KAUKAUNA, WI – The defending track champion came out swinging on opening night.
Edgerton’s Casey Johnson, who started 11th in the field, fought off a late race surge from Freedom’s Brent Strelka to capture the caution plagued super late model feature at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna Thursday night.
Oshkosh veteran Pete Vandermolen outraced fellow front row starter Jeff Van Oudenhoven into the lead two laps into the 35 lap contest. Vandermolen began to stretch his lead when an amber flew for a lap four melee on the dogleg.
Among the drivers caught up in the wreck were Jesse Oudenhoven, Dennis Prunty, Travis Rodewald, Mickey Schallie, Corey Manders and Alex Stumpf. The wreck sidelined Rodewald and Manders.
After a cleanup racing resumed with Taylor Vandermoss grabbing the lead on the restart with Jeff Van Oudenhoven in tow. The duo pulled away with Van Oudenhoven sticking with a car length of the fellow Appleton racer. The veteran Van Oudenhoven looked both high and low.
The sizeable margin the lead duo enjoyed was wiped out on lap twenty when the yellow flew for a three car tangle involving Oudenhoven, Schallie and Grant Griesbach.
On the restart Vandermoss pulled away from Van Oudenhoven, Lowell Bennett and Johnson, who shot into the second spot with 13 laps remaining. Johnson poured the coals onto his Chase Motorsports ride and began quickly slicing away at Vandermoss’ lead. A Michael Anthony spin with 12 laps remaining tightened the field once again. Back under the green Johnson motored around Vandermoss to take the lead. Freedom’s Strelka mounted a late race charge from his row four starting spot and closed the gap on Johnson.
Another caution flew with three laps remaining and when the green flag finally came back out. Strelka dove inside of Johnson but could not muster a pass as Johnson took home the win. Strelka placed second, followed by Vandermoss, Appleton’s Andy Monday and Darboy’s Sawyer Effertz.
The feature was delayed by caution flags seven times. 12 of the original 20 starters finished the race.
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Feature Results – 35 Laps
1) #47J Casey Johnson
2) #52 Brent Strelka
3) #3V Taylor Vandermoss
4) #10M Andy Monday
5) #2E Sawyer Effertz
6) #2B Lowell Bennett
7) #42P Dennis Prunty
8) #66S Alex Stumpf
9) #30V Pete Vandermolen Jr.
10) #45V Jeff Van Oudenhoven
11) #47G Eugene Gregorich
12) #1J Jesse Oudenhoven
13) #9C Mickey Schallie
14) #40 Kurt Tillman
15) #72S Randy Schuler
16) #50 Mike Anthony
17) #11K Bobby Kendall
18) #17G Grant Griesbach
19) #27 Travis Rodewald
20) #28 Corey Manders
Qualifying Results
1) #1J Jesse Oudenhoven
2) #74 Brady Baldry
3) #3V Taylor Vandermoss
4) #2B Lowell Bennett
5) #2E Sawyer Effertz
6) #9C Mickey Schallie
7) #10M Andy Monday
8) #11K Bobby Kendall
9) #28 Corey Manders
10) #17G Grant Griesbach
11) #27 Travis Rodewald
12) #30V Pete Vandermolen Jr.
13) #33V Trevor Vandermolen
14) #40 Kurt Tillman
15) #42P Dennis Prunty
16) #45V Jeff Vanoudenhoven
17) #47J Casey Johnson
18) #47 Eugene Gregorich
19) #50 Mike Anthony
20) #52 Brent Strelka
21) #66S Alex Stumpf
22) #72S Randy Schuler
Wisconsin International Raceway Press Release
