Gibbsville Cheese INEX Legends/Wisconsin Legends Racing Dirt Series    

9-09-06

Dennis Thompson

The Gibbsville Cheese INEX Legends/Wisconsin Legends Racing Dirt Series were in action for the final round of the “Duel at the Dam” Series at The Raceway at Powercom Park on Saturday night. Also in action were the Johnsonville Brats Modifieds and The Badger Midget Auto Racing Association.

Joey Johnson of Slinger charged into the lead at the start of the 20-lap A-Main. The caution flag waved with just two laps complete for a spin by Bethany Wyttenbach of Plain on the back straight. Johnson led on the restart as the rest of the field diced for position. Eric Barth of Sauk City slipped past Johnson to take over the lead on the fifth lap. The caution waved again on lap eight for a spin by Joe Surprise of Beaver Dam on the back straight. When racing resumed, the battle up front became heated as Joel Wyttenbach of Sauk City, Warren Ropp of Kalona, IA and Brad Weber of Rolling Prairie made their way to the front and put heavy pressure on Barth for the top spot. Barth remained out front while the trio of Wyttenbach, Ropp and Weber shuffled positions. The final caution of the event came out on lap seventeen for a spin by Ric Mattie of Franksville in turn four. The battle for the lead in the three-lap dash to the checkered was fierce. Ropp moved ahead on lap eighteen, but Barth fought back and led as the white flag waved. In the four-car battle out of the fourth turn on the final lap, it was Barth who emerged the victor over Warren Ropp of Kalona, IA, Joel Wyttenbach of Sauk City and Brad Weber of Rolling Prairie. It was the fifth win of the season for Barth. Joey Johnson crossed the line in fifth. Bethany Wyttenbach had an impressive run as she recovered from the early race spin to finish in sixth. Phil Van Tatenhove of Sheboygan Falls followed in seventh ahead of Kevin Brill of Oostburg, Chad Patch of Eldridge, IA and Joe Surprise of Beaver Dam.

Heat race action saw Brad Weber come from the fourth row to pick up the win in heat one. Eric Barth, who also started in the fourth row, drove to the win in heat two.

Joel Wyttenbach and Brad Weber did double duty for the evening as they also competed in the Badger Midgets. Wyttenbach, in his first time in a midget, earned a transfer spot in his heat and went onto finish tenth in his first midget A-Main. Weber, back in a midget for the first time in about four years, qualified for the dash and the A-Main. Weber was credited with seventeenth place after being involved in an incident that caused him to flip his mount on the front straight on lap ten. Weber was not injured.

Gibbsville Cheese INEX Legends/Wisconsin Legends Racing Dirt Series

A-Main (1-10) – Eric Barth, Warren Ropp, Joel Wyttenbach, Brad Weber, Joey Johnson, Bethany Wyttenbach, Phil Van Tatenhove, Kevin Brill, Chad Patch, Joe Surprise, (11-20) – Darwin Banes, Ed Surprise, Steve Boelter, Loren Zuhlke Jr., Mike Mueller, Terry Walber, Don Gillham, Ric Mattie, Brandon Hentges, Greg Hartlaub

Heat 1 – Brad Weber, Joel Wyttenbach, Kevin Brill, Bethany Wyttenbach, Joe Surprise, Ed Surprise, Ric Mattie, Darwin Banes, Terry Walber

Heat 2 – Eric Barth, Joey Johnson, Warren Ropp, Brandon Hentges, Greg Hartlaub, Chad Patch, Steve Boelter, Don Gillham, Phil Van Tatenhove, Mike Mueller, Loren Zuhlke Jr.