STENJEM SOARS TO INAUGURAL WIR SUPER LATE MODEL WIN

(Kaukauna, WI) June 5 – Stoughton’s Riley Stenjem grabbed the lead with three laps remaining and hung on to collect the first super late model feature win of his career at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna Thursday. The event went wire-to-wire, caution free.

Stenjem started third on the grid in his Chase Motorsports entry. Appleton’s Michael Anthony outraced polesitter Lowell Bennett at the drop of the green of the 35 lap contest. Anthony quickly disposed of Bennett and quickly built up a sizeable cushion over his competitors.

By lap ten, Bennett and J.J. Vanderloop slowly began reeling in Anthony, while Stenjem held steady in the fourth spot. Stenjem chased down Bennett and Vander Loop by lap 13. Stenjem whisked past Vander Loop on lap 15, and wrestled the runnerup spot away from Bennett on lap 18.

Stenjem, breaking loose from the mid-pack congestion, set his sights on Anthony and began chopping away at his lead. With five circuits remaining, Stenjem caught up with the race long leader, passing him on lap 32. Stenjem hung on to score his first feature flag at the track. Anthony survived to place second. Lowell Bennett, Chad Butz and Jordan Thiel crossed the line third through fifth, respectively.

Brillion’s Alex Stumpf only led one lap, but it was the lap that counted, the final one, in the 20 lap Pro late model feature where he earned the win. Similar to the super late models, the Pro late model main went green-to-checkered without a caution.

Stumpf, who started ninth in the 15 car field, charged into the third spot by lap seven. Stumpf slowly began reeling in the lead duo of Braison Bennett and Bryan Monday, and a three car tussle for the lead developed, with Stumpf taking over the runnerup spot with five laps remaining. Stumpf sized up the leader Bennett, pulling alongside door-to-door as the white flag was displayed.

Stumpf squeezed past Bennett at the checkers, claiming a slim victory by a .03 second margin. Bennett crossed the stripe second, followed by Monday, T.J. Spierowski and Matthew Wittman.

Darboy’s Mickey Schallie and Kaukauna’s Don Dix claimed each of the WIR ¼ mile late model feature wins. Hometown driver Taylor Rahn went wire-to-wire, leading every lap en route to claiming the super stock feature.

Other feature winners were Krakow’s Jeremy Czarapata (Sizzlin’ 4’s), Freedom’s Brady Vander Loop (Sport Trucks) and Little Chute’s Craig Krueger (Figure 8).

During an on track ceremony, longtime track photographer, writer and motorsports columnist Bob Bergeron was ushered into the track’s Circle of Fame.

Next Thursday, June 12 WIR will host the Rich Somers Memorial Red Race. All of the track’s weekly divisions will be in action, with racing getting underway at 6:30 p.m. For additional information, please check out frrc.us.

RACE SUMMARY

SUPER LATE MODEL FEATURE – Riley Stenjem, Stoughton; Mike Anthony, Appleton; Lowell Bennett, Neenah; Chad Butz, Green Bay; Jordan Thiel, Appleton; Grant Griesbach, Pewaukee; J.J. Vander Loop, Freedom; Sawyer Effertz, Appleton; Andy Monday, Appleton; Taylor Vandermoss, Appleton; Corey Manders, Hilbert; Tim Springstroh, Freedom; Trevor Vandermolen, Oshkosh; Pete Vandermolen Jr., Oshkosh; Louis Goss, Green Bay; Penn Sauter, Deforest

HEAT – Lowell Bennett

DASH – Griesbach

FAST TIME – Effertz, 18.991

PRO LATE MODEL FEATURE – Alex Stumpf, Brillion; Braison Bennett, Neenah; Bryan Monday, Appleton; T.J. Spierowski, Neenah; Matthew Wittman, Appleton; Brian Henry, Omro; Todd Verhagen, Freedom; Andy Kluck, Appleton; Justin Woller, Wausau; Brady Baldry, Omro; Jerry Vander Loop, Freedom; Scott Wolf, Appleton; Wayne Posselt, Greenville; Bobby Wautier, Freedom; Dan Braun, Fremont

HEAT – Posselt

DASH – Henry

FAST TIME – Stumpf, 20.125

WIR ¼ MILE LATE MODEL FEATURES 1) Mickey Schallie, Darboy, WI; Mike Reichenberger, Appleton; Ty Fietzer, Appleton; Rick Spoo, Neenah; Tim Baumann, Neenah 2) Don Dix, Kaukauna; Sean Springstroh, Appleton; Spoo; Fred Therrien, Kaukauna; Dan Thomson, Neenah

Fast Time – Baumann, 14.836

SUPER STOCK FEATURE – Taylor Rahn, Kaukauna; Evan Beattie, Little Chute; Trevor Howard, Kaukauna; Dylan Wenzel, Fremont; Ed Howard, Kaukauna; Danny Gracyalny, Appleton; Emery Beattie, Little Chute; Mike Gilson, Greenleaf; Larry Raygo, Omro; Adam Peterman, Bucktown; Mike King, Kaukauna; Ethan Beattie, Little Chute; Logan Boldt, Appleton; Josh Mueller, Parts Unknown; Craig Vanderwettering, Freedom; Cole Bigelow, Kaukauna

HEATS 1) Rahn 2) Gracyalny

FAST TIME – Trevor Howard, 15.65

SPORT TRUCK FEATURE – Brady Vander Loop, Freedom; Jason Van Handel, Freedom; Kyle Quella, Appleton; Tanner Fickel, Appleton; Cameron Hadley, Appleton; Masyn Liedke, Fond Du Lac; Luke Wollenberg, Appleton; Cadyn Liedke, Fond Du Lac; Logan Mahoney, Appleton; Owen Voight, Shiocton

HEATS 1) Patrick Peyton, Menasha 2) Mahoney 3) Brady Vander Loop

FAST TIME – Van Handel, 16.265

SIZZLIN’ 4 FEATURE – Jeremy Czarapata, Krakow; Gavin Klein, Greenville; Mason Hungerford, Freedom; Andy Wiese, Greenville; Jordan Fickel, Appleton

HEATS 1) Brandi Skeens, Menasha 2) Cody Vandenberg, Appleton 3) Czarapata

FAST TIME –Justin Fickel, Neenah 17.895

FIGURE 8 FEATURE – Craig Krueger, Little Chute