The Scoop
DYLAN WENZEL – ‘OUR GOAL IS TO WIN THE WIR 1/4 MILE LATE MODEL TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP’
Posted on: Friday May 7, 2021
Dylan Wenzel dominated the super stock division at WIR in 2017. He copped 8 feature wins on the 1/4 mile paved oval en route to his track championship. (danlewisphoto.net)
Dylan Wenzel is looking to add another track championship to his resume in 2021.
After racing a very limited schedule the past three years Wenzel, who was the 2017 super stock track champion at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna, has purchased a ¼ mile late model and will scrap for that division crown during the Fox River Racing Club’s ‘Thursday Night Thunder’ action.
Wenzel, who has an estimated 25 career feature flags at WIR on the quarter-mile, only raced a total of seven times in the last three seasons. However, he was at the track most Thursday nights, serving as a pit crew member for former WIR super late model track champion Andy Monday. “I figured it was just time to get back into racing for a track championship,” said the Fremont racer. “I like the fact that the WIR quarter-mile late models don’t race every single week and I’ll still be able to turn wrenches for Andy (Monday) this year too.”
In ’17 Wenzel dominated the super stock class, copping eight feature flags and finishing no worse than second. A new challenge awaits him in ’21 jumping up to a new class. “I bought a car from Aaron Neverman,” Wenzel explained. “I practiced with it late last year before I bought it. Cory Kemkes won a track championship with it. The car’s chassis is pretty old and has quite a bit of history to it.”
Tracing the lineage of the car Wenzel will race this year, the old piece of iron is a 1991 Randercar chassis formerly driven by Willy Van Camp. “It went to the quarter-mile after that where Greg Wichman raced it in the sportsman division,” Wenzel said. “Greg hit the wall head on into turn three. The car has since been re-stubbed. In this division there are a lot of race cars that are at least fifteen to twenty years old. And there are a few that are closer to five or seven years old.”
The ¼ mile rules are designed to keep the cars affordable to race with inexpensive suspension packages and running on used runoff tires. “Running the used tires really does save the teams a lot of money,” Wenzel said. “I’m lucky as I get mine for free from Andy Monday. It’s a wider tire than I’m used to as well. With the super stocks we only had an eight inch tire to run but these are wider. I’m excited to see how we’ll do. There are some tough racers to go up against.”
The WIR ¼ mile class has seen steady growth in the past few seasons, due in part to former sportsman champion Pete Berken going to bat for the division. “That is part of what drew me to that class is they do promote it pretty well,” Wenzel confessed. “That and not having to get a car ready for every single week. The year I won the super stock title I was buying one new tire every night. I won’t have to do that with this class.”
According to Wenzel the amount of money he anticipates spending on his new division is ‘pretty equal’ to what he spent in his days racing super stocks. “As for the competition with this class that’s another draw,” Wenzel said. “I’ll be racing in a tight pack with a lot of guys whereas sometimes in the super stock that wasn’t the case. When I found out that the car I practiced with was available for purchase I asked myself if I wanted to own the car or race against it? So, I bought it.”
Setting a late model up to race compared to a super stock is a bit different. “Some of the basic adjustments are the same,” Wenzel said. “But now with a late model you’ve got trailing arm angle and you can play with the j-bars and stuff. We didn’t have that in the super stocks. Between Aaron (Neverman) and Andy (Monday) I’ve been getting some pointers on what to do and what not to do.”
In terms of pit crew help on Thursday nights Wenzel has to race his own car, Wenzel admitted he’s in ‘pretty good shape.’ “I’ll be pitting right next to Andy,” Wenzel said. “I’ll be still pitting for him and between the both of us we have a big enough group of people where we can help each other no matter what pops up.”
In addition to Monday’s crew, Wenzel’s Dad Rick Wenzel lends a hand, along with Brandi Skeens and Wenzel’s wife Tammy. Wenzel’s team sponsors include Darboy Corner Store, Recker’s Towning, 920 Wraps and Fairways Lawn Care.
Wenzel has always sported the number 3 on his cars in honor of his favorite driver – the late, great Dale Earnhardt. He plans on continuing that with this new ¼ mile late model venture.
As for his championship super stock? “It’s safely tucked away in the barn for now,” Wenzel admitted. “I’m never going to sell the super stock.”
WIR NOTEBOOK – The defending WIR ¼ mile late model champion is Tom Spierowski of Neenah. The season opening race for ‘Thursday Night Thunder’ is Thursday, May 20. On track ceremonies begin at 6:30 p.m. with racing to follow. A pre-season pit party will take place at the track Thursday, May 13 where teams will have their machines available for fans to mingle with drivers and take selfies with them. The pit party runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. For more information on WIR’s Thursday night show presented by the Fox River Racing Club please www.frrc.us or our page on Facebook.