 ESWEIN EDGES TOWARD WCS TITLE WITH COLUMBUS 151 SPEEDWAY VICTORY!
COLUMBUS, WI. (August 15, 2004) - From the time
the green flag fell, to the checkered flag dropped, competitors in the Spring Fling 100,
were chasing current Wisconsin Challenge Series point leader Mark Eswein. As close
as they got, was his rear bumper after a late race caution, when the day's fastest
qualifier Charlie Menard had a last opportunity to steal the victory. However,
Eswein was able to keep Menard in his tire tracks for a three lap dash to the checkered
and score his first WCS victory of the 2004 season. The victory allowed Eswein to increase
his point lead over nearest rival Adam Royle of Farmington, MN, who has a trying day, and
would be credited with a 19th place showing.
Menard, who had already won two events this year, would
settle for second in the 100 lap contest, which was to have originally been held back in
May but rescheduled for today due to a rainout on the original date. In his four
appearances in 2004 Menard has place either first or second in the events he has
participated in. Though Menard has an extremely quick car though much of the
contest, the final laps of the race Menard had to also focus on a fast closing Terry
Baldry of Omro. Driving for Maynard Motorsports, Baldry's third place effort was a
strong showing for a team otherwise plagued by bad luck this season in their WCS efforts.
Eswein had qualified 11th on the day, starting on the the pole of
the 100 lap feature, as a result of the invert which was drawn at random by the fast
qualifier. Ironically the fast qualifier Menard, who turned in the only lap under
the 13 second, with a lap of 12.999 seconds would later contest for the victory in the
event.
When the green flag fell it was Eswein jumping to the initial
lead with local favorite and former Columbus 151 Speedway champion Andy Tomlinson placing
himself in the second spot on lap two. Outside front row starter Brian Johnson Jr.,
stuck in a challenging outside groove slowly drifted back in the field as it became
apparent that the inside lane was the fast route around the tight quarter-mile oval.
Jim Sauter Jr., Chris Weinkauf and Baldry would all take advantage of the low line
to advance into the top five positions by lap six.
Out front Eswein was building a small advantage on Tomlinson who
was being pressured heavily by Sauter Jr., for the runner-up spot. The first of
three slowdowns in the contest occurred on lap ten when Brian Johnson Jr., spun in turn
two on lap 10 as a result of a flat tire. By this time Menard had already worked his way
up to the sixth position after starting in the 11th slot.
The race resumed for a quick four lap sprint until the second
yellow appeared for a spin by Tomlinson on lap 14, dropping the local hotshoe to the tail
of the field.
This reset the running order in the top five with Eswein leading
followed by Sauter Jr., Weinkauf, Menard and Baldry in the top five spots.
Underway again Eswein went back to work fending off the
challenges of Sauter Jr., before beginning to pull away. While the lead duo would
separate themselves from those behind, the battle for third was hotly contested between
Weinkauf, Menard and Baldry. Menard managed to work in the high groove of the
racetrack and pull alongside Weinkauf on lap 30, before pulling ahead to secure the third
spot. Baldry would also jump to the outside, passing Weinkauf in a similar fashion
to claim the fourth position.
Out front Eswein and Sauter began to catch lapped traffic as the
first cars began to fall a lap down to Eswein's pace on lap 38. Eswein would extend his
lead to a dozen car lengths over the next few laps, as Sauter Jr., soon would have to
defend his second position from a hard charging Menard.
Menard would reach the second spot on lap 48, as he worked the
outside lane to take the position from Sauter Jr., by now however Eswein had pulled away
to a full straightaway lead, and was successfully working lapped traffic maintaining the
distance on those behind him.
Like Menard, Baldry was having a fair amount of success passing
in the outside line and he used the tricky groove to pass Sauter Jr., for the third spot
on lap 58.
Eswein's large lead would come to and end on lap 75, as Jeff
Weinfurter and Adam Royle tangled on the backstretch forcing the third caution of the
event.. Both would resume the contest, but from the tail of the field.
For the restart Eswein had a cushion of three lapped cars between
himself and second running Menard for the drop of the green flag. Eswein sprinted
away from the field in an attempt to reestablish his lead, while Menard quickly disposed
of lapped traffic with Baldry in tow, with both drivers clearing lapped cars with 20 laps
to go.
Menard closed the gap on Eswein down to six car lengths, but that
was as close as Menard could get as the laps quickly passed. Eswein again began to
work lapped cars with a dozen laps to go, but appeared to be in position to take a
comfortable victory when the final caution of the day flew with just three laps to go in
the event.
Jason Schuler, who won in his only pervious WCS start earlier in
the year at Jefferson Speedway, was tagged by a lapped car and spun while running in
seventh place.
By WCS rules, when a yellow flag appears in the final ten laps,
the lapped cars are placed behind the lead lap machines to allow those drivers to contest
the front running spots without lapped traffic to slow them. This placed the top
nine cars nose to tail for the restart.
When the green flag returned Eswein got a good jump on Menard,
who now had his hands full with Baldry who was attempting to advance. For the final
circuits, everyone was able to maintain their position in the lead group, and Eswein
reached the finish line two car lengths ahead of Menard. Baldry's last lap attempt
to take second from Menard fell just a half car length short. Sauter Jr., scored his
best career WCS finish taking fourth and Weinkauf completed the top five.
Kenny Richards, drove a smooth race and earned a sixth place
showing, Pete Moore would finish seventh while Schuler would recover from his spin to take
eighth. Don "Thunder" Turner would be recorded as the final car on the lead lap
taking ninth spot. Turner's efforts were commendable as he needed to borrow a car to
make the race today as his own machine developed mechanical problems at Dells Motor
Speedway last evening. Completing the top ten was Jason Weinkauf, the first car down
a lap to Eswein.
The Wisconsin Challenge Series now heads to Dells Motor Speedway,
for a makeup event. The 11th Annual North American Cup 100, which was to have been
run July 3rd, has been rescheduled for Saturday evening August 28th. The 2004
Wisconsin Challenge Series season will conclude at Marshfield Super Speedway on Saturday
Night, September 11th.
Information on the Wisconsin Challenge
Series can be found at www.wisconsinchallenge.com
For
complete RACESTAT Computer Results Click Here
The Spring Fling 100 -
Results
Columbus 151 Speedway - August 15, 2004
100 Lap Feature: 1.)
Mark Eswein, Wisconsin Rapids; 2.) Charlie Menard, Eau Claire; 3.) Terry Baldry, Omro; 4.)
Jim Sauter Jr., Tomah; 5.) Chris Weinkauf, Merrill; 6.) Kenny Richards, Montello; 7.) Pete
Moore, McFarland; 8.) Jason Schuler, Cambridge; 9.) Don Turner, LaCrosse; 10.) Jeff
Weinfurter, Wisconsin Rapids; 11.) Jason Weinkauf, Merrill; 12.) Ken Reiser, Waukon, IA;
13.) Terry Van Roy, Darboy; 14.) Dean Schultz, Juneau; 15.) M.G. Gajewski, Wausau;
16.) Kurt Guralski, Wausau; 17.) Andy Tomlinson, Poynette; 18.) Aaron Falbe, Beaver Dam;
19.) Adam Royle, Farmington, MN; 20.) Dean Lapointe, Marshfield; 21.) Jeremy Lepak,
Wausau; 22.) Brian Johnson Jr., Roscoe, IL; 23.) Rocky Breezer, Poynette
First 30 Lap Qualifier: 1.)
Weinfurter; 2.) Schultz; 3.) J. Weinkauf; 4.) Scott Broughton, Stoughton; 5.) John
Zimmermann, Markesan; 6.) Rich Schumann Jr., Portage; 7.) Aaron Wilke, Waterloo; 8.) Kurt
Clapper, Oregon
Second 30 Lap Qualifier: 1.)
Breezer; 2.) Gajewski; 3.) Guralski; 4.) Lapointe; 5.) Brandon Selle, Dale; 6.) Jeff
Falbe, Beaver Dam; 7.) John Totzke Jr., Wisconsin Rapids; 8.) Steve Dobbratz, Rio |
