Published: May 19, 2015
Stark makes history at Slinger Superspeedway
SLINGER — Winning a feature at Slinger Superspeedway is not easy, regardless of the division.
It’s also been especially tough for a woman to win a feature.
On Sunday, Heather Stark of Watertown won the 25-lap Slinger Bees feature, holding off EJ Waldron for the victory at Slinger Superspeedway.
Stark became the first woman in any division to win a feature at Slinger since Stephanie Losiniecki won a thunderstock feature in 2009. In the super late model division, a woman hasn’t won a feature since Cindy Peterson in 2002, and no woman has ever won a limited late model feature since the division started in 2005.
Katie DeStefano was the last woman to win a Slinger Bees feature, doing so July 26, 2009.
“Since I’ve been racing here I always wanted to win a feature here,” Stark said.
Stark started racing in the Slinger Bees division at Slinger when she made seven starts in 2013. In 2014, she finished fifth in the points standings.
In 2013, she finished fourth in her third career start at Slinger after racing at Jefferson, 151 Speedway and Dells Raceway Park. Stark finished fourth again in her fourth start.
Stark’s racing career started in 2010 after eight years of service in the Army. In 2011, less than two years after starting in racing, she won the Bandits track championship at Jefferson.
“It means a lot,” Stark said of winning a feature at Slinger. “The class is full of fast people. For me to win a feature and beat them means a lot.”
Toward the end of last season, Stark crashed the car she’d been running for about four years at Rockford Speedway.
It’s been an adjustment period for her as Sunday was just her fifth start in the car. But she knew something was up.
“Today, the car, for the first time, felt awesome,” she said. “It turned good; it did what I wanted it to do.”
However, she wasn’t optimistic.
“Anything can happen here,” Stark said.
The best part about winning a feature at Slinger? Seeing the smiles on your kids’ faces when you do it.
Stark’s 5-year-old daughter, Danika, was one of the first people to tell her congratulations. Stark said she hadn’t seen Danika smile like that. Stark has two children and they’ve been at the track before when she’s won. However, they weren’t old enough to realize what had happened.
On Sunday, that wasn’t the case.
“Finally is what I was told,” Stark said with a smile.
❑
The 36th Slinger Nationals is set for July 14.
At this time last year, the track was already promoting NASCAR star Matt Kenseth’s appearance. A big-name attraction hasn’t been announced and it may stay that way, which is fine, according to Todd Thelen, co-promoter at Slinger.
“We’re going old school,” Thelen said. “The best super late model racers will be here for the Nationals.”
When Slinger Nationals was started in 1980, it was an attempt by track owner Wayne Erickson to draw more people and drivers to Slinger. It worked as the track has hosted some of the most famous names in stock car racing, including NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt and Rusty Wallace.
But in the last five-plus years, the big names haven’t been as regular outside of Kenseth and Kyle Busch. Busch, the 2011 Slinger Nationals champion, hasn’t been back to Nationals since taking second in 2012 when Kenseth won his record-breaking sixth Nationals title.
Scheduling is one reason for the lack of the big-name talent not being at more short-track events.
The prize for the victory will again be $10,000 plus possible lap and/or qualifying awards. Last year, Chris Wimmer won more than $12,000 with his Slinger Nationals victory.
Thelen said Wimmer has indicated his desire to repeat, which hasn’t been done since Kenseth in 2008 and 2009.
The Sauter name may also make its way back to Slinger.
Thelen said Johnny Sauter, who is fourth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points standings, has indicated he’d like to try Nationals. Travis Sauter, the grandson of the late Jim Sauter Sr., is also a possibility for Nationals. Last year, Travis Sauter started 14th on May 18, 2014, marking the first appearance by a Sauter at Slinger in at least 15 years.
“We haven’t signed anything with them yet, but they said they’re coming,” Thelen said, adding Travis Sauter plans to test later this week.
Ross Kenseth, son of Matt Kenseth and who is supposed to make his NASCAR debut with the Xfinity Series on June 20 at Chicagoland Speedway, has also expressed interest to make his sixth Nationals start.
If Slinger is going to bring somebody in for the race, it’ll likely look at the young and upcoming drivers, which was what the Nationals was built on, such as when Matt Kenseth won Slinger Nationals in 1994. He was 22 at the time.
“Those guys were great to have here,” Thelen said. “It’s just time for a change.”
❑
For the second time this season, Kewaskum’s Donny Goeden won the 360 sprint car “A” main Saturday at Plymouth Dirt Track.
West Bend’s Paul Pokorski was 10th and Kewaskum’s Shane Wenninger was 11th.
Also, Hubertus’ Kyle Daywalt was third in Saturday’s mini-spirit feature at Wilmot. Nick Daywalt, also of Hubertus, was sixth.
No comments:
Post a Comment