ASA Trak Auto 200 Report, Results, and Standings
25 August 1997
West Allis, WI - It had been over a year since a Ford visited Victory Lane with the American Speed Association when Bob Senneker in the Lane Automotive/JR Automation/Mr Gasket Ford "Bluebird" captured the Trak Auto 200 at the Milwaukee Mile. Gary St Amant was second and Scott Hansen finished third in the 200 lap race.Senneker took the lead for the final time on lap 162 when he got inside pole sitter Dave Sensiba as the cars went down the front straight and made the pass stick as they entered turn one. The win was the first for Senneker since July 28th 1996 at LaCrosse Speedway and was his 83rd career ASA victory.
"After the first pit stop the crew told me the tires were in great shape," Senneker said afterwards. "At that point I knew the tires could go the distance. I stopped on lap 107 for fuel because we were either going to be a lap short or a lap over at the finish. The crew did a great job. We had everything together, this car runs better on the big tracks where we compete."
"The most comfortable way for me to drive through the corners here is to go in a little higher and then cut down across the middle," Senneker said. "I didn't have much trouble running on the outside, but there was a lot of rubber buildup."
Senneker said that his car did not have as much power as St Amant's or Hansen's but that his was better at getting through the corners. Senneker collected $19,820 for his victory.
When the race started, Steve Carlson jumped into the lead in the Clean Burn/Phillips 66 Trop Arctic/Alco Pontiac ahead of Sensiba's Engineered Polymer/Western Michigan Auto Auctions Grand Prix and was able to stretch out the lead over the first 53 laps. Scott Hansen in the Ken Schrader Racing Chevrolet took over the point on lap 54 and stayed out front until the first round of pits stops on lap 87 which handed the lead back to Carlson.
Following his pit stop Hansen was able to retake the lead on lap 101 and held it until he was passed by veteran Mike Eddy in the GM Goodwrench Service/HRE Pontiac on lap 122. Eddy would hold on to the point for just four laps until Sensiba took his turn at the front for the first time. Eddy would retire on lap 133 with engine problems.
Sensiba held off the challenge of Senneker until finally being passed on lap 162 by the fleet Thunderbird. Senneker would lead the rest of the way and was never seriously challenged the rest of the way with the winning margin being 2.579 seconds.
With his second place finish St Amant was able to knock 20 points of the Lead of Kevin Cywinski, driving the Tecumseh sponsored Pontiac, in the battle for the season long ASA ACDelco Challenge Series Championship. Cywinski finished in sixth place, and like St. Amant never led a lap. After his early stint at the front, Hansen linked up with Carlson and the two cars battled back through the pack after making pit stops to nab the third and fourth place spots at the checkers. Harold Fair finished fifth followed by Cywinski and first time ASA competitor Eddie Hoffman who had a great series debut with a seventh place finish. Brandon Sperling, Sensiba and Mike Cofer rounded out the top ten.
The WYNN's WYNNING MOVE was awarded to Matt Cofer for his first ever top ten finish in his rookie year with the series. Cofer was able to stay on the lead lap until just a few laps from the end. There were nine cars on the lead lap at the end of the 2hour 1 minute 45 second race which featured seven lead changes among six drivers. The race was slowed by six cautions for 32 laps.
The next event for the ASA ACDelco Challenge Series will be at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds on Labor Day for the running of the Miller 300.
John Kaiser -- The Autochannel
Twin Cities Speedway - Provisional results for the
ASA ACDelco Challenge Series,
Trak Auto 200:
Ps.Ql.No. Driver , Car Laps
-- -- ---- ----------------------------------------------------- -----
1 10 84 Bob Senneker Lane Auto/JR Automation/Mr GasketFORD 200
2 7 7 Gary St Amant Wynn's/W Michigan Chevy Dealers CHEV 200
3 3 52 Scott Hansen AFCO Racing Products PONT 200
4 2 87 Steve Carlson(R)Baker Enterprises/Clean Burn PONT 200
5 22 81 Harold Fair Car Quest/ACDelco/Victor Reinz PONT 200
6 6 1 Kevin Cywinski Tecumseh/LaFavre Racing PONT 200
7 25 20 Eddie Hoffman Lub-Tek/Appleton Rack & Pinion CHEV 200
8 4 51 Brandon Sperling Sperling Motorsports CHEV 200
9 1 6 Dave Sensiba Engineered Polymer/W MI Auto AuctPONT 200
10 11 79 Mike Cofer (R) Black & Decker Versa Pack PONT 199
11 21 23 Rick Beebe St Louis Gear/Royal Machine PONT 199
12 9 33 Brad Loney Bunsaver/Hunter's Spec/Flexsteel PONT 199
13 5 55 Tim Sauter (R) Leo M/S/Wehr/Racing Adventures PONT 199
14 18 21 Kevin Nuttleman Citgo/Midwest Fuels/Dutch Mill PONT 199
15 16 48 Joe Nott Valvoline/Allan Nott Toyota/RaabeFORD 198
16 12 18 Mike Miller South East Air Service PONT 198
17 27 80f Harold Fair Jr GCF Motorsports CHEV 198
18 20 8 Mike Garvey AFCO Racing Products PONT 197
19 13 60 Al Schill Jr Twone Ford/Bankers Auto FORD 196
20 34 19 Justin Diercks Diercks LTD/Dr A. Diercks/TC Fab FORD 195
21 26 22 J.D. Sommers Sommers Marine FORD 194
22 14 5 Steve Holzhausen Structural Transport FORD 194
23 32 92 Sammy Pegram Dorothy Lynch Home Style Salad DrCHEV 192
24 33 93 Alec Pinsonneault Build-A-Mold/Trimplas/Moldplas PONT 191
25 8 32 Ted Smokstad Corp. Auto/SMS Parts PONT 171
26 30 03 Johnny Spaw Mid-West Plumbing/Clemnet TrailerPONT 160
27 23 07 Jack Landis Adirondak/Lyndaker/Maisto/N.YoderFORD 159
28 29 58 Billy Turner Sanifill/Central Fiber PONT 157
29 15 88 Mike Eddy GM Goodwrench Service/HRE PONT 133
30 19 72 Junior Hanley Skillman Motorsports PONT 123
31 24 26 Bill Baird Spee-Dee Pop Popcorn/Saturn Mach CHEV 74
32 35 86 Kurt Hough Lee's Inn and Suites PONT 65
33 28 64 Ricky Bilderback Bilderback Auto Parts PONT 44
34 17 11 Doug Mayr(R) No Touch Car Care/Aqua Splash CHEV 37
35 31 0 Larry Middleton Waste Management/All-Glass AquarmPONT 19
(R)= Pat Schauer Memorial Rookie Candidate
Time of Race : 2 hr 1 min 45 sec
Average Speed : 98.717 mph
Margin of Victory : 2.579 secs
Lap Leaders : Carlson, Hansen, Fair, Eddy, Sensiba, Senneker
Fastest Lap : T. Sauter, 30.115 sec/119.542 mph
Cautions : 6 for 32 laps
Track Length : 1.0000 Miles
Pendleton, IN - Provisional Points standings following the Trak Auto 200 at
the Milwaukee Mile
1. Kevin Cywinski 2449
2. Gary St Amant 2248 (-201)
3. Rick Beebe 2146 (-303)
4. Scott Hansen 2118 (-331)
5. Dave Sensiba 2047 (-402)
6. Steve Carlson 2014 (-435)
7. Mike Miller 1986 (-463)
8. Harold Fair 1883 (-566)
9. Tim Sauter 1874 (-575)
10.Bob Senneker 1869 (-580)
11.Mike Eddy 1846 (-603)
12.Joe Nott 1807 (-642)
13.Brandon Sperling 1786 (-663)
14.Ted Smokstad 1707 (-742)
15.Brad Loney 1679 (-770)
16.Jack Landis 1573 (-876)
17.Mike Garvey 1560 (-889)
18.Steve Holzhausen 1516 (-933)
19.Junior Handley 1510 (-939)
20.Bill Baird 1422 (-1027)
