WAUSAU, Wis. (July 11) – Justin Mondeik and Brock Heinrich put on a feature race finish at State Park Speedway Thursday night that left all in attendance in doubt on who was the race winner at the end. And, as it turned out, well beyond that.
In what would’ve been a photo finish in olden days, Heinrich was declared the original winner of the Auto Select Super Late Models pres. by C-Tech main event, by .005 of a second over Mondeik at the line. Upon post-race inspection, though, Heinrich was penalized for improper location on his car of the transponder unit used for the track’s electronic scoring, and Mondeik was declared the winner with Heinrich finishing second.
The result on Wausau Noon Optimists Kids Night and Women Concerned for Auto Racing (WCAR) Gifts From Heaven night left Mondeik with his second feature win of the season, and Heinrich just shy of posting a second straight feature victory at the Rib Mountain quarter-mile. It also came after Mondeik and Heinrich engaged in one of the best races of the season at the speedway, with surges by both drivers throughout the 50-lap race.
The final ones came in the last 15 laps, after a competition caution brought the field back together for a sprint to the final. Mondeik cleared Heinrich on the inside after the two started side-by-side, and he pulled out to a five car-length lead and appeared to be in good shape for the win.
Heinrich began to chip away in the final laps, though, and was within two car lengths with five laps left. Heinrich had been strong on the outside line all night, and he made an attempt on the outside on lap 48 only to fall back a car length.
Heinrich made another attempt on the outside on the final lap but was still half a car length back on the outside on the backstretch and through Turn 3. The Wausau native made one final lunge coming off the final turn, though, and the two crossed the finish line nearly even.
Heinrich was originally declared the winner, though video after appeared to show Mondeik with a slim advantage crossing the line. After inspection it was found Heinrich’s transponder was a few inches further forward in the car than allowed and he was moved to second in the final rundown.
Mondeik and Heinrich took turns leading through the first 35-lap segment, with Mondeik taking the lead from the outside pole, clearing Travis Volm of Wausau on lap 3. The Gleason driver built an early margin but Heinrich began catching him and got to the leader’s bumper by lap 17.
Mondeik held off Heinrich high and low for four laps, until Heinrich got position on the inside on lap 21. Heinrich took the lead on the next lap but did not drive away, with the two separated by two car lengths at the halfway point. Mondeik began coming back and on lap 31 got inside Heinrich, taking the lead back a lap later and holding first into the race’s lone caution.
Rayce Haase of Wausau was the night’s fast qualifier, and he moved into third on the outside of Merrill’s Jason Weinkauf on lap 28. Haase appeared capable of challenging the top two over the final sprint, but his car proved stronger on the outside and on longer runs, and starting on the inside on the restart he eventually fell back to fifth behind Weinkauf and Volm. Volm ended up getting by both in the final laps and came in third, with Haase fourth and Weinkauf fifth.
Auto Select Super Late Models pres. by C-Tech
Fast Qualifier: Rayce Haase, Wausau, 13.782 sec.
First Heat: 1. Travis Volm, Wausau; 2. Justin Mondeik, Gleason; 3. Mark Mackesy, Wausau; 4. Mike Cox Jr., Hazelhurst
Second Heat: 1. Brock Heinrich, Wausau; 2. Jason Weinkauf, Merrill; 3. Haase; 4. Ty Fredrickson, Northfield, Minn.
Feature: 1. Mondeik; 2. Heinrich; 3. Volm; 4. Weinkauf; 5. Haase; 6. Fredrickson; 7. Mackesy; 8. Cox