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Chris Weinkauf Captures Fifth Super Late
Victory, Brian Weinfurter Best in Super Stock Action at The Power
Playground!
By Jeffrey Sachse |
September 1, 2006;
Plover, WI -
The season may quickly be drawing to a close at Central Wisconsin's
Power Playground, but the racing action on the high banked third mile
oval shows no signs of slowing down. This evening in Super Late
Model action fans were treated to a three way battle for victory in
Super Late Model action as Chris Weinkauf, Frank Nitzke and Brandon
Selle all did battle throughout the 40 lap main event. In the
closing laps Weinkauf went wheel to wheel with Nitzke and found just
enough speed to secure his fifth victory of the 2006 season. In
the Super Stock division Brian Weinfurter would fend off a fast closing
Brian Back to take the victory. In the Pure Stocks Andrew Hintz
reached the finish line first in the feature contest. The 4
cylinders saw action with Mike Oehmichen taking a sweep of the class,
after setting fast time and winning the feature. The night
concluded with three 2-Man Cruiser contests which were taken by the
teams of Dominick/Gaetz, Bohm/Gladowski and Wierzba/Wierzba.
The Super Late Model
main event started a bit unsettled as
outside front row starter Jim Carlson
looped his ride coming off turn four as
the field was attempting to complete the
first lap of the event, the field
scattered to avoid him and there was no
major contact between any of the
participants. The race was
completely restarted and racing quickly
resumed. Polesitter Greg Ruffalo
would get the jump on the field taking
the opening lead, with Frank Nitzke,
Brandon Selle and Mark Eswein working
into the first four slot during the
opening laps. Ruffalo continued to
show the way out front while Nitzke and
Selle contested the second spot running
wheel to wheel. After five laps
Ruffalo's car began to push in the
center of the turns as he struggled to
keep his machine in the lower groove.
Nitzke attempted to pass on the outside
on lap six, but as the pair slid up the
raceway, in a bold move Selle dove to
the bottom and darted past both drivers
to take the top spot.
Moments later the
caution flag was thrown and Ruffalo was
moved back two spots in the field as he
was unable to adhere to the pick a lane
flag. The race resumed with ten
laps in the books. Selle led the
way followed by Nitzke, Eswein, Ruffalo
in the top four, with Chris Weinkauf
cracking the top five.
The race was back
underway and Selle was back to leading
the contest. Weinkauf wasted
little time in moving forward passing
Ruffalo for fourth at the drop of the
green. Selle's effort to hold the
lead was helped by a battle between
Nitzke and Eswein for the number two
slot. Eswein continued to work the
low groove, while Nitzke preferred to
stay in the high line. Nitzke
proved to have the power and soon took
command of the second spot and then set
out for Selle.
Weinkauf continued his
march forward working past Eswein for
third at the halfway point of the event.
Selle's car began to
slow in the center of the turns allowing
Nitzke to close quickly and the battle
for the lead began with 18 laps left in
the event. Nitzke shadowed Selle
until there were 15 laps to go in the
event. Nitzke then chose the
higher line to pull alongside Selle and
the move proved to be the correct one as
he nosed ahead for the lead coming off
turn one on lap 29. Weinkauf would make
a similar move to reach second on the
next circuits Selle dropped to the third
spot.
Nitzke still staying
high allowed Weinkauf to work to his
inside with on lap 32 and the pair would
race wheel to wheel for the next several
orbits around the oval each taking the
top spot as they traded the lead back
and forth. The pair encountered
some lapped traffic with three laps to
go, giving a slight advantage to
Weinkauf. On the next lap Weinkauf
was able to drift up in front of Nitzke
to secure the top spot forcing Nitzke to
fall in line behind him.
As the checkered flag
flew Weinkauf had an advantage of lass
than a car length over Nitzke. A
late race charge would net current
division point leader Kenny Richards the
third spot as he pass both Eswein and
Selle for the position in the closing
laps. Eswein grabbed fourth at the
wire followed by Selle in the top five.
The Super Stock feature
contest would see Don Zuelke and Dan
Braun square off as the green flag fell,
with Zuelke getting the opening lead as
Braun quickly faded on the outside, by
the time first lap was in the books
Braun had faded to fifth allowing Brian
Weinfurter, Roger Stanczyk and Dave
Neitzke to sneak by and fall in behind
Zuelke.
Adam Krzykowski would
spin in turn two on lap four resulting
in the first yellow flag of the contest.
The green returned with Zuelke and
Weinfurter set to do battle for the lead
at the drop of the green flag.
Weinfurter worked the high line to the
lead taking the position on lap five.
Deeper in the field Brian Back was
making moves to reach the top five.
Moments later Stanczyk would drift up
the track allowing Nietzke and Back to
advance to third and fourth
respectively.
Weinfurter was slowly
pulling away from those behind him while
several positions behind him Back was
using the outside line to advance.
Back would dispatch Neitzke and Zuelke
to thunder into second with nine laps to
go. Back however was facing
a distance of a dozen car lengths the
Weinfurter had built as a cushion for
his lead.
With each passing lap
Back sliced into Weinfurter's lead,
closing to within a car length on the
final circuit. Weinfurter however
would not make a mistake and would take
the victory with a fast closing Back
having to settle for second.
Neitzke would reach the third spot with
four laps to go holding the position to
the checkered. Zuelke and Randy Storlie
would complete the top five at the
finish.
In the Pure Stock
feature, Dennis Stilson placed his newly
built racing machine into the lead with
a pass of Chuck Stebbins for the lead on
lap three. In a well run contest
the Pure Stock drivers put on an
excellent show for the fans.
Current division point leader Dean
Zakrezwski and Michael Gwidt were
swiftly working their way toward the
front of the pack reaching second and
third in the closing laps. Stilson
however had built up a solid margin and
was bale to take his new race car to the
winner's circle without a scratch.
Zakrezwski would come out ahead on his
battle with Gwidt to take second.
Gwidt, Eric Kawlewski and Troy Engman
made up the top five runners.
Mike Oehmichen patiently
worked through the field in 4 cylinder
action coming from the tail of the
starting grid to the lead by the halfway
point and led the way to the wire.
In a somewhat unsettled finish with cars
spinning Timothy Gorecki would be
credited with second followed by Adam
Eckes, early race leader Adam Rhinehart
and Jousha Opper in the top five.
A special Labor Day
program, held on Monday, September 4th,
will conclude the 2006 weekly racing
season at Golden Sands Speedway and
settle the point chase in all the
divisions with the exception of the
2-Man Cruisers which will have their
championship decided during the Eve of
Devastation on Friday Night September
15th.
The Labor Day program
will have racing in the Super Late
Models, Super Stocks, Pure Stocks and 4
Cylinder classes. There will be a
special early starting time. Gates will
open at 2:00 p.m., with qualifying
taking place at 4:00 p.m. The
first green flag of the evening will
fall at 5:30 p.m.
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.) Chris Weinkauf; 2.)
Frank Nitzke; 3.) Kenny Richards; 4.)
Mark Eswein; 5.) Brandon Selle; 6.) Tim
Hintz; 7.) Pat Williams; 8.) Blake
Horstman; 9.) Jim Carlson; 10.) Gregg
Ruffalo
25 Lap Semi-Feature: 1.) Jason Weinkauf;
2.) Ted Reichenberger; 3.) Jim Duchow;
4.) Elliott Weiler; 5.) Keith Bohmsach;
6.) Steve Gress
First 12 Lap Heat: 1.) Dustin Check; 2.)
Eugene Gregorich Jr.; 3.) Justin
Switlick
Second 12 Lap Heat: 1.) Elliott Weiler;
2.) Steve Gress; 3.) Jim Duchow
Third 12 Lap Heat: 1.) Jim Carlson; 2.)
Kenny Richards; 3.) Chris Weinkauf
Fast Qualifier: Tim Hintz, Richards, 12.104 Seconds
Super Stocks
25 Lap Feature: 1.) Brian Weinfurter;
2.) Brian Back; 3.) Dave Neitzke; 4.)
Don Zuelke; 5.) Randy Storlie; 6.) Josh
Oleson; 7.) Scott Hamel; 8.) Roger
Stanczyk; 9.) Wes Coon; 10.) Tim Plowman
15 Lap Semi-Feature: 1.) Brian
Schmutzer; 2.) Dale Schultz; 3.) John
Zuch; 4.) Bert Soyka; 5.) Dennis Renner;
6.) Scott Luck
First 10 Lap Heat: 1.) Dennis Crass; 2.)
Johnathan Ashcraft; 3.) Thomas Dowe
Second 10 Lap Heat: 1.) Bert Soyka; 2.)
Brian Schmutzer; 3.) Dale Schultz
Third 10 Lap Heat: 1.) Adam Krzykowski;
2.) Steve Severson; 3.) Don Zuelke
Fourth 10 Lap Heat: 1.) Josh
Oleson; 2.) Scott Hamel; 3.) Wes Coon
Fast Qualifier: Tim Plowman, 13.119 Seconds
Pure Stocks
15 Lap Feature: 1.) Dennis Stilson; 2.)
Dean Zakrezwski; 3.) Michael Gwidt; 4.)
Eric Kawlewski; 5.) Troy Engman; 6.)
Brad Luck; 7.) Ronald Grabarski; 8.)
Becky Grabarski
12 Lap Semi-Feature: 1.) Glen Arendsee;
2.) Kirk Kuhn; 3.) Cliff Christianson;
4.) Todd Kuehl; 5.) Matt Hansen
First 10 Lap Heat: 1.) Robert Hinz; 2.)
Mark Kaeliher; 3.) Shane Bates
Second 10 Lap Heat: 1.) Glen Arendsee;
2.) Justin Ligenza; 3.) Gary Haarklau
Third 10 Lap Heat: 1.) Andrew Hintz; 2.)
Ronald Grabarski; 3.) Dean Zakrezwski
Fast Qualifier: Ronald Grabarski, 14.620 Seconds
4 Cylinders
15 Lap Feature: 1.) Mike Oehmichen; 2.)
Timothy Gorecki; 3.) Adam Eckes; 4.)
Chad Rhinehart; 5.) Joshua Opper; 6.)
Philip Malouf; 7.) Dallas Kralovetz; 8.)
Kevin Teske
10 Lap Semi-Feature: 1.) Jenny Nitzsche;
2.) Kevin Teske; 3.) Dave Sullivan; 4.)
James Moser
Fast Qualifier: Mike Oehmichen, 15.339
Seconds
2-Man Cruisers
First 10 Lap Feature: 1.) Dominick/Gaetz;
2.) West/Spritka; 3.) Ruffalo/Ruffalo;
4.) Miller/Cowling; 5.) Firkus/Peterson
Second 10 Lap Feature: 1.)
Bohm/Gladowski; 2.) Floistad/Floistad;
3.) Kampert/Kluck; 4.) Wadel/Kalata; 5.)
Carter/Caves
Third 10 Lap Feature: 1.)
Wierzba/Wierzba; 2.) Kelley/Resheske;
3.) Kampert/Kampert; 4.) Dean/Dean; 5.)
Green/Wheelock
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