HOLTZ HOLDS MID-AM TROPHY AND POINTS LEAD AT SLINGER |
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Topics: Jeff Holtz
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Gregg Paul
Mid American Stock Car Series
July 16, 2014
Jeff Holtz used his experience at the Slinger Super Speedway to help score his third win of the season at the Krebs Trucking 48 on the world’s fastest quarter mile oval. The win broke Lyle Nowak’s two race winning streak as well as keeping Holtz in the overall point lead.
Holtz survived a green, white, checkered finish in holding off Brad Keith for the win. “It’s tough passing on the outside,” said Holtz. “Once I could use the whole track it helped. Plus this car is a really good car, I’ve got to say. I raced the other car on the short tracks and I tore it up a little at Wausau, but we decided to bring this one here and got her going so I’m happy.”
Brian Holtz and Kenny Joosten led the field to the green with Joosten getting the early lead. Holtz would stay side by side for a few laps and even led lap before Joosten cleared for the lead on lap 5. Nowak and Ryan Gutknecht swapped third and fourth over the first few laps until Nowak cleared for third on lap 8.
The first yellow of the race would come out on lap 12 for a scary incident involving Eric Lingford. Coming off of turn four, Lingford slid in liquid on the track and hit the outside wall. The car then did a slow roll onto its roof and slid down the front stretch into turn one. The banking then helped funnel the car down to the flat apron where the safety crew was quick on the scene to help extricate Lingford and put out a small fire. Lingford crawled out of the car under his own power and was unhurt. Ironically Lingford said he had recently practiced getting out of his car while upside down. The race was red flagged in order to clean up the Lingford crash.
When racing resumed, Joosten got the jump and cleared Brian Holtz for the lead. Holtz got loose coming off of turn four and slowed drastically trying to save it. Meanwhile, Nowak, Brad Keith, and Jeff Holtz all got past as Brian Holtz dropped back to the sixth spot.
The yellow would come out again on lap 15 for debris when the cars of Rick Tackman Jr. and Jeremy Spoonmore collided in turn 3. The collision sent both to the rear.
The subsequent restart had Joosten once again getting a great restart and pull into the lead. Jeff Holtz had moved to the outside when the cone appeared settled into the second spot, while Keith and Nowak raced for third.
Jeff Holtz chased down Joosten and contact between the two moved Joosten up the hill. Joosten recovered to maintain the lead, but Holtz ducked to the inside to try to make the move that way. The duo raced side by side for several laps with Holtz finally getting the lead on lap 28. Joosten tried to fight back on the inside but could only draw even in spots around the track. Holtz would clear for the outright lead on lap 32.
Brad Keith then looked to the outside of Joosten for second on lap 33. Keith and Joosten would race door handle to door handle allowing Holtz to stretch out to over a half straightaway lead. By the time Keith finally passed Joosten for the spot, Holtz had increased his lead to a full straightaway.
“I think I would have had to move him (Joosten) on the bottom,” said Keith. “Then I would have taken a chance on spinning him out or wrecking him and we don’t need that. I guess I had to take a chance and go on the outside and get it going. I was lucky I had enough to get by him. Once I cleared him I was happy.”
Brian Holtz didn’t do his brother any favors when he brought out the yellow on lap 41 with a solo spin in turn 2.
Jeff Holtz got a huge jump on the restart and pulled away from Keith again. Holtz was stretching out his lead once again when the yellow came out just two laps from the end. Jack Stern got into the back of Nowak spinning him in turn one. Stern acknowledged his fault and utilized the “gentleman’s agreement” giving Nowak his fourth place spot back to set up the green, white, checkered finish.
Jeff Holtz was not going to be denied as he got yet another huge restart and easily cleared Keith for the lead that he would never relinquish. Holtz cruised to the checkers to score his third win of the season and stretch out his narrow points lead over Nowak in the process.
Holtz knows the points battle with Nowak and the rest of the Mid-American racers is not going to be an easy one. “I like racing with him (Nowak),” said Holtz. “I like racing with Kenny (Joosten) and stuff. That was fun. It’s a good class of people to race with obviously. We’ve got four more races and we’ll see where it ends up.”
As for the Mid-American Stock Car Series maiden voyage at Slinger, Holtz was impressed with everything involved.
“It’s very cool. Look at how many cars they got compared to a regular night,” said Holtz. “Hopefully we come again next year and maybe have a couple of races here. I think we put on a good show for the fans and hopefully everybody is happy with the outcome.” Holtz was happy with the outcome and as a whole most people were probably happy as well.
Feature finishing order: (1-10) Jeff Holtz, Brad Keith, Kenny Joosten, Ryan Gutknecht, Lyle Nowak, Cody Erdmann, Dan Gilster, Scott Dunning, Jeremy Spoonmore, Erik Pierce (11-20) Ben Glascock, Jack Stern, Brian Holtz, Jay Shambeau, Dave Verhagen, Rick Tackman, Jimmie Evans, Eric Lingford, Bill Prietzel, Mark Pluer (Promoters Provisional) Dusty Krebs
Watch our website for Time Warner and other cable time listings for the Krebs Trucking 48 to be televised. The event was filmed for television by Sopwith Motorsports Television Productions out of Indianapolis, IN.
We’ll see you at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway on August 16th for the LAWNKEEPERS 40. For all Mid-American information, go to. www.midamericanracing.com. For info on Lacrosse Fairgrounds Speedway, go to www.lacrossespeedway.com.