Pressers
STUMPF, VAN WYCHEN & QUELLA AMONG WIR OPENER WINNERS
Posted on: Friday May 21, 2021
ATTENTION SPORTS/MOTORSPORTS – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
STUMPF SNEAKS PAST VAN OUDENHOVEN TO COP WIR SUPER LATE MODEL OPENER
(KAUKAUNA, WI) May 20 – Woodville’s Alex Stumpf snuck past former track champion Jeff Van Oudenhoven on a restart with twelve laps remaining and went on to capture the opening night super late model feature at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna Thursday.
Stumpf sprinted into the lead from his front row starting spot in the 35 lap contest. The Woodville racer began building up a three car length cushion over Van Oudenhoven and Jesse Oudenhoven. Stumpf’s modest margin was erased when a caution flew on lap four for a Jeff Holmgren Jr. spin on the backstretch.
When racing resumed Stumpf kept the lead as Oudenhoven and Van Oudenhoven swapped paint for the runnerup spot for the next several circuits. Both drivers stayed within a car length of Stumpf with Van Oudenhoven assuming the runnerup spot by lap 14. Van Oudenhoven ducked underneath Stumpf to snatch the lead on the fronstretch on lap 18.
The former track champion began to stretch his lead over Stumpf as the laps clicked off. Van Oudenhoven’s lead was also wiped out with twelve laps to go for another Holmgren spin. On the restart Stumpf regained the lead from Van Oudenhoven. Another amber flew three laps later for a Randy Schuler spin on the back stretch. With eight laps remaining Stumpf kept the top spot and cruised to victory. Pewaukee’s Grant Griesbach snuck past Van Oudenhoven for to snatch the second spot. Maxwell Schultz took third, followed by Van Oudenhoven and Andy Monday.
The late model feature got off to a shaky start as a melee ensued on lap one. The wreck sidelined the cars driven by Mike Meyerhofer, Eddie Muenster and Matt Wittman.
After another aborted restart attempt racing resumed as Nathan Van Wychen grabbed the lead with Brian Henry in tow. Within a few laps former track champion Travis Rodewald joined the leaders and the trio ran nose-to-tail and put some distance between themselves and the rest of the field.
Rodewald ducked underneath Henry to take second on lap 13 and began pressuring Van Wychen. However, Van Wychen was up for the challenge and captured the win. Rodewald took home second at the pay window, followed by Henry, Bryan Monday and Chase Randerson.
Appleton’s Mike Reichenberger and Fremont’s Dylan Wenzel split the 15 lap ¼ mile late model features. Wenzel, who also won a feature race during the TUNDRA series opener a week ago, also placed second to Reichenberger in the first main event.
Defending Sizzlin’ 4 champion Scott Wolf came out swinging in the season opener. Late in the feature Wolf surrendered the lead to Isaac Bray of De Pere, only to muscle his way past Bray on the final circuit to capture the main event. Bray hung on for second place money, followed by Emery Beattie, Eathan Beattie and Jesse Bauer.
Track officials broke out the broom in the super stock division. Two Rivers native Andy Casavante dusted the field, scoring fast time, winning his heat and copping the feature event en route to earning a clean sweep.
Former sport truck champion Kyle Quella returned to his winning ways. The Appleton racer kept all challengers at bay to collect the opening night feature win. Jason Van Handel nipped J.J. Vanderloop at the line for second. Bobby Wautier and Mike Byrge placed fourth and fifth, respectively.
Darboy veteran Terry Van Roy captured the Figure 8 feature.
Next Thursday night May 27 the V6 Rovals will make their debut during ‘Thursday Night Thunder’ action. Racing gets underway at 6:30 p.m. You can check frrc.us for more information.
SUPER LATE MODEL FEATURE – Alex Stumpf, Woodville; Grant Griesbach, Pewaukee; Maxwell Schultz, Reedsville; Jeff Van Oudenhoven, Appleton; Andy Monday, Appleton; Bobby Kendall, Montello; Braison Bennett, Neenah; Jesse Oudenhoven, Kaukauna; Kyle Calmes, Freedom; Brent Strelka, Freedom; Sawyer Effertz, Darboy; Tom Gee, Sobieski; Brady Baldry, Oshkosh; Randy Schuler, Mequon; Alex Seidl, Appleton; Taylor Vandermoss, Appleton; Jeff Holmgren Jr., East Troy; Corey Manders, Hilbert; Michael Anthony, Appleton; Lowell Bennett, Neenah
SEMI-FEATURE – Kendall; Manders; Anthony; Gee; Trevor Vandermolen, Oshkosh; Tim Bennett, Hortonville; Pete Vandermolen, Oshkosh
HEATS 1) Kendall; Manders 2) Lowell Bennett; Stumpf
DASH – Calmes
FAST TIME: Schultz, 19.182
LATE MODEL FEATURE– Nathan Van Wychen, Kaukauna; Travis Rodewald, Manitowoc; Brian Henry, Omro; Bryan Monday, Appleton; Chase Randerson, Oshkosh; Brandon Reichenberger, Appleton; Todd Verhagen, Freedom; Nick Van, Neenah; Jake Zelinske, Appleton; Mike King, Appleton; Kevin Retzlaff, Berlin; Rachel Evans, Hilbert; Robert Younger, De Pere; Will Timmers, Kaukauna; Mike Meyerhofer, Hilbert; Eddie Muenster, Green Bay; Matt Wittman, Appleton
HEATS 1) Retzlaff; Wittman 2) Muenster; Bryan Monday
DASH- King
FAST TIME- Brandon Reichenberger, 20.369
¼ MILE LATE MODELS FEATURES 1) Mike Reichenberger, Appleton; Dylan Wenzel, Fremont; Jerry Schneider, Kaukauna; Bob Duchow, Appleton; Henry Neerdaels, Bucktown; Tim Baumann, Kaukauna 2) Wenzel; Neerdaels; Jeff Beschta, Appleton; Bob Duchow, Appleton; Schneider
SUPER STOCK FEATURE – Andy Casavante, Two Rivers; Josh Mueller, Kaukauna; Shane Krueger, Kaukauna; Trevor Howard, Kaukauna; George Schwalbach, Menasha
HEAT – Casavante; Tony Wilz, Menasha
FAST TIME – Casavante, 15.721
SIZZLIN’ 4 FEATURE – Scott Wolf, Appleton; Isaac Bray, De Pere; Emery Beattie, Little Chute; Ethan Beattie, Little Chute; Jesse Bauer, Kaukauna
HEATS 1) Paul Yohr, Appleton; Gavin Klein, Appleton 2) Emery Beattie; Bray
FAST TIME – Wolf, 17.912
SPORT TRUCK FEATURE – Kyle Quella, Appleton; Jason Van Handel, Freedom; J.J. Vanderloop, Freedom; Bobby Wautier, Denmark; Mike Byrge, Fond Du Lac
HEATS 1) Jerry Vanderloop, Freedom; Landon Braatz, Shawano 2) Cody Vanderloop, Freedom; Wautier
FAST TIME – Cody Vanderloop, 16.795
FIGURE 8 – Terry Van Roy, Darboy