Spoonmore Serves Second Consecutive NSTC Win

Topics:  Jeremy Spoonmore, National Short Track Championships

Matt Panure
Mid American Stock Car Series
October 4, 2009

Love’s Park, Ill. (October 4, 2009) – It’s safe to say Jeremy Spoonmore has been enjoying his 2009 Mid-American Stock Car Series campaign. The Somonauk, Ill. veteran won his second consecutive National Short Track Championships feature event at Rockford Speedway Sunday afternoon by capturing the MTN Dew 75. Spoonmore has yet to finish outside of the top five and has notched two wins in a handful of appearances this season.

“I would have never guessed. After the first one, I thought that would be great. But this one was even better,” Spoonmore said of his NSTC win.

In the 2008 event, Spoonmore swiped the lead in the 75-lap feature by utilizing the inside lane on lap nine. One year later, the lead belonged to Spoonmore by lap ten after three laps of side-by-side action with pole-sitter Mike Beyer.

Lyle Nowak moved from his 19th starting spot to finish second, Bill Prietzel finished third, Mark Pluer was fourth and Justin Neisius rounded out the top five.

“The car stuck on the bottom and it just got better and better,” Spoonmore said. “I knew I was going to have to go [there] quick like last year.”

To get to that point, however, Spoonmore took advantage of the Mid-American double-file restart. He swiped two positions on a lap-five restart and two more on a lap-six restart on the outside line to secure the third spot.

Under the final caution on lap 54, Spoonmore faced his biggest challenge. Spoonmore said his brake pedal went to the floor, indicating a major failure. “I flipped the fans on and the brakes came back. That was my only worry of the day.”

While Spoonmore enjoyed a Sunday afternoon drive, the action from second on back remained frantic. Involved in the scrum were point leaders Paul Neisius and Bill Prietzel.

Neisius, who earlier in the afternoon captured the last chance race, muscled his way to fifth by lap 13. After he was surpassed by Neisius, Prietzel made several attempts to get back around. The two made contact several times without incident. Neisius held the position and closed in on the top four.

Entering turn three on lap 21, Neisuis’ day took an unfortunate turn. He made contact with Beyer, sending him into a spin cycle. The two were sent to the tail end of the field after causing the fourth caution of the event.

Knowing that every position was critical to hold the MASCS point lead exiting Rockford, Neisius methodically began to work his way toward the top ten. His charge was abruptly interrupted on lap 54 when he and fast-qualifier Troy Shear, Jr. made contact exiting turn two. Neisius spun into the infield and made hard contact with the inside retaining wall.

Neisius finished 19th and was given the Wehrs Machine Hard Luck Award. With Prietzel’s third place finish and third place qualifying effort, he unofficially took the standings lead back by 21 markers. That amount of a cushion, however, is anything but safe. Prietzel surrendered a 28-point lead at Dells Raceway Park in mid-September and made up a 30-point margin at Rockford.

The final event of the 17th Mid-American Stock Car Series program is scheduled for next Saturday, October 10 at the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway in West Salem, Wis. As part of the 40th Annual Oktoberfest Race Weekend, Mid-American will round out 2009 with a 35-lap feature.

The LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway is located on the LaCrosse Interstate Fairgrounds.

The Fairground is located at the intersection of Hwy 16 and County Road M, next to the town of West Salem, Wisconsin. For more information please visit www.lacrossespeedway.com or www.oktoberfestraceweekend.com

For more information about the Mid-American Stock Car Series, including results, the current 2009 standings, the 2009 schedule and driver information please visit www.midamericanracing.com