By Brandon Aschenbrenner
Special to the City Times

CWRA Late Models and Buses Highlight Action at Golden Sands Speedway

WISCONSIN RAPIDS — Golden Sands Speedway featured a great night of racing action including having the CWRA Late Models back on track for two feature events.

Jerry Brickner in Victory lane. (Photo: Jeff Blaser, Blaser Photography)

Also, the normal track Super Late Models were in action, along with the Super Stocks, Pure Stocks, Four-Cylinder Stocks and Outlaws and then to top it all off a bus race. Also highlighting the night was a visit from Bango, the Rim Rockers halftime show and the Milwaukee Bucks Dancers, all normal staples during Milwaukee Buck’s games. CWRA Features were won by Mark Mackesy and Jeff Weinfurter. Full story and details can be found on the CWRA Facebook page.

In Super Stock Action, Greg Back (6) took fast time once again. In heat racing, Brad Scholze (87) and Travis Volm (76) took wins. In the feature, Matt Komatz (33) led the early laps. After a bit, Brian Weinfurter (24) turned up the pressure and made a strong run to the lead without looking back. Weinfurter would prevail for the win. Volm and Back took second and third with Scholze and Greg Matthews (8) rounding out the top five. Volm is the current point leader.

In the Super Late Models, Mark Eswein (71) got quick time. Frank Nitzke (18), Justin Mondeik (44) and Jordan Thiel (2) got heat wins. In the feature, Wyatt Brooks (25) would pace the field early. Caution flew with 33 laps remaining after contact occurred between Jake Capek (81) and Haley Kapp (32). Brooks continued to lead after the restart, but Jerry Brickner (9) started to reel in Brooks. With 20 laps to go, Brooks car almost spun and a part failure would cause an early end to his night and his great run. Brickner would take over the lead and attempted to pull away, which worked until the last five laps when Eswein closed in on Brickner. Eswein got to the bumper, but was not able to make a move and get past the first time feature winner in a Super Late Model, Jerry Brickner. Eswein took second, Mike Olson (64) third, Mike Lichtfeld (44) fourth and Theil fifth. Lichtfeld hold a slim point lead over Eswein.

Bus Winner Davey Duke. (Photo: Jeff Blaser, Blaser Photography)

In the Pure Stocks, Mitch Stankowski (19) took fast time again. Hunter Cramer (66) and Stankowski took wins in the heat races. In the feature, it would be the Stankowski show. Starting in the back and looking for his first clean sweep on the asphalt he worked his way through traffic and was able to take the lead and cruise home to the victory. Mark Kalata (75x), Louie Merriam (17), Wayne Mackesy (17), driving the other Merriam car and Brandon Knoblock (71) finished in the top 5 spots. Stankowski also increased his points lead on the season with his performance.

In Four-Cylinder Stock racing, Shawn Kemnetz (24) got quick time for his third time this season and Ian Arneson (14) was quickest in Four-Cylinder Outlaw qualifying. Two heats for the stocks would find Nikki Coulthurst (17) and Ron Coppernoll (72), a first time visitor at GSS, to victory lane. The Outlaw heat was won by Arneson. In the feature, all 16 stocks and outlaws took the green flag and it was a jail break at the start and throughout the first few laps. Back and forth racing in the Outlaw class would end with birthday boy, Scott Ciesielski (21) winning over Arneson with Keith Kemnetz (37) taking third. In the stocks, Coppernoll was the man who was able to weave his way through the field and avoid any run ins enroute to a feature victory. Brandon Polansky (287), Brett Breitenfeldt (7), Shawn Kemnetz (24) and Isiah Rowe (96) rounded out the top fives in the stock class. Polansky leads the stock points and Ciesielski leads the Outlaw point standings.

Finishing off the race night was the crazy guys, and two ladies, one in a dress, racing buses around Golden Sands Speedway. Davey Duke, driving the 01 orange bus took the win. Local convict, Bobby Bailjumper was on the tails of Duke until he thought he say police lights coming after him causing him to almost lose control of his bus. Mrs. Frizzle, the Magic School bus teacher, Princess Jordina, in the pink bus, and Billy Ray Cyrus III all had busses out to compete for the win, but no one had anything for Davey Duke in them cut off jeans.

The next event at Golden Sands Speedway is a special Saturday, August 12 with the ARCA Midwest Tour Super Late Models making their first visit to Golden Sands Speedway. Joining them will be the open wheel modified division, some dirt and asphalt cars and another support class.

Qualifying will start at 5 with racing at 7 a.m. Follow along on Facebook, Twitter and/or www.gssraces.com.