Menard Wins Second Super Late Feature! By Mary Langreck

June 15, 2004; Marshfield, WI: - A crowd of over 1,000 people came out for the Annual MACCI Business After 5 race. NASCAR driver Scott Wimmer was on hand to sign autographs for all the fans and Marshfield Chamber members. Charlie Menard came to race and set fast time in the Super Lates. Keith Wirtz was the 4-Cylinder fast timer and Cody Meyer picked up his second fast time in the 1-Man Cruisers.

Pete Kempf took the early lead from his pole position start of the CARQUEST Super Late Model feature. Jim Sauter Jr. moved up right behind, but Charlie Menard wasted no time getting to the front and passed Sauter for second on lap eight. Menard then began pressuring Kempf for the lead. By lap 12, Menard was the new leader, Kempf second, Sauter third, Eugene Gregorich Jr. fourth and Rory Melbinger fifth.

Just as Menard was about to complete lap 14, Kempf spun in turn four and Sauter and Melbinger with nowhere to go slammed into him. All drivers were okay, however Kempf and Sauter's machines were too badly damaged to continue. Melbinger came back for three laps but was then forced to pit due to damage from the wreck also. On the restart, Menard lost the lead to Gregorich, and fell back to fifth. Menard was not about to give up though. Menard passed Brian Back for fourth the next lap.

The caution flew the second time for the spun car of Kyle Davis. When the race resumed, Gregorich continued to lead with Dean LaPointe second, Jeff Weinfurter third, Menard fourth and Back fifth. Lap 18, Menard passed Weinfurter for third and the next lap he passed LaPointe for second. Menard then began challenging Gregorich on the outside for the lead. As the two drove into turn one there was contact and Gregorich and Menard spun. Gregorich was unable to continue, but took the blame for the incident allowing Menard to keep his spot at the front of the field.

Menard held the lead on lap 22, LaPointe second, Weinfurter third, Back fourth and Ben Pettis fifth. As the lead took the white flag, LaPointe and Pettis had contact that sent both of them hard into the turn four wall. Both drivers were okay and the race was scored complete as the leader had received the white flag. Menard won, Weinfurter second, Back third, Mark Eswein fourth and Kirby Kurth fifth.

Two cautions plagued the start of the 4-Cylinder feature. The first caution was for an improper start and not all the drivers slowed down for the caution and there was a wreck that put both Steve Hauser and Jeremiah Strauss in the pits. Rob Barthen led the first three laps. Lap three, the caution flew the second time as Jason Bell and Dale Louze's machines left the track on the backstretch. Louze's car rolled onto its top. Both drivers were okay, Bell was not able to continue.

Paul Berg was also involved in the incident, both he and Louze restarted at the rear. Fast timer Keith Wirtz then took the lead, Kevin Eckes ran hard in second, but was unable to get ahead of Wirtz. JJ Flick raced third, George Brandl fourth and Berg making an amazing recovery was back up to fifth. Lap seven, Berg passed Brandl for fourth but couldn't catch up to Flick for third. Wirtz won, Eckes second, Flick third, Berg fourth and Brandl fifth.

Matt Cournoyer led the first four laps of the 1-Man Cruiser feature. Pat Dickman then took over for the win. Dave Knauf finished second, Cournoyer third, Larry Larsh fourth and Steve Erdman fifth.

This Saturday's racing is sponsored by Thomas Electric Service, Earth Inc., and WDLB/WOSQ. It's the first of two Wisconsin Challenge Series races here at Marshfield, featuring a 75 lap Super Late Model feature, CARQUEST Super Stocks, Motorcycles and 2-Man Cruisers. Pit Gate opens at 2 p.m., Practice starts at 4 p.m., Grandstand Gates 5 p.m., Time Trials 6 p.m. and Racing 7:30. Saturday's race is raindated for Sunday Same Times.

For complete RACESTAT Computer Results Click Here

Summary
Qualifying
CARQUEST Super Late Models: Charlie Menard 17.770
CARQUEST CWSSA Super Stocks: Didn't race
CWMSA 4-Cylinders: Keith Wirtz 22.266
1-Man Cruisers: Cody Meyer 23.710

Heats
CARQUEST Super Late Models
Heat 1: Gress, Kempf, Totzke, D. Davis, Krzykowski.
Heat 2: LaPointe, Eswein, Melbinger, Weinfurter, Menard.

CARQUEST CWSSA Super Stocks
Heat 1: Didn't race
Heat 2:

CWMSA 4-Cylinders
Heat 1: W. Elmhorst, Spatz, Kolb, Nawrocki, Masephol.
Heat 2: Flick, Bell, Adams, Gascoigne, Schlough.
Heat 3: K. Eckes, Wirtz, Brandl, Berg, A. Eckes.

1-Man Cruisers
Heat 1: Dickman, Meyer, Knauf, Cournoyer.

Semi-Features
CWMSA 4-Cylinder: W. Elmhorst, Kolb, Masephol, Nawrocki, Metzler, Spatz.

Features
CARQUEST Super Late Model: Menard, Weinfurter, B. Back, Eswein, Kurth, Bell, Totzke, Gress, Leopold, D. Davis.

CARQUEST CWSSA Super Stock: Didn't race

CWMSA 4-Cylinder: Wirtz, K. Eckes, Flick, Berg, Brandl, Schlough, A. Eckes, Adams, Gascoigne, Barthen.

1-Man Cruiser: Dickman, Knauf, Cournoyer, Larsh, Edrman, Kissner, Moore, Meyer.

2-Man Cruiser: Didn't race