PLUER PARLAYS MILE WIN INTO STATE PARK VICTORY |
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Topics: Mark Pluer
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Matt Panure
Mid American Stock Car Series
July 16, 2013
Fresh off his win Tuesday at the Milwaukee Mile, Mark Pluer from Brookfield, WI found River Valley Victory Lane at State Park Speedway Thursday night, picking up his second win in as many days.
During the pre-race warm up laps, Chris Storey of Burlington, WI was forced to take an early exit. This resulted in the Indiana boys setting the pace for the field. As Stephen Cox of Indianapolis and Tim Fulford of Solsbury took the green, Fulford was able to snag the lead and continue on for 10 laps. Starting in eleventh position, it didn’t take long for Pluer to find his way to the front of the field. He used the outside groove at State Park Speedway and leaped from fourth to first in two laps as the first ten laps ticked off the lap counter of the 40-lap feature.
The first caution flew with 29 laps to go as Wausau residents Lyle Nowak and Eric Wilhite, Jack Stern of Slinger, Green Bay’s Dave Verhagen Jr. and Danny Gilster of West Salem were involved in an incident. On the restart the cone gave Manitowoc’s Travis Rodewald the opportunity to start outside Pluer. Rodewald didn’t let Pluer get away and battled him side by side for the next eight laps as Brad Keith of West Bend closed in on the top two. While Rodewald worked the high side and tried to get around Pluer, Keith stayed on the inside lane, right behind Pluer, looking to make a move on Rodewald for second.
When Pluer cleared for the lead once again, Rodewald and Keith raced side by side for the second spot. With 16 laps to go Keith grabbed the second position and set his sights on Pluer. The 48 machine of Keith closed in on the 54 machine of Pluer and with 11 laps to go was on his back bumper. For a few laps Keith tried to find a way around Pluer, but couldn’t make it work inside or outside. Meanwhile Waukesha’s Rick Tackman Jr. steadily worked his way forward finally taking over third from the hard diggin’ Rodewald with just three to go. 2012 event winner and reigning series Champion Jeremy Spoonmore of Somonauk, IL remained in the mix as the end of the race closed in. Due to mechanical questions from an incident in the heat race, local favorite Lyle Nowak elected to start in the rear of the field. When the caution made him start near the back again, he was able to advance to seventh by lap twenty-one where he remained to the finish. Then with just over five laps to go, Pluer managed to stretch his lead once again and hold on to take the checkers. Keith came home in second, Tackman third, Rodewald fourth and Marv Flick of Stevens Point rounded out the top five.