Wild finish to McLeodUSA Mid-Am season leaves James Swan with 2001 championship! By Gary Vercauteran

October 6, 2001;  West Salem, WI -  In the wildest ever finish to the McLeodUSA Mid-Am Stock Car Series, Peter Hernandez emerged the winner of the 30-lap season - ending feature Saturday night at the LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway.

But the race for the 2001 championship had an even wilder finish as James Swan was able to advance past point leader Bill Prietzel on the final lap of the race when Prietzel crashed hard into the first turn wall after getting an assist from another car entering turn one.   Prietzel's Dodge Avenger hit the wall in a shower of sparks and then flipped across the track, ending up on its roof.

Photo Highlights Peter "Speedy" Hernandez (#66) captured the final Mid-American Stock Car series event of the season during the running of the Oktoberfest weekend at LaCrosse.

Prietzel was running in the tenth postion on the final lap with enough points to wrap up the season championship, but as racing luck would have it
his car was tapped from behind which set off the wild wreck.    All the cars were grouped up tight at the time of the wreck and those trailing Prietzel were able to squeeze past him on the inside before his car flipped onto the track surface.    Prietzel was not injured, but his car sustained heavy damage.  Prietzel ended up 18th out of the 24 feature race starters.

The final season point tally showed Swan with 2,103 Prietzel with 2,092 and Hernandez with 2,085 to round out the top three.

Prietzel led the Oktoberfest record McLeodUSA Mid-Am Stock Car Series field of 41 cars with a qualifying time of 20.808 seconds, and appeared headed toward his second stright championship.

Scott Null led the opening nine laps before impressive series rookie Keith Sterkowitz took over.  Sterkowitz, from Indiana, motored along in the lead on a set of tires that had four races on them and held off the hard charging Hernandez until the 21st lap.

On lap 24 Jimmy Becker and George Schultz brought out the yellow flag when they tangled in turn one.   The pack was very tight in the remaining laps.   Hernandez won by a car length over Sterkowitz with Kevin Moenck third, Swan fourth, Bobby Gutknecht fifth and Rod Brewe sixth.

The battle for rookie of the year honors came down to the last race of the year with Monty Coffman edging out Michael Anderson 1,420 to 1,419.

The series banquet is slated Saturday, Nov. 3 at the Leathem Smith Lodge in Sturgeon Bay, WI.

Mid-American Stock Car Series:

30-Lap Feature: 1. Peter Hernandez, Mokena, IL; 2. Keith Sterkowitz, Cedar Lake, IN: 3. Kevin Moenck, New Lenex, IL; 4. James Swan, Lake Geneva, WI; 5. Bobby Gutknecht, Oak Creek, WI; 6. Rod Brewe, Kaukauna, WI; 7. Josh Bauer, Random Lake, WI; 8. Mike DeKeuster, Race, WI; 9. Scott Null, Lake Mills, WI; 10. Ken Joosten, Wonder Lake, IL; 11. Monty Coffman,
Barrington, IL; 12. Ryan Finley, Big Rock, IL; 13. Kenneth Hutchens, Black River Falls, WI; 14. Rob Werkmeister, Plainfield, IL; 15. Brian Baker, Springfield, WI; 16. Jim Thorson, Sugar Grove, IL; 17. Kenny Richards, Montello, WI; 18. Bill Prietzel, Franklin, WI; 19. Stevie Campbell, Lisle, IL; 20. Shawn Uptahl, Racine, WI; 21. Jimmy Becker, Burlington, IL; 22. George Schultz, Park City, IL; 23. Ross Kurth, Waterville, IA; 24. Kevin Lee, Homestead, IA.

15-Lap Last Chance Races: First: 1. Lee; 2. Uptahl; 3. Baker; 4. Ricky Martin, Farmington, MN; 5. Jaime Dorsey, Rockford, IL; 6. Michael Anderson, Sheboygan, WI;
Second: 1. Werkmeister; 2. Schultz; 3. Richards; 4. Gary Benion, Menasha; 5. Jeff McClintock, Elko, MN; 6. Joe Hulverson, Marquette, MI.
10-Lap Heats: First: 1. Brandon Blashe, Little Chute, WI; 2. Hulverson;
Second: 1. Martin; 2. Baker;
Third: 1. Lee; 2. Uptahl;
Fourth: 1. Hernandez; 2. DeKeuster.
Fastest qualifier: Prietzel, 20.808 Seconds.