By: Paul Reichert
May 16, 2025
Back in the 1960s drivers were trying to make a name for themselves in the early years of the Central Wisconsin Racing Association. Tomah Sparta Speedway was one of those popular stops in its infancy. Now the names that raced here are legendary names associated with the CWRA. Names like Dick Trickle, Tom Reffner, Dave Marcis, Marv Marzofka and Everett Fox will always be forever linked with Tomah Sparta Speedway. The CWRA Late Models opened their 2025 season with the 2nd running of the Everett Fox Memorial. Tyler Sauter would score a clean sweep of the twin 30 lap features to claim the overall victory and join an impressive list of legendary names that have won in Cranberry Country.
CWRA feature #1 saw four-time champion Jeff Weinfurter powered by Dillon Mackesy for the lead at the start. Fast qualifier and new track record holder Thayrin Rezin spun in turn three on lap five to slow the action down. As the rest of the field tried to sort themselves out after the restart, Weinfurter began to open up a sizable lead. Paul Paine, who swept the Marv Marzofka Classic last year, bounced off the back straight wall and suffered an issue with his rear end that ended his race on lap eight. Corey Jankowski spun in turn two on lap 14 to derail his efforts to sweep the Everett Fox Memorial again. Tyler Sauter lined up alongside Weinfurter for the restart and zoomed past the CWRA veteran to take command of the race. Sauter had to deal with a couple more caution laps in his quest for victory. Solo spins by Rob Christen on lap 19 and Darek Gress on lap 22 stymied Sauter’s efforts temporarily. Sauter was able to pull away from Weinfurter on each restart and would add a first Late Model win to his Tomah Sparta Speedway resume.
Dillon Mackesy outran Paul Paine to turn one for the early lead in CWRA feature #2. Thayrin Rezin and Tyler Sauter got tangled up with each other in turn four on lap three to make Sauter’s quest for the overall win a little harder. As Mackesy opened up his lead, Corey Jankowski bounced off the back straight wall on lap ten and suffered a mechanical issue to end his night early. Mark Mackesy ran over debris and had a flat right front tire to force a caution just before halfway. Mackesy got a new tire on but returned four laps in arrears. Sauter was making forward progress through the field when the caution flew, and he would find himself in the same situation as in the first feature. This time Sauter would line up alongside Dillon Mackesy, but the outcome of the restart would be the same. Making quick work of Mackesy on the restart allowed Sauter to put himself in the lead position again. The fight over second between Mackesy and Rezin was a ‘push comes to shove’ fight. Rezin got into Mackesy and spun him out with eight laps remaining. Rezin tapped out in front of the flagstand claiming it was his fault and Mackesy was put back in second. Sister would drive away from Mackesy on the final restart to sweep the features and claim the overall win in the Everett Fox Memorial.
Tristan Finnigan spun out in turn one to force a complete restart of the Hornet feature. Rookie Hunter Bush charged past fellow rookie Levi Thompson on try number two to take the early lead. Finnigan picked his way through traffic before surging past Bush for the lead on lap six. Bush’s race came to an end on lap seven when he spun in turn three and got stuck in the infield grass near the front straight wall. On the restart Taylor Dawson made a bold three-wide move underneath both Finnigan and Davey Pennel down the back straight to become the new leader of the pack. Dawson was able to pull away from the field as Finnigan and Pennel battled wheel-to-wheel over the runner-up spot in the final laps. The former Mid-Am racer checked out on the field and drove away with the victory.
The Sixer feature saw Ghage Moore power past Christopher Neal to take the lead at the start of the race. Second place was a very intense battle for several laps as Trenton Frye, Adria Day and Neal fought to see who would challenge Moore for the lead. That battle would boil over in turn three on lap 10 as all three drivers got tangled up with each other. Moore would now have to deal with both Dustin McCracken and Curtis Hellickson in an exciting six-lap shootout. The two drivers battled side-by-side for the first couple laps of the restart before McCracken took full control of second with four laps left. McCracken was trying to get around Moore for the top spot, but his persistence was not paying off. This would allow Hellickson to catch the leaders and make it a three-way fight for the win. Moore just had too good a race car this day as he scored his first feature win of the year and first of his sixers career at Tomah Sparta Speedway
One of the divisions making their debut in 2025 was the Crown Vics, and defending champion Cole Scholze would have a new challenger to contend with. Former Hobby Stock racer Brandon ‘Bud’ Riedner brought out a slick looking Crown Vic race car to battle the first-ever champion. Reidner would shoot to the lead at the start of the feature, while Scholze seemed to struggle all night with his race car. Scholze was trying to keep up with Riedner, who maintained about a two second lead ahead of the Sparta native. Riedner’s car was unstoppable as he drove away with his first victory in three years at Tomah Sparta Speedway.
The Hippos also made their season debut, and perennial Tomah champion Andy Moore led the opening five laps of the feature. 2023 champion Mike Gratz stalked Moore for a few laps as he looked for a way around the leader of Moore Racing crew. Gratz went to the outside lane and drove around Moore to settle into first place on lap six. Gratz would not get away that easily as fast qualifier Kevin Laufenberg began to fill up Gratz’s rear view mirror. Laufenberg tried to look under Gratz a few times for the lead but was unsuccessful. After looking to the outer groove a few more times, Moore would rally back to make a race of it for second with Laufenberg. That allowed Gratz to pull away from them and cross the finish line in first place.
Kick off your Memorial Day weekend plans with some fast and furious racing at Tomah Sparta Speedway on Friday, May 23 for Salute the Troops Night! You will witness wild action with the Sportsmen, Hobby Stocks, Hornets, Sixers, Crown Vics and the Hippos. Make sure to get the kids’ race cars fine tuned this week for the first Kids’ Box Car Race of the season that will happen following qualifying. Gates open at 5:30, group qualifying goes green at 6, and the wheel banging racing action roars to life at 7.
Call the track office at 952-994-1282, visit our website at tomahspartaspeedway.com and be sure to like our Facebook page for more information on Tomah Sparta Speedway and the 2025 schedule of events.
RESULTS
Feature #1 (30 laps): 1. Tyler Sauter, 2. Jeff Weinfurter, 3. Thayrin Rezin, 4. Corey Jankowski, 5. Dillon Mackesy, 6. Mark Mackesy, 7. Darek Gress, 8. Rob Christen, 9. Paul Paine
Feature #2 (30 laps): 1. Tyler Sauter, 2. Dillon Mackesy, 3. Thayrin Rezin, 4. Jeff Weinfurter, 5. Mark Mackesy, 6. Corey Jankowski, 7. Rob Christen, 8. Paul Paine
Qualifying: 1. Thayrin Rezin 16.066 (New Track Record), 2. Mark Mackesy 16.140, 3. Darek Gress 16.236, 4. Paul Paine 16.273, 5. Corey Jankowski 16.296, 6. Tyler Sauter 16.327, 7. Dillon Mackesy 16.481, 8. Jeff Weinfurter 16.563, 9. Rob Christen 17.747
Hornets
Feature (15 laps): 1. Taylor Dawson, 2. Tristan Finnigan, 3. Davey Pennel, 4. Glen Bush, Jr., 5. Landon Peterson, 6. Paul Finch, 7. Jamie Pearson, 8. Heidi Cuff, 9. A.J. Finnigan, 10. Dean Pennel, 11. Levi Thompson, 12. Braxtyn Moore, 13. Ashtin Quinnell, 14. Caleb Uksas, 15. Hunter Bush, 16. Austin Leis
Heat #1 (8 laps): 1. A.J. Finnigan, 2. Levi Thompson, 3. Dean Pennel, 4. Ashtin Quinnell, 5. Hunter Bush, 6. Caleb Uksas, 7. Austin Leis, 8. Joshua Schwartz
Heat #2 (8 laps): 1. Glen Bush, Jr., 2. Davey Pennel, 3. Tristan Finnigan, 4. Landon Peterson, 5. Paul Finch, 6. Jamie Pearson, 7. Taylor Dawson, 8. Braxtyn Moore, 9. Heidi Cuff
Qualifying: 1. Taylor Dawson 18.523, 2. Paul Finch 18.527, 3. Braxtyn Moore 18.676, 4. Tristan Finnigan 18.710, 5. Landon Peterson 18.741 6. Davey Pennel 18.910, 7. Heidi Cuff 19.064, 8. Glen Bush, Jr. 19.221, 9. Ashtin Quinnell 19.251, 10. Dean Pennel 19.477, 11. Joshua Schwartz 19.516, 12. Levi Thompson 19.705, 13. Hunter Bush 18.961, 14. Caleb Uksas 19.914, 15. A.J. Finnigan 20.281, 16. Austin Leis 23.712, 17. Jamie Pearson NO TIME (DQ)
Sixers
Feature (15 laps): 1. Ghage Moore, 2. Dustin McCracken, 3. Curtis Hellickson, 4. Landin Frye, 5. Alivia Moore, 6. Dan Frye, 7. Tim Murphy, Sr., 8. Greg Brown, Jr., 9. Austin Shirk, 10. Christopher Neal, 11. Adria Day, 12. Carson Frederick, 13. Trenton Frye
Heat #1 (8 laps): 1. Landin Frye, 2. Ghage Moore, 3. Adria Day, 4. Christopher Neal, 5. Carson Frederick, 6. Austin Shirk, 7. Parker Thompson
Heat #2 (8 laps): 1. Tim Murphy, Sr., 2. Curtis Hellickson, 3. Dan Frye, 4. Greg Brown, Jr., 5. Dustin McCracken, 6. Alivia Moore, 7. Trenton Frye
Qualifying: 1. Greg Brown, Jr. 19.102, 2. Dustin McCracken 19.248, 3. Dan Frye 19.269, 4. Alivia Moore 19.365, 5. Curtis Hellickson 19.386, 6. Tim Murphy, Sr. 19.435, 7. Trenton Frye 19.484, 8. Landin Frye 19.697, 9. Ghage Moore 19.810, 10. Adria Day 19.817, 11. Parker Thompson 19.945, 12. Christopher Neal 19.980, 13. Carson Frederick 19.982, 14. Austin Shirk 20.496
Crown Vics
Feature (15 laps): 1. Brandon Riedner, 2. Cole Scholze
Heat #1 (8 laps): 1. Brandon Riedner, 2. Cole Scholze
Qualifying: 1. Brandon Riedner 19.457, 2. Cole Scholze 33.458
Hippos
Feature (15 laps): 1. Mike Gratz, 2. Andy Moore, 3. Kevin Laufenberg, 4. Christopher Neal, 5. Monty Odegard, 6. James Gratz
Heat #1 (8 laps): 1. Mike Gratz, 2. Kevin Laufenberg, 3. Christopher Neal, 4. Andy Moore, 5. Monty Odegard, 6. James Gratz
Qualifying: 1. Kevin Laufenberg 20.153, 2. Monty Odegard 20.403, 3. Mike Gratz 20.528, 4. James Gratz 20.816, 5. Andy Moore 20.189, 6. Christopher Neal 20.887