MARIBEL, Wis. — Mike Mullen led the final 35 laps of the $5,000 to win IMCA stock car finale at 141 Speedway Thursday to claim the crown for the King of the Creek.
The two-day event featuring stock cars drew 56 entries with opening night running a pair of heats with the 2nd round using a complete inversion of round one. Passing/finishing point totals determined the top 10 which set the first five rows of the 50-lapper.
Thursday’s preliminary action moved the top two from the five B mains and two more from each last chance race. The 24-car field created only one yellow with the final 40 trips around the quarter mile nonstop.
Luke Lemmens led initially from his outside front row start with Jeff Mueller and Mullen soon forming a three-car breakaway. Racing with his hood peeling back, Eric Arneson joined the lead group after a lap 10 yellow.
Mullen used the top shelf to race from 3rd to the lead on lap 11 but Lemmens was back in front a lap later. Mullen then used the bottom of turn 4 on lap 16 to again take the lead, this time keeping it for the duration of the quickly run main.
As Mullen pulled away from the pack, a four-car duel for second developed and it wasn’t until lap 45 that Arneson, continuing to run the outside line, moved into second.
The other three in the four-car battle for runner-up honors filled the top five at the conclusion. Mullen’s $5,000 win came with a finish well ahead of Arneson while, Lemmens, Mueller and Jeremy Christians filled the top five.
In other divisoins over the two nights, IMCA sport mod wins went to Ryan LeMieux and Vince Engebreytsen while the modified checkers flew for Mike Mullen. The sport compact winner was Brian Watzka, Alex Crapser won the street stock main and Daniel Schumacher took the Grand National win.