By: Paul Reichert
June 2, 2024
Even though we are just a month into the 2024 racing season, this sounds like a good time for some hard hitting and metal mangling good clean fun to take your mind off of the weekly racing action. In fact, anytime is a good time for some entertaining racing with flying car parts and full contact racing. Tomah-Sparta Speedway debuted a brand new event called Wreckfest on a wonderful and sunny Sunday afternoon. Wreckfest featured some unique, interesting and entertaining races that stepped up the chaos level that left the fans cheering for more. The day’s good clean fun was capped off with the first ever Trailer Race run at Tomah.
We started the day off with the Nose-to-Nose Race. Teams of two put their front bumpers together to make two laps around the track. The driver pointed in the right direction would drive the team, while the other driver facing his teammate would be in neutral. The most important thing was that both of their front bumpers had to stay together for the duration of the race. After two heats, the top two teams from each heat squared off in the feature final. The team of Kyle Herr and Mark Hagan outdueled Jamie Cliver and Tommy Weaver to win the final.
The Relay Race, or the Tag Team Race, was the next event to be contested. One driver drove a lap, then would tag the rear bumper of their teammate at the start-finish line. Their teammate would drive the next lap before tagging the bumper of their teammate. This would go on for lap laps in each heat race and the feature final. The top two from each heat race transferred to the feature final. In that final, the ‘Red, White and Blue’ team of Alec Wiczek and Craig Kisting put on a clinic as they ran away with the win.
The Forward/Backward Race was a very unique third event on the day. After making a full lap around the track, the drivers had to make a 180 after crossing the start-finish line. They had to run the last two laps backwards but in the normal direction around the track. The winners of the five heat races all had one final showdown in the feature final. In the end Noah Ulrich held off Kyle Herr to hit the finish line first.
After a brief intermission, the most unique race of the day took place. In the Red Rover Race, drivers started in the zone in turn four and had to race to the zone in turn one. Then they would drive backwards back to the turn four zone. If a driver was last to get to the zone or if a driver overshot the zone, that driver was eliminated. So many cars competed that we had to run eight heat races, plus a C and B features. The feature final had a very interesting twist as the winner of the final was the first to hit the orange barrel at the start-finish line. Eugene Olson got to the orange barrel first ahead of Tyler Kowalke to win the final. Coneologist Alex was sad about how the winner was determined. Don’t worry Alex. The track will probably start a GoFundMe page to get you a new orange barrel.
The Obstacle Course Race caused a lot of bumping and banging and race car parts being torn off the cars. There were tires set up in turn one and on the back straight. The drivers had to make a complete 360 around both of those ‘obstacles’ for all three laps of the seven heats that were run. The winners transferred to the five lap feature final, where officials decided to run all seven drivers in the final. That is when total mayhem and chaos ensued as the race turned into a ‘last driver standing’ race with only three cars making it to the end. Kyle Herr outran Paige Osterbuhr to claim the victory.
Wrapping up the day was Tomah’s first ever Trailer Race. This race would turn into a last man, or in this case last trailer, standing. The tiny car of Jeremiah Aspey looked like he would run away with the win. Aspey then came upon the trailer of Austin Finnigan and tried to take it out. Tristan Finnigan, who lost his huge behemoth of a mobile home earlier, tried to take out Apsey’s trailer but instead ran into Aspey and took a wild rollover on the front straight. Finnigan would be okay and got out of this truck under his own power. Aspey would lose his trailer after that. Even though he was moving a bit slowly around the track, Austin Finnigan would be the last driver running to win the Trailer Race. Finnigan tried to do some damage to brother Tristan’s mobile home. Unfortunately, running at a snail’s pace got Austin stuck in Tristan’s mobile home.
Once we have cleaned up the twisted metal and car parts from the track, we return to our traditional racing on Friday, June 7. The Hobby Stocks and Six Shooters will be back in action, and for a second straight week the INEX Great North Legends and INEX Bandoleros will take to the track. The High School Racing Association makes their season debut, and the Milwaukee Stock Car Racing Association pays us a visit for a third consecutive year. Gates open at 6, the race against the clock begins at 6:15, and the ‘edge of your seat’ racing excitement begins at 7:30.
Call the track office at 608-461-1920, visit our website at tomahspartaspeedway.com and be sure to like the track’s Facebook page for more information about Tomah-Sparta Speedway and the 2024 schedule of events.
RESULTS
Nose-to-Nose Race
Feature: 1. Mark Hagan-Kyle Herr, 2. Jamie Cliver-Tommy Weaver, 3. Heidi Krall-Eugene Olson, 4. Paige Osterbuhr-John Schnecht
Heat #1: 1. Jamie Cliver-Tommy Weaver, 2. Heidi Krall-Eugene Olson, 3. Dietrick Ellis-Rick Slozes, 4. Mathew Reigel-Michael Stickley
Heat #2: 1. Mark Hagan-Kyle Herr, 2. Paige Osterbuhr-John Schnecht, 3. Mike Garms-Noah Ulirch
Relay Race
Feature: 1. Alec Wiczek-Craig Kisting, 2. Tommy Weaver-Jamie Cliver, 3. Dietrick Ellis-Rick Slozes, 4. Tyler Kowalke-Julia Puig, 5. Mark Hagan-Austyn Rauch
Heat #1: 1. Dietrick Ellis-Rick Slozes, 2. Tyler Kowalke-Julia Puig, 3. Mike Garms-Noah Ulrich, 4. Cole Baker-Brianna Duda, 5. Haley Frye-Thomas Winker
Heat #2: 1. Mark Hagan-Austyn Rauch, 2. Brandon Langreck-Mathew Reigel, 3. Bryan McKibben-Trevor Salber, 4. Paige Osterbuhr-Heidi Krall, 5. Rhonne Scheithauer-Ben Zimmerman
Heat #3: 1. Alec Wiczek-Craig Kisting, 2. Tommy Weaver-Jamie Cliver, 3. Pearson Zimmerman-Ben Zimmerman, 4. Kyle Herr-Mark Hagen, 5. Ron Randall-Nick Randall
Forward/Backward Race
Feature: 1. Noah Ulirch, 2. Eugene Olson, 3. Craig Kisting, 4. John Schnecht, 5. Mark Hagan
Heat #1: 1. Noah Ulrich, 2. Trevor Salber, 3. Cole Baker, 4. Brianna Duda
Heat #2: 1. Eugene Olson, 2. Kyle Herr, 3. Mike Garms, 4. Marshall Hintz
Heat #3: 1. John Schnecht, 2. A.J. Finnigan, 3. Tyler Kowalke, 4. Clayton Havlovic
Heat #4: 1. Mark Hagan, 2. Bryan McKibben, 3. Nick Randall, 4. Alec Wiczek
Heat #5: 1. Craig Kisting, 2. Ron Randall, 3. Rhonne Scheithauer, 4. Julia Puig
Red Rover Race
Feature (Winner to the orange barrel): 1. Eugene Olson, 2. Trevor Kowalke
B-Feature: 1. Trevor Kowalke, 2. Tommy Weaver, 3. Craig Kisting, 4. Austyn Rauch
C-Feature: 1. Eugene Olson, 2. Jamie Cliver, 3. Nick Randall, 4. Mike Garms
Heat #1: 1. Eugene Olson, 2. Pearson Zimmerman, 3. Noah Ulrich, 4. A.J. Finnegan
Heat #2: 1. Tommy Weaver, 2. Paige Osterbuhr, 3. Brianna Duda, 4. Cole Baker
Heat #3: 1. Tyler Kowalke, 2. Marshall Hintz, 3. Michael Stickley, 4. Katie Drury
Heat #4: 1. Austyn Rauch, 2. John Schnecht, 3. Thomas Winker, 4. Mathew Reigel
Heat #5: 1. Nick Randall, 2. Rhonne Scheithauer, 3. Trevor Salber, 4. Clayton Havlovic
Heat #6: 1. Craig Kisting, 2. Jace Katzenberger, 3. Haley Frye, 4. Rick Slozes
Heat #7: 1. Jamie Cliver, 2. Heidi Krall, 3. Julia Puig, 4. Bryan McKibben
Heat #8: 1. Mike Garms, 2. Alec Wiczek, 3. Dietrick Ellis, 4. Kyle Herr, 5. Marshall Hintz
Obstacle Course Race
Feature: 1. Kyle Herr, 2. Paige Osterbuhr, 3. Tommy Weaver, 4. Mike Garms, 5. Michael Stickley, 6. Ben Zimmerman, 7. Tyler Kowalke
Heat #1: 1. Michael Stickley, 2. Jamie Cliver, 3. Julia Puig, 4. Mathew Reigel, 5. Clayton Havlovic
Heat #2: 1. Tommy Weaver, 2. Austyn Rauch, 3. Jeremiah Apsey, 4. Ron Randall, 5. Katie Drury
Heat #3: 1. Paige Osterbuhr, 2. Rhonne Scheithauer, 3. Brianna Duda, 4. Heidi Krall, 5. Marshall Hintz
Heat #4: 1. Kyle Herr, 2. Darren Dickinson, 3. Taylor Kilty, 4. Thomas Winker, 5. John Schnecht
Heat #5: 1. Tyler Kowalke, 2. Eugene Olson, 3. Noah Ulrich, 4. Mark Hagan, 5. Craig Kisting
Heat #6: 1. Ben Zimmerman, 2. Pearson Zimmerman, 3. Brandon Langreck, 4. Ron Randall, 5. Nick Randall
Heat #7: 1. Mike Garms, 2. Jace Katzenberger, 3. Bryan McKibben, 4. Rick Slozes
Trailer Race: 1. Austin Finnigan, 2. Jasper Bernarde, 3. Jeremiah Apsey, 4. Tristan Finnigan, 5. Andrew Lamb
