BACK EDGES PRIETZEL IN MID-AM FREEDOM 40

Topics:  Brian Back, Freedom 40

Tom Wagner
Mid American Stock Car Series
July 5, 2008

(Marshfield, WI) July 5, 2008 - To paraphrase a famous airline commercial, Brian Back loves to race at Marshfield Super Speedway - and it shows.

Competing at what he called his "favorite place to race", the third generation driver from Rudolph executed a last lap, last corner pass on Bill Prietzel to win the Mid-American Series 40 lap "Freedom 40" at the half mile paved oval Saturday night.

It was a memorable evening for Back as he nearly scored a double clean sweep on the night. He turned the trick in the Speedway's Super Stock class, setting fast time and winning both the feature and the heat. He was two-thirds of the way there in the series events, but was denied by Rod Brewe who edged him at the line in the division's third heat race.

To set the stage for a dramatic sequence over the final few laps, Back and Prietzel had to march through the field from their sixth row starting spots. Prietzel was the first to advance, gaining the outside line and methodically picking off spots over the event's first half.

At the point, Bobby Gutknecht used an outside move to pass Darren Wolke for the lead on the eighth lap. He had little time to escape the field as Prietzel stormed forward. In just 10 laps, he had already picked off eight cars and was third. Four laps later, he was in second and was setting sail for Gutknecht.

Gutknecht held the outside when Prietzel caught him, so the three-time champ crossed to low line and made his move. The change in grooves mattered little as Prietzel shot to the lead on the 24th lap. Any thoughts of a run-away were erased courtesy of Lyle Nowak. Nowak grabbed second from Gutknecht on the 26th lap and clung to Prietzel's back bumper as the duo entered some serious lapped traffic entering the final quarter of the event.

With Prietzel and Nowak trying to work traffic and race each, Back took the opportunity to close in and make his play.

"I really thought Lyle had the best chance to win," Back admitted. "But the lapped traffic didn't work in his favor. He got caught when he went to pass Bill, and then he got caught with me right there."

Right place at the right time allowed Back to slip past Nowak, and when he and Prietzel finally broke into the clear, he had just enough time to make one move.

Exiting the second turn on the final lap, Back shot to Prietzel's right down the back stretch and took a chance heading for the third turn. "I didn't think I was going to be able to pass him," Back said. "I drove in hard. I figured if I can't get by him, I'm going to get second anyway. Luckily it held. I don't know how it held, but it held."

Riding the rim on the outside edge, Back kept his momentum up though the final corners, then beat Prietzel in a drag race to the stripe for his first series win of the season. Nowak settled for a close third.

The runner-up finish for Prietzel allowed him to move into the series point lead, breaking a tie with James Swan. Swan was nothing short of steady, placing fourth. Second year pilot Jake Finney was on the move in the late stages, closing on the leaders fast to round out the top five.

The 22 car field completed the exciting 40 lap headliner without registering a caution.

The next race on the Mid-American schedule is the Tisler Salvage "White Race", July 19 at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna, WI. The series will run in conjunction with the annual Red, White and Blue State Championship held through the summer at the historic d-shaped half-mile oval.

Finney scored his first career series victory in the "Red Race" at the Raceway in June.

For more information about the Mid-American Series including results, current 2008 standings, the remaining 2008 schedule and driver info visit www.midamericanracing.com.