Stephan Scheel victorious in Reynolds Heating & Cooling 50

Mikey Rottier

7.1.23

Jefferson Speedway Race Report

A patriotic crowd showed up to Wisconsin’s action for the Fourth of July holiday weekend racing event, Saturday, July 1. Stephan Scheel, Lake Mills, highlighted the night with his first feature win of the season in the Reynolds Heating Cooling 50-lap Late Model main event. John Ovadal Jr., Watertown, bounced back from a mechanical issue that left his car in flames last Saturday and earned his first feature win in the 35-lap Sportsman feature.

The main feature for the Late Models began with two early cautions. The first yellow flag came out for Bruce Lee, Edgerton, and the second came out shortly after for Ryan Weyer, Hubertus. Scheel claimed his spot in the front after the restart followed by Cody Hoseweart, Machesney Park, IL. The final caution flag was waved with six laps to go, but Scheel was able to hold onto his lead and earn the coveted feature win. Kyle Smith, Cambridge, and current points leader Jason Erickson, Jefferson, pulled into second and third with a late push down the stretch. Hoseweart finished fourth.

Ovadal Jr. put on a racing clinic in the Sportsman feature race. The red number one car started on the outside of the front row and got ahead of the field early. Ovadal continued to put more space between him and the second place car throughout the race and crossed the finish well ahead of the field. Chris Jones, South Beloit, Illinois, finished second, current points leader Mark Deporter, Fort Atkinson, finished third and last week’s feature winner Jason Thoma, Jefferson, finished fourth.

The International feature event delivered with a nail-biting finish. Mark Dewey, Janesville, got out to an early lead, but the caution flag came out lap 10 for rookie Tracy Neu, Watertown. Jason Uttech, Watertown took the first place advantage on lap 12 and began to battle for the top spot with Dewey. Current points leader, Weston Strese, went 3-wide with the leaders, but it was Uttech who came in the clutch and passed through checkers first. Strese followed in second, Dewey finished third and Kyle Riedner, Waunakee, finished fourth.

Jacob Tiegen, Marion, Iowa, completed a sweep in the Legends division with a win in his heat and a win in the 25-lap feature event. The yellow flag flew early in the Legends feature as Mitchell spun out just before turn four with 21 laps to go. After the restart Tiegen shot to the front followed closely by Schwanbeck. Tiegen and Schwanbeck both pulled away from the field and battled it out until the last lap. Schwanbeck stayed right on the bumper of Tiegen who hit the gas on the last lap and was able to cross the line first.

Spud Riedner took an early lead in the Bandolero feature, but the yellow flag flew with 11 laps to go. Jayden Johnson, Ixonia, pulled into the first place position after the restart. Axel Oldenhoff, Lake Mills, spun out with six laps to go to cause another caution. Johnson regained the lead after the restart and held off a late push from Penn Sauter to earn his second feature win of the season. Current points leader Bentley Thompson, West Salem, finished third and Riedner finished fourth.

In the Late Model division the first heat was won by Rick Redig-Tackman on his first night at the track this season. The rookie from Johnson Creek, Shane Radtke Jr., won the second heat with an early lead sustained through the 10 lap race. Hoseweart won the third heat of the Late Model division followed by former track champion Dale Nottestad, Cambridge. Scheel won the fourth and final Late Model heat of the night to go along with his victory in the feature. Robert Retallick and Redig-Tackman finished top two in the consolation race to earn their spot in the last chance. Jerry Eckhardt, Johnson Creek, squeaked his way into the feature with a fourth place finish in the last chance event. Ronnie Osborne, Fitchburg, also earned a spot, along with Tyler Peterson, Lake Geneva, and last chance race winner Laney Osborne, Janesville.

Rookie Paul Johnson Jr., Edgerton, kicked off the night for the Sportsman with a win in the first heat. Deporter continued his impressive racing as he won the second heat, and Thoma continued where he left off after last week’s feature win with a victory in the third heat and final heat of the division. Jim Taylor, Stoughton, Mike Lambert, Fort Atkinson, Chris Harmon, and Paul Johnson Jr. raced their way into the feature as the top four in the last chance race.

In the International division rookie Tyler Muller, Sun Prairie, took an early lead, but rookie Blake Nottestad, Cambridge, took the lead with three to go and took the victory. Strese won the International heat over Dewey to round out the division.

In the Legends division the first heat was stopped early for a caution between rookie Paul Grechowiakl, Muskego, and Alexander Kniewel, Rhinelander. After the restart Kyle Mitchell, Middleton took the lead and held on through the checkers. In the second heat of the Legends current point leader Dillon Schwanbeck, Poynette took the lead early and ran away from the field. Tiegen won the third and final heat of the night in the division.

The Bandolero division started off with a heat win from rookie Joey Thomas, Rockford, Illinois. Mason Lenz, Lake Mills, won the second heat. Fort Atkinson’s Chase Gronert won the third heat and Penn Sauter, Deforest, continued his momentum with a win in the third and final division of Bandoleros. Kinsleigh Weber, Whitewwater, and Brody Thompson, West Salem, made their way into the last chance race as the top two finishers in the consolation. Rookies Wesley Baumeister, Beloit, Ransom Tate, Doylestown, and Emily Billings, Waterloo, and Ryder Robinson, Beloit, earned their spot in the feature with top four performances in the last chance race.

Jefferson Speedway will be back in action next Saturday with a full slate of action packed racing. The Late Models, Hobby Stocks, Bandits, and Legends will take to the track July 8, at Wisconsin’s action track. Visit the Jefferson Speedway website for more information.

Quick Qualifiers:

Jason Erickson              14.287

Jason Thoma                 14.880

Jason Uttech                 15.447

Jacob Tiegen                 15.574

Kaden Wangsness        16.572

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