News & information

John Ostermann - 6/10/21  

Norway Speedway Racing
A Great Start to The Season 

Norway Speedway kicked off the season with two great nights of racing. The Openers were well attended despite graduations and the erratic weather. The temperatures were in the low 40s the first week and the high 80s the second week.  

The Season Opener could be referred to as Homecoming 2021.  It was great to see Dicky Coleman back at the Speedway!  The Son of Hall of Famer Gene and Donna Coleman of Menominee, Michigan left the sport in the mid-90s when he was at the top of his game finishing runner up in the Coca Cola Late Model Championship. Dicky left the sport to focus on family and running the family business, Coleman Racing Products.

Defending Coca Cola Late Model Champion Dan Lindsley was attending his daughter’s graduation and elected to put another mid 90s stand out to drive his car.  Kevin Beyer of Menominee, Michigan who has won a few big races out there but hadn't been in a car in many years, did a solid job filling in for Dan keeping his repeat championship hopes alive.

Another great racing family made its return to Norway Speedway on the season opener. Former Coca Cola Late Model Champion Mike Reichenberger made his return to the Speedway representing his new Camping World Sponsorship in the State of Michigan and did a great job finishing 6th in the feature.  Mike has been one of Wisconsin’s top drivers for about 30 years and never goes to the Speedway without his family.  His son Brandon, who was his crew chief that night, is also a top competitor at Wisconsin International Raceway. 

Tom Gee also made a surprise visit to our season opener after not being there for almost 10 years. Right out of the trailer Tom opened some eyes becoming our fast qualifier for the first time in his career. Tom stepped away from driving a racecar and decided to give back to the sport for a few years by taking on a management position with the Fox River Racing Club which races at Wisconsin International Raceway, which operates on Thursday Nights if you ever want to take in a show.

As you can see, the Homecoming Court created a whole new back story for the 2021 season as they will be visiting us from time to time all summer long. 

Other top stories at the Speedway this summer include a new racing team in the Coca Cola Late Model Division that could be one to be reckoned with is Wisconsin Racing Standout Chad Butz and his family combined with the racing family of Mike DeAngelo Jr.  Chad is the youngest driver at Norway Speedway to ever win a Late Model Feature Event. He was also our Rookie of the Year that year. In recent years Mike DeAngelo Jr. from Marquette, Michigan has also taken his racing to the next level. These two will alternate driving the car throughout the summer and definitely have championship possibilities. 

Justin Mondeik from Gleason, Wisconsin who had a great week of racing at Speedweeks in New Smyrna, Florida this past winter is also undefeated in feature events at Norway Speedway and Golden Sands Speedway in Plover, Wisconsin. The 24-year-old is Wisconsin’s newest Nascar hopeful. 

Our local core group of racing talent is back for 2021 and so far, the breakout star for 2021 is Kingsford’s Scott Stanchina. At the season opener Scott was putting heavy pressure on Justin Mondeik but just couldn’t complete the pass for the win. If things keep going the way they are for the Stanchina Racing Team they could be at the top by September.

Kingsford’s Cory Cootware and Manitowoc’s Greg Haese are also committed to a full season. Cory Cootware who has won the Triple Crown Racing Championship which involves Norway, Kinross and Sands Speedway has also come out strong and is currently 6th in the points. Greg Haese who is a talented dirt track driver as well as asphalt has also made the Norway Speedway Track Championship his goal for the summer and he is in 2nd for Championship Points.
Other notes of interest involving the level of competition include Legendary Bruce White getting a new crate motor and winning the fast dash last week. Robbie Iverson has a new car and is in the process of getting acclimated to it and has turned some outstanding laps. Jason Wells who's really come on strong in the last few years has really had a consistent few week and is currently sitting 4th in the points. 

In the Auto Value Superstock Division, Defending Speedway Champion Ryan Wender has his plate full as he's trying to get his 14-year-old son Tony involved in the sport and running in the same division.  Ryan also has another challenge in the fact that Norway’s Joey Pontbriand is currently pulling double duty by racing in both the Auto Value Superstock Division and the Coca Cola Late Model Division. This hasn't been done in many years.  And with car counts the way they are across the Midwest we are welcoming the attempt. Joey is currently sitting on top of the point standings with Ryan Wender while running regularly and successfully at Wisconsin Dells Raceway. 

Anthony Schiefelbein from Pembine, Wisconsin has also won a Triple Crown Championship and has won several feature events and is currently sitting 4th in the points and is ready for his first championship run.  Norway's Adam Faull has also purchased one of the top cars from Northeastern Wisconsin and as soon as he gets that figured out could add a Super Stock Championship to his list of accomplishments that include a Fab 4 Cylinder Championship as well. 

Racing this Friday Night. A full show including Wisconsin Sport Trucks. For more information go to norwayspeedway.com

Start Your Engines!!!

BUTZ BESTS FOES IN NORWAY LATE MODEL GO

(Pontbriand doubles down on super stock feature wins)

(Norway, MI) June 4 – Green Bay’s Chad Butz motored around Gregg Haese for the lead on lap 18 and cruised to victory in the super late model feature at Norway Speedway Friday.

Haese wrestled the lead away from polesitter Will Timmers on the first circuit of the 35 lap contest. Butz quickly jumped to second with Jason Wells in tow. The three pulled away in a three-car freight train with Scott Stanchina joining the trio by the event’s halfway point to make it a four car scrum for the lead. Butz kept the lead and Haese at bay through a late race restart to hang on for the win.

Haese settled for second place money followed by Wells, Stanchina and Robby Iverson.

Hometown driver Joey Pontbriand slipped past Norway Speedway Hall of Famer Al Bilski in the early going and sweated out a number of caution periods to win the super stock feature.

The super stock feature was red flagged halfway through the event when the cars of Tony Wender, Andy Gerwig and Kelly LaCount stacked up in turn one on a restart. All three drivers were ok but the cars sustained significant damage.

Pontbriand kept the lead through multiple restarts and kept second place finisher Ryan Wender and company at bay for the balance of the contest. Kevin Peterson, Anthony Scheifelbein and Jeremy Yelle took third through fifth, respectively.

Marion, Wisconsin’s B.J. Shoneck fought off a hard charging Trevor Pankratz in the waning laps to win the caution free 20 lap 141 Auto stock car feature. Faithorn’s Elliot Reid skillfully weaved through lapped traffic and fended off a late race charge from Mike Loberger to win the MC Signs & Graphics 4 banger feature. The event went green-to-checkered.

Kingsford’s Jim Chartre won the spectator eliminators while Gladstone’s Jeremy Stemick swept action in the UTV’s.

Next Friday night June 11 the Ken’s Sports sport trucks will join the track’s regular four classes.. Racing gets underway at 7 p.m.

Please check our website norwayspeedway.com and our page on Facebook for further information or email ostermannjohn@hotmail.com.

RACE SUMMARY

BINK’S COCA COLA SUPER LATE MODEL FEATURE – Chad Butz, Green Bay, WI; Gregg Haese, Francis Creek, WI; Jason Wells, Kingsford; Scott Stanchina, Kingsford; Robby Iverson, Hyde; Braison Bennett, Neenah, WI; Mike Lantagne, Vulcan; Cory Cootware, Iron Mountain; Will Timmers, Kaukauna, WI; Bruce White, Kingsford; Wyatt Spade, Norway; Dean Varda, Vulcan;  Scott Bolster, Marquette (DNS)

DASH – White

HEAT – Haese; Bennett

FAST TIME –  Butz, 14.325

AUTO VALUE SUPER STOCK FEATURE – Joey Pontbriand Norway; Ryan Wender, Upper Pine Creek; Kevin Peterson, Marinette, Wisconsin; Anthony Scheifelbein, Pembine, WI; Jeremy Yelle, Sands; Bob Scheifelbein, Pembine, WI; Adam Faull, Vulcan; Gary Thom, Aurora, WI; Al Bilski, Norway; John Mattia Jr., Norway; Tony Wender, Kingsford; Andy Gerwig, Norway; Kelly LaCount, Atheltstane, WI; Jordan Massicotte, Kingsford; Destiny Bullard, Marquette

HEAT – Bilski; Bob Scheifelbein

DASH - Faull

FAST TIME – Pontbriand, 16.091

141 AUTO SALES STOCK CAR FEATURE – B.J. Shoneck, Marion, WI; Trevor Pankratz, Little Suamico, WI; Paul Bourgeois, Iron Mountain; Todd Schmidt, Spread Eagle, WI; Travis Hulsizer, Menominee

HEAT – Schmidt; Nick Kroehler, Appleton, WI

FAST TIME – Paul Bourgeois, Iron Mountain 18.243

MC SIGNS & GRAPHICS 4 BANGER FEATURE – Elliot Reid, Faithorn; Mike Loberger, Marinette, WI; Brent Ayotte, Hermansville; Trevor Cronick, Faithorn; Zach Gazda, Vulcan

HEATS 1) Ayotte; Isaiah Lawrence, Spruce, WI 2) Cronick; Mike Loberger, Marinette, WI

FAST TIME – Alex Bellmore, Hermansville, 19.126

UTV FEATURE – Jeremy Stemick, Gladstone; Nick Pilot, Kingsford; Nick Larson, Gladstone

HEAT – Stemick; Larson

SPECTATOR ELIMINATOR – Jim Chartre, Kingsford