Garceau, Czarneski top Father’s Day fields

By Joe Orsini

For Star-News Sports

LUXEMBURG – Over 100 cars rolled through the pit gates for the 2023 Father’s Day Showdown at The ‘Burg Speedway June 18.

With the Grand Nationals also in attendance, every driver was looking for a Father’s Day gift of a trip to victory lane.

Will Garceau had a history of success in the IMCA Sport Mods before taking the leap to the Village Kitchen IMCA Modified division.

If he felt any nervousness, it disappeared at the drop of the green as Garceau put the hammer down on his 31G machine and grabbed the opening lap over hall of fame driver, Dave Zeitler.

Jason Czarapata, 2014 Mod champ, quickly moved into the runner up spot and began to pressure the leader.

Meanwhile, behind the front pair, 2018 champ Russ Reinwald found the high side to his liking and moved into third but faced a heavy challenge from fellow hot shoe, Kyle Kudick.

At the halfway Mark, Garceau led with Czarapata giving chase.

Kudick moved to third, Reinwald fourth, and multi-time division champs Shawn Kilgore and Benji LaCrosse fought for fifth.

At the double checkers, Garceau was able to hold off the stout field and capture his first career Modified feature win.

Kudick managed to slide past Czarapata to grab second. Kilgore made a late pass for fourth and Reinwald finished fifth.

In The Quietwoods RV IMCA Stock Car race, Dusty Loberger jumped from the outside of the front row to lead the opening lap over pole sitter Trevor Vandehei.

Cole Czarneski, who tamed the Modified division a week prior, looked to conquer another class as he worked his 21CZ ride into second and quickly put Loberger on notice by taking the bottom line and eventually snatching top spot.

Jared Siefert raced to third and brought the K9 of Tyler Wilson with him.

Siefert worked the low side while Wilson was up top.

Lap 13 saw Siefert get a good run out of turn four and throw a slider on Wilson in turn one to lock up the second spot. Wilson looked to return the favor coming out of turn three but his slide job came up short and contact sent the 25J of Siefert into a tailspin.

Wilson would be sent to the back of the field while Siefert went down pit lane to be serviced by his pit crew.

Loberger moved back to the second spot for the restart with Aaron Karcz in third, Shawn Havel fourth and Dave Bouche in fifth.

Karcz and Havel took advantage of the restart to get past Loberger while Czarneski continued to lead.

 Lap 17 saw Havel work the inside into turn one where contact with Karcz sent the 40x around and drew another caution.

The final restart had Czarneski continuing to lead with Havel, Dylan Stedjee, and Bouche in hot pursuit.

At the line, Czarneski grabbed the win while Havel hung on to second, Stedjee third, Bouche fourth and Kyle Caswell was fifth in his first ever stock car appearance at The ‘Burg.

The IMCA Northern Sport Mod A-main saw veteran Jarred VanLaanen pace the opening laps until the 44T of Logan Theys charged the inside line to the lead while bringing Dennis Miesler along for the ride.

An early caution slowed the action with four laps complete.

Theys led Miesler, VanLaanen, Alec Wery and Craig Dorner to the restart.

Dorner quickly grabbed second while last week’s feature winner, Coy Vlies, moved up to third.

Following another yellow, Theys again looked to lead the field back to green with Vlies, Dorner, Wery and Cody Rass bunched behind and ready to pounce.

Pounce is exactly what Wery did as a good restart saw him shoot into the lead, which was short lived as Vlies powered past on the outside to take the top spot.

At the line, Vlies held on for the win, Rass had a late-race surge to take second, Wery finished third, Theys fourth and Jeff Vlies fifth.

The NEW Tech Metals Unified Dirt Street Stock A-main kicked off with pole sitter Michael Czarapata finding his 33C machine in the spin cycle coming out of turn four.

The restart saw the 21W of Cole Warner lose the handle in turn four and last week’s feature winner Garrett Geyer was collected, going from checkers last week to wreckers this week.

Paul Diefenthaler led the restart lap while Jared Spaulding worked the high side to second and Jesse Krahn looked inside Derek Kaye to move to third.

A late caution saw the field shake down for a three lap dash to the finish with Diefenthaler still holding serve at the front, Spaulding in second, Krahn third, Jason Geyer fourth and Brooke Diefenthaler running fifth.

Trouble struck last year’s division champion, Shanon Guelette, as he saw his night go up in literal smoke as his transmission failed with two laps remaining.

Diefenthaler held on to secure the win, Spaulding second, Krahn third, Geyer fourth and Brooke Diefenthaler in five.

The Murder Hornet feature race had Alexis Czarapata grab the opening lap lead but her time at the front was short lived as Brandon Kaye powered past and brought Kyle Jorgenson with him.

Kaye and Jorgenson staged a side-by-side battle for the lead before a caution with six to go slowed the pace.

Kaye led Adam Broehm, Jorgenson, Trevor Cronick and Scott Schlafke back to speed but caution flew again with four laps to go when the three-wide battle for the lead between Kaye, Schlafke and Broehm resulted in contact that sent Schlafke around and Kaye to the back of the field for the restart.

Schlafke was able to continue and restarted for the final time at the front.

When the checkers flew Schlafke held on for the win, Cronick second, Broehm third, Jorgenson fourth and Kaye rebounded quickly to rejoin the top five.

The Coors Light Grand Nationals made their first of four appearances at The ‘Burg Speedway Sunday night.

The opening lap was marred by caution with the 109 car of Tim Mitchel getting crossed up.

The second try at a start had Jeff Muehlbauer grab the opening lap lead, but Taylor Rahn worked the inside line to the top spot.

An early caution with just three laps complete had Rahn lead Muehlbauer, Derek Schrauth and Aaron Sterblow back to green.

Schrauth tiptoed through the tulips on the top side to wrestle away the lead from Rahn.

When the dust cleared at the checkers Schrauth captured the win, Rahn was second, Streblow third, Muehlbauer fourth and Brad Caswell had a career best fifth place finish.

After the completion of the feature events it was time for the Father’s Day Showdown.

This inaugural event pitted father against son or daughter in a three lap one on one battle for bragging rights.

In total six pairs squared off and saw the four fathers of Marc Caswell, Matt Warner, Paul Diefenthaler and Trevor Vandehei emerge victorious against their children.

Sons Adam Broehm and Dallas Topel represented the youth movement and will hold bragging rights for the next year over their dads.