ATTENTION SPORTS/MOTORSPORTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“ROWDY OUDY” OUDENHOVEN CAPTURES FIRST WIR FEATURE FLAG OF ‘18
(PARITY ABOUNDS IN SUPER LATE MODELS WITH 7 WINNERS IN 7 WEEKS)
(KAUKAUNA, WI) July 5 – Hometown driver Jesse Oudenhoven fought off a late race charge by former track champion Jeff Van Oudenhoven and cruised to victory in the super late model feature at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna Thursday on Stockbridge Engineering/Joe Schneider Memorial Night.
Oudenhoven stormed into the lead from his front row position at the drop of the green and quickly built up a four car length lead over Sawyer Effertz and Taylor Vandermoss in the early laps. Fast qualifier Jeff Van Oudenhoven, who started 12th, quickly sliced his way through the field into fourth by lap ten.
A caution flew on lap 12 when the cars of Bobby Kendall and Casey Johnson tangled coming out of turn four onto the frontstretch. Johnson’s car slightly braised the inner wall. Both cars rejoined the field at the tail.
When racing resumed Effertz ducked underneath Oudenhoven to challenge for the lead while Van Oudenhoven wrestled third away from Vandermoss. The trio quickly broke away from the field to settle the score. The trio’s advantage was wiped out when Michael Anthony looped his mount coming out of turn four on lap 17, drawing another amber.
On the restart the top three remained the same with Van Oudenhoven motoring around Effertz for second on lap 20 and the multi-time track champion began applying the pressure to Oudenhoven. A Randy Schuler spin with 12 circuits remaining tightened the field one more time. Oudenhoven kept all challengers at bay for the balance of the contest and hung on for the win.
“When I saw Jeff (Van Oudenhoven) coming up on me on the restarts I thought man I’m just gonna be his next victim because he’s got what – five or six track championships here?” Oudenhoven exclaimed in victory lane. “It was unreal. The car was hooked up. It was almost like somebody else was driving it.”
Van Oudenhoven took second place at the checkers, followed by Effertz, Brent Strelka and Lowell Bennett. Oudenhoven became the seventh different feature winner in as many weeks in the division as the super late models have yet to see a repeat winner.
Appleton’s Bryan Monday slipped past Mike King for the lead with six laps to go and survived a late race caution and went on to win the late model feature, his first of the year here.
King hung on for second place money in his best run of the year. Neenah’s Braison Bennett, fast qualifier Jesse Bernhagen of Markesan and Green Bay’s Eddie Muenster placed third through fifth, respectively.
Brillion’s Rachel Meyerhofer stayed alive in the super stock points chase by leading every lap and winning the division’s feature. Meyerhofer fended off several challenges by Kaukauna’s Randy Theimer throughout the race and became the sixth different winner in the class this season.
Menasha’s Jason Plutz passed Kylee Vandermoss for the lead with three laps to go and went on to win his fourth sport truck feature of the year. Vandermoss settled for second at the line, followed by defending track champion Kyle Quella, Fast qualifier Dan Vixmer and Bobby Wautier.
Appleton’s Mike Klein scored a last lap, photo finish win, besting Neenah’s Ryan Kamba at the checkers by inches to claim his second Sizzlin’ 4 feature of the year. Kamba took second in his first appearance here this year. Brody Rivest, Mitchell Opsahl and Justin Fickel placed third through fifth, respectively.
Darboy’s Terry Van Roy captured the Figure 8 feature.
Next Thursday night, July 12 will feature the Vanderloop Equipment/Scott Vanderloop Memorial White Race. The WIR ¼ mile late models will also be in action. Racing gets underway at 6:45 p.m. You can check frrc.us for more information or follow the club’s Facebook page.
SUPER LATE MODEL FEATURE – Jesse Oudehoven, Kaukauna; Jeff Van Oudenhoven, Appleton; Sawyer Effertz, Darboy; Brent Strelka, Freedom; Lowell Bennett, Neenah; Maxwell Schultz, Reedsville; Grant Griesbach, Pewaukee; Casey Johnson, Edgerton; Andy Monday, Appleton; Kyle Calmes, Freedom; Bobby Kendall, Montello; Travis Dassow, West Bend; Taylor Vandermoss, Appleton; Mickey Schallie, Darboy; Pete Vandermolen, Oshkosh; Dalton Zehr, Menominee, MI; Michael Anthony, Appleton; Tim Springstroh, Freedom; Randy Schuler, Mequon; Cory Kemkes, Appleton
SEMI FEATURE – Zehr; Schuler; Springstroh; Kemkes; Brady Baldry, Omro; Cory Manders, Hilbert; Alex Seidl, Appleton; Trevor Vandermolen, Oshkosh; Taylor Haufschildt, De Pere; Michael Hardtke, Kewaunee; Brad Anthony, Suamico
HEATS 1) Kemkes; Haufschildt 2) Schuler; Springstroh 3) Oudenhoven; Bennett
DASH – Calmes
FAST TIME: Van Oudenhoven, 19.340
LATE MODEL FEATURE- Bryan Monday, Appleton; Mike King, Appleton; Braison Bennett, Neenah; Jesse Bernhagen, Markesan; Eddie Muenster, Green Bay; Travis Rodewald, Manitowoc; Mike Meyerhofer, Hilbert; Matt Wittman, Appleton; Will Timmers, Kaukauna; RD Yaeger, Appleton
HEAT 1) King; Brett Wenzel, Two Rivers
DASH- Kyle Bauknecht, Reedsville
FAST TIME: Bernhagen, 20.416
SUPER STOCK FEATURE – Rachel Meyerhofer, Brillion; Randy Theimer, Kaukauna; Dave Meyerhofer, Kaukauna; George Schwalbach, Menasha; Jeff Treml, Greenleaf
HEATS 1) Peter Wilz, Menasha; Larry Raygo, Omro 2) Evan Sannes, De Pere; Dave Meyerhofer
FAST TIME: Theimer, 15.978
SIZZLIN’ 4 FEATURE – Mike Klein, Appleton; Ryan Kamba, Neenah; Brody Rivest, Sheboygan; Mitch Meyerhofer, Kaukauna; Heather Wolfgram, Oshkosh
HEATS 1) Tyler Lind, Appleton; Dan Thomson, Neenah 2) Mitchell Opsahl, Freedom; Bob Voight, Appleton
FAST TIME – Klein, 17.850
SPORT TRUCKS FEATURE – Jason Plutz, Menasha; Kylee Vandermoss, Appleton; Kyle Quella, Appleton; Dan Vixmer, Fond Du Lac; Bobby Wautier, Denmark
HEATS 1) Cody Vanderloop, Appleton; Marty Sokolik, Fond Du Lac 2) Plutz; Quella
FAST TIME – Vixmer, 16.587
FIGURE 8 – Terry Van Roy, Darboy
