 MENARD SURVIVES CHALLENGES AND WEATHER TO CAPTURE SANDS WCS MEMORIAL 100!
PLOVER, WI. (May 31, 2004) -- While it was the tenacious staff of the Golden Sands Speedway which
defeated Mother Nature by completing the scheduled Memorial 100 Wisconsin Challenge Series
event, it was Charlie Menard who came out on top of a torrid late race battle to capture
the victory in the 100 lap main event.
In the closing laps of a hard fought feature, four drivers,
including Charlie Menard, defending Golden Sands Speedway Champion Mark Eswein, ASA Late
Model pilot Ryan Mathews and WCS hotshoe Adam Royle diced for supremacy in the seasons
second Wisconsin Challenge Series event.
With a handful of laps remaining Menard would muscle past Eswein
for the lead and then fend off the challenges of Menard for the victory. Until the
closing laps Eswein appeared headed for the win after pulling off a daring three wide pass
to slip past both race leader Ryan Mathews and Menard, only to see Menard rally in the
closing laps and eventually take the final lead of the contest. In the end, the top
four cars crossed the finish line nearly pack style Menard's victory, also ended
Jeff Weinfurter's stranglehold on WCS victories at Golden Sands. Weinfurter had won three
straight WCS events at the facility, and the last victor other than Weinfurter was Nathan
Haseleu who won a contest back in may of 2002.
Photo Highlights |
|
Charlie Menard (#17) has been
an occasional competitior in WCS competition and has run very well at each showing.
Today he put it all together and came away with a victory in the Golden Sands
Memorial 100.
Charlie Menard (center) celebrates with the top three finishers.
To his left is runner-up Mark Eswein and to his right is third place finisher Ryan
Mathews.
The closing laps of the Memorial 100 saw a hard foguht battle for
the win between Ryan Mathews (#21), Mark Eswein (#71), Charlie Menard (#17) and Adam Royle
(#89).
Defending track champion Mark Eswein pace the race in the closing
stages, but was passed during the final laps by Charlie Menard (#17) who would secure the
victory.
Don "Thunder" Turner (#7) recorded his second straight
WCS top 5 finish, and in doing so assumed the point lead in the series, he's shown passing
Dean Cornelius (#9) who was making his WCS debuet for position near the mid portion of the
Memorial 100.
Jeremy Lepak (#40) charged into the lead of the main event, and
pulled away from the field, only to encounter mechanical difficulties while leading the
race.
Dean Cornelius (#9) made his WCS debut and turned in an impressive
showing, leading the Memorial 100 early.
Adam Royle (#89) had a strong showing, winning his qualifying
race, and then charging from deep in the field to finish fourth in the feature contest.
Veteran racer Tony Strupp (#12) gives chase in the first
qualifier, but Adam Royle would hold onto nthe lead and qwin the contest.
Terry Baldry (#96) secured a victory in the second qualifying
race. The multi-time track champion for Wisconsin International Raceway would later
post an 11th place showing in the main event.
Fast qualifier Rory Melbinger (#88) particiapted
in opening ceremonies after outrunning some 51 cars during qualifying.i
Chris Grimes (#11) had the distinction of becoming the first ever
car in WCS competition to roll onto his roof. Grimes was unhurt in the incident and
he was unhurt. |
|
|
The day started with a near WCS record field of 51
competitors signing into the event on the high-banked third-mile oval, establishing a new
track record for a Super Late Model field.
While making the show would be a challenge, the weather proved to
be one of the biggest factors early on in the program. In fact, the show was halted
twice by rain. Once with nine laps remaining in the first qualifying race which
would lead to a hour long track drying session before Adam Royle would score the victory.
The second 30 lap qualifier was captured by multi-time Wisconsin International
Raceway title holder Terry Baldry.
A second downpour then hit the track shortening the Wisconsin
Sport Truck main event four laps due to wet conditions, leading to another 45
minute delay to dry the track. The skies then cleared and the program concluded
unhindered by the weather.
In fact the sun shined brightly as the starting grid of 23 cars
accepted the green flag. Minnesota native, Dean Cornelius, making his first WCS start
outgunned 30 year veteran racer Don "Thunder" Turner at the start of the main
event to take the initial lead.
Turner, would turn over the second position to local racer Jeremy
Lepak, who had already won two weekly feature races at Golden Sands Speedway this season
before the completion of the tenth circuit.
Cornelius had created a small cushion, which Lepak erased over
the next couple laps. Working the bottom of the track Lepak drove by Cornelius for
the lead on lap 12 of the contest and slowly pulled away from the field.
Ken Reiser, the all-time WCS point leader began to make his
presence felt near the front of the field reaching third by the 20 lap mark. Reiser would
challenge Cornelius for second before the pair made brief contact on lap 28, forcing
Reiser to the high groove where he would lose several positions, and allowing Mathews to
climb into the third position. Charlie Menard followed into fourth on the next lap.
Meanwhile out front Lepak was turning in a dominating performance
stretching his lead to a dozen car lengths.
Cornelius would surrender the second spot on lap 33 to Mathews,
who would slowly nibble away at Lepak's lead moving to within six car lengths as the
leader encountered lapped traffic. Moments later Menard would advance to the third slot.
The lead trio of Lepak, Mathews and Menard has separated
themselves from the field and were working lapped traffic when the first of two cautions
appeared when Todd Stapleman got turned around after 64 laps of green flag racing while
running in the fifth spot.
The dominating performance of Lepak's would come to an end under
caution as his ride developed ignition trouble forcing him to fall from the contest,
turning the lead over to Mathews.
Mathews, Menard, Eswein, Turner and Royle would bring the field
back to the green flag. Royle would slip past Turner before the second and final
caution appeared with 34 laps to go when Troy Nelson got off the track in turn three.
Royle's charge to the front of the pack was especially impressive as he had started
in the ninth row after winning his qualifying race.
Mathews would have his hands full as the race resumed as both
Menard and Eswein sought a way to advance. Royle meanwhile would made the battle for
the lead a quartet closing in on the lead trio.
On lap 71, Eswein drove to the bottom of the track and slipped
past Menard for the second spot before applying the pressure to Mathews for the lead.
Mathews fought hard to retain the lead using the low groove
around the track with Eswein in tow. This allowed Menard to work the high line
making for the three car battle for the top spot.
On lap 88, Menard shot to the outside of Mathews in an attempt to
take the lead. At the same moment Eswein shot to the bottom of the raceway and
executed a three wide pass to secure the lead position.
Menard would complete his pass of Mathews for second with seven
circuits remaining and the then reeled in Eswein as the race quickly neared it's
conclusion. Menard began to work over Eswein searching for a way to the front.
With just five laps remaining Menard and Eswein briefly made
contact allowing Menard to scoot into the lead. Eswein was able to regain his
momentum to resume the battle in second.
Over the final laps Eswein would stalk Menard, but was unable to
find a way back to the front. Menard would take the checkered less than a car length
ahead of Eswein. Mathews finished solidly in third place his best performance in WCS
competition. Royle finished the lead freight train in fourth. Turner would
nail down his second consecutive top 5 WCS finish by rounding out the top five.
Jason Weinkauf, who completed rebuilding his car at 5:00 a.m.,
this morning after severely damaging his car at another raceway this past Saturday evening
finished sixth, just ahead of his broth Chris would earned the seventh spot. 2004
series point runner-up Jeff Kendall earned a eighth place finish, while Reiser and Brian
Johnson Jr., completed the top 10 runners.
The series now heads to Jefferson Speedway for it's first ever
appearance at the south central Wisconsin bullring. The semi-banked quarter-mile
oval was recently repaved and the new surface has created new track qualifying marks in
many of it's weekly classes.
It is expected, that the WCS Super Late Models will eclipse the
all-time track record set back in the early 1990's, when they appear on Sunday Afternoon
June 6th.
The main event will be the First Supply 100 presented by The Bold
Look of Kohler. The 100 lap contest will feature up to 23 starters.
Again the twin 30 lap qualifying races will prove critical
in setting the balance of the field after the fastest 16 qualifiers automatically make the
show.
Pit gates will open at 9:30 a.m., with practice set to begin at
10:00 a.m. Qualifying will begin at 12:30 p.m., and the first green flag of the day
will fly at 2:00 p.m. All totaled fans can expect to witness nearly 300 laps of
racing throughout the course of the day. Adult admission for the show is a fan friendly $12.
For racers the show is a cost cutting two-new tire program.
The left front tire must be a used marked and branded Hoosier 3035,
available from over a half-dozen area tracks as well as WCS series competition.
The car must also have one other marked and branded used tire that must have
been used previously in WCS competition. This cost cutting effort has saved
racers thousands of dollars each season in WCS competition making participation in a WCS
event an affordable proposition for Super Late Model competitors.
In addition to the WCS Super Late Models, show will feature a
complete program of Jefferson Speedway Sportsman, Hobby Stock and Bandit racing.
Jefferson Speedway is located on halfway
between Cambridge and Jefferson Wisconsin on Highway 18. For additional information
on Jefferson Speedway the track has a website available at www.jeffersonspeedway.com
Information on the Wisconsin Challenge
Series can be found at www.wisconsinchallenge.com
For
complete RACESTAT Computer Results Click Here
Memorial 100 - Results
Jefferson Speedway - May 31, 2004
100 Lap Feature: 1.)
Charlie Menard, Eau Claire; 2.) Mark Eswein, Wisconsin Rapids; 3.) Ryan Mathews, Lake
Geneva; 4.) Adam Royle, Farmington, MN; 5.) Don Turner, LaCrosse; 6.) Chris Weinkauf,
Merrill; 7.) Jason Weinkauf, Merrill; 8.) Jeff Kendall, Montello; 9.) Ken Reiser, Waukon,
IA; 10.) Brian Johnson Jr., Loves Park, IL; 11.) Terry Baldry, Omro; 12.) Todd Stapleman,
Wautoma; 13.) M.G. Gajewski, Wausau; 14.) Rory Melbinger, Marshfield; 15.) Dean Cornelius,
Chaska, MN; 16.) Dean Lapointe, Marshfield; 17.) Tony Strupp, West Band; 18.) Mark
Mackesy, Wausau; 19.) Terry Van Roy, Darboy; 20.) Jeremy Lepak, Wausau; 21.) Troy Nelson,
Antigo; 22.) Jeff Weinfurter, Wisconsin Rapids; 23.) Kenny Richards, Montello
First 30 Lap Qualifier: 1.)
Royle; 2.) Strupp; 3.) Gajewski; 4.) Weinfurter; 5.) Jeff Van Oudenhoven, Kimberly; 6.)
Brandon Selle, Dale; 7.) Greg Weinfurter, Wisconsin Rapids; 8.) Andy Tomlinson,
Pardeeville; 9.) Scott Broughton, Stoughton; 10.) Dean Schultz, Juneau
Second 30 Lap Qualifier: 1.)
Baldry; 2.) Mackesy; 3.) Lapointe; 4.) Jesse Haase, Wausau; 5.) Joe Krzykowski, Junction
City; 6.) Rocky Breezer, Portage; 7.) Jim Carlson, LaCrosse; 8.) Jim Sauter Jr., Necedah;
9.) Steve Gress, Vesper; 10.) Jeff Steenbergen, Waupaun |
