Jeff Weinfurter won the second 30-lap Feature at Golden Sands Speedway in Plover Friday, Aug. 23, and wrapped up the 2019 Tour Championship. (Contributed photo)

The CWRA Stars to Legends Tour as presented by Smiley’s Old Time Diner raced for the final time in 2019, as the season championship race was held at Golden Sands Speedway in Plover Friday, Aug. 23.

When all the dust had settled, it was Steve Lichtfeld of Pardeeville and Jeff Weinfurter of Wisconsin Rapids taking top honors in the two 30 lap Feature events.

With his latest win, and after a 10-race schedule, Weinfurter is the 2019 CWRA Stars to Legends Tour Champion, as he won the title for the second consecutive year.

The first 30-lap main found Chad Devine of Appleton and Paul Paine of Mound, Minn., pacing the field. The two raced side by side for the first five laps, with Lichtfeld looking for room to pass.

It came when the two leaders tangled, causing a caution flag, which sent the two to the rear of the field and Lichtfeld to the front for the restart. Lichtfeld would take the lead on the restart, while others battled behind.

Greg Back of Ringle and Neil Knoblock of Wausau were fighting for the second and third positions, as Lichtfeld continued to stretch his lead.

Knoblock would take the second spot with eight laps to go, and move nearly to the leader’s bumper, but that’s where he remained as Lichtfeld grabbed the checkered flag in first followed by Knoblock, Back, Weinfurter, Chad Butz of Green Bay and Harley Jankowski of Sparta.

Steve Lichtfeld won the first 30-lap Feature at Golden Sands Speedway in Plover Friday, Aug. 23. (Contributed photo)

With Weinfurter’s placing in the Feature, he officially clinched the CWRA Stars to Legends Tour Crown.

Jankowski’s finish earned him 2019 Rookie of the Year honors.

The second 30-lap Feature again found Paul Paine on the front row, as he started from the pole position in the race.

Alongside him was Upper Michigan, full-time Tour racer and sponsor, Putch Bentley of Iron River, Mich. Paine got the early jump, and led for the first 15 laps, with Nick Roehl of Fond du Lac in pursuit after passing Bentley.

Travis Volm of Mosinee challenged Bentley for the third spot, but contact between the two caused a six-car melee behind them, which forced a yellow flag caution that slowed the action.

Once the mess was cleaned up and the green flag reappeared, it was Paine and Weinfurter, due to the double file restart, lined up side by side.

They raced that way for the next five laps, but at the half-way point, Weinfurter finally inched ahead with Paine on his tail in second.

Roehl and Darek Gress of Neillsville were battling behind the leading duo, with nary an inch given. Weinfurter’s consistent lap times got him a three-car-length lead, and he would maintain the gap to the checkered flag.

It was Weinfurter’s seventh win of the CWRA campaign, which culminated in another Championship for the veteran driver. Following Weinfurter at the finish were Paine, Darek Gress, Butz, Roehl and Mitch Stankowski of Wausau, as the Top 6 finishers.

A field of 27 CWRA race cars participated in the program, in front of a very enthusiastic Friday night crowd.

The final 2019 point standings found Jeff Weinfurter in first with 757 points, followed by Butz (682), Mark Mackesy (668), Jankowski (611), Darek Gress (593), Volm (580), Roehl (544), Stankowski (532), Dillon Mackesy (517) and Frank Nitzke (481).

With the running of this event, that concludes the CWRA Stars to Legends Tour as presented by Smiley’s Old Time Diner, 2019 racing season. Two “Open” CWRA races remain, however, Aug. 31 and Sept. 6 at Marshfield Motor Speedway in Marshfield.

Plans are already underway for the 2020 CWRA Tour season, with a new schedule released sometime after the first of the year.

Harley Jankowski won the 2019 CWRA Stars to Legends Rookie of the Year Award. (Contributed photo)

            SUMMARY

30 lap Feature one 1.Steve Lichtfeld, Pardeeville, WI.,2. Neil Knoblock, Wausau, WI., 3. Greg Back, Ringle, WI., 4. Jeff Weinfurter, Wis. Rapids, WI., 5. Chad Butz, Green Bay, WI., 6. Harley Jankowski, Sparta, WI., 7. Darek Gress, Neillsville, WI., 8. Mitch Stankowski, Wausau, WI., 9. Mark Mackesy, Wausau, WI., 10. Travis Volm, Mosinee, WI., 11. Dillon Mackesy, Athens, WI., 12. Nick Roehl, Fon Du Lac, WI., 13. Mike Reichenberger, Appleton, WI., 14. Monte Gress, Neillsville, WI., 15. Putch Bentley, Iron River, MI., 16. Paul Paine, Mound, MN., 17. Rachel Kallas, Winneconne, WI., 18. Mike Sievers, Wis. Rapids, WI., 19. Greg Matthews, Wis. Rapids, WI., 20 Kirby Kurth, Wis. Rapids, WI., 21. Chad Devine, Appleton, WI., 22. Frank Nitzke Berlin, WI., 23. Brett Breitenfeldt, Wausau, WI., 24. Rob Christen, Holmen, WI., 25. Ted Griffith, Friendship, WI., 26. Derrick Van Dreel, Stevens Point, WI., 27 Paul Nitzke, Berlin, WI.

30 Lap Feature two 1. Weinfurter, 2. Paine, 3. D. Gress, 4. Butz, 5. Roehl, 6. Stankowski, 7. Sievers, 8. M. Mackesy, 9. Jankowski, 10. Kallas, 11. Devine, 12. Lichtfeld 13. Van Dreel, 14. Kurth, 15. F. Nitzke, 16. Breitenfeldt, 17. Christen, 18. Griffith, 19. D. Mackesy, 20. P. Nitzke, 22. Volm, 23. M. Gress, 24.M. Reichenberger, 25. Knoblock, 26. Back, 27. Matthews, DNS.

Bentley Trucking Group Qualifying 1. Mark Mackesy      

AR Bodies           

10% off Product certificate           3rd place Feature one                    Greg Back

                                                                5th place Feature two                    Nick Roehl

Bentley Trucking $100 cash         Fast Qualifier                                     Mark Mackesy

Coleman Racing Products

$50 Product certificate “Brake of the Race”  Feature one                Paul Paine

$50 Product certificate “Brake of the Race” Feature two Dillon Mackesy

Diamond Racing Wheels $50 certificate 1st Feature           Steve Lichtfeld

      $50 certificate 2nd Feature     Jeff Weinfurter

Don’s Auto and Truck    Checkers     $25 cash                        Steve Lichtfeld                                                                                                                           $25 cash                       Jeff Weinfurter

                                                                or Wreckers $50 cash                      Putch Bentley

Howe Racing Ent.           

$50 Product certificate Hard Charger        Feature one      Neil Knoblock  11th-2nd

$50 Product certificate Hard Charger       Feature two       Jeff Weinfurter  13th-1st 

QA-1 Prec. Products        $50 certificate  Feature one        Mitch Stankowski, 8th

                                          $50 certificate Feature two        Mark Mackesy, 8th

Tiry’s Race Engines

$100 off certificate                                             Feature one        Harley Jankowski, 6th

$100 off certificate                                                Feature two        Mitch Stankowski, 6th

CWRA Stars to Legends Tour point standings as of 8/23/19 FINAL

1. #3 Jeff Weinfurter, Wis. Rapids, WI., 757
2. #8 Chad Butz, Green Bay, WI., 682
3. #12 Mark Mackesy, Wausau, WI., 668
4. #8 Harley Jankowski,(R) Sparta, WI., 611
5. #107.5D Darek Gress, Neillsville, WI. 593
6. #76 Travis Volm, (R) Mosinee, WI. 580
7. #52 Nick Roehl,(R) Fond du Lac, WI., 544                                                        
8. #19 Mitch Stankowski,(R) Wausau, WI., 532
9. #93 Dillon Mackesy,(R) Athens, WI., 517        
10. #18 Frank Nitzke, Berlin, WI., 481
11. #12 Putch Bentley, Iron River, WI., 476
12. #6 Mike Sievers, Wis. Rapids, WI., 463
13. #107.5M Monte Gress, Neillsville, WI., 438
14. #12 Derrick Van Dreel, Kellner, WI., 403
15. #27 Paul Paine, Mound, MN., 398
16. #70 Rachel Kallas, Winneconne, WI,. 392
17. #5 Mike Reichenberger, Appleton, WI., 381
18. #14 Brett Breitenfeldt, Wausau, WI., 368
19. #6 Greg Back, Ringle, WI., 291
20. #2 /28 Darren Jackson, Wis. Rapids, WI., 284
21. #55 Dakota Blakeslee, Rudolph, WI., 211
22. #8 Greg Matthews, Wis. Rapids, WI., 203
23. #32 Steve Lichtfeld, Pardeeville, WI., 196
24. #54 Chad Devine, Appleton, WI., 193
25. #64 Rob Christen, Holmen, WI., 192
26. #40 Curt Tillman, Rockton, IL., 163
27. #55/1W Jesse Pokzyk. Friendship, WI., 161
28. #7 Joey Pontbriand, Norway, MI., 153
29. #2 Ted Griffith, Friendship, WI., 152
30. #93 Andrew Morrissey, Deerfield, WI., 150
31. #7-11 Neil Knoblock, Wausau, WI., 135
32. #7 Brian Henry, Omro, WI., 133
33. #85 Kirby Kurth, Wis. Rapids, WI., 123
34. #44 Mike Lichtfeld, Portage, WI., 115
35. #28 Jesse Bernhagen, Stevens Point, WI., 93
36. #25 Alyssa Larson, (R) Green Bay, WI., 86
37. #50 Hunter Stenson, Wis. Dells, WI., 84
38. #1W Eugene Gregorich, Jr., 82
39. #79 Dan Lindsley, Norway, WI., 82
40. #2 Tod Stenson, Wis. Dells, WI., 69
41. #63 Jason Stark, Sparta, WI., 67
42. #6 Thayran Rezin, Tomah, WI., 65
43. #8 Nate Steif, Wausau, WI., 51
44. #360 Daron Fish, Lyndon Station, WI., 50
45. #33 Mike De Angelo, Gwinn, MI., 48
46. #06 Dave Neitzke, Eureka, WI., 46
47. #85N Paul Nitzke,Berlin, WI., 33
48. #2 Rick Shone, Lyndon Station, WI., 32
49. #33 Jay Potter, Rome, WI., 31
50. #76 Pete Moore, Columbus, WI., 30
51. #41 Scott Stanchina, Kingsford, MI., 0