Wioncek Wows At the Zoo Fans packing the grandstands at Kalamazoo Speedway this past Saturday had little else to say but 'Wow' as the ShortTrackTrucks.com Challenge Series trucks and drivers put on a crash-free feature race won by Dodge Ram driver Keith Wioncek. Wioncek battled all race with reigning series champion, Justin Claucherty in his Chevrolet Silverado, as the pair ran many laps side-by-side including a dramatic white flag sprint to the finish. Paul Schaffer and Joey Shuryan brought their Ford F-150's in third and fourth just off the tailgates of the top two. Stay tuned for more details coming soon. Qualifying action drama started early in the day as practice times were in high demand and showed a brewing storm for the pole. Former three time series champion, Joey Shuryan, however made his flight from Mooresville, NC, worthwhile by setting a new track record while grabbing the Renegade Fuels Pole Award. Jim Davis, returning to the track after brief hiatus qualified second over and Paul Schaffer. The racing action was intense in both heat races as Josh Leo grabbed the win in heat race number one after racing three wide several times with Tom Sliwa and Jason LaDuke. Former rookie of the year, Larry Barylski led the way in the second heat while Justin Claucherty and Darren Lane rounded out the top three. With storm clouds forming in the distance, nineteen of the Midwest’s finest race trucks hit the track for the main event. Wioncek and Claucherty shared the front row by virtue of the inversion with fast qualifier Shuryan rolling off seventh. A packed grandstand at the high-banked three-eights mile roared their approval as Claucherty held the outside groove racing side by side for over a dozen laps with Wioncek. While the lead changed hands several times between Wioncek and Claucherty, the battle for second was no less intense as John Smalley, Paul Schaffer, Joey Shuryan and Darren Lane all wanted to go to the front. In fact the racing was two wide all the way back to eight place for the first third of the event. As the lead due raced inches apart side-by-side, the next six drivers traded paint and fiberglass to improve their position. The midpoint of the race saw the cluster of leaders separate slightly with no more than a truck length of separation back through eight. It remained Wioncek out front followed by Claucherty and now Schaffer in third. With two laps to go, the drama increased as series newcomer Junior Pruitt brought his Ford to the track safety crew with a fire in the engine compartment. The flames were doused by it was the end of the race for Pruitt. The resulting caution was the only race stoppage in an otherwise crash-free main event. The restart proved fateful for Wioncek as he brought his Dodge Ram into turn four. The truck darted up the track as he hit the gas for the green. His push up the track allowed Claucherty a clear line underneath into turn one. The two drivers gave each other enough room to race and brought the fans to their feet for two more laps of side-by-side racing. Claucherty tried everything to get ahead but Wioncek drove in deeper and held the momentum on the outside for the run to the checkers. At the finish it was Wioncek by less than a foot over the nose of Claucherty in second. Paul Schaffer and Joey Shuryan found themselves door to door at the finish line yet again this season this time with Schaffer scoring third and Shuryan in fourth. Shuryan’s drive to fourth earned him the Allstar Performance Hard Charger Award. John Smalley had a solid drive for fifth with over Darren Lane, Jim Davis, Rob Roney, Tom Sliwa, and Josh Leo in tenth. Davis picked up the Engine Pro Lucky Dog Award while Wioncek was the Speed Pro Master of the Race. Roney’s eighth place drive earned him the Hall Electronics Rookie of the Race. The ShortTrackTrucks.com Challenge Series races next at Mansfield Motorsports Park in the Harold Tatman 50 presented by Harold Tatman and Sons Mulch Products on Saturday, June 21st, 2008. For more details on the event or the series, check out www.ShortTrackTrucks.com .
|