September 9, 2000; Marshfield, WI - It was a great night for racing action for the Late Model Race of Champions. Mark Eswein came out the champion for the third time. Jim Cormack edged out over Cale Laessig to take the feature win in the Super Stock division. Doug Becker sewed up the 1-Man Cruiser division by winning the feature and coming out the Track Points Champion for the year.
Fourteen drivers were pre-qualified for the 50-lapper. Dean LaPointe qualified for it by setting fast time tonight and Wayne Mackesy qualified by winning the last chance race. Mike Budleski and Pete Kempf were also added as Wild Cards. When the green flag dropped on the Race of Champions feature the cars only made to turn two as Rick Grunden spun-out. Grunden spent the first 26 laps of the race in the pits repairing his car. Judd Brandl and Jesse Haase also went to the pits to work on their cars but were able to re-start the race with the rest of the field. The first lap in the books was led by rookie Jason Szymkowiak. Then veteran Gary Back took the lead. Szymkowiak fell back to second and stayed there until Mark Kraus and Mark Eswein passed him for second and third. Scott Field was picking his way through the field and got past Szymkowiak on lap eight and began to chase down the top three. Eswein trying to take away second from Kraus finally got by him on lap 22. Eswein then set his sites on the lead. A caution on lap 26 gave Eswein his chance on the re-start. As the cars came out of turn four Eswein drove his car under Back’s and passed him on the inside of the front-stretch. The next lap Kraus passed Back for second, and Eswein and Kraus were battling once again. But Eswein wasn’t the only one running with Kraus. Back wanted to reclaim second and did so on lap 36. This pushed Kraus into third, Field still running strong in fourth and Dean LaPointe who started 14th was now in fifth. Melbinger got ahead of LaPointe for one lap but then LaPointe held fifth for the rest of the race. As hard as anyone tried, none were able to pass Eswein. He took home the checkered, Back second, Kraus third, Field fourth and LaPointe fifth.
On the first lap of the Super Stock feature, pole sitter Jared Back spun out, causing a caution and sending three cars to the pits. Cale Laessig was the only driver able to return. Matt Raykowski and Matt Osowski were done for the night. Allan Sankey led the next three laps, Larry Schultz the following three, and then Jim Cormack took over for the win. Laessig made it to the front, unable to pass Cormack, he took second. Schultz third, Sankey fourth and Back fifth.
The 1-Man Cruiser feature had several lead changes. Darrell Paschel on lap one, Glen Bargender the next five laps, and then it seemed as though when Rob Detwiler took the lead he would win. Well, on the white flag lap Doug Becker, who started 14th, took the lead, and the points championship by eight points. Becker won, Detwiler second, Duwayne Davis third, Dale Koplien fourth and Mark Virnig fifth.
In the CARQUEST 2-Man Cruiser division Ric Anderson & Jon Vayda placed first followed by Pat Dickman & Digger Harrison and Chuck Green & Chris Sternweis. The winner of the Wal-Mart Bicycle Giveaway was Stacey Winker from Vesper. Next Saturday’s event will be a 250 lap Mid-West Enduro Race. Plus we will be having the CARQUEST 2-Man Cruiser racing. Gates open at 5 p.m. For complete race results for the RACESTAT computer CLICK HERE |
