Local Sports

Varda pulls off upset to claim first feature

Vulcan driver leads every lap

NORWAY -- It was finally "Varda Time" for Vulcan late model racer Dean Varda.

After years of plugging along in the Coca Cola late model class. the veteran racer led wire-to-wire and fought off defending track champion Dillion Kralovetz and Escanaba's Robby Iverson to score the super late model feature race at Norway Speedway Friday night. The win was the first ever for Varda.

Varda jumped into the lead at the drop of the green and kept the top spot through the first half of the contest. Kingsford's Scott Stanchina attempted to make a bid to pass on a restart but lapped traffic got Stanchina tied up, allowing Kralovetz and Iverson to squeeze into the second and third spots, respectively.

The veteran drivers applied the pressure but Varda was able to hang on and score a popular win. Kralovetz hung on for second place money, followed by Stanchina and fast qualifier Mark Schroeder.

Norway's Brett Bray scored an emotional victory in the Auto Value super stocks - his first of the season. Bray wrestled the lead from rookie Adam Faull with three laps remaining to score the victory in the caution free event. Bray's dad, Raymond Bray, a well known and respected football coach in the area, passed away during the offseason.

The 141 Auto Stocks had perhaps one of the wildest finishes in track history. Iron Mountain's Kaitlyn Schettler, after racing door-to-door with her dad, Jeff Schettler, all race long, got turned around coming out of turn four on the final lap, sending her car on its roof.

Schettler skidded across the checkered stripe on her roof, scoring the victory with her car winding up on its lid in the sand in turn one.

With her win, Schettler earned the Ed Hedlund Memorial trophy. Ironically, the car Schettler drove used to be raced by Hedlund.

In the MC Signs & Graphics stock fours. Norway native Isaac Bray put a whopping on the field - easily winning the feature. Only the top five cars out of the 18-car field were running on the lead lap at the end.

Next Friday night Norway Speedway will host the 36th annual Island Resort & Casino Stateline Challenge presented by Aurora Liquors. A field of more than 30 late models from Wisconsin and Michigan is expected.

Racing gets underway at 6:45 p.m. The rain date for this event is Saturday, July 6.

Results:

BINK'S COCA COLA SUPER LATE MODEL

FEATURE - Dean Varda, Vulcan; Dillion Kralovetz, Bonduel, WI; Robby Iverson, Escanaba; Scott Stanchina, Kingsford; Mark Schroeder, Green Bay, WI; Dan Lindsley, Vulcan; Bruce White, Kingsford; Mike Lantange, Vulcan; Scott Bolster, Marquette; Joey Pontbriand, Norway; Matt Charlebois, Wallace; Jordan Chambers, Green Bay, WI; Karl Lamoreaux, Niagara, WI; John Ostermann, Norway (DNS)

HEAT - Varda; Pontbriand

DASH - Lindsley

FAST TIME - Schroeder, 14.789

AUTO VALUE SUPER STOCK

FEATURE - Brett Bray, Norway; Adam Faull, Vulcan; Parker Cain, Big Bay; Ryan Wender, Upper Pine Creek; Tim Schultz, Vulcan; Anthony Schiefelbein, Pembine, WI; Savanna Novara, Kingsford; Andy Gerwig, Norway; Kelly LaCount, Athelstane, WI; John Mattia Jr., Norway; Kevin Peterson, Marinette, WI (DNS)

HEAT - Mattia Jr.; Wender

DASH – Gerwig

FAST TIME - Schiefelbein, 15.876

141 AUTO SALES STOCK

FEATURE - Kaitlyn Schettler, Iron Mountain; Jeff Schettler, Iron Mountain; Gary Thom, Aurora, WI; Brian Massicotte, Kingsford; Joe Ostermann, Norway

HEATS 1) Joe Ostermann; Jeff Schettler 2) Jade Novara, Kingsford; Kaitlyn Schettler

FAST TIME - Michelle Janczewski, Armstrong Creek, WI 18.103

4 CYLINDER A

FEATURE - Isaac Bray, De Pere, WI; Zack Gazda, Vulcan; Wyatt Bray, Appleton, WI; Alex Bellmore, Hermansville; Cassandra Freeman, Niagara, WI

HEATS 1) Bellmore; Brett Ayotte, Hermansville 2) Gazda; Elliot Reid, Faithorn

FAST TIME - Reid, 18.198