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HASELEU HOLDS
OFF RICHARDS, ESWEIN AND REISER FOR
SANDS 100 VICTORY!
PLOVER, WI. (July 29, 2006)
- There has been one constant at Golden
Sands Speedway with the Wisconsin
Challenge Series presented by Simply WOW
comes to town. Hot weather, and
even hotter racing.
On a warm and humid evening, Nathan
Haseleu of Marshall would turn back the
challenges of some of the Midwest's
finest competitors in Super Late Model
action on the high-banked third mile
oval. As the laps wound down for a
15 lap sprint to the finish after a late
checkered Haseleu would have to turn
back the challenges of current series
point leader Kenny Richards of Montello,
multi-time track champion Mark Eswein of
Wisconsin Rapids and former Dells Motor
Speedway champion Ken Reiser of Waukon,
IA.
Over the final laps it would be a duel
for victory between Haseleu and Richards
with Eswein waiting for a mistake.
The mistake never happened and Haseleu
would reach the checkered by less than a
fender length to collect his seventh
career WCS victory and thrust himself
back into the title chase.
Golden Sands Speedway
regular Brandon Selle and multi-time
Marshfield Speedway champion Rory
Melbinger would bring the high speed
ballet up to speed as the 100 lap
feature began. Selle, working the
low groove would nose ahead with
Melbinger hanging to his high side.
The pair were dueling for the top spot
when the first caution of the contest
appeared on lap three for a quick spin.
Racing resumed quickly and Selle went
back to setting the pace with Melbinger
and Frank Nitzke and Haseleu in tow.
Selle would move away
slightly from the pack as Melbinger and
Nitzke began to contest the runner-up
spot. Melbinger would drift high
on lap six allowing Nitzke to rumble
past. Stuck in the outer groove
Melbinger would give up several
positions before working back to the
inside line giving third to Haseleu.
Steve Holzhausen also surpassed
Melbinger before lap ten.
Out front Selle kept
Nitzke in in tire tracks with Haseleu
closing ground on the lead duo.
Lapped traffic would come into play by
the time lap 25 was reached and Nitzke
quickly reeled in Selle.
The lead trio of Selle,
Nitzke and Haseleu sliced their way
through lapped traffic while contesting
the lead spots. Nitzke would find room
under Selle on lap 28 to made a decisive
maneuver for the lead. Selle's
pace began to slow a bit by lap 30
allowing Haseleu to close the gap
quickly. Once out front Nitzke
quickly passed lapped cars in the high
groove to extend his lead.
Selle meanwhile was
unable to hold back Haseleu who would
take over the second spot on lap 37 as
he motored past on the outside.
Holzhausen would follow Haseleu into the
third spot as Selle settled back into
the fourth position.
Haseleu's run to the
front was halted by Nitzke who would
stay in the high line to stay in the
lead position giving Haseleu the lower
groove. At lap 50 the complexion
of the event would change as the caution
appeared after Dennis Prunty went
spinning after contact with Jeff
Kendall, with both driver's restarting
the contest from the tail of the field.
Under the caution Selle
would experience mechanical problems and
come to a halt ending his fine run. This
would leave Nitzke, Haseleu, Holzhausen,
with Richards and Eswein making up the
top five.
When the green flag
returned Haseleu was quick to pounce,
again darting under Nitzke who opted to
stay in the higher groove. The
pair would run wheel to wheel around the
high banked oval lap after laps as
Haseleu slowly gained the upper hand.
Haseleu would officially be shown as
leading as of lap 52.
Nitzke's efforts would
be hampered however as his can began to
experience mechanical problems prior to
the next caution for a spin by Frank
Kreyer on lap 55. When the green
flag flew this time Haseleu was able to
motor away from Nitzke who was unable to
keep up his former pace, it was later
found his car was running on seven
cylinders. Holzhausen, Richards and
Eswein were next to threaten Nitzke for
the runner-up spot.
Further back Ken Reiser
also began to use the outside line and
it worked for him as he was able to
slingshot past several cars on lap 60 to
reach the third spot with a bold move
past Richards, Eswein and Holzhausen.
Richards was able to rally and found a
way to repass Reiser on lap 72 for the
third spot. On the next lap
Richards would catch Nitzke and work
into second as Nitzke's pace began to
slow further. A wiggle by Nitzke
on the next lap allowed Reiser to work
by into third.
The laps would pass
quickly and the event appeared to be
heading for a green flag finish.
The lead group of cars consisting
of Haseleu, Richards, Reiser and Eswein
began to group up as the top four all
closed in on one another. Each driver
sought to move forward awaiting a
mistake.
The lead group would
again face lapped traffic expertly
working though the back markers.
The torrid battle would get a brief
respite with 15 laps to go in the
contest. A spin by Adam Royle with
15 laps to go would setup a sprint to
the finish.
On the restart Haseleu
went back to the bottom line with
Richards in two. Reiser and Eswein
were also in position to advance as the
green flag returned. Reiser was
first to make his move darting to the
high line. It appeared Reiser
would have the momentum to work past
Richards, but Richards also chose the
higher groove as he sought a way past
Haseleu. This gave Eswein an
opportunity to make a move on Reiser and
he was able to successfully grab third
with 12 laps to go in the contest.
For the final 12 laps
Haseleu and Richards would dart back and
forth, with Haseleu trying to hold the
lead and Richards seeking a way past in
the outer groove. Eswein meanwhile
awaited a miscue and an opportunity to
steal the win. The mistake would
never happen, and though Richards did
manage to move alongside Haseleu on
several occasional, Haseleu had just
enough speed to reach the finish line
first. Richards would settle for
second and Eswein would finish third.
Reiser's efforts would net a fourth
place run with Nitzke clinging onto a
top five finishing position.
Holzhausen would settle
forth sixth, John Zimmerman seventh as
Dave Feiler, Dean Cornelius and Jeff
Kendall would complete the top ten
runners.
The evening would
conclude with a wild B-feature contest.
Fluid which dropped onto the raceway
near the closing stages of the contest
would result in the event being called
short of it's scheduled distance.
Blake Horstman was
awarded the win over Jack Humphrey and
Andy Monday. Terry Patnode and
Chris Weinkauf completed the top five
finishers.
Earlier in the program,
twin 30 lap qualifying races were held.
Dennis Prunty would fend off Kyle Kinder
for the win in the first contest with
Todd Stapleman making a last lap pass
for the final transfer spot.
Elliott Weiler and Benjamin Brinkman
would just miss the show comprising the
top five.
Jeremy Lepak would be a
run away winner in the second contest
leaving the field well behind.
Keith Bohmsach and Burton Brown would
finish second and third taking the final
transfer spots. Tim Hintz and Terry
Patnode would just miss the show.
Four events remain on
the 2006 Wisconsin Challenge Series
schedule with the next event being the
Blue Race at Wisconsin International
Raceway on Saturday Night August 19th.
The format for the program will have
twin 50 lap feature contest and will
mark the first time a Twin 50 lap
program has been run in the history of
the Wisconsin Challenge Series presented
by Simply WOW. The race will also
mark the first time the WCS Series has
sanctioned an event which is part of the
prestigious Red, White and Blue State
Championships, the traditional three
race series held at Wisconsin
International Raceway.
The outcome of the Blue
race will determine the champion in the
Red, White and Blue State Championship
and the combination of WCS and the Red,
White and Blue should assure a strong
field of cars for the program.
Qualifying races and the
popular B-Feature will also be a part of
the show.
In addition to the WCS
Super Late Models, the Mid-American
Stock Car Series will also be on hand
for the contest. The day will
conclude with a wild Figure Eight
contest. Qualifying will begin at
5:00 p.m. with the green flag falling on
the first race of the evening at 7:00
p.m.
More information and a complete
season schedule for the Wisconsin
Challenge Series can be found at
www.wisconsinchallenge.com
COMPLETE RACESTAT RESULTS
SANDS 100 - Golden Sands Speedway - July
28, 2006
100 Lap
Feature: -- 1.) Nathan
Haseleu, Marshall; 2.) Kenny Richards,
Montello; 3.) Mark Eswein,
Wisconsin Rapids; 4.) Ken Reiser,
Waukon, IA; 5.) Frank Nitzke, Berlin;
6.) Steve Holzhausen, Bangor; 7.) John
Zimmerman, Markesan; 8.) Dave Feiler,
Sun Prairie; 9.) Dean Cornelius, Chaska,
MN; 10.) Jeff Kendall, Montello; 11.)
Todd Stapleman, Wautoma; 12.) Neil
Knoblock, Wausau; 13.) Burton Brown,
Dale; 14.) Adam Royle, Farmington, MN;
15.) Rory Melbinger, Marshfield; 16.)
Jason Weinkauf, Merrill; 17.) Keith
Bohmsach, Wisconsin Rapids; 18.) Dennis
Prunty, Lomira; 19.) Don Turner,
LaCrosse; 20.) Frank Kreyer,
Pardeeville; 21.) Jeremy Lepak, Wausau;
22.) Brandon Selle, Dale; 23.) Kyle
Kinder, McFarland; 24.) Eugene Gregorich
Jr., Kewaunee
First 30 Lap
Qualifier -- 1.)
Prunty; 2.) Kinder; 3.) Stapleman; 4.)
Elliott Weiler, Marshfield; 5.) Benjamin
Brinkman, Oshkosh; 6.) Blake Horstman,
Rockland; 7.) Ben Pettis, Eau Claire;
8.) Andy Monday, Appleton; 9.) Gregg
Ruffalo, Wautoma; 10.) Joe Krzykowski,
Junction City
Second 30 Lap
Qualifier -- 1.)
Lepak; 2.) Bohmsach; 3.) Brown; 4.) Tim
Hintz, Nekoosa; 5.) Terry Patnode, Oak
Creek; 6.) Jake Humphrey, Lake Geneva;
7.) Tommy Pecaro, Edgerton; 8.) Chris
Weinkauf, Merrill; 9.) Jeff Way,
Burlington; 10.) Eric Klawitter,
Montello
30 Lap
B-Feature: 1.) Horstman; 2.)
Humphrey; 3.) Monday; 4.) Patnode; 5.)
C. Weinkauf; 6.) Jim Carlson, LaCrosse;
7.) Klawitter; 8.) Mark Mackesy, Wausau;
9.) Ruffalo; 10.) Brad Dahmer, Sheboygan
Falls
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