ATTENTION SPORTS/MOTORSPORTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
KENDALL FENDS OFF JOHNSON, WINS WIR SUPER LATE MODEL GO
(Kaukauna, WI) – “The Montello Missle” Bobby Kendall warded off a late race charge from Casey Johnson and went on to win the super late model feature at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna Thursday night.
Montello’s Jeff Kendall sprinted into the lead from his pole position at the drop of the green. Kendall kept the lead with Sawyer Effertz tailing Kendall for the first several laps.
By lap five Chad Butz joined the duo and the trio scrapped for the lead. Veteran Lowell Bennett caught up with the young drivers and soon a four car quartet was dicing for the lead.
Racing came to a halt on lap 20 when the red flag flew after Alex Stumpf hit the wall in turn four and a fire exploded in his car.
After a cleanup racing resumed with fifteen laps remaining. When the race went green again Kendall kept the lead but Bennett wrestled second away from Effertz. Casey Johnson, who started 11th, sliced his way through field to 3rd by lap 22 and took second away from Bennett one circuit later. Johnson kept pressuring Kendall in the final laps but Kendall was up for the challenge and collected the win. Johnson placed second, followed by Bennett, defending track champion Andy Monday and Effertz.
Defending late model champion Travis Rodewald shook his early season string of bad luck. The Manitowoc driver stormed through the pack from his sixth starting position and fended off a late race charge from Nathan Van Wychen and Eddie Muenster in the second half of the race to capture the win. Van Wychen, Muenster, fast qualifier Jesse Bernhagen and Mike Meyerhofer placed second through fifth, respectively.
Kaukauna’s Todd Baumann and Appleton’s Cory Kemkes split the 15 lap WIR ¼ mile late model features.
Menasha’s Jason Plutz scored his third sport truck feature win of the season. Plutz was one position away from scoring a clean sweep as he placed second in his heat after capturing fast time.
Greenleaf’s Jeff Treml became the fifth different winner in as many weeks in the super stocks by winning that division’s main event.
Michigan native Isaac Bray, who now calls De Pere home, appeared to have scored a last lap victory in the Sizzlin’ 4 feature. The win would have been his first of the season here. However his car failed post race tech, handing the win to second place finisher Scott Wolf of Appleton.
Kaukauna’s Craig Vanderwettering capped off the evening by winning the Figure 8 feature, his fourth of the season.
The night came to halt at the start of the late model heat. The cars of Jerry Wenzel and Tarra Springstroh collided coming out of turn four. The bumper of Braun’s car was wedged underneath the frame of Springstroh’s. A lengthy delay ensued as the jaws of life were needed to pry the cars apart so the wrecker crews could pull those cars apart.
Next Thursday night, July 5 will be the Stockbridge Engineering/Joe Schneider Memorial. A huge fireworks display is on tap. The racing gets underway at 6:45 p.m. You can check frrc.us for more information or follow the club’s Facebook page.
RACE SUMMARY
SUPER LATE MODEL FEATURE – Bobby Kendall, Montello; Casey Johnson, Edgerton; Lowell Bennett, Neenah; Andy Monday, Appleton; Sawyer Effertz, Darboy; Jeff Van Oudenhoven, Appleton; Kyle Calmes, Freedom; Chad Butz, Green Bay; Brent Strelka, Freedom; Grant Griesbach, Pewaukee; Cory Kemkes, Appleton; Taylor Vandermoss, Appleton; Mickey Schallie, Darboy; Alex Seidl, Appleton; Randy Schuler, Mequon; Michael Anthony, Appleton; Tim Springstroh, Freedom; Alex Stumpf, Woodville
SEMI FEATURE – Springstroh; Seidl; Anthony; Stumpf
HEATS 1) Jake Carpenter, Ashwaubenon; Anthony 2) Effertz; Springstroh
DASH – Johnson
FAST TIME: Monday, 15.834
LATE MODEL FEATURE- Travis Rodewald, Manitowoc; Nathan Van Wychen, Kaukauna; Eddie Muenster, Green Bay; Jesse Bernhagen, Markesan; Mike Meyerhofer, Hilbert; Bryan Monday, Appleton; Braison Bennett, Neenah; RD Yaeger, Appleton; Matt Wittman, Appleton; Zach Braun, Slinger
HEAT – Muenster; King
DASH- Van Wychen; Rodewald
FAST TIME: Bernhagen, 20.526
WIR ¼ MILE LATE MODEL FEATURE 1) Todd Baumann, Kaukauna; Tom Spierowski, Neenah; Travis Willing, Appleton; Pete Berken, Appleton; Cory Kemkes, Appleton; Kelsy-Ann Hayes, Sturgeon Bay
FEATURE 2 – Kemkes; Hayes; Baumann; Spierowski; Jerry Schneider, Kaukauna; Willing
FAST TIME – Kemkes 15.225
SUPER STOCK FEATURE – Jeff Treml, Greenleaf; George Schwalbach, Menasha; Rachel Meyerhofer, Brillion; Larry Raygo, Omro; Evan Sannes, De Pere
HEAT – Sannes; Dave Meyerhofer
FAST TIME: Rachel Meyerhofer, 15.834
SIZZLIN’ 4 FEATURE – Scott Wolf, Appleton; Mike Klein, Appleton; Mitchell Opsahl, Freedom; Rick Glaser, Appleton
HEATS 1) Jesse Nettekoven, Sherwood; Rob Thomson, Neenah 2) Emery Beattie, Little Chute; Wolf
FAST TIME – Klein 18.020
SPORT TRUCKS FEATURE – Jason Plutz, Menasha; Kyle Quella, Appleton; Kylee Vandermoss, Appleton; Bobby Wautier, Denmark; Marty Sokolik, Fond Du Lac; Dan Vixmer, Fond Du Lac
HEATS 1) Marty Sokolik; Dom Sokolik, Fond Du Lac 2) Vandermoss; Plutz
FAST TIME – Plutz 16.521
FIGURE 8 – Craig Vanderwettering, Kaukauna
