The sun shown brightly at the MDTR Speedway on the third day of the 9th Annual GRP Racing Trivia Contest. Three more entries were received in the late model division while two rookie contenders filed the first two entries in the sprint car class. There is a new leader in the late model ranks, so let's get right into the summary of action from day #3.
The first late model contestant on Tuesday hails from South Dakota. Tony Steuck from Watertown is no stranger to the MDTR Speedway, having made the long tow on several occasions. This year Tony had his #1 South Dakota Race Reports/ATD Camaro well-prepped. Like last year, Tony wanted to get out on the track early and find the traction on the MDTR high banks. Stan M brought the field to life and Tony proceeded to move forward quickly. Soon he was closing in on current leader Kevin Mudrak. One slight bobble in tricky turn #2 saw his final score fall just one point short. A fine run for Tony with 34 markers on the scoreboard. He'll be back next week, and who knows for sure but he may even bring out the sprinter.
With a fourth place finish last year and the Rookie of the Year honors the previous year, a very strong contender made his way trackside on day #3. Mark Schreiner from Hutchinson had the big ford powered Holt Motors Tireguy17L late model dialed in. Mark has worked very hard on his setup the past few days, and he wanted to get the job done fairly early in the week. Mark was hoping to put up a strong score, and he did just that. Mark quickly moved forward and soon passed Tony Steuck. As Mark closed in on Kevin Mudrak, he knew he would need to find the quick way around. A great run through turn four on the final lap saw the Tireguy entry record a 36 point tally. That score vaulted Mark into the lead in the late model division at the conclusion of the third day. There are still plenty of tough competitors out there, so Mark will now have to sit back and watch them make an attempt to unseat him from the #1 running position.
The final late model entry of the day saw a contestant return after a two year absence in the late model division. Brent Creaser from Menomonie brought his dual numbered entry on to the track in an attempt to improve on his score from two years ago. Improve he did! Brent found the low line to his liking and posted a score of 21 points. This was a 13 point improvement over his previous attempt when MDTR fans saw both sides of his dual numbered 87/22jr mount. Brent kept the car straight this year enroute to a solid finish. 2008 MDTR track reporter Scott Malotke visited with Brent following his run and learned that his goal was to beat HoosiersUp since Terry once defeated Dale Gangl. We'll have to see if Terry is able to field a late model entry this year or if he will concentrate on his "Bucking Bessie" Mean Gene Acres sponsored pure stock entry in the expanded super stock/street stock/stock car division next week. It is always possible that the HoosiersUp ground-pounding grocery getter late model will come trackside later on this week.
Two sprint car entries were received on Tuesday with each contestant gunning for the Victory Funding Connection Rookie of the Year Award. The fans were still talking about the run Tireguy put together with his late model entry when suddenly Mark reappeared on the MDTR track for his rookie run in the sprint car division. The Towmaster Trailers ford powered Tireguy17L sprinter was brightly painted in red, white and blue colors. Veteran fans didn't really know what to expect from Mark. He quickly turned some heads in the grandstands when he mashed the loud pedal and threw his sprinter into turn one full throttle. As the laps clicked off in a hurry, Tireguy had the fans cheering for him. Mark rode under Stan's checkered flag with a very impressive 34 point effort in his first attempt in the sprint car division. Climbing from his ride afterwards, Mark was swamped by media and fans. Mark simply stated that..."well at least I didn't get on my head like Lackmann did in his first sprint car attempt." Mark's score should be a contender for ROY honors. It also gives him the current lead in both divisions!
Today's other rookie sprint car contestant hails from Cameron, Wisconsin. Ben Nelson was looking at the MDTR Speedway for the very first time. The King of Cameron Motorsports #17 entry was a sharp-looking piece of work. Ben knew the competition and the ole MDTR track was going to be tough, so he put in a bit of a conservative setup in hopes of posting a good score. Ben ran several very strong laps in the early going. He struggled a bit near the end of his run, but his final tally of 28 points was very respectable for his first time ever in the contest. With his pit crew sporting matching uniforms, Ben's entry provided numerous photo ops in the pits following the races. It seems like many fans enjoy the post-race activities as much as the actual racing itself. Fun times at the track come before, during and after the program. One of the great aspects about our sport is the accessability, especially at the grass roots level, that many fans enjoy regarding their favorite drivers.
Bits and pieces from around the track...Bloomer0 reports from the campground that the PBR is flowing. The new ALMXDUP super hot nachos are selling well along with Rolaids and Tums. The Scott Brothers finally got a Dave Cain and Dan Carlson autograph. Racehead found a place to park. Terry tested a new set of bleachers today. Zimmy tried a new narrower Mini Zoom lens but it made things appear too small. Wider is better. Lenny accidentally stepped on the rabbit in his booth and drew the ire of the other "animals" (aka Hoosiersup fans) on hand. Ken left early. Bubba had to make another beer run. Nobody has seen Vinster and his VMax pit crew yet. Dr. Troy called in to the radio show and asked if any Iowa contestants were on hand. You know there used to be more Iowans that came north to race back in the old days. Steiny was wandering the pits looking for a motor for his entry. Nobody had found Colin's sprint car yet. And the biggest news of the day was that Mean Gene's chair was found...in the trunk of Ed's car. More action tomorrow from MDTR and the contest!
Current point standings through Jan 22 (Day 3)
Late Model Division:
1. Mark Schreiner, Hutchinson MN = 36
2. Kevin Mudrak, Superior WI = 35
3. Tony Steuck, Watertown SD = 34
4. Brad Luepke, Bonduel WI = 30
5. Brent Creaser, Menomonie WI = 21
Sprint Car Division:
1. Mark Schreiner, Hutchinson MN = 34 ROY
2. Ben Nelson, Cameron WI = 28 ROY
*ROY denotes Victory Funding Connection Rookie of the Year contender
