EWSC Release

Luedke, Swendrowski, Sayler & Kuhfuss Join EWSC Winners
Wenzel Records 5th Win & Ruh Wins 8th

By Mary Horneck

Manitowoc, WI.; September 2, 2007 - In the second night of Eastern Wisconsin Stock Car racing action this Labor Day weekend at the Manitowoc County Expo Speedway, TJ Luedke of Plymouth charged into the lead of the MSA 360 Sprint A-Main on the second lap and never looked back. Heat winner Shane Wenniger of Kewaskum pulled into second with another heat winner Tony Wondra of Campbellsport on his bumper.
Photo Highlights By lap eight, Luedke built a half track lead over the field and tore around the Manitowoc track.Joining Wenniger and Wondra in the top five, Saturday’s fast qualifier Lance Fassbender of Burnett and Brad Kuhn charged directly in front of the rest of the tightly packed field of competitors.
 
Just as it looked that all Luedke should be concerned about was lapped traffic, a red flag caution appeared in lap 12 when two competitors were involved in a roll-over accident in turn one. With a single file restart, Luedke’s lead was cut and he was lined up directly in front of second place Wenniger. After the green flag flew, two more laps were completed with Fassbender making a move into third and Ben Schmidt of Plymouth passing into fifth just before a second and final caution relined up the field again. Luedke, lined up again in the lead, charged through the green flag with Wenniger sticking to his bumper. Wenniger first chose the high groove to pass Luedke on the outside but Luedke held him off for the next couple laps. As the laps clicked off, Wenniger readjusted to tuck his car to the inside to pressure for the lead. Luedke didn’t appear pressured as he charged through the checkered flag to win his first Sprint A-Main with EWSC. Wenniger followed in second with Fassbender, Wondra and past A-Main winner Schmidt rounding out the top five.
In Winged Super Modified A-Main action, Brad Swendrowski of Milwaukee charged into the lead from the first lap of the A-Main with Kris Hansen of Manitowoc chasing him down. Point leader Chuck Tuschl of Reedsville moved into third behind Hansen with Tim McMullen of Plymouth and heat winner Pete Ostrowski of Troy Center racing in the top five. At the line in lap 10, Tuschl passed Hansen to take over the challenge spot with Ostrowski also making his move passed Hansen. But a lap later, Hansen battled back and retook third with McMullen moving back in behind him. When the white flag flew, McMullen made his move to pull in behind Tuschl. At the checkered flag, Swendrowski charged through to win his first Modified A-Main of the season. Tuschl followed in second with McMullen finishing in third. Hansen and substitute driver Dave Deicher of Plymouth rounded out the top five.

Starting the race with four wide racing through turns three and four, the Limited Late Model A-Main hit the track with Jeff Sayler of Howards Grove grabbing the early lead. Through a couple early cautions, Saturday’s feature winner Dan Dippel of Plymouth charged into second with Jeff Badendorfer Jr. of Waterford on his bumper. Behind them, two more Plymouth drivers, Dave Haag and Scott Haugstad moved into the top five. By lap six, Haag pulled side by side with Badendorfer to pressure for third but Badendorfer held him off and charged after second place Dippel. At the half way point of the race, Todd Jensema of Sheboygan Falls passed Haugstad and pulled next to Haag. As Haag and Jensema charged down the front stretch, only inches separated their cars at the line with Haag maintaining fourth in lap 10. A lap later, Jensema’s charge worked as he pulled ahead of Haag to chase down Badendorfer. At the checkered flag, Sayler charged through to win his first A-Main of the season. Five time feature winner Dippel followed in second with Badendorfer, Jensema and heat winner Haag rounding out the top five.

Heat winner Brian Henry of Omro charged into the early lead in the Grand National A-Main with Brad Lubach of Elkhart Lake and four-time feature winner Brett Wenzel of Two Rivers battling in the first laps for second place. At the line in lap three, Wenzel took over second when Lubach experienced problems that sent him to the pits unable to return. Chad Kistner of New Holstein pulled into third with some track to make up to catch leader Henry and second place Wenzel. Behind Kistner, Jerry Wenzel of Two Rivers and Justin Danes of New Holstein raced just ahead of fast qualifier Roger Lee of Wind Lake and Dale Damrow of Sheboygan. Saturday night’s A-Main winner Don Sorce Jr. of West Allis pulled into the top five by lap seven and tucked his car inside Jerry Wenzel in the next lap to pressure for fourth. At the half way point, Brett Wenzel caught up the back of leader Henry and Sorce took over fourth from Jerry Wenzel. With Henry and Brett Wenzel racing bumper to bumper around the Manitowoc track, Sorce set his sights on Kistner. Coming out of turn four, Sorce attempted to tuck his car to the inside of Kistner on the outside groove but Kistner charged down the front stretch holding onto third for the next couple laps. At the line in lap 12, Kistner and Sorce charged side by side down the front stretch with only inches separating third and fourth places. A lap later, Brett Wenzel made his move and charged passed Henry to take over the lead as Sorce passed Kistner to take over third. In the same lap, Danes moved back into the top five and chased after Kistner. At the checkered flag, Brett Wenzel charged through to win his fifth A-Main of the season putting him into the division point lead after this weekend’s racing. Sorce made a final lap pass to finish in second with heat winner Henry, Kistner and Danes rounding out the top five.

In the Eastern 8 A-Main, Kevin Lubach of Elkhart Lake charged into the early lead with Matt McDonald of Manitowoc chasing him down. Through the only yellow flag in lap two, Troy Bartel of Chilton moved into third with heat winner Jeff Leonhard of Sheboygan and Saturday’s main winner Brad Ruh of Elkhart Lake racing in the top five. By lap five, Brad Ruh moved into second behind Lubach and began pressuring for the lead with Brett Koehler of Two Rivers jumping into fourth behind Bartel. A lap later, Ruh took over the lead with Lubach chasing after him. At the half way point, Koehler charged passed Lubach to take over the challenge spot behind Ruh. Koehler and Lubach stuck to each other as the two charged around the Manitowoc track as leader Ruh began lapping traffic. At the checkered flag, point leader Ruh won his eighth A-Main of the season with the last two back to back this weekend. Lubach made a final lap pass to take back second in the finish. Heat winner Leonhard followed in third with Pat Wazny of St. Nazianz and Mark Vranak of Sheboygan rounding out the top five.

Returning after running in Saturday night’s program, Rascal Outlaws Mark Findley of Richmond, Illinois charged into the early lead with John Benkert of McHenry, Illinois on his bumper. By lap three, Jason Mahoney of Lake Zurich, Illinois moved into third and began pressuring for the challenge spot. At the line in lap six, Mahoney took over second place behind leader Findley who had built a comfortable lead over the field. Findley continued his charge and took the checkered flag to win the Rascal Outlaw main event. Mahoney followed in second with Benkert finishing third.

As the nightly curfew crept up on the Eastern Wisconsin Stock Cars race program, the Mighty 4 A-Main came on the track to beat the clock. With only one brief yellow for a large chunk of debris on the track, the drivers did their best to keep the racing action moving with Mark Kuhfuss of Howards Grove charging out into the early lead with Manitowoc’s Kyle Resch chasing him down. By the half way point of the race, Greg Gierke of Kiel moved into third with Tim Simon of St. Peter and Amber Rabe racing in the top five. Three laps later, Simon made his move and passed Gierke to take over third but Gierke battled back in the next lap and retook the position. Simon wasn’t done and took over third again in lap 13. With Kuhfuss comfortably out in front at the white flag, Gierke and Simon charged down the front stretch side by side with only inches giving third place to Simon with one lap to go. At the checkered flag, Kuhfuss, after last winning two features earlier in the season in May, won his third A-Main of the season. Resch followed in second with heat winner Simon holding onto third. Gierke followed in fourth with Rabe rounding out the top five.

Join Eastern Wisconsin Stock Cars on a special race night on Sunday, September 9th when the MSA 360 Sprints will return with the Winged Super Modifieds, Limited Late Models, IMCA-style Modifieds, Grand Nationals, Mighty 4’s and Eastern 8’s when the race program will start 2 hours earlier at 4 pm.


Summary: Manitowoc Trophy Night at EWSC

Winged Super Modified:


A-Main (15 laps): Brad Swendrowski, Milwaukee; Chuck Tuschl, Reedsville; Tim McMullen, Plymouth; Kris Hansen, Manitowoc; Dave Deicher, Plymouth;

Heat # 1 (10 laps): Pete Ostrowski, Troy Center; Steve Bricker, Two Rivers; McMullen; Hansen;

Limited Late Model:

A-Main (20 laps): Jeff Sayler, Howards Grove; Dan Dippel, Plymouth; Jeff Bagendorfer Jr., Waterford; Todd Jensema, Sheboygan Falls; Dave Haag, Plymouth; Scott Haugstad, Plymouth;

Heat # 1 (10 laps): Haag; Sayler; Dippel;
Heat # 2 (10 laps): Jay Crichton, Lake Villa, Illinois; Badendorfer; Haugstad;

MSA 360 Sprints:


Fast Qualifier: # 99E Mike Emme - Manitowoc 14.345

A-Main (20 laps): TJ Luedke, Plymouth; Shane Wenniger, Kewaskum; Lance Fassbender, Burnett; Tony Wondra, Campbellsport; Ben Schmidt, Plymouth; Daniel Schlafer, Sussex; Paul Pokorski, West Bend; Lance Thompson, Campbellsport; Troy Wondra, Lomira; Jason Johnson, Allenton;

B-Main (15 laps): J. Johnson; Dave Lisowe, Chilton; Pete Ostrowski, Troy Center; Mike Emme, Manitowoc; Tim Melis, Plymouth; Adam Miller, Plymouth;

Heat # 1 (10 laps): Tony Wondra; D. Schlafer; Doug Wondra, Oakfield; Andy Klumb, Grafton;
Heat # 2 (10 laps): Schmidt; Thompson; Pokorski; Alister Strohs, Adell;
Heat # 3 (10 laps): Wenniger; Brad Kuhn; Tim Haddy, Waupun; Luedke;
Heat # 4 (10 laps): Robbie Priebnow, Mayville; Mark Wernes Jr., Mukwonago; Fassbender; Troy Wondra;

Grand National:


Fast Qualifier: # 10 Roger Lee - Wind Lake 18.617

A-Main (20 laps): Brett Wenzel, Two Rivers; Don Sorce Jr. West Allis; Brian Henry, Omro; Chad Kistner, New Holstein; Justin Danes, New Holstein; Roger Lee, Wind Lake; Jerry Wenzel, Two Rivers; Gregg Haese, Two Rivers; Matt Yancey, Sheboygan Falls; Brian Gilles, Plymouth;

B-Main (15 laps): Haese; Randy Brunette, Chilton; Dan Schumacher, Milwaukee; Bob Peter, Howards Grove; Tommy Moore, Muskego; Bill Gast, Hilbert; Andrew Sullivan, Waupun; Mark Fieber, Cascade;

Heat # 1 (10 laps): Henry; B. Wenzel; Gilles; Kistner;
Heat # 2 (10 laps): Peter; Haese; Brad Lubach, Elkhart Lake; J. Wenzel;
Heat # 3 (10 laps): Tim Conard, Manitowoc; Nick Schumacher, Eagle; Brunette; Jerry Brickner, Mishicot;
Heat # 4 (10 laps): Sullivan; Moore; Fieber; Gast;

All American Mighty 4’s:


A-Main (15 laps): Mark Kuhfuss, Howards Grove; Kyle Resch, Manitowoc; Tim Simon, St. Peter; Greg Gierke, Kiel; Amber Rabe, Plymouth; Josh Gierke, Kiel; Gary Novitski, Two Rivers; Ian Fogeltanz, Manitowoc; Jake Fuller, Manitowoc; Josh Kiel, Manitowoc;

Heat # 1 (8 laps): Simon; Rabe; Resch; Kuhfuss;
Heat # 2 (8 laps): Jerimiah Sand, Two Rivers; G. Gierke; Novitski; Kiel;

Eastern 8’s:

A-Main (20 laps): Brad Ruh, Elkhart Lake; Kevin Lubach, Elkhart Lake; Jeff Leonhard, Sheboygan; Pat Wazny, St. Nazianz; Mark Vranak, Sheboygan; Brett Koehler, Two Rivers; Josh Schroeder, Manitowoc; Lynn Schroeder, Manitowoc; Patrick Neuman, Manitowoc; Jacob Phillips, Green Bay;


Heat # 1 (6 laps): Steven Ruh, Chilton; Brad Ruh; Kevin Ruh; Troy Bartel, Chilton;
Heat # 2 (6 laps): Leonhard; Mike Kaufmann, Newton; Josh Setzer, Sheboygan; Lubach;

Rascal Outlaws:


A-Main (15 laps): Mark Findley, Richmond, Illinois; Jason Mahoney, Lake Zurich, Illinois; John Benkert, McHenry, Illinois; Rob Pollak, Lake Geneva, Illinois; Jocko Terrault, Antioch, Illinois;

Heat # 1 (8 laps): Jim Thiel, McHenry, Illinois; Pollak; Mahoney;

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