Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Sunday, May 04, 2008

Pfaff passes tests on and off track

By JEFF BROWN / Tribune Sports Editor

WEST SALEM, Wis. — On a chilly Saturday night at the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway, Shawn Pfaff worked up a sweat — twice. Once during a highly competitive Kwik Trip Late Model feature race, and once afterward.

Pfaff, driving car No. 21, was able to work his way to the front in rather short order, passing Jeff Baker, then Tim Nelson, to forge into the lead. He held it throughout the remaining 18 laps, and through a pair of caution flags, to win the NASCAR Late Model feature event.

What a Fairgrounds Speedway crowd estimated at 1,700 didn’t see was Pfaff nervously pacing after the race when the track’s technical crew inspected his car. The ride height, which is the distance from the lowest point of the car to the ground, needs to be 3½ inches.

As the Late Model tech, Don Sneller, slid a metal tool used to check ride height, Pfaff looked, paced, and looked back again. The tool made it part way under one area of the front of the car, then made a “clunk.” Sneller, realizing the concrete slab where the inspection was taking place wasn’t perfectly level, moved the tool and took a few more swipes at it.

“I know there are waves in the concrete,” Sneller said. “I don’t want to disqualify anybody, but that was close.”

Several times the tool made it part way, then clunked as it hit the bottom of the car. Several other times, Sneller was able to slide the tool freely in and out without hitting anything. Pfaff had passed inspection — by a whisker.

“We changed three different springs. The last one we changed just before the feature, and never got a chance to check it (ride height). I knew it was going to be close, and that’s as close as you can get,” Pfaff said.

Tony Bagstad, in his first year back after a two-year absence, engaged in a hot battle for second place with Bangor’s Kevin Nuttleman. Bagstad, thanks to some patient driving from Nuttleman, was able to hold on for second place, while Nuttleman reluctantly settled for third. Nelson, who led the first seven laps, finished off an impressive night by taking fourth, while Emily Sue Steck rounded out the top five.

What was significant about Steck’s top-five finish was the driver she finished one spot ahead of, Steve Carlson. Carlson, the defending track and Whelen All-American Series national champ, was on Steck’s tail, but could not pass her.

“We had a pretty good season opener, going from 13th to fourth,” Pfaff said. “We knew we had to change some stuff if we were going to get better. To be honest, when we went out for the feature, I thought we had a fifth- or sixth-place car.”

Instead, Pfaff had a good car, and caught some breaks. The biggest break may have been when Bagstad and Nuttleman fought each other so hard they lost ground on the leader, Pfaff. Nuttleman, the night’s fast qualifier, appeared poised to take over second place from Bagstad entering Turn 3 with three laps to go, but Bagstad sliced back to the low groove, forcing Nuttleman to hit the brakes — hard.

“To tell you the truth, I didn’t even know he was back there,” Bagstad said. “I wasn’t even looking. I thought I had a chance to make a good run at Shawn, but I wound up in a good battle with Kevin.”

Nuttleman, who is in hot pursuit of his 100th career Late Model victory at the track, wasn’t thrilled with a third-place performance, but he quickly added that a top-five finish is better than causing a wreck. In fact, Nuttleman and Bagstad walked side-by-side back into the pit area after front-stretch interviews, and both were seen smiling at times.

“I had to get on the brakes — hard,” Nuttleman said. “Tony’s car came down a bit. I could have taken him out, but I didn’t want to go to the back.”

SPORTSMAN: Nick Clements of Onalaska, Wis., won the North Country Contractors Sportsman Division feature race, beating out Rob Mason of Caledonia, Minn. Brandon Berg of North Bend, Wis., took third, while Matt Inglett (La Crosse) and Aaron Hass (La Crosse) rounded out the top five.

THUNDERSTOX: Joey Johnson of Mindoro, Wis., won the United Auto Supply Thunderstox Division feature race, while Wayne Smith of Barre Mills, Wis., was second. Rounding out the top five were Jamie Dummer of Holmen, Wis., Adam Moore of Sparta, Wis., and Jason Schaller of Holmen, Wis.

TUNERS: Jason Bolster of Sparta, Wis., won the Tuners feature race.

SKIDDERS: Ron Amann won the inaugural feature race in the Skidders Division. Skidders are front-wheel drive cars with no rear wheels. Instead, they have metal plates welded on the rims.

Jeff Brown can be reached at (608) 791-8403, or at jbrown@lacrossetribune.com