WAUSAU, Wis. (Aug. 22) – The final Thursday night race program at State Park Speedway includes one of the track’s annual biggest events, six divisions of racing, and championships for grabs in all six classes in a super-sized show.
The 16th annual Wayne (Lodi) Lodholz Memorial is part of final points night of the season at State Park, and a number of drivers in the Auto Select Super Late Models presented by C-Tech competing to win the Lodi Memorial will have even more on the line. The top three in the super late model points are separated by a combined five points, with defending champion Brock Heinrich of Wausau with 338 points in first, Justin Mondeik of Gleason in second three points behind him, and Wausau’s Travis Volm just five points behind Heinrich in third.
Heinrich is aiming for his second straight and second career SPS super late model title and his fourth championship overall, including a pair of limited late model crowns. Mondeik is looking for his fourth super late model crown (2020-22) and fifth championship overall with a limited late model title in 2015, and Volm is shooting for his first super late model championship to go with five pure stock championships.
The trio has combined to win all five regular points shows at State Park this year and all six super late model features in all. Heinrich and Mondeik both have two feature wins each in weekly shows, plus Mondeik won the ASA Midwest Tour Detjens Memorial. Volm added a feature win in June, and also has won the feature in the season finale each of the last two years.
Heinrich and Volm also have been in the top four in all five features this year, with Mondeik inside that mark four times before a sixth last week. Volm also has picked up points by leading the class and all classes at the track with four heat wins.
Along with the points chase, Mondeik is going for his third straight and third career Lodi Memorial title, while Heinrich and Volm are both aiming for their first. Mondeik is looking to join Tim Sauter and Luke Fenhaus as the only three-time winners of the event.
A look at SPS’s other points races at a quick glance:
Advance Auto Parts Pure Stocks: A pair of Wausau natives are dueling for the top spot as Brett Breitenfeldt holds a 22-point lead over Dave Cabelka heading into the final race. Breitenfeldt is looking for his first career championship of any kind at State Park, while Cabelka is trying to repeat as champion after winning his first title last year. Jeff Spatz of Wausau is in third in the class, 69 points behind Breitenfeldt.
Snap-on Mini Mods: Pittsville’s Tim Anderson enters the night needing to just start the feature to wrap up his second straight title in the class. Anderson holds a 63-point lead over Josh Willhite of Wausau, with third-place Snappy Joe Kuehn 100 points behind Willhite in third.
Mini Stocks: Eric Breitenfeldt of Wausau is in the driver’s seat to repeat as champion and win his third championship in the class in four years. Breitenfeldt leads Nick Kurth of Wausau by 39 points and is 45 points ahead of Wausau’s Garret Strachota and 57 points in front of fourth-place Clayton Phillips of Marathon.
Bandoleros: Bentley Thompson of West Salem leads the standings heading into Thursday’s points finale. With 370 points, he is 41 points in front of Oliver Weinkauf of Merrill and 51 points ahead of Wausau’s Paxton Benz. The 11-year old Thompson is aiming for his first championship at State Park.
Legends: Elliott Weiler of Marshfield is well in front of the field, with his 292 points a full 68 points up on Minnesota’s Ayrton Brockhouse. Weiler is going for his second straight championship in the class.
Racing begins Thursday night with Menke Auto Group Qualifying at 6 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m. Pit gates open at 3 p.m. and fan gates open at 4:30 p.m. Admission is $18 for adults and $5 for youth age 6-12, with ages 5 and under free.