(KAUKAUNA, WI) – Freedom’s Brent Strelka snuck past Darboy’s Sawyer Effertz with ten laps remaining and cruised to victory in the “Red Race” at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna Thursday night.
With one circuit in the books a caution flew when opening night winner and defending track champion Casey Johnson checked up to avoid Chat Butz who checked up. Butz was charged with the yellow and when racing resumed polesitter Effertz regained his lead. With five laps in Andy Monday and Alex Stumpf broke through traffic and stuck to Effertz like glue. A few laps later Jesse Oudenhoven and fast qualifier Bobby Kendall joined the fray and a five car scrum ensured for the top spot.
Oudenhoven struck first, motoring around Stumpf for third on lap 10 and began pressuring Monday for second. The trio ran nose-to-tail for the next several laps, with Effertz thwarting off their challenges. At the event’s halfway point Kendall slipped underneath Oudenhoven to snatch third. One circuit later an amber flew when Randy Schuler looped his mount in turn four.
On the restart Monday wrestled the lead away from Effertz and Oudenhoven. Monday’s lead was short lived as a multi-car melee took place in turn three. The cars involved included Trevor Vandermolen, Corey Manders, Chad Butz, Jeff Van Oudenhoven, Curt Tillman and Mickey Schallie. After the debris was cleaned up racing resumed and Strelka muscled his way past Effertz for the lead on the restart. The Freedom racer kept Effertz and all other challengers at bay to capture the win. Effertz took second at the line, followed by Kendall, Johnson and Butz.For the second straight week the amount of carnage in the super late models was evident as just 10 of the 21 cars that started the 36 lap feature were running at the finish.
Appleton’s Bryan Monday grabbed the lead with five circuits remaining and went on to claim the late model feature. Trailing Monday at the checkers were Brian Henry, Eddie Muenster, last week’s winner Braison Bennett and polesitter Matthew Wittman, who led much of the early going.
Two Rivers’ Andy Casavante checked out around mid-race and cruised to victory in the super stock feature. Shane Krueger took second place money, followed by Jeff Treml, opening night winners Trevor Howard and Larry Raygo.
Former track champion Jason Plutz of Menasha made a triumphant return to WIR in the sport truck class. After setting fast timer earlier in the evening Plutz scored the division’s feature win on the quarter-mile. Trailing at the checkers were Bobby Wautier, Kylee Vandermoss, Jason Van Handel and Kasey Vanderloop.
In Sizzlin’ 4 action it was some true “sibling rivalry” as Ethan Beattie fended off his brother Emery Beattie at the checkers. Arianna Beattie placed third, followed by Faithorn, Michigan’s Elliot Reid and Scott Wolf.
In the season debut of the new “Rockin’ Roval” division Greenleaf’s Henry Neerdaels went down in the history books as winning the first ever feature race for the division, beating Drew Diedrick at the checkers.
Veteran Terry Van Roy from Darboy emerged triumphant in the Figure 8 feature.
Earlier in the evening the FRRC honored a pair of former late model track champions into their Ring of Honor – Appleton’s J.J. Smith and Green Bay native Scott Hansen.
SUPER LATE MODEL FEATURE – Brent Strelka, Freedom; Sawyer Effertz, Darboy; Bobby Kendall, Montello; Casey Johnson, Edgerton; Chad Butz, Green Bay; Alex Stumpf, Woodville; Andy Monday, Appleton; Jesse Oudenhoven, Kaukauna; Grant Griesbach, Pewaukee; Pete Vandermolen Jr., Oshkosh; Mickey Schallie, Darboy; Jeff Van Oudenhoven, Appleton; Lowell Bennett; Neenah; Cory Manders, Hilbert; Curt Tillman, Rockton, Il; Trevor Vandermolen, Oshkosh; Randy Schuler, Mequon; Mike Meyerhofer, Hilbert; Brady Baldry, Oshkosh; Andrew Morrisey, DeForest; Michael Anthony, Appleton; Eugene Gregorich Jr., Amherst (DNS); Tom Gee, Sobieski (DNS); Tim Springstroh, Freedom (DNS)
HEATS 1) Anthony; Meyerhofer 2) Bennett; Effertz
DASH – Monday
FAST TIME: Kendall, 19.099
LATE MODEL FEATURE- Bryan Monday, Appleton; Brian Henry, Omro; Eddie Muenster, Green Bay; Braison Bennett, Neenah; Matthew Wittman, Appleton; Mike King, Appleton; Chase Randerson, Oshkosh; Brandon Reichenberger, Appleton; Todd Verhagen, Freedom; Rachel Meyerhofer, Brillion; Joey Pontbriand, Norway, MI
HEAT – Muenster; Rachel Meyerhofer
DASH- King
FAST TIME- Reichenberger, 20.240
SUPER STOCK FEATURE – Andy Casavante, Two Rivers; Shane Krueger, Kaukauna; Jeff Treml, Greenleaf; Trevor Howard, Kaukauna; Larry Raygo, Omro
HEATS 1st: –Greg Hauser, Wrightstown; Tony Wilz, Menasha 2nd) Krueger, Kaukauna; Josh Mueller, Kaukauna
FAST TIME – Casavante, 15.607
SIZZLIN’ 4 FEATURE – Ethan Beattie, Little Chute; Emery Beattie, Little Chute; Arianna Beattie, Little Chute; Elliot Reid, Faithorn, MI; Scott Wolf, Appleton
HEATS 1) Emery Beattie; Mitchell Opsahl, Freedom 2) Larry Belonger, Appleton; Jerry Konrad, AppletonFAST TIME – Reid, 17.898
SPORT TRUCKS FEATURE – Jason Plutz, Menasha; Bobby Wautier, Denmark; Kylee Vandermoss, Appleton; Jason Van Handel, Freedom; Kasey Vanderloop, Freedom
HEATS 1) Taylor Rahn, De Pere; Mark Sokolik, Fond Du Lac 2) Vandermoss; Jason Van Handel
FAST TIME – Plutz, 16.948
ROCKIN’ ROVAL FEATURE – Henry Neerdaels, Greenleaf; Drew Diedrick, Bucktown; John Kuh, Parts Unknown
FIGURE 8 – Terry Van Roy, Darboy
