Trute's win sets up finale

New Lisbon's David Trute collected his second Feature of the season, and most importantly cut Jankowski's point lead to single digits.

By Bob Blaschke
DRP Media

(09-01-07)-- A wild finish to the 30-lap O'Brion Agency Super Stock Feature, involving points leader Corey Jankowski has set up a thrilling finish to the inaugural 2007 DRP season. With points racing at the Dells Raceway Park wrapping up with the Great Lakes Component's season championships on Saturday, September 8, David Trute has climbed to within nine markers of Tomah's Corey Jankowski.

Entering the night, Trute was 31 points back.Setting fast time, Trute finished sixth in the fast Heat and started the 18-car Feature tenth. Jankowski lined up to the inside of Trute to start ninth. Pole sitter Dave Swanson (North Freedom) dominated the first 22 laps of the Feature, with Hillsboro's Brad Muller giving chase for most of those laps.

As Swanson caught the back of the field in turns one and two, his advantage was quickly wiped out. By lap 25, the lead pack had tightened. Swanson's was big lead was gone, as he led Muller, Jankowski, Friendship's Brian Warner and Trute.

Lap 27 saw Swanson get shuffled out of the lead and all the way back to sixth. With the field taking the white flag, the leaders entered turn one, only to see Corey Jankowski get sideways resulting in Wisconsin Dells 'Diamond' Jim Bates and others coming together.

The race was called at that point, with the scoring putting Trute out front as he and Mauston's Travis Hancock moved up to first and second. Muller was awarded third, Warner fourth and Swanson fifth.

From Victory Lane, Trute spoke about his win. "This feels good, we have had our ups and down this season. It has been racing. We pulled one off and we are nine behind right now. We were 31 behind going into the night. We now clearly have a chance. What can he do? I guess he [Corey Jankowski] has to make it happen next week."

Heat wins went to Muller and Dan Goodell.

O'Brion Agency Super Stocks
Sept. 1, 2007

30-lap Feature: Trute, Hancock, Muller, Warner, Swanson, Bates, Smith, Hohl, Ambrsoe, Schultz, Zuch, Luck, Hakala, Jankowski, Goodell, Weatherwax, Edwards DeVito; Fast Heat: Muller, Hancock, Smith, Schultz, Jankowski, Trute, Warner, Hohl, Bates; Heat 1: Goodell, Ambrose, Swanson, Luck, Weatherwax, Hakala, Zuch, Edwards; Fast Qualifier: Trute 14.998

Top 10

1 Corey Jankowski...........549

2 Dave Trute...................540

3 Travis Hancock..............476

4 Brian Warner.................474

5 Mark Hohl....................398

6 Brad Muller...................366

7 Dale Schultz.................360

8 Jim Bates.....................314

9 Brian Hakala.................306

10 Dave Swanson............293

Lichtfeld wins sixth

Portage driver collects his sixth Feature and moves himself to the top of the points chase.

(09-01-07)-- Mike Lichtfeld could not have picked a better night to win his sixth Hillsboro Equipment Pure Stock Feature of the season. The win helped the 20-year-old UW-Whitewater student erase Ron Grabarski's (Grand Marsh) five-point lead in the season long points chase. Entering into next weeks season championship, Lichtfeld now has a six-point advantage over Grabarski.

Lichtfeld got his night off to a good start, winning the Fast Heat, ahead of Grabarski. He then lined his yellow No. 44 Caprice up on the outside of the third row. Ron Grabarski lined his No. 07 up directly behind Lichtfeld for the start of the 20-lap Feature, showcasing a 21-car starting grid.

Over the first 10 laps Mike Lichtfeld ran in the lead pack, while Grabarski was stuck in traffic further back and trying to work his way into the top 10. Wisconsin Dells' Don Fassett, who started on the Pole, led the breakaway pack through the first 15 laps, as Mike Lichtfeld worked his way into the second spot.

With three to go, Lichtfeld had the point and would control the final three laps of the caution-free race. Fassett would cross a distant second, with Baraboo's Willy Schreiber finishing third. Becky Grabarski and Brad Luck (Fast Qualifier) rounded out the top five, as Ron Grabarski finished eighth, one spot behind Steve Lichtfeld.

With the Great Lakes Components season championships scheduled as the last points night on the 2007 DRP calendar, Mike Lichtfeld enters the double-points night six markers ahead of Ron Grabarski and 25 points in front of Prairie du Sac's Brad Luck.

From DRP's Victory Lane, Lichtfeld spoke about becoming the second racer of the 20007 season to record six Feature wins at the Dells Raceway Park. "It feels great to get to Victory Lane, whether it’s a heat race or a Feature, it always feels good. I thought tonight was going to be the night that I could join my dad [Tom Lichtfeld - No. 75 SLM] here in Victory Lane. He had a half-a-straightaway lead and was running some awesome lap times, but it was just not meant to be."

Picking up Heat wins, along with Mike Lichtfeld, were Wisconsin Dells' Glen Arendsee and LaValle's Michael Ladika.

Hillsboro Equipment Stocks
Sept. 1, 2007

20-lap Feature: M Lichtfeld, Fassett, Schreiber, B Grabarski, Luck, Schultz, S Lichtfeld, R Grabarski, Stilson, Regnier, Gilding, John, Cook, Tavenner, Ladika, Christianson, Arendsee, Johnson, Stuchlak, Raley, Brunk; Fast Heat: M Lichtfeld, R Grabarski, Luck, Schultz, Stuchlak, S Lichtfeld, B Grabarski; Heat 1: Arendsee, Christianson, Tavenner, Raley, Stuchlak, Brunk, Johnson; Heat 2: Ladika, Gilding, Cook, Fassett, John, Schreiber, Stilson; Fast Qualifier: B Luck 13.341.

Top 10

1 Mike Lichtfeld...............531

2 Ron Grabarski...............525

3 Brad Luck.....................506

4 Leo Schultz..................478

5 Kevin Gilding................436

6 Steve Lichtfeld..............434

7 Becky Grabarski............424

8 Don Fassett..................406

9 Dennis Stilson...............350

10 Sandy Cook................303

Lafleur is first to win six

Onalaska racer becomes first of 2007 to record six Feature wins.

(09-01-07)-- With one week left in the 2007 points season, Onalaska's Terry Lafleur has closed the gap between himself and Two Rivers Signs Bandit points leader Chad Rhinehart, to 27 points. Lafleur's sixth win of the inaugural 2007 DRP season has kept alive his championship chances, even if just barely.

With the Great Lakes Components' season championships scheduled for next week (Sept. 8th) and the points doubled, Rhinehart has not mathematically wrapped up the 2007 title. For his part, Rhinehart finished second in Saturday night's Feature and finished ahead of Lafleur in the Fast Heat.

With Saturday night's Two Rivers Signs Bandit field the largest of the season, 16 cars took the green for the 15-lap Feature. Again starting a lap down under DRP's handicap starting method, Lafleur had climbed up to third by lap seven when Dave Lembke's front right tire burst into flames as he entered turn one.

Not a safety concern, the field stayed green, as Lembke kept his car off the turn two wall and was able to limp his Pontiac into the pits. Two laps later the yellow did wave for a front stretch incident involving Fast Heat winner, Benjamin Kreyer Jr.

Lafleur, the night's fast qualifier, needed just one lap after the restart to move to the front and drive on to his sixth DRP Feature win of 2007.

Sparta's David Treu Jr. (Crew Chief on Andy Niles' Scientific Recycling Limited Late Model) drove his No. 14 Honda to the first Heat win. Racing with his yellow Taxi roof fare light turned on, Treu would record a third-place finish in the Feature.

After his sixth win of 2007 Lafleur said, "I'm real happy to win tonight, the car was just awesome. I don't know if we can catch him [Chad Rhinehart], we had the rainout and that bad run of tire issues. My car was so good tonight, I just couldn't believe it."

Following next week's final Bandit race on the 2007 DRP schedule, Lafleur then plans to change out his springs and head north to Arcadia, to run Fox Ridge's big end of the season "Thunder on the Ridge" dirt show.

Two Rivers Signs Bandits
Sept. 1, 2007

15-lap Feature: Lafleur, Rhinehart, Treu, Armstong, Burnitz, Boehm, Paulson, Sauey, Gray, Wurster, Kreyer, Knupp, Kolpien, Davidson, Corallini, Lembke; Fast Heat: Kreyer, Burnitz, Boehm, Rhinehart, Armstrong, Lafleur, Gray, Paulson; Heat 1: Treu, Davidson, Knupp, Wurster, Sauey, Kolpien, Lembke, Corallini; Fast Qualifier: Lafleur 17.385.

Top 10

1 Chad Rhinehart.............479

2 Terry Lafleur.................452

3 Bob Armstrong.............393

4 Wally Boehm................354

5 Clifton Sauey................250

6 Cody Gray....................232

7 Aaron Wurster...............205

8 Todd Kolpien.................108

9 David Treu Sr..................99

10 Philip Malouf.................63