Colgate driver wins track title

West Bend Daily News: Sept. 10, 2013

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN
Daily News Sports Editor

SLINGER — Colgate's Ryan DeStefano learned the hard way patience is essential to winning a race.
Being patient is also key in a race for the championship. His patience was tested Sunday afternoon.
Twice, DeStefano nearly got tangled in accidents in front of him as he tried to put the finishing touch of a long championship season.
"You've just got to be cautious," DeStefano said. "As a driver, I've learned to really watch ahead instead of me just maybe the next turn and not just the next car ahead of me."
DeStefano stayed out of trouble and finished second Sunday to wrap up his first career limited late model championship.
Mike Lichtfeld won the feature, his fifth victory of the season, while defending track champion Alex Prunty finished third. DeStefano beat Lichtfeld by 32 points and Prunty by 34.
DeStefano entered the season finale 32 points ahead of Prunty.
"It feels awesome," DeStefano said. "The (car) was great. All season, we had one thing on our mind, big picture: championship."
Also wrapping up championships Sunday were Ken Joosten (midwest sportsman), Brad Keith (midwest sportsman FRED Series), Kyle Chwala (area sportsman), Nick Schmidt (Slinger Bees) and Scott Goetzke (Figure 8).
Steve Apel wrapped up the super late model championship Sept. 1.
For Schmidt, he won his second straight championships, and for Goetzke, he won his sixth Figure 8 title, one shy of tying Mark Ritger's record of seven. It was also Joosten's second championship (2007).
It is DeStefano's second career championship, also winning a four-cylinder championship at Columbus about six years ago.
DeStefano made it his goal to win a track championship at Slinger because of a good 2012 season, where he won three features.
"We had a great season last year," DeStefano said. "We came up just a little short."
Last season, Prunty used consistency to take control of the championship and ultimately win it. Prunty had eight top-five finishes in eight races for the second half of the season, including three victories.
This season, DeStefano won a championship in similar fashion. In 18 starts, he had 17 top-five finishes for an average finish of 3.5. His lone finish outside of the top five was eighth June 9. He won just one feature (May 19). It is the second time in three years where the limited late model champion won the championship despite winning just one feature (Wayne Freimund, 2011).
"We came out this year saying, 'Last year we missed it, missed by a little,'" DeStefano said. "We did more work in the offseason, our crew kept digging, our sponsors came back and supported us more than they ever have. We're like, 'This is our year to do it.' It all came together."
Improved maturity as a driver also helped DeStefano develop into a championship driver.
In 2010, DeStefano often found himself in trouble. Also known as The Italian Nightmare, he often rubbed drivers the wrong way with his driving style. In that season, he had just five top-five finishes in 18 starts. Fortunately for him, it got better.
In 2011, he had seven top-five finishes in 14 starts, six coming after the calendar flipped to July. He also won his first career race July 3, 2011.
"That really got us rolling," DeStefano said. "That showed we were here and that we mean business."
DeStefano narrowily avoided a disaster on the fifth lap of the 40-lap feature when Al Stippich spun in Turn 3, while battling at the front of the field. The field quickly bunched up behind them and there were a couple fender benders, which included DeStefano. It could've been a devastating blow in the championship.
Then, DeStefano was nearly caught up in another incident just a couple laps later.
"It's nerve-wracking," DeStefano said.
However, he had confidence and knew he was far more patient than he once was.
"We were in the cat bird seat," DeStefano said. "As long as we did what we needed to do, took care of business, we knew we were fine."
“I really can sort of see the accidents develop,” he added. “It’s helped me see what’s going on out there because if you can’t see that, (at) this track, you’ll come off (the track) on the (tow truck) hook.”

SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP
Feature winners
TUNDRA Super Late Model Series: Brad Mueller
Limited late model: Mike Lichtfeld
Midwest sportsman: Mike Borchardt Jr.
Area sportsman: Kody Hubred
Slinger Bees: Steve Dickson
Figure 8: Joe Mueller
American Super Cup: Erle Hoth
Fast qualifiers
TUNDRA Super Late Model Series: Steve Apel (11.479 seconds)
Limited late model: Alex Prunty (12.62)
Midwest sportsman: Jack Stern (12.956)
Area sportsman: Bill Prietzel (13.324)
Slinger Bees: Steve Dickson (14.644)
Final points standings
Super late model: 1. Steve Apel 1,385; 2. Rob Braun -89; 3. Lowell Bennett -184; 4. Conrad Morgan -239; 5. Dennis Prunty -283.
Limited late model: 1. Ryan DeStefano 1,607; 2. Mike Lichtfeld -32; 3. Alex Prunty -34; 4. Braison Bennett 1,365 -242; 5. Danny Church -316.
Midwest sportsman: 1. Kenny Joosten 908; 2. Jack Stern -60; 3. Ryan Gutknecht -73; 4. Brian Holtz -100; 5. Jay Shambeau -185.
Midwest sportsman FRED Series: 1. Brad Keith 412; 2. Brian Holtz -80; 3. Jack Stern -109; 4. Jay Shambeau -113; 5. Ryan Gutknecht -114.
Area sportsman: 1. Kyle Chwala 1,836; 2. Kody Hubred -152; 3. Joe Shelby -589; 4. Nick Egan -612; 5. John Daley -762.
Slinger Bees: 1. Nick Schmidt 1,686; 2. Brandon Tackes -117; 3. Grant Griesbach -387; 4. Steve Dickson -422; 5. Dale Kiley-Schaefer -464.
Figure 8: 1. Scott Goetzke 1,830; 2. Willy Van Camp -25; 3. Joe Mueller -75; 4. Ron Schmitt -155; 5. Shane Becker -175.