Published: June 24, 2014
Richfield’s Prietzel accomplishes rare double feature at
Slinger
First to win 2 features in one night since ‘93
By NICHOLAS DETTMANN
Daily News
SLINGER — At Slinger, you know you’ve done something if it
was last accomplished by Al Schill.
Richfield’s Bill Prietzel won both of his features Sunday at
Slinger Superspeedway, winning the area sportsman and midwest sportsman feature
events.
Not since Schill in a midwest modified and a super late
model in 1993 had one driver won two features in the same night. Many others
have tried and have come close, but never come through with the double.
“I think it’s really special no matter what company you’re in
to get two wins in one night,” Prietzel said.
Prietzel wasn’t supposed to race in two features Sunday.
Kenny Richards was supposed to race the area sportsman car, but was unable to
attend. Prietzel found out he was going to have to do a double about six hours
before race.
What was just as impressive about winning two features in
one night, he did it consecutively.
The midwest sportsman division was the first group of cars
to go trackside for its feature race of the night.
Scott Shambeau led the opening 15 laps of the 35-lap
feature. Prietzel took over the lead from Shambeau and led the rest of the
race.
He was so strapped for time, Prietzel couldn’t even pay Miss
Slinger a visit in victory lane. He quickly drove off the track, into the pits
and quickly got settled into his area sportsman car for a 30-lap feature.
Prietzel and West Bend’s Brad Hetzel, the 2012 thunderstock
division champion, went back-and-forth for the lead until Prietzel took it over
for good on lap 15.
“Winning one feature in any division in one night is
special,” Prietzel said. “Two is double special.”
The victories Sunday were Prietzel’s second and third career
victories at Slinger. His only other victory came in the 2004 season opener in
the midwest sportsman division, driving the same car he drove to victory lane
Sunday.
Now granted Prietzel has only raced eight times since 2010
at Slinger, he wasn’t going to take anything away from the difficulty to win
one feature at Slinger, let alone two.
“It’s tough to win here,” Prietzel said.
That’s even more the case when you start talking its been 21
years since anybody was able to do it twice in one night.
“It’s tough to win here in anything,” Prietzel said. “What
makes more special is we only come here a couple times a year. That makes it
really special.”
It wasn’t the biggest highlight of his career. He still
attributes his one and only start with the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2012 at
Road America as the highlight of his career. He finished 27th at that race.
This accomplishment is in the same category as his victories in various cars at
Daytona, the Milwaukee Mile and at Road America.
While it’s been rare to pull the double at Slinger, it’s not
the first time he’s done. In 1997, he won two features in the same night at
Oktoberfest in La Crosse. He won a feature with the Mid-American Stock Car
Series and a truck race.
“It’s tough anytime,” he said of winning a race.
Prietzel said he wants to give NASCAR another try. He was
close to having something in line for Saturday’s race at Road America.
Prietzel will be back July 13 at Slinger for The Prelude to
the Nationals event with the Mid-American Stock Car Series. It’ll be a points
race for that division.
Earlier this season at The Milwaukee Mile for ARCA Fest,
Prietzel finished second. “We struggled really bad at Milwaukee,” Prietzel
said. “I went through the car and I couldn’t find anything. I ran it here to
see if I missed something. I guess we just missed it at Milwaukee.”
After four-plus decades of racing, any victory now will be
special.
“You cherish every one because one of these is going to be
the last one,” Prietzel said. “It’s not like I’m going to run another 30 years.
We enjoy every single one because it could be the last one. It’s coming someday.”
Also picking up feature victories Sunday were Steve Apel
(super late model), Steve Dickson (Slinger Bees) and Scott Goetzke (Figure 8).
The limited late model division was off.
Dickson tied Nick Wagner as the winningest Bees driver in
track history (13).
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