as they raced to the finish line.
A tire on Arenz car came off just before the finish line with Jake Meyer (Plymouth) fifth.
Preliminary races saw Neitzel win the IRA B-main. Heat race winners were Scott Uttech (New Berlin), Mike Kertscher (Filmore), Balog and Kristan. The second heat was stopped after the cars of Phillip Mock (Pleasant Prairie) and Andy Hunt (Randolph) flipped in turn one.
Steve Meyer (Sheboygan Falls) led the third heat until a caution flap bunched the field and Balog was able to pass for the win.
The 12-lap Grand National B-main was won by Melissa Singer (Waldo) in record time. Heat races winners were Fieber, Gilles and Wenzel. Fieber and Schultz raced side by side for a number of laps in the first heat and swapped the lead before Fieber took the win.
The second heat had a wild finish with several cars spinning off turn four as they came to the checkered flag. Bard Lubach crossed the line sideways to finish third behind Steven Weber (Plymouth).
The third heat saw three-wide racing with Wenzel edging Matt Yancey (Sheboygan Falls). Chris Baumann (Elkhart Lake) was third after a close battle with Luke Sholten (Oostburg).
Outlaw Compact heat races were won by Tim Simon (Fond du Lac) and Aaron Stolp (West Allis).
More results are available at: www.plymouthdtr.com (George’s Corner). Racing continues this Saturday with opening ceremonies at 6 p.m. It will be Mid-season championship night with extended A-mains in all divisions.
