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Lepak Leads WCS Charge Into Jefferson Speedway
JEFFERSON, WI. (May 16, 2005) -- It's not an unfamiliar position for Wausau's
Jeremy Lepak to be in, but it is a spot where he'd like to remain through the
next eight Wisconsin Challenge Series events.... atop the season point
standings.
Lepak who grew up on the bullrings of Central Wisconsin has accomplished many
fetes in his racing career, a traveling series championship would likely be
one he'd like to add to his list. Heading into the Star Packaging 100 at
Jefferson Speedway on Saturday evening May 21st, Lepak finds himself leading
the standings by a 28 point margin over two-time Dells Motor Speedway champion
Jeff Kendall of Montello. Ryan Mathews a front runner in many
special events throughout the Midwest is poised in third only 30 points back.
Interestingly enough both Lepak and Kendall were doing battle for the lead one
year ago at Jefferson when the pair got tangled allowing NASCAR Busch Series
competitor Jason Schuler to slip by and win the contest on the very track
where he began his racing career. Both Kendall and Lepak will be ready
to do battle again but both looking for different results at the end of the
day.
In the Jefferson Speedway event last year the top of the Wisconsin Challenge
Series standings was represented on the podium as Adam Royle of Farmington, MN
and Mark Eswein of Wisconsin Rapids finished second and third respectively in
the event. Eswein would go on to win the 2004 WCS championship edging
out Royle. Currently Royle and Eswein are ranked fourth and fifth
respectively in the standings, separated by a single point. Both drivers
have quietly placed themselves into contention for another run at the season
title.
Sixth in the current standings is a new face this year in the WCS
series. Dexter Bean of Westby who has been a competitor on the NASCAR
Midwest Series and a front runner at the LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway has
quietly placed himself into the running for the 2005 title. For Bean the
Jefferson visit would be his first stop at the quarter-mile oval.
Charlie Menard, the defending LaCrosse Fairgrounds champion had led the WCS
standings into the most recent race for the series at Wisconsin International
Raceway, but an accident in a qualifying race kept him from starting the
feature contest dropping him to seventh in the current standings. Like
Bean, Menard has not competed at Jefferson Speedway before providing an
additional challenge for the LaCrosse area drivers.
A couple competitors looking forward to the stop at Jefferson however includes
last years winner Schuler who is expected to return and attempt to defend his
win from last year. In preparation Schuler recently competed in a weekly
program at Jefferson Speedway and was successful at winning the feature event.
Likewise Nathan Haseleu of Marshall, who won the most recent Wisconsin
Challenge Series event at Wisconsin International Raceway is expected to enjoy
a trip to where he turned many laps early in his racing career.
Other Wisconsin Challenge Series regulars expected for the event include Frank
Kreyer, the Weinkauf Brothers Jason and Chris, John Zimmerman, Don
"Thunder" Turner, Dean LaPointe, M.G. Gajewski, Jeff Weinfurter and
a host of other familiar faces.
One team seeking a reversal of fortune will be the Maynard Motorsports team
which fields cars for Terry Baldry who has recorded 11 track titles at
Wisconsin International Raceway. Last season a mechanical failure at
Jefferson dropped Baldry from a title chase. This year the team has been
chasing bad luck, and a solid showing at Jefferson could elevate Baldry into a
title contender.
Local drivers are also expected to play a role in the outcome of the feature
contest as witnessed last season at Jefferson. Local racer John Ovadal Jr.,
led much of the early contest before a mechanical problem resulted in an
accident while still at the front of the pack. Others ready to defend the home
turf include Dan Chesmore, Jim Jarlsberg and Jason Erickson who have indicated
to speedway officials they will participate in the event.
While the 100 lap main event is the focus for all the hotshoes, an important
part of making the big show will be a pair of 30 lap qualifying races which
will set the field for the 100 lap main event. For many drivers those
will be a make or break opportunity to be in the featured contest.
The show itself will be a huge one as fans will also witness 4 other divisions
of competition, including the fast and furious Sportsman division, the wild
fender banging Hobby Stocks, the agile International 4 cylinder class, and not
to be out done, the no holds barred, 4 wide racing Bandit division, and entry
level 4 cylinder class which has proven racing can be a contact sport.
Pit gates will open at Noon, with practice set to begin at 1:00 p.m.
Qualifying will begin at 4:30 p.m., and the first green flag of the day will
fly at 7:00 p.m. All totaled fans can expect to witness nearly 300 laps
of racing throughout the course of the day. Adult admission for the show
is a fan friendly $12 making the program an exceptional value.
Jefferson Speedway is located on halfway between Cambridge and Jefferson
Wisconsin on Highway 18. For additional information on Jefferson
Speedway the track has a website available at www.jeffersonspeedway.com
Information on the Wisconsin Challenge Series can be found at www.wisconsinchallenge.com
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