Brandl Tops Super Lates At Marshfield
Laessig & Wirtz Capture Feature Wins
 
By Wayne Brevik
 
July 10, 2004;  Marshfield, WI: - Hot racing action added to the warm air as point races heated up in several divisions.  With the season nearly 3/4 complete, many drivers are still vying for track championships here at Marshfield Super Speedway.
 
In the CARQUEST Super Late Model feature, Pete Kempf of Nekoosa set the early pace leading the first seven laps.  Caution flew for the first time as Josh Bell looped his car in turn one.  
 
 On Kempf's heels and looking to take over the early race lead was Eugene Gregorich, Jr.  Gregorich took over the lead on lap 8 with an outside pass on Kempf exiting corner two.  Looking to take second away from Kempf and rapidly moving through the field from his 13th starting spot was Wisconsin Rapids driver, Jeff Weinfurter.  Weinfurter, who earlier in the day earned fast time, slipped pass Kempf on lap 18 to earn the runner-up spot. 
 
Caution flew for the second time when Ben Pettis and Brian Back got together entering turn one.  When the race resumed Weinfurter set his sights on Gregorich for the race lead.  Weinfurter also had a rear-view mirror full of Rudolph's Judd Brandl.  Brandl, who slithered his way through the field from his eighth starting position, started to make it a three car race for the lead.  After completing lap number 20 of the 25-lap main event, Weinfurter made the inside move on Gregorich as Gregorich's car pushed up the track entering turn one.  With Weinfurter and Gregorich running side-by-side exiting turn two, Brandl made the move of the race as he made it three wide for the race lead exiting turn two.  Brandl made a clean pass on Weinfurter and Gregorich as he darted down the backstretch.  Weinfurter looked to re-capture the lead with five laps remaining, but it was not to be as Brandl outpowered the rest of the field to earn the victory.  
 
With Weinfurter's runner-up spot, he closed to within four points of Dean LaPointe for the point lead.  Rounding out the top five were Gregorich, Jr., Kempf, and Dean LaPointe in his new 2004 Ford Taurus. 
 
 Preliminary winners in Super Late action found John Totzke winning heat one and the visiting Frank Kreyer taking first place in the fast heat.  In CARQUEST super stock action, 11 cars took the green flag in hopes of taking home the win in the 20-lap feature event.  
 
Matt Raykowski jumped to the early lead as he passed Andy Munthe and Chad Scholl on the first lap.  By lap three, Raykowski was getting heavy pressure from Scott Havlicek for the race lead.  Havlicek made the pass on Raykowski exiting turn four and bringing Cale Laessig with him.  Laessig, who earlier in the day turned in the second quickest lap, started to put heavy pressure on Havlicek for the top spot.  By lap nine, Laessig, who leads the points coming into tonight's action, took over the lead with an outside pass on Havlicek.  
 
Moving into the runner-up spot on lap 14 was quick qualifier Tim Hintz.  Hintz was feeling pressure from Randy Emmerich for the second position.  With both Hintz and Emmerich looking to run down Laessig for the top spot, it just was not to be tonight as Cale Laessig proved to be too strong capturing yet another win.  Hintz, who earlier posted the heat win to go with his fast time, finished second with Emmerich, Larry Schultz, and rookie point leader Travis Zvolena rounding out the top five.  
 
It was yet another exciting evening in the CWMSA four-cylinder division feature with heat one winner, Scott Gascoigne leading the first lap from his outside pole position.  Doug Adams briefly held the top spot on lap two with Aaron Schlough getting by him on lap three.  Schlough, who hails from Greenwood, led the next seven laps with Steve Hauser a close second.  
 
By lap nine of the 15-lap feature event, Keith Wirtz moved into the top position with an outside pass on Hauser.  Wirtz, who received some late race pressure from J. J. Flick and Paul Berg, was not about to relinquish his lead as he cruised to another feature win.  
 
Wirtz was followed to the checkered flag by Berg, Flick, fast timer Kevin Eckes, Sr. and Steve Hauser.  
 
In the exciting one-man cruiser division, Pat Dickman held down the top spot with Justin Moore a close second.  At the halfway point of the race, heat winner Matt Cournoyer slipped by Dickman for the race lead.  Cournoyer never looked back as he cruised to the 10-lap feature win.  Finishing a strong second was Moore with Dickman, Sam Sudduth, and quick qualifier, David Knauf rounding out the top five.  
 
Next week will be The Dental Clinic of Marshfield night at the races.  The superlates will have the week off as the limited lates visit us.  Other exciting divisions competing will be the superstocks, four cylinders and two-man cruisers.  Marshfield Super Speedway is located three miles west of Marshfield on County Highway H.  Qualifying begins at 6:00 p.m. with racing following at 7:30.