RACING NOTEBOOK: Beaver Dam Raceway pays tribute to Johnson III

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: June 9, 2015

Beaver Dam Raceway pays tribute to Johnson III

BEAVER DAM — It is the one pace lap no driver wants to make: A lap carrying the black flag. Hartford’s Joe Johnson had to do that Saturday at Beaver Dam Raceway. Once he got onto the backstraight, he saw something that made him feel all sorts of pride. The drivers from the legend division at the track stood shoulder to shoulder at the pit area entrance in Turn 3 as Johnson drove past carrying the black flag. The practice of carrying the black flag during the national anthem is done as a tribute to a fallen colleague, whether it’s a driver, crew person or fan. For Johnson, it was his hero: his father.

Bill “Schwartz” Johnson III died May 28 after an 18-month battle with thyroid cancer. He was 66.

“It meant a lot,” Joe said of the tribute done by his colleagues.

Joe Johnson won the 2013 track championship in the legend division at Beaver Dam, with his father by his side.

“Dad got along with each and every one of them,” Joe said. “When they needed something, he was always there to try and lend a hand for them.”

Joe was at his father’s side when he passed.

“He was getting to be in quite a bit of pain,” Joe said.

Joe’s dad was nicknamed “Schwartz” because his grandfather and father were also named Bill Johnson. So, to avoid confusion, he was given the name “Schwartz.”

One of Joe’s fondest memories of his late father was the last time they were at the track together: Sept. 1, 2013, at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie. It was his dad’s 65th birthday.

Joe won the feature that night.

“At the time, I didn’t know it was going to be our last win together,” Joe said. “But it still meant a lot because my grandpa held records down there. He was pretty dominant for quite a while.”

Two days later, Johnson III learned he had cancer after his family encouraged him to see a doctor. The family knew something was up as he struggled to walk that evening.

“It was real tough to see him in pain,” Joe said.

It was the first time Joe had won at that track. It’ll likely be the last.

“I just want to leave it going out on top as the last track we went to and won together,” Joe said.

For the rest of the season, Joe will race his legend car with the No. 66, the number his father raced with.

“There was no question; it was the least I could do to honor him,” Joe said. “He’s done so much for us throughout the years. There really is no way to pay him back.”

On the track, Joe was in contention for a top-five spot, but contact with another car late in the 20-lap race ended his run early. He finished 16th.

“Carrying the black flag was tough and seeing my whole family (in the stands),” Joe said. “But once I strapped it up, it was good; it felt good to be back.”

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Richards still perfect

Kenny Richards, the 2011 and 2013 grand national track champion at Beaver Dam, remained perfect in Saturday’s “A” main at Beaver Dam Raceway.

Richards is 6 for 6 in features this season. He has also now won more features in the last five years than anybody in the division (16); he was tied with Roger Lee in that span.

The other feature winners were Brian Peterson (legend), Dustin Smits (modified), Nick Schultz (sport modified) and Brandon Riedner (street stock).

In the grand national “A” main, Germantown’s Dan Schumacher was ninth and Colgate’s Dave Koeferl was 12th.

Richfield’s Jim Bucher was 10th in the legend “A” main. He won the “B” main for the second time this season.

Germantown’s Dave Jaeger was ninth in the modified “A” main, his third straight top-10 finish.

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Apel picks up No. 3

Steve Apel won his third super late model feature of the season and the 20th of his career Sunday over Dale Prunty.

Prunty led the first 22 laps of the 60-lap feature and Apel led the remaining 38.

Dennis Prunty was third, followed by Rich Loch and Lowell Bennett.

In the limited late model feature, Mike Held passed Kyle Chwala on the last lap of the 40-lap to win his second feature of the season. Grant Griesbach finished a career-best second and Chwala was third.

Nick Egan won his first area sportsman feature of the season to give him six top-five finishes in six races. Bill Prietzel was second and Andy Welter was third.

Dale Kiley-Schaefer led 20 laps en route to the victory in the 25-lap Slinger Bees feature. Tom Berens was second and Nick Schmdit was third.

Ron Schmitt won his second straight Figure 8 feature.

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Majeski wins first feature at Madison

Ty Majeski, one of the seven drivers in the Alan Kulwicki Driver Development Program, won his first career super late model feature Friday at Madison International Speedway, winning the first race of the track’s Triple Crown Challenge.

Travis Dassow of West Bend was eighth in the 25-car field, Steve Apel was 14th. Reagan May, another KDDP driver like Apel and Majeski, was 16th. Majeski was the fast qualifier. Apel was second fastest.