OBERMEYER CAPTURES HIS FIRST MID-AMERICAN FEATURE WIN

Topics:  Dave Obermeyer

Matt Panure
Mid American Stock Car Series
April 14, 2007

Saturday, April 14, 2007 (Loves Park, IL) – Rockford Speedway celebrated its 60th year and the Mid-American Stock Car Series its 15th kicking the weekend off with a 60 lap feature event. Last year, West Bend’s Dave Obermeyer ended his winless streak in the Mid-American Series as he won his first heat race at the Rockford Speedway. Tonight, he returned to win his first ever feature at the 30th Annual Spring Classic.

It was a wild start to the feature event for the Mid-American Series as Troy Shear Jr. hit the tire that protects the corner of the pit entrance going into turn three, sending Shear airborne into the fence. Shear was alright, but done for the night.

Obermeyer started on the outside of the front row and grabbed the lead on the re-start.

Last year’s Series champion, James Swan started 11th and was patient as he worked his way to the front. It wasn’t until lap 20 when Swan appeared in the top five. He would continue his progress to the front by moving to 4th on lap 30.

The caution flew on lap 33 when rookie Tim Warner made contact with the front stretch wall. Swan started on the outside of Daryl Gerke on the re-start with Obermeyer still in front.

Swan used the preferred outside line to get past Gerke for second and set his sights on Obermeyer. Swan couldn’t get a bite off the inside of Obermeyer to try to get by him as Obermeyer continued to run on the preferred high line around the quarter-mile oval.

With three laps to go, Hank Tews spun in turn three in front of the leaders. Obermeyer spun to avoid and was given his position back on the re-start.

Swan raced Obermeyer clean as he tried to find a way to get past Obermeyer over the final two laps.

As the two came off of turn four on the final lap, Swan tried a slingshot move to the inside but at the line it was Obermeyer for the win.

Gerke would hold on to third while Kenny Joosten and Don Wood rounded out the top five.

Maxwell Schultz, Andrew Kulka, and Wood won the heat races. Schultz and Kulka are part of Mid-American’s five teenage “Young Guns”. Both are in their second season and experienced their first sanction wins.

Prietzel set the fast time of 14.146 seconds. Swan was second with a time of 14.189 seconds and Gutknecht was third with a lap time of 14.196 seconds.

Mid-American
A-Main 01 -- 1. Dave Obermeyer, West Bend, Wis; 2. James Swan, Lake Geneva, Wis; 3. Daryl Gerke, Whitelaw, Wis; 4. Ken Joosten, Wonder Lake, IL; 5. Don Wood, Denmark, Wis; 6. Jeremy Spoonmore, Somonauk, IL; 7. Bobby Gutknecht, Oak Creek, Wis; 8. Andrew Kulka, Deerfield, Wis; 9. Lyle Nowak, Wausau, Wis; 10. Dan Powell, Polo, IL; 11. Scott Null, Lake Mills, Wis; 12. Kyle Shear, Roscoe, IL; 13. Kevin Damrow, Manitowoc, Wis; 14. Max Schultz, Reedsville, Wis; 15. Hank Tews, Batavia, IL; 16. Jacob Finney, Sycamore, IL; 17. Andy Casavant, Two Rivers, Wis; 18. Tony Habeck, Black Creek, Wis; 19. Adam Mass, Hebron, IL; 20. Bill Tuckwell, Peoria, IL; 21. Tim Warner, Malone, Wis; 22. Jeremy Tess, East Troy, Wis; 23. Becca Kasten, Mequon, Wis; 24. Bill Prietzel, Richfield, Wis; 25. Troy Shear, Jr., Roscoe, IL; 26. Louie Goss, Green Bay, Wis.
Heat 01 -- 1. Max Schultz, Reedsville, Wis; 2. Dave Obermeyer, West Bend, Wis; 3. Daryl Gerke, Whitelaw, Wis; 4. Bill Prietzel, Richfield, Wis; 5. Bobby Gutknecht, Oak Creek, Wis; 6. Kyle Shear, Roscoe, IL; 7. Dan Powell, Polo, IL; 8. Ken Joosten, Wonder Lake, Il.
Heat 02 -- 1. Andrew Kulka, Deerfield, Wis; 2. Tim Warner, Malone, Wis; 3. Jeremy Tess, East Troy, Wis; 4. James Swan, Lake Geneva, Wis; 5. Jeremy Spoonmore, Somonauk, IL; 6. Jacob Finney, Sycamore, IL; 7. Lyle Nowak, Wausau,
Heat 03 -- 1. Don Wood, Denmark, Wis; 2. Scott Null, Lake Mills, Wis; 3. Kevin Damrow, Manitowoc, Wis; 4. Adam Mass, Hebron, IL; 5. Troy Shear, Jr., Roscoe, IL; 6. Andy Casavant, Two Rivers, Wis; 7. Tony Habeck, Black Creek, Wis; 8. Hank Tews, Batavia, IL; 9. Louie Goss, Green Bay, Wis.

Time Trial -- 1. Bill Prietzel, Richfield, Wis; 2. James Swan, Lake Geneva, Wis; 3. Bobby Gutknecht, Oak Creek, Wis; 4. Jeremy Spoonmore, Somonauk, IL; 5. Daryl Gerke, Whitelaw, Wis; 6. Jacob Finney, Sycamore, IL; 7. Dan Powell, Polo, IL; 8. Lyle Nowak, Wausau, Wis; 9. Ken Joosten, Wonder Lake, IL; 10. Jeremy Tess, East Troy, Wis; 11. Dave Obermeyer, West Bend, Wis; 12. Andrew Kulka, Deerfield, Wis; 13. Max Schultz, Reedsville, Wis; 14. Tim Warner, Malone, Wis; 15. Kyle Shear, Roscoe, IL; 16. Adam Mass, Hebron, IL; 17. Don Wood, Denmark, Wis; 18. Scott Null, Lake Mills, Wis; 19. Andy Casavant, Two Rivers, Wis; 20. Troy Shear, Jr., Roscoe, IL; 21. Kevin Damrow, Manitowoc, Wis; 22. Tony Habeck, Black Creek, Wis; 23. Louie Goss, Green Bay, Wis; 24. Hank Tews, Batavia, IL.