ATTENTION SPORTS/MOTORSPORTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(KAUKAUNA, WI) May 30 – Freedom’s Brent Strelka survived a race filled with crashes and kept the lead on a late race restart to win the super late model feature at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna Thursday night on Mad City Roofing, Siding & Windows night.
The 35 lap contest got off to a rocky start. On lap three a five car melee ensued in turn 3, prompting a red flag. The wreck involved the cars of Andy Monday, Grant Griesbach, Bobby Kendall, Taylor Vandermoss and Kyle Calmes. All drivers emerged unhurt.
When racing resumed after a delay Strelka and Andy Monday went toe-to-toe for several laps, trading the lead. Maxwell Schultz had sliced his way through field, working his way into fourth by lap 11. Schultz began reeling in the third place car Jeff Van Oudenhoven.
Strelka pulled away into the lead by lap 14 and Van Oudenhoven began pressuring Monday for second. Monday hung tough for several laps and by the event’s halfway point Monday caught up with Strelka once again. The Freedom driver was able to keep all challengers at bay until a caution flew with two laps remaining when Lowell Bennett and Alex Stumpf collided entering turn one.
After another red flag for a lengthly cleanup racing resumed with a three lap shootout to the checkers. Monday pressured Strelka was the Freedom driver was up for the challenge and picked up the win. Trailing Strelka at the checkers were Monday, Van Oudenhoven, Schultz and Jesse Oudenhoven.
“Out of nowhere my spotter said Andy (Monday) was coming hard so I had to get moving,” Strelka said in victory lane. “I didn’t want to see that late caution but we were strong enough to pull away from Andy. He was fast. We’re starting out the season real good though.”
At the finish 12 of the original 20 cars that started the main were running at the end.
Two Rivers’ Brett Wenzel took command of the late early in the late model main and cruised to victory. Bryan Monday fought off a pack of cars to take second with Braison Bennett, Nathan Van Wychen and Oshkosh’s Brian Randerson rounding out the top five. Randerson nipped last week’s winner Eddie Muenster for the spot after regaining it on the final circuit. “My Dad (Jerry Wenzel) has got this car setup so fast it’s running on rails,” Wenzel exclaimed in victory lane.
Hometown driver Ed Howard snatched the lead from Jeff Treml with four laps remaining and went on to capture the super stock feature.
Darboy’s Sawyer Effertz, with a sidelined super late model, jumped behind the wheel of one of Pete Berken’s WIR quarter-mile late models and won the first feature. The second main event was captured by Appleton’s Brandon Reichenberger.
Kylee Vandermoss captured the sport truck feature, which wasn’t without some excitement. Bobby Wautier, who was leading with three laps remaining got together with fast qualifier Sam Haven. Wautier went off on the hook while Haven was charged with the caution and sent to the tail of the field.
The Sizzlin’ 4 features were captured by Oshkosh’s Heather Wolfgram and Two Rivers Steve Van Oudenhoven.
Veteran Terry Van Roy of Darboy won the Figure 8 feature.
The super stock feature was red flagged with just a few laps in when Wayne Sonkowsky flipped the station wagon he team drives with last week’s feature winner Greg “Doogie” Hauser. Sonkowsky made contact with another racer and wound up parked on all fours in turn three. Sonkowsky was shaken up but otherwise ok. The car suffered some damage.
Next Thursday night June 6 Al Huss Auto/Valley Gasket will be the nightly sponsor. Big Wheel races for the kids will take place with the WIR ¼ late models in action. Racing gets underway at 6:30 p.m. You can check frrc.us for more information or follow the club’s Facebook page.
SUPER LATE MODEL FEATURE –Brent Strelka, Freedom; Andy Monday, Appleton; Jeff Van Oudenhoven, Appleton; Maxwell Schultz, Reedsville; Jesse Oudenhoven, Kaukauna; Casey Johnson, Edgerton; Michael Anthony, Appleton; Tim Springstroh, Freedom; Pete Vandermolen, Oshkosh; Alex Seidel, Appleton; Mickey Schallie, Darboy; Corey Manders, Hilbert; Alex Stumpf, Woodville; Lowell Bennett, Neenah; Randy Schuler, Mequon; Cory Kemkes, Appleton; Grant Griesbach, Pewaukee; Bobby Kendall, Montello; Taylor Vandermoss, Darboy; Kyle Calmes, Freedom
SEMI-FEATURE- Lowell Bennett; Tim Springstroh; Schallie; Schuler; Robby Younger, De Pere; Michael Hardtke, Kewaunee
HEATS 1) Lowell Bennett; Tim Springstroh 2) Stumpf; Kendall
DASH – Schultz
FAST TIME: Johnson, 19.209
LATE MODEL FEATURE- Brett Wenzel, Two Rivers; Bryan Monday, Appleton; Braison Bennett, Neenah; Nathan Van Wychen, Kaukauna; Brian Randerson, Oshkosh; Eddie Muenster, Green Bay; Reagan May, Oshkosh; Will Timmers, Kaukauna; Mike King, Appleton; Matthew Wittmann, Appleton; Tarra Springstroh, Waupun
HEAT – Wenzel; Timmers
DASH- King
FAST TIME- Bennett, 20.429
SUPER STOCK FEATURE – Ed Howard, Kaukauna; Jeff Treml, Greenleaf; Rachel Meyerhofer, Brillion; Dave Meyerhofer, Kaukauna; Peter Wilz, Menasha; Larry Raygo, Omro; Shane Krueger, Kaukauna; Trevor Howard, Kaukauna; Wayne Sonkowsky, Appleton
HEAT –Treml; Ed Howard
FAST TIME – Trevor Howard 15.782
SIZZLIN’ 4 FEATURE 1 – Heather Wolfgram, Oshkosh; Tyler Lind, Appleton; Rick Glaser, Appleton; Larry Belonger, New Holstein; Tom Schweitzer, Menasha
FEATURE 2 – Steve Van Oudenhoven, Two Rivers; Mitch Meyerhofer, Sherwood; Kurt Schweitzer, Menasha; Jordan Biese, Kaukauna; Emery Beattie, Little Chute
FAST TIME – Scott Wolf, Appleton 18.125
WIR ¼ MILE LATE MODEL FEATURE 1 – Sawyer Effertz, Darboy; Cory Kemkes, Appleton; Brandon Reichenberger, Appleton; Tom Spierowski, Neenah; Travis Willing, Appleton
FEATURE 2 – Reichenberger; Effertz; Willing; Spierowski; Kemkes
SPORT TRUCKS FEATURE – Kylee Vandermoss, Appleton; Taylor Rahn, De Pere; Kyle Quella, Appleton, Dom Sokolik, Fond Du Lac; Jason Van Handel, Appleton
HEATS 1) Mike Byrge, Fond Du Lac; Tanner Fickel, Neenah 2) Kyle Quella, Appleton; Dan Vixmer, Fond Du Lac
FAST TIME – Sam Haven, Boulder, Colorado 16.521
FIGURE 8 – Terry Van Roy, Darboy
