JEFF WEINFURTER SHADES GARY BACK FOR
VICTORY PLOVER, WI. (August 11, 2002) -- In a scene reminiscent of the Memorial 75 held at Marshfield Super Speedway back in late May, Jeff Weinfurter of Wisconsin Rapids and Gary Back of Vesper found the veteran drivers in a late race shoot-out for the win. While Back would take the victory at Marshfield, it was Weinfurter a mete half car length ahead at the line here at Golden Sands. The victory is arguably among the biggest of Weinfurter's 12 year racing career. Both drivers, having scored championships in Central Wisconsin raced on a ragged edge for the victory in the closing laps on what proved to be a tricky racing surface that resulted in several spins.
Run under very warm conditions, a field of 38 cars timed in for the contest. It was Back, earning his second consecutive fast qualifying effort in WCS action at Golden Sands turning an impressive lap of 11.940 seconds around the high-banked third mile oval. Overall Back has recorded three fast qualifying efforts on the year and in setting the pace today Back locked up the Five-Star Stock Car Bodies Timestopper Cup award for the 2002 season. Nathan Haseleu winner of the WCS Ice Breaker 75 earlier this summer at Golden Sands times second quick, followed by WCS point leader Ken Reiser. A field of 22 card thundered to the opening green flag, after Chris Bires was forced from the contest before the race began with a broken wheel after earning his way into the show through a qualifier. Troy Nelson got a great start at the drop of the green motoring ahead of Clint Sillars for the initial lead. Sillars fell back on the outside allowing Jason Weinkauf to claim second by the second lap and Weinfurter was quickly moving forward taking third from Sillars on the next round. The first caution appeared when M.G. Gajewski was dropping fluid and the field was slowed to send him to the pits to check on his car. The race resumed with Nelson, Weinfurter, Jason Weinkauf, Jeremy Lepak and Sillars in the top five. Weinfurter was able to duck to the inside of Nelson in turn two on lap six to take the top position. A spot he would not relinquish for the remainder of the race despite several challengers. Nelson held fast to second as Lepak and Jason Weinkauf ran wheel to wheel for the third position. Lepak and Weinkauf bumped on lap 12 with both slowing to regain control of their cars. Lepak came out with the third spot, but Haseleu, had sliced toward the front and got alongside Lepak to challenge for third. The battle would end on lap 15, when Haseleu spun. With the green waving it was Weinfurter, Nelson, Lepak out front with Brandon Selle who was having an excellent race maneuvering into fourth. Lepak would surpass Nelson for second on lap 20 and he set out after Weinfurter for the lead. Nelson meanwhile continued to have his hands full was Selle who pulled off a clean pass on lap 22 to take third. Selle, having perhaps one of the best runs of his young career would succumb to mechanical problems shortly after attaining third. His car began to smoke and after several laps a caution was thrown to investigate the cause. Selle's run would end on lap 33 as he headed to the pits after it was determined his car was indeed dropping fluid. The caution erased the dozen car length lead Weinfurter had built on Lepak and the shakeup saw Allen Check in the third spot followed by Nelson and Jason Weinkauf in the top five. Back, the fast qualifier found himself in sixth. Sillars after a strong showing encountered some handling problems and a pair of spins and a couple cautions later he retired from the event with 37 laps remaining in the race. When the green returned the action up front really heated up between Weinfurter, Lepak and Check. While Weinfurter set the pace, Lepak found himself having to fend off the challenges of Check who was determined to find a way into second. That battle was interrupted however by a Jim Carlson on lap 45. The battle between Lepak and Check was just heating up again when Justin Hurt spun in almost the exact location as Carlson on lap 50. Weinfurter again was the man to catch under racing conditions and he seemed to be able to hold the field at bay. Lepak and Check again resumed their battle for second and were putting on a show for the fans when Jason Weinkauf, running in the top five overheated spilling water on the track with a mere 15 laps remaining. This set the field with Weinfurter as the leader with Check who had been inches ahead of Lepak when the caution flew running second while Lepak, Back and current Golden Sands Speedway point leader Mark Eswein held the top five spots. Back would prove to be the man on the move in the remaining distance. He motored to the outside of Lepak with ten laps to go and then rolled up alongside Check using the tricky outer groove to battle for second. Back had just completed the pass before the final caution flew when Chris Weinkauf sailed off the turn three embankment after a hard charge back into their top ten after pitting early in the race. This setup a sprint to the finish. Weinfurter would have his stiffest challenges of the day over the final eight laps as Back searched high and low for an opening. With two laps to go Back squeezed in alongside Weinfurter on the outside using his momentum in the outer groove to gain ground. The pair ran within inches of one another with Weinfurter ahead by a couple feet at the white flag The pair wheeled into three and four side by side and engaged in a drag race to the stripe. Weinfurter would reach the line first by a couple feet, with Back finishing a close second. Check held off a last lap passing attempt by Lepak to take third and participate in post race ceremonies. Lepak earned fourth ahead of Eswein in fifth. Reiser, qualifying race winner Kyle Kinder, Todd Stapleman, Nelson and Hirt made up the top ten finishers. In qualifying race action, M.G. Gajewski sped off to a win in the first 30 lap qualifier as he was chased to the line by Chris Bires and defending Golden Sands Speedway champion Burton Brown. Each earning transfer spots into the main event by finishing in the top three. Jim Carlson the fourth place finisher was lucky enough to have his name drawn from among the pre-entered cars giving him the lifeline lotto entry into the main event. Luke Westenberg made up the top five finishers in the race. In the second qualifier which went non-stop Kyle Kinder dominated the race, besting Rocky Breezer and Dave Gawronski. Joe Krzykowski and Pete Kempf finished fourth and fifth respectively rubbing fenders as the crossed the finish line. Based upon his strong feature finish, Lepak has climbed back atop the Wisconsin Challenge Series standings having tallied 643 markers with one event remaining. Reiser trails by just three points heading into the next event. Back closed the gap in the standings and currently ranks third with 629 markers. By virtue of his win Weinfurter had tied Check for fourth with 552 points. Defending series champion, Eswein lies sixth in the current standings with 501 markers. It should be noted however that the WCS title is based upon the best six performances, and both Check and Eswein will first be running their sixth event of the year if they compete in the season finale, while the other top point earners already have accumulated points in six shows which means to improve their total points the must beat their own worst finishes. The Wisconsin Challenge Series will conclude it's season for the season year at Dells Motor Speedway on Labor Day Afternoon, Monday, September 2nd. The outcome will be decided in the Wisconsin Challenge 100, a 100 lap feature contest which will have 22 cars taking the green flag. The feature field is set with the fastest 16 in qualifying, plus the top three finishers from each of the two 30 lap qualifying races. Pit gates will open at 10:30 a.m., with qualifying at 12:30 p.m. and racing set to take place at 2:00 p.m. In addition to the Wisconsin Challenge Series Late Models, the event will feature a Pure Stock point race for the Dells Motor Speedway entry level division, and the day will conclude with the final round of the Wisconsin 2-Man Cruiser Championships. Dells Motor Speedway is located just five minutes from the famous downtown Wisconsin Dells tourist area, three miles West of I-90/94, Exit 85, on Highway 12/16 toward Lyndon Station. You can contact the track by phone at (608) 254-7822 or reach them online at www.racingonline.com/dells Information on the Wisconsin Challenge Series is available online at www.wisconsinchallenge.com For complete RACESTAT Computer Results Click Here Legends of Yesterday
75 - Results 75 Lap Feature: 1.) Jeff Weinfurter, Wisconsin Rapids; 2.) Gary Back, Vesper; 3.) Allen Check, Shantytown; 4.) Jeremy Lepak, Wausau; 5.) Mark Eswein, Wisconsin Rapids; 6.) Ken Reiser, Waukon, IA; 7.) Kyle Kinder, McFarland; 8.) Todd Stapleman, Wautoma; 9.) Troy Nelson, Antigo; 10.) Justin Hirt, Tigerton; 11.) Rocky Breezer, Portage; 12.) Jim Carlson, LaCrosse; 13.) Burton Brown, Neenah; 14.) Doug Drost, Merrill; 15.) M.G. Gajewski, Wausau; 16.) Chris Weinkauf, Merrill; 17.) Mark Mackesy, Wausau; 18.) Jason Weinkauf, Merrill; 19.) Clint Sillars, Wausau; 20.) Brandon Selle, Dale; 21.) Dave Gawronski, Reedsburg; 22.) Nathan Haseleu, Marshall; 23.) Chris Bires, Mauston First 30 Lap Qualifier: 1.) Gajewski; 2.) Bires; 3.) Brown; 4.) Carlson; 5.) Luke Westenberg, Palmyra; 6.) John Totzke Jr., Wisconsin Rapids; 7.) Kelly Willman, Friendship; 8.) Wayne Cottrell, Wausau; 9.) Scott Bleeker, Jefferson; 10.) Chris Grimes, Green Bay Second 30 Lap Qualifier: 1.) Kinder; 2.) Breezer; 3.) Gawronski; 4.) Joe Krzykowski, Junction City; 5.) Pete Kempf, Nekoosa; 6.) Chad Barker, Caledonia; 7.) Mark Van, Wautoma; 8.) Wayne Mackesy, Wausau; 9.) Scott Volm, Mosinee; 10.) Paul Knoblock, Schofield |
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