SHAFER TAKES TRICKLE 99

WISCONSIN DELLS, WI — Portage, Indiana’s Paul Shafer Jr. capitalized on a dramatic late-race incident to steal the victory in the Alive for 5 Super Late Model Series Trickle 99 Presented by Wegner Automotive.

The action started early when Casey Johnson shattered the track record during qualifying, turning a blistering 13.047-second lap. The historic run earned Johnson a $500 bonus from Wegner Automotive on top of his standard fast-time award, netting him a total of $750 for his qualifying effort. The odd/even dashes were later picked up by Randy Sargent and Austin Nason.

When the green flag dropped for the 99-lap main event, Gabe Sommers surged into the early lead. However, the battle intensified quickly as Luke Fenhaus joined the fray, rocketing past Sommers to take the top spot on Lap 20. Fenhaus’s strong early performance paid off at the midway point, where he collected the $500 Quality Freight Rate Half-Way Leader bonus.

It was during this middle stretch that Shafer entered the picture. Shafer and Fenhaus launched into a grueling, 40-lap side-by-side marathon for the lead, with Shafer remarkably commanding the majority of those circuits from the outside lane. Eventually, the brutal toll of running the high line caused Shafer to fade slightly, opening the door for Ty Fredrickson to join the lead battle.

As the laps waned and the intensity peaked, Fredrickson and Fenhaus traded paint and the lead in a fierce duel. With under five laps to go, Fenhaus executed what he hoped would be the race-winning pass.

It wasn't meant to be. Just a lap later, contact between the two leaders exiting Turn 2 broke their momentum, handing the lead right back to a waiting Paul Shafer Jr. with only four laps remaining.

Shafer held on to take the checkered flag, followed across the line by Fenhaus, Fredrickson, Randy Sargent, and Austin Nason.

The Alive for 5 Series returns to Dells Raceway Park June 27th for the Dairyland 100.