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2007 | archive.
05.26.07 | Keppler scores again at Thunder Mountain Speedway. The Hoosier Tires 600 Modifieds returned to Thunder Mountain Speedway saturday night. Dodging rain drops, twenty-eight 600 Modifieds signed into the pits. This year, Mike Keppler is the heat race king. He won his fourth heat race of the year by patiently passing Shawn Mills with three to go. Mills is a former Thunder Mountain Sportsman Modified Champion who was subbing in the Richie Evans 4jr. Nick Mady is also no stranger to running up front in heat races and annexed the win over Kyle Gardner. Keppler drew a straight up pill putting himself and Nick Mady, 1-2 on the grid. At the green flag Keppler led the 28 car field into turn 2 and maintained a stranglehold on the top position. Cautions began to mount, but on each restart Keppler kept the edge. As the laps began to unwind, Brian Mady navigated his way from his sixth place start. Last week's winner Bruce Kindberg, relegated to start tenth, was charging to the front. By lap six, Keppler led over Kindberg and Mady. Kindberg wasn't going to make it easy for Keppler as he continually put pressure while running the low line. While the top three battled, Dave Baldwin, Jr., Ryan Higgs, Doug Hendricks and Kevin Gruber were embroiled in a classic struggle for fourth. A late race caution bunched a field for the final time. Keppler was not be denied as he crossed the stripe first followed by Kindberg, and Brian Mady. Higgs passed Baldwin for fourth, with Gruber, Hendricks, Rich McGeady, Chris Stockholm, and Bucky Buczafusca rounding out the top ten. Kindberg and Stockholm were the hard chargers of the evening, each advancing eight positions from tenth and seventeenth respectively.
Heat 1: 1. Mike Keppler, 2. Shawn Mills, 3. Dave Baldwin, Jr., 4. Andy Ressler, 5. Kevin Gruber Heat 2: 1. Nick Mady, 2. Kyle Gardner, 3. Bruce Kindberg, 4. Brian Mady, 5. Ryan Higgs
Feature: 1. Mike Keppler, 2. Bruce Kindberg, 3. Brian Mady, 4. Ryan Higgs, 5. Dave Baldwin, Jr., 6. Kevin Gruber, 7. Doug Hendricks, 8. Rich McGeady, 9. Chris Stockholm, 10. Bucky Buczafusca, 11. Curt Amey, 12. Andy Ressler, 13. Joe Fanelli, 14. Travis Halabura, 15. Mike Pychinka, 16. Dave Baldwin, 17. JJ Newman, 18. John Smith, 19. Bob Skoniecki, 20. Shawn Mills, 21. Chuck Miller, 22. Junior, 23. KJ Gardner, 24. Nick Mady, 25. Eric Witbe, 26. George Loux, 27. Steve Comers, 28. Matt Groover
Notes: Chris Stockholm scored his third consecutive top ten finish having to come from deep in the pack to do it. Ryan Higgs has been the most consistent rookie to date scoring a strong fourth. Doug Hendricks pilots a 358 Modified at Big Diamond Raceway out of the Pioneer Pole Buildings stable and operated the 600 Modified this evening. Matt Green will continue to drive the 600 Modified at Big Diamond Raceway, while Doug will operate the car at the other Series events for the remainder of the 2007 season. Doug compared the 600 Modifieds to his big car. "This class is a great feeder division for the big cars. They drive just like my Modified and with the short wheelbase you need to be smoother. If you can conquer a 600 Modified you are well on your way to running good in a Sportsman or 358 Modified." 4 drivers tested Raceceiver units. Mike Keppler, Brian Mady, Rich McGeady and Curt Amey all ran the one-way radio receivers with great success. Shawn Mills, last year's Thunder Mountain Sportsman Modified Champion was sidelined this year from financial difficulties dusted off his helmet. Mills scored an impressive second in his heat race and in the feature, ran in the top ten until contact sent him spinning. Mills tailed the end of the field and worked back up to twentieth.
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