WAUSAU, Wis. (May 16) – The year 2024 promises to be a special season at State Park Speedway celebrating years of history and the final season of management under the Wimmer family, and the season gets underway this Saturday, May 18 with a big opening night.
SPS’s regular weekly divisions will all be on hand with racing including the Auto Select Super Late Models presented by C-Tech, Advance Auto Parts Pure Stocks, Snap-on Mini Mods and Rockstar Energy Drink Mini Stocks. The opener also features the return of the Midwest Truck Series for the 16th time, including the fourth straight year taking part in State Park’s season opener.
Saturday marks the first of 10 nights of racing at the Rib Mountain quarter-mile, a season with 12 dates in all that also includes an Eve of Devastation Aug. 10 plus the annual Creepy Classic enduro in late October. It also is the final season of racing at SPS with Ron and Scott Wimmer running the racetrack, as it was announced April 4 that this would be the last season of the Wimmer family managing racing there, ending a successful run that began with their first season in 2010.
“It’s been a great experience,” said Ron Wimmer after the announcement in early April. “I don’t think people know and understand all the work that goes on behind the scenes, but it has been our privilege to give people a place to race and race fans a place to come for 14 years. Racing has been a huge part of our lives, dating back to the Larry Detjens days, and to be able to help keep racing alive in our hometown was something special.”
The Auto Select Super Late Models will lead the show this week with a scheduled 60-lap feature for the first of six points nights for the class. Wausau’s Brock Heinrich is the defending champion in the class after winning his first-ever championship in the class a year ago, edging the prior three-time champion Justin Mondeik of Gleason and Jason Weinkauf of Merrill for the title.
Heinrich will be back to defend his championship this year, and among the contenders chasing him will be Mondeik and plenty of the local favorites. Also racing will be John Beale of Verona, who has had success at the track in past visits including wins with the Wisconsin Challenge Series and Central Wisconsin Racing Association and plans to race all six points nights.
Saturday’s opener includes the Midwest Truck Series stopping in for the third race of 14 on the tour’s season schedule. James Lynch of Palos Park, Ill., is the defending champion after earning his first-ever win at SPS last year, while past winners of this event Bryce Miller of Columbus and James Swan of Pell Lake also are among 24 advance entries for the race.
Also expected to compete is Kole Guralski of Wausau, a former Bandoleros champion at State Park who has had success racing super late models in recent years and will race with the trucks for the first time. In fact, Kolton will be one of three brothers on the track Saturday, with younger brothers Jevin (super late models) and Kooper (mini stocks) also all racing.
Also competing will be the Advance Auto Parts Pure Stocks, Snap-on Mini Mods and Rockstar Mini Stocks. Defending champions in the classes include Dave Cabelka of Wausau (pure stocks), Tim Anderson of Pittsville (mini mods) and Eric Breitenfeldt of Wausau (mini stocks).
All three are planning to return in their classes, including Cabelka racing as much as he can around his day job as a pilot. Anderson dominated the first half of last season at SPS with five feature wins in all before Solutionz Racing teammate Mike Meharg of Auburndale heated up late in the year and won the feature three of the final four weeks. Breitenfeldt already has a runner-up feature finish this season from opening night at Golden Sands Speedway this past Friday, just behind Ashley Schoone of Gleason, who finished second in the points in the mini stocks at State Park last year.
Racing begins Saturday night with Fred Mueller Qualifying at 5 p.m. and racing at 6:30 p.m. Pit gates open at 1:30 p.m. and fan gates open at 3:30 p.m. Admission is $18 for adults and $5 for youth age 6-12, with ages 5 and under free.
Full Schedule for Saturday, May 18th
1:30 Pit gates open
2:45 to 3:00 – Mini Stock Practice
3:00 to 3:15 – Mini-Mod Practice
3:15 to 3:30 – Midwest Trucks Practice
3:30 to 3:45 – Pure Stock Practice
3:45 to 4:00 – Super Late Model Practice
4:00 to 4:10 – Mini Stock Practice
4:10 to 4:20 – Mini Mod Practice
4:20 to 4:30 – Midwest Trucks Practice
4:30 to 4:40 – Pure Stock Practice
4:40 to 4:55 – Super Late Model Practice
5:00pm – Driver Meeting at Scales for SPS divisions
Group Qualifying
5:15 to 5:25 Mini Stock
5:25 to 5:35 Mini-Mod
5:35 to 5:45 Pure Stock
Single Car Qualifying
5:45 – Midwest Trucks followed by Super Late Models
6:20pm Opening Ceremonies
6:30pm – Racing Begins
Mini-Stock Heat (8laps)
Mini Mod Heat(8laps)
Midwest Trucks Heats
Pure Stock Heat (8laps)
Super Late Model Heats
INTERMISSION
Midwest Trucks B-Feature
Rockstar Energy Mini-Stocks 15 lap feature
Snap-On Mini-Mod 20 lap feature
Midwest Trucks 50 lap feature
Advanced Auto Parts Pure Stock 25 lap Feature
Auto Selected Super Late Models presented by C-Tech 60 lap feature
*ALL winners to Brickner Family Auto Group Victory Lane