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Tim Hintz and Brian Weinfurter Take First Career Features,
Track titles to Eswein, Plowman, Guralski and Robinson!
By Jeffrey Sachse |
September 9, 2005;
Plover, WI - The weekly racing season came to an end with two first time visitors to
victory lane, a couple new champions and a few competitors who kept a lock on the
championship crown by successfully defending their titles. In the Late Model
division Tim Hintz of Nekoosa, a rookie in the Super Late Model division, showed his
tenacity behind the wheel by coming out on top of a race long duel with Chris Weinkauf to
score his first career feature win in the class. It was Mark Eswein who finished
fourth in the main event and won the overall End of Season championship title, who would
also be crowned the season champion. Eswein has won four straight championships and
had earned two titles previous to that effort bringing his championship total on the high
banked third mile oval to six..
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Tim Hintz (#1) a former standout in the Super
Stock division, concluded his rookie season in Super Late Models with a trip to victory
lane after topping the feature contest this evening at Golden Sands Speedway.
Tim Hintz (#1) was able to withstand the
pressure of Chris Weinkauf (#75) and Brandon Selle (#98) to record his first career Super
Late Model feature win.
Jeff Weinfurter (#3) topped a full field on the Super Late Model semi-feature
event.
Things got stacked up early in the Super Late
Model semi-feature, as Pat Williams (#27), Brady Baldry (#7), Casey Chase (#16) and Scott
Beyer (#3) gather in turn one.
Allen Check (#20) ended his season with a fast qualifying effort in the Super Late
Models.
Mark Eswein (#71) earned his fourth straight
Super Late Model championship at Golden Sands Speedway. Overall Eswein has six
titles on the high banked third mile oval.
Brian Weinfurter (#24) notched his firs career
Super Stock feature win at Golden Sands Speedway.
Brian Weinfurter (#24) was stalked in the closing laps by Dave Neitzke (#06), but
managed to hold on for the win in the Super Stock feature race..
Wally Kallman (#77) turned in the fastest qualifying lap in the Super Stocks this
evening.
Tim Plowman (#80) successfully defended his Super Stock championship.
Troy Engman (#99) topped the Pure Stock feature
event this evening, making some brilliant moves early and then outrunning the field.
Brad Guralski (#16) made the right moves
throughout the season and recorded his first career championship topping the Pure Stock
class.
Dale Robinson put the icing on the cake with a feature win in the 4 cylinder class.
The victory put gave Robinson the 2005 division title. |
The Super Stocks would see another first time winner as
Brian Weinfurter would manage to fend off a hard charging Dave Neitzke late in the contest
to grab his first feature checkered in the class at Golden Sands Speedway. Neitzke's
second place finish in the main event also earned him the End of Season Championship title
and elevated him to second in the season standings behind defending division champion Tim
Plowman. Plowman successfully defended his title in the class clinching the
championship a week ago.
In Pure Stock action Troy Engman made some bold moves early in
the contest to collected the feature win. Brad Guralski finished third in the main
event this evening winning his first championship by a comfortable margin in a rapidly
growing class. In the entry level 4 cylinder division, Dale Robinson would edge out
14 year old Dallas Kralovetz who established a new track record this evening, for the
feature win. Robinson also captured his heat race earlier in the program and those
performances was enough to give him the season championship over former champion Mike
Oehmichen.
The season ending 50 lap Super Late Model feature would be a wild
affair sprinkled with several cautions thoughout the contest. The first slowdown
occurred as the field was taking the green flag. Front row starters John Totzke Jr. and
Gregg Ruffalo made contact resulting in Ruffalo spinning into the infield and scattering
the back.
Several cars made contact with one another with the machines of
Eswein, Keith Bohmsach, Jason Weinkauf, Frank Nitzke and Allen Check all heading to the
pits for service. Of the group only Check was unable to return to action.
Totzke would clear Ruffalo on the restart taking the initial
lead, while Hintz settled into the third spot. Hintz would work the low groove of
the raceway to make his way to the second spot prior to the second yellow which flew on
lap eight when Troy Nelson and Eswein tangled sending both drivers to the tail of the
field.
The green flew again with Totzke back in the lead being pressure
heavily by Hintz. Ruffalo meanwhile began to slide back in the pack allowing Chris
Weinkauf to reach the third spot on lap ten with Dillion Kralovetz following fourth.
Totzke would give up his lead position with Hintz made his ride
stick in the low groove working into the lead on lap 12. On the very next lap
Ruffalo would spin after contact from Jason Weinkauf and forcing the third caution
of the event. This accident saw the machine of Monte Gress and Joe Krzykowski, who
won the feature last week, also get collected. Both drivers would retire from the contest.
As the green flag flew again Hintz shot back to the lead and
slowly pulled away while Chris Weinkauf and Totzke contested the second spot. Totzke
would slip to the high line on lap 18, but found himself falling back quickly as the low
line would prove the faster of the two grooves. By lap 20 Jeff Weinfurter, Brandon Selle
and Eswein who recovered from his earlier setbacks were giving chase to the lead pair of
Hintz and Chris Weinkauf.
Selle put himself into the third spot on lap 22 and began to
close on the leaders. Hintz would soon find his lead challenged by Chris Weinkauf
who experimented with the high line in effort to get to the lead. This allowed Selle and
Eswein to join the fray for the top spot. Weinkauf committed to the high line
inching slowly closer to the lead.
With a four laps to go Weinkauf actually nosed ahead for the lead
in the high line after Hintz wiggled coming off turn four, but Hintz fought back and
reclaimed the top spot with three laps to go. Weinkauf continued to press for the
lead in the outer groove but Hintz would find a burst of speed over the final two laps and
slowly pull away from Weinkauf. In the end Hintz would reach the finish first after
a hard fought battle
On the final lap Weinkauf would slip up the raceway just enough
to allow Selle to steal second my a matter of inches. Weinkauf would lay claim to
third followed by Eswein and Weinfurter.
The Super Stock season finale went 35 laps, and like the Super
Late Model feature, a spin as the green came out would slow the show as mechanical
difficulties sent Mike Brooks for a loop.
Brian Weinfurter would set the pace on the opening lap with Tim
Zuehlke giving chase. Tim Plowman went for a spin on lap four forcing a slowdown.
Like the prior restart Weinfurter would sail away from the field
behind while Zuehlke running in second soon has a parade following him in the low groove.
This gave Neitzke who had tied Wally Kallman as the evening's fastest qualifier
opportunity to pick off cars in rapid succession in the outside lane. Neitzke would
scramble past several cars in rapid succession and on lap 12 he replaced Zuehlke in the
runner-up spot.
By this time however Weinfurter had built up a dozen car length
lead over Neitzke. Dan Gollen, Brian Schmutzer and Wes Coon would give chase in the
top five spots by the halfway point.
A spin by Brad Scholze with ten laps to go made Neitzke's job of
catching race leader Weinfurter much easier and the pair line up nose to tail for the
restart. When the green flag waved Weinfurter was back to the lead. Just as the
battle for the top spot began to heat up Gollen would loop his ride in turn four forcing
the final slowdown to take place with five laps to go.
When the sprint to the checkered began Weinfurter was ready,
pulling away slightly from Nietzke. Over the final circuits Neitzke was unable to
find a way to the lead with Weinfurter scoring the win. Neitzke would settle for
second but earn the most points on the evening taking the End of Season Championship event
title. Schmutzer, Coon and Galen Manternatch would comprise the top five finishers.
The entry level classes would run main events almost devoid of
any slowdowns providing some excellent racing. The Pure Stock main event saw a
season high 17 competitors take the green flag. Chuck Stebbens would place himself
out front early in the contest. Troy Engman who started twelfth in the event cracked
the top five by lap three taking to the high side of the oval to pass cars.
Engman would catch Marcus Marti for second at the halfway point
of the contest and then set out after Stebbens. Stebbens would lead just two more
laps before Engman went charging to the front of the pack. Deeper in the field Brad
Guralski, Frank Calabrese and Mike Kasperek were moving through the field while battling
each other for position.
Engman's pace allowed him to quickly pull away from his rivals.
When the checkered flag fell it was Engman out front by a comfortable margin in the
non-stop contest. Stebbens would hold onto second having one of his best runs of the
season. Guralski would finish in third reaching the position on the final lap.
Marti and Michael Gwidt would complete the top five finishers.
The final weekly racing event of the 2005 season was the 4
cylinder feature contest. Aside from one quick caution at the start the race would
pull off without any further glitches. By the halfway point Dale Robinson and Dallas
Kralovetz had reached the first and second spots with Kralovetz applying the pressure on
Robinson while seeking the top spot. Robinson and Kralovetz would engage in a side
by side battle around the high-banked oval throughout the closing laps. Kralovetz,
though a rookie would perform like a veteran driver as he and Robinson raced cleanly to
the checkered flag.
As the race concluded it was Robinson out front by a couple feet
to pick up the win, a fitting end to a championship season. Kralovetz would finish
second but the new track record holder gave fans a glimpse of his determination to reach
victory lane. Jousha Opper would finished third followed by Mike Oehmichen and Brandon
Polansky.
There remains but one event on the 2005 schedule at Golden Sands,
that being the popular Eve of Devastation. The show will feature a variety of
novelty racing events, some wild automotive stunts, amazing displays of metal mangling
mayhem, school bus races and a whole lot more. The show proves to be one of the most
popular events of the season at the raceway.
The show will also feature the final events of the season for the
2-Man Cruiser division. The racing taking place during the program will decide the
championship in the 2-Man Cruiser class.
Golden Sands Speedway is located between Wisconsin Rapids and Plover, Wisconsin
on Highway 54. For additional information please call (715) 423-4660 or consult the
track website at www.goldensandsspeedway.com
For
complete RACESTAT Race Results Click Here!
Super Late Models
40 Lap Feature: 1.) Tim Hintz; 2.)
Brandon Selle; 3.) Chris Weinkauf; 4.) Mark Eswein; 5.) Jeff Weinfurter; 6.) Frank Nitzke;
7.) Troy Nelson; 8.) Dillon Kralovetz; 9.) Jason Weinkauf; 10.) Gregg Ruffalo
20 Lap Semi-Feature: 1.) Weinfurter; 2.) Jim Sauter Jr.; 3.)
Mark Van; 4.) Mark Mackesy; 5.) Steve Gress
First 12 Lap Heat: 1.) Sauter Jr.; 2.) Burton Brown; 3.) Gress
Second 12 Lap Heat: 1.) Weinfurter; 2.) Jason Kirsling; 3.) Van
Third 12 Lap Heat: 1.) Brady Baldry; 2.) Ruffalo; 3.) Nitzke
Fourth 12 Lap Heat: 1.) C. Weinkauf; 2.) Nelson; 3.) Eswein
Fast Qualifier: Allen Check, 12.055 Seconds
Super Stocks
30 Lap Feature: 1.) Brian Weinfurter;
2.) Dave Neitzke; 3.) Brian Schmutzer; 4.) Wes Coon; 5.) Galen Manternatch; 6.) Tim
Plowman; 7.) Collin Willcott; 8.) Wally Kallman; 9.) Scott Hamel; 10.) Tim Zuehlke
15 Lap Semi-Feature: 1.) Ken Soyka; 2.) Hamel; 3.)
Roger Stanczyk; 4.) Randy Storlie; 5.) David Pagels
First 10 Lap Heat: 1.) Soyka; 2.) Hamel; 3.) Pagels
Second 10 Lap Heat: 1.) Stanczyk; 2.) Storlie; 3.) Weinfurter
Third 10 Lap Heat: 1.) Mike Brooks; 2.) Wilcott; 3.) Plowman
Fast Qualifier: Kallman, 13.329 Seconds
Pure Stocks
15 Lap Feature: 1.) Troy Engman; 2.)
Chuck Stebbens; 3.) Brad Guralski; 4.) Marcus Marti; 5.) Michael Gwidt; 6.) Frank
Calabrese; 7.) Mike Kasperek; 8.) Michael Witberler
First 10 Lap Heat: 1.) Calabrese; 2.) Shane Bates; 3.) Stebbens
Second 10 Lap Heat: 1.) Marti; 2.) Kasperek; 3.) Gwidt
Fast Qualifier: Guralski, 14.860 Seconds
4 Cylinders
15 Lap Feature: 1.) Dale Robinson; 2.)
Dallas Kralovetz; 3.) Jousha Opper; 4.) Mike Oehmichen; 5.) Brandon Ponalsky; 6.) Casey
Koback
First 10 Lap Heat: 1.) Randy Polansky; 2.) Jeff Cormack; 3.) Lance
Neumann
Second 10 Lap Heat: 1.) Robinson; 2.) Torey Nitzsche; 3.)
Kralovetz
Fast Qualifier: Kralovetz, 14.923 Seconds |