PRIETZEL CAPTURES LAWNKEEPERS 30 at LAX

Topics:  Lawnkeepers 30, Bill Prietzel

Matt Panure
Mid American Stock Car Series
August 26, 2013

WEST SALEM, Wis. (August 26, 2013) – Bill Prietzel stormed to the lead on lap 11 of the Mid-American Stock Car Series Lawnkeepers 30 at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway Saturday night. Prietzel then fought off Dan Gilster and Jeremy Spoonmore on restarts during the second half of the race.

“It was just one of those nights when the car was really good,” the three-time MASCS Champion said after collecting his first win of 2013. Unlike his many wins before, Prietzel said he had to make some major changes before the feature event.

Well known for showing up as one of the best prepared teams, usually from necessity of having a three-person crew, Prietzel said his break from the norm was exactly what it took to have the dominating machine in the feature event. “Normally I don’t work on it much, but we changed it tonight and we hit it in the feature.”

The win was Prietzel’s fourth at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway in a Mid-American Car. It was a drought that had lasted since 1997. However, the changes he made to the machine had nothing to do with any previous runs to victory lane, let alone any races in recent seasons.

“I don’t keep notes, I don’t know. That makes it too much like work when you write everything down,” Prietzel joked in victory lane.

The main event began with a plot twist for the current MASCS point leader Brad Keith. The rear end in Keith’s machine failed before he could take a lap in the heat race. In order to stay in the points chase, he borrowed Dustin Krebs’ machine and started at the tail of the 13-car field.

An early lead was taken by outside-pole-sitter Tim Fulford. The Indiana driver broke out to a healthy lead before the first caution fell on lap five when Marv Flick was sent hard into the outside retaining wall on the back stretch. He was unharmed, but was unable to continue.

On the restart Fulford broke away from Eric Buchholz. Fast qualifier and former LaCrosse Sportsman Champ Dan Gilster made an early move into the top five by this point after the lap five restart. Just as he was about to challenge the top three a caution fell when Mark Pluer slid through the grass and left debris in the racing groove.

The lap seven restart saw Buchholz fight off Fulford and take the lead. Charging into turn one on the outside, Buchholz brought Gilster with. Behind him, Prietzel slid to third. With some space to work, Prietzel slipped past Gilster in turns one and two on lap ten and grabbed the lead from Buchholz in the same manner one lap later.

Once out front Prietzel demonstrated his might by building up a large lead. His lead was erased on lap 15 when a melee involving Rick Tackman, Ryan Gutknecht, Ben Glasscock Lyle Nowak and Jack Stern blocked the track in turn three. Nowak and Glasscock were unable to continue.

Gilster was given the chance to take the lead from Prietzel on the restart, but Prietzel again demonstrated his strength in turns one and two. Two laps later Gilster slid back one more spot when he was passed by Jeremy Spoonmore.

The only opportunity Spoonmore had to keep tabs on Prietzel came after a caution when Rick Tackman and Ryan Gutknecht settled some bad blood on lap 27. Spoonmore kept close for a lap, but ultimately Prietzel was too strong in the three-lap shootout.

“I thought if I’d give that right rear tire a chance to cool down we might have a shot,” Spoonmore said of his chance on the restart. “I drove into one super hard and got to his bumper. But that was all I had for him, he got away.”

Gilster ended third, and overall was happy with the result. “It’s something to build on,” he said. “It’s the first competitive race I had with this car and to finish behind two former Champions you can’t ask for more.

Tim Fulford hung on for his career-best MASCS finish in fourth. Brad Keith and Mark Pluer battled hard to round out the top five over the final three laps. Keith secured the spot and built his point lead over Pluer on a night that could have dealt a major blow to his title chances.

Mid-American’s next event is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 21 at Elko (Minn.) Speedway. The Thunder in the Cities feature is scheduled as part of the Thunderstruck weekend. Last year’s event was won by Lyle Nowak.

For more information visit www.elkospeedway.com.

Full results and updated point standings are available by clicking on the Motorstats link.