WAUSAU, Wis. (June 29) – In the course of just over two laps, a frustrating race for Brett Breitenfeldt turned into a golden one.
Misfortune for the leaders combined with a late caution gave Breitenfeldt the opening to change his luck, and the Wausau driver took advantage and won the Advance Auto Parts Pure Stock feature. He also captured the Dave Lashua Memorial for the pure stocks, winning the race for the first time in its seven years run since its namesake and former pure stock driver passed away at the age of 47 in 2016.
Breitenfeldt’s evening changed in a hurry, after he was boxed in back in the pack much of the race and running seventh in the feature when a caution came out with eight laps left. Wausau’s Dave Cabelka and Brian Plisch of Athens were racing for second when Plisch tapped Cabelka, causing him to spin and stall on the front stretch infield.
Both drivers went to the back, and after lane choices Breitenfeldt was able to move up to fourth on the outside of the second row for the lap 18 restart. Alex Volm of Mosinee had finally got by Plisch for the lead on lap 17 after a long battle, and he held the lead on the restart. Coming to the green flag Volm’s car suddenly slowed, though, and he dropped to the inside of the track with engine problems ending his race.
Steve Schilling of Ringle would take the lead with Breitenfeldt suddenly moving up to second, and Schilling would lead lap 18. Breitenfeldt would slip inside him on the backstretch on lap 19, though, and he would drive away to the victory, his second in the class this year.
Kyle Kluetz of Schofield finished second, capping a memorable night for the first-year pure stock driver. A cousin of Lashua and driving his former car with Lashua’s No. 01 on it, Kluetz won his heat race and then posted his best feature finish in the class so far, getting by Schilling for second with three laps left. Jeff Spatz of Wausau came in third with Plisch fourth and Schilling fifth.
Always a hotly contested race in the class with a number of individuals and businesses stepping up to provide bonus money, five different drivers led at one point in the Lashua Memorial. Volm and Plisch spent nearly half the race side-by-side for first, with Volm taking to the outside of him on lap 6 and the two racing alongside each other for the next 12 laps. Plisch continued to hold a slim lead on the inside most laps until Volm got a good run off of turn 2 on lap 15, then another on lap 16 and finally cleared Plisch on lap 17.
Auburndale’s Tim Anderson has already had a successful season at State Park Speedway in its weekly Snap-on Mini Mods class, and he stayed hot in the Midwest Dash Series visit to the track, winning the 25-lap feature.
Anderson came out atop a big shuffle in the final laps, taking the lead from tour regular Dan Braun of Fremont with four laps to go. He then held off fast-closing George Sparkman of Love Park, Ill., on the final lap, holding on to win by half a car length at the line.
The race appeared to be a battle between SPS regular Joe Kuehn of Wausau and Hancock’s Cameron Kemnetz as the two were well in front of the field with less than 10 laps left. Kemnetz spent four laps looking high and low for an opening to get by Kuehn, and he dove to the inside entering turn 1 on lap 18, making contact with the leader that caused both cars to spin into the infield.
Both cars stayed pointed forward, though, and attempted to come back onto the track in front of the rest of the pack. Braun would get by Kemnetz before he could get up to speed, though, and Anderson and Sparkman also slipped by him on lap 19.
Braun would lead until lap 22, when Anderson got inside him for the lead, with Sparkman following behind a lap later. Kemnetz would rally to finish third with Braun fourth and Phil Malouf fifth.
The Rockstar Energy Drink Mini Stocks feature appeared to have been won by Tyler Custer when the Stratford driver drove to the lead from the outside pole and led all 15 laps in a caution-free race. Custer’s car did not pass post-race inspection, though, giving the win to Wausau’s Eric Breitenfeldt.
The feature victory gave Breitenfeldt a clean sweep of the night including fast time and a second heat win. It also came two weeks after he lost a feature win after failing post-race inspection. Garret Strachota of Wausau was second in the feature, Gleason’s Ashley Schoone third and Wausau’s Tom Lecher and Mosinee’s Amanda Rowe moved up to fourth and fifth, respectively, after fourth-place finisher Luke Mikula also did not pass post-race inspection.
State Park Speedway will take the week off next week before returning to racing action Thursday, July 13. Women Concerned for Auto Racing (WCAR) will sponsor Gifts From Heaven Night, with State Park’s regular super late models, pure stocks, mini mods and mini stocks all on the program. Fred Mueller Qualifying starts at 6 p.m. with racing to follow at 7 p.m.
Advance Auto Parts Pure Stocks
Fast Qualifier: Dave Cabelka, Wausau, 15.253 sec.
First Heat: 1. Kyle Kluetz, Schofield; 2. Steve Schilling, Ringle; 3. Kyle Check, Shantytown
Second Heat: 1. Brian Plisch, Athens; 2. Jeff Spatz, Wausau; 3. Alex Volm, Mosinee; 4. Cabelka; 5. Brett Breitenfeldt, Wausau
Feature: 1. B. Breitenfeldt; 2. Kluetz; 3. Spatz; 4. Plisch; 5. Schilling; 6. Cabelka; 7. Check; 8. A. Volm
Midwest Dash Series
Fast Qualifier: George Sparkman, Loves Park, Ill., 15.824 sec.
First Heat: 1. Tyler Muller, Sun Prairie; 2. Joe Kuehn, Wausau; 3. Dan Braun, Fremont; 4. Kamren Hill, Marshfield; 5. Pete Doxey, Lino Lakes, Minn.; 6. Brian Marquardt, Weston; 7. Anna Malouf, Rhinelander
Second Heat: 1. Phil Malouf, Manitowish Waters; 2. Cameron Kemnetz, Hancock; 3. Sparkman; 4. Tim Anderson, Auburndale; 5. Jim Lietz, Mosinee; 6. Mike Meharg, Auburndale; 7. John Lietz, Mosinee
Feature: 1. Anderson; 2. Sparkman; 3. Kemnetz; 4. Braun; 5. P. Malouf; 6. Meharg; 7. Kuehn; 8. Doxey; 9. Jim Lietz; 10. John Lietz; 11. Hill; 12. A. Malouf; 13. Marquardt; 14. Muller
Rockstar Energy Drink Mini Stocks
Fast Qualifier: Eric Breitenfeldt, Wausau, 16.606 sec.
First Heat: 1. Tyler Custer, Stratford; 2. Luke Mikula, Wausau; 3. Clayton Phillips, Marathon; 4. Zach Budleski, Wausau; 5. Kendra Baumann, Wausau; 6. Joey Blaschka, Wausau
Second Heat: 1. E. Breitenfeldt; 2. Garret Strachota, Wausau; 3. Amanda Rowe, Mosinee; 4. Tom Lecher, Wausau; 5. Brad Lecher, Wausau; 6. Ashley Schoone, Gleason; 7. Hunter Landwehr, Stratford
Feature: 1. E. Breitenfeldt; 2. Strachota; 3. Schoone; 4. T. Lecher; 5. Rowe; 6. B. Lecher; 7. Landwehr; 8. Custer; 9. Mikula; 10. Baumann; 11. Phillips; 12. Blaschka; 13. Budleski