Weinfurter crowned CWRA Champion
The CWRA Stars to Legends Tour as presented by Smiley’s Old Time Diner concluded its eighth race season at Marshfield Motor Speedway in Marshfield Saturday, Sept. 29, with Chad Butz of Green Bay and Jeff Weinfurter of Wisconsin Rapids taking home 30-lap Feature victories.
With his performance, Weinfurter became the 2018 CWRA Tour Champion, as he won by 56 points over Darek Gress of Neillsville and by 64 points over Darren Jackson of Nekoosa.
Drawing for starting positions, Weinfurter started on the pole of the first 30-lap main, but within a few laps had a right front spindle break, forcing him to the sidelines, and putting his Championship hopes in jeopardy.
When action resumed, it was a newcomer to the Tour, Neil Knoblock of Wausau, taking the lead and holding it for several laps.
Another first timer this year with CWRA, Butz then motored in front, as he built up a commanding lead. A couple cautions slowed action, but Butz was never threatened, taking the Checkered flag a 1/2 straight away over Knoblock, with Gress third, followed by Dan Lindsley of Iron Mountain, Mich., Putch Bentley of Iron River, Mich., and Corey Manders, of Hilbert.
The second 30-lap Feature, with an 18-car inverted start, found Dave Neitzke of Eureka on the pole, but it was Jason Stark of Sparta grabbing the front spot at the green flag.
Derrick Van Dreel of Wisconsin Rapids, looking for his first Tour win of 2018, quickly moved into second position. With a lap in the books, Weinfurter became the 2018 CWRA Champion, with not enough points available for the rest of the field to catch him.
His day wasn’t finished, however, as starting 20th on the grid, he was a man on a mission, moving into the seventh spot by lap 8.
Meanwhile, Stark was maintaining his lead, with Van Dreel trying his hardest to wrestle it away. Monte Gress of Neillsville, Frank Nitzke of Berlin, and soon-to-be-crowned CWRA Stars to Legends Tour “Rookie of the Year,” Jesse Bernhagen of Stevens Point, were battling for position behind.
By the 12th lap, Weinfurter had moved into the Top Five and was closing the gap on the leaders. With seven laps to go it was still Stark and Van Dreel battling for first, with Weinfurter on their bumpers waiting for a miscue.
It came with four laps to go, as Weinfurter with a three-wide pass took the lead he would hold the rest of the way. Lindsley had now motored up to second, but with just a couple laps left had to settle for that spot at the finish. In a mad rush, Butz grabbed the third position, with Stark, Van Dreel and Knoblock rounding out the Top Six.
A record car count for the Tour in 2018, 24 cars participated in the day’s program, which had been pushed to Saturday from its originally scheduled date of Friday, Sept. 28, due to cold weather.
Next up for CWRA will be its end of year awards banquet, with dates soon to be announced. The process has already begun putting together the 2019 CWRA Stars to Legends Tour schedule, with those dates to be announced after the 1st of the year.
SUMMARY
30 lap Feature one 1.Chad Butz of Green Bay, 2. Neil Knoblock of Wausau, 3. Darek Gress of Neillsville, 4. Dan Lindsley of Iron Mountain, Mich., 5. Putch Bentley of Iron River, Mich., 6. Corey Manders of Hilbert, 7. Scott Stanchina of Kingsford, Mich., 8. Dillon Mackesy of Athens, 9. Derek Doerr of Watertown, 10. Brian Henry of Omro, 11. Darren Jackson of Nekoosa, 12. Jesse Bernhagen of Stevens Point, 13. Monte Gress of Neillsville 14. Frank Nitzke of Berlin, 15. Derrick Van Dreel of Wisconsin Rapids, 16. Greg Matthews of Wisconsin Rapids, 17. Jason Stark of Sparta, 18. Dave Neitzke of Eureka, 19. Jason Wells of Kimberly, 20. Jeff Weinfurter of Wisconsin Rapids, 21. Eric Wilhite of Athens, 22. Mike Sievers of Wisconsin Rapids, 23. Jack Greenwood of Phillips, 24. Mark Mackesy of Wausau.
30 lap Feature two 1.Weinfurter, 2. Lindsley, 3. Butz, 4. Stark, 5. Van Dreel, 6. Knoblock, 7. M. Gress, 8. Doerr, 9. Nitzke, 10. D. Gress, 11. Bernhagen, 12. Stanchina, 13. Manders, 14. Bentley, 15. Jackson, 16. D. Mackesy, 17.Henry, 18. Matthews, 19. Neitzke, 20. Wilhite, 21. Greenwood, 22. Wells, DNS. 23.Sievers, DNS. 24. M. Mackesy, DNS.
CWRA Stars to Legends point standings as of 9/29/18 Final
- Jeff Weinfurter 722
- Darek Gress 666
- Darren Jackson 658
- Mark Mackesy 607
- Frank Nitzke 540
- Derrick Van Dreel 536
- Jesse Bernhagen* 535
- Monte Gress 505
- Brian Henry* 494
- Rachel Kallas 484
- Dave Neitzke 394
- Mike Sievers 364
- Greg Matthews * 308
- Jesse Pokszyk 252
- Dakota Blakesslee 221
- Putch Bentley 186
- Dan Lindsley 176
- Joey Pontbriand 170
- Tod Stenson 158
- Kirby Kurth 154
- Jack Greenwood 136
- Derek Doerr 136
- Eric Wilhite 133
- Dillon Mackesy 98
- Chad Butz 94
- Hunter Stenson 88
- Neil Knoblock 84
- Jim Sauter, Jr 82
- Corey Manders 65
- Jason Stark 65
- Scott Stanchina 64
- Brock Heinrich 62
- Chad Devine 62
- Rob Christen 61
- Braison Bennett 56
- Mark Schultz* 55
- Glenn Bush, Jr. 49
- Brett Breitenfeldt 46
- Todd Oliver 39
- Jason Wells 21
* Denotes “Rookie of the year” Candidates