Mondeik opens with win, Reichenberger takes Midwest Truck Series visit to State Park Speedway

Adam Glatczak | State Park Speedway track writer

WAUSAU, Wis. (May 18) – Justin Mondeik found exceptional bite on the low side, Brandon Reichenberger found success on the high side, and both picked up feature wins in the highlighted events on State Park Speedway’s 2024 opening night.

Mondeik won the 50-lap feature in the Auto Select Super Late Models presented by C-Tech, making his move past Jevin Guralski of Wausau soon after a restart past the midway point. Reichenberger won the 50-lap Midwest Truck Series feature, his first trucks feature win at State Park and coming at the start of the final season of track operation by the Wimmer family.

Mondeik made his move on lap 32 of the super late model feature. A three-time champion in the class, the Gleason native dropped behind Guralski after a lap of running on the outside side-by-side following a competition caution restart. Mondeik the dove down low coming off the second turn, a spot where he has made plenty of hay over the years at State Park, and he got inside Guralski and cleared him for the lead a lap later.

Guralski hung close initially but Mondeik slowly pulled away, building the lead to three car lengths by lap 38 while continuing to get a big pull off Turn 2. He continued to pad the lead over the final laps and Guralski fought off a challenge from Travis Volm of Wausau in the final five laps before holding on to finish second, with Volm third, defending super late model champion Brock Heinrich of Wausau fourth and Jason Weinkauf of Merrill fifth.

The feature included three yellow flags in all, including spins by Mark Mackesy of Wausau in turns 3 and 4 on lap 4 and another by Verona’s John Beale on the frontstretch eight laps later. Chris Weinkauf of Merrill led the early stages, but for a time it appeared it would be Guralski’s night for a first super late model feature win after he won a five-lap side-by-side battle with Chris Weinkauf to take the lead on lap 11.

Guralski pulled away and put down the fastest lap of the race of any driver in leading for the next 20 laps, but Mondeik was slowly working his way toward the front. He got inside Jason Weinkauf for second on lap 16, and slowly cut into Guralski’s eight car length lead before the caution after 30 laps.

Guralski, last year’s rookie of the year in the class, tied his career-best SPS super late model feature finish and also won the first heat. Rayce Haase of Wausau won the second heat but had problems in warmup laps before the feature and had to pull off before completing a lap.

Reichenberger became the 14th different winner in the Midwest Truck Series 16 visits to State Park Speedway. The Appleton racer led the final 31 laps, ascending to the top spot when he got by Kevin Zielezinski of New Lenox, Ill., for the lead shortly after a lap 19 restart.

Reichenberger took the same path to the front as Zielezinski did, working the outside line to take the lead. Zielezinski had led most of the first 19 laps, taking the lead after starting on the front row outside polesitter Kevin Knuese of Waunakee.

Reichenberger and Zielezinski battled side-by-side for three laps after the restart before Reichenberger was in the clear, and he slowly pulled away before the race’s final caution with 16 laps left after a spin by Cody Vander Loop of Freedom on lap 35. Reichenberger then quickly got free of Zielezinski on the restart and pulled away, leading by more than half a straightaway late on the way to his third career win on the truck series.

Zielezinski raced the first four laps side-by-side with Knuese, taking the lead first on lap 3 and clearing Knuese a lap later. He quickly got away to a five truck-length lead before the races first caution when Parker Cain of Bay City, Mich., spun on the backstretch eight laps in.

Zielezinski chose the outside of the front row on the restart, and Knuese led the first five laps before Zielezinski rallied back again on the outside, retaking the lead on lap 13. He finally cleared Knuese on lap 18, and Reichenberger had just started going to work on Knuese when the yellow came out for the second time after Kasey Vander Loop spun and the back end of his truck slapped the turn 4 wall. The spin would allow Reichenberger to start on the front row after Knuese chose to start behind Zielezinski, who chose the inside on the restart.

Eugene Gregorich III of Amherst Junction got by Zielezinski for second with nine laps remaining and finished second, with two-time past SPS Midwest Trucks winner James Swan of Genoa City taking third. Zielezinski finished fourth with Knuese coming home fifth.

Fast qualifier Jeff Holtz of Franksville took sixth with two-time State Park Speedway winner Bryce Miller of Columbus seventh. Former SPS racer Kole Guralski of Wausau raced in the truck series for the first time and made the biggest move over 50 laps, coming from the 21st starting spot in the 22-truck field to finish eighth.

Auto Select Super Late Models pres. by C-Tech

Fast Qualifier: Justin Mondeik, Gleason, 13.667 sec.

First Heat: 1. Jevin Guralski, Wausau; 2. Brock Heinrich, Wausau; 3. Chris Weinkauf, Merrill; 4. Jason Weinkauf, Merrill; 5. Mark Mackesy, Wausau

Second Heat: 1. Rayce Haase, Wausau; 2. Mondeik; 3. Travis Volm, Wausau; 4. John Beale, Verona

Feature: 1. Mondeik; 2. J. Guralski; 3. T. Volm; 4. Heinrich; 5. J. Weinkauf; 6. C. Weinkauf; 7. Mackesy; 8. Beale; 9. Haase

Midwest Truck Series

Fast Qualifier: Jeff Holtz, Franksville, 14.420 sec.

First Heat: 1. Kenny Joosten, Wonder Lake, Ill.; 2. Tom Steinbach, Poynette; 3. Tucker Bodendorfer, Muskego; 4. Kole Guralski, Wausau; 5. Danielle Behn, Waupaca; 6. Tyler Noble, Portage; 7. Kasey Vander Loop, Freedom; 8. Wyatt Kraiss, Randolph

Second Heat: 1. Derek Doerr, Watertown; 2. Chester Ace, Oregon; 3. Eugene Gregorich III, Amherst Junction; 4. James Lynch, Palos Hills, Ill.; 5. Kevin Knuese, Waunakee; 6. Parker Cain, Big Bay, Mich.; 7. James Swan, Genoa City

Third Heat: 1. Jacob Nottestad, Janesville; 2. Kevin Zielezinski, New Lenox, Ill.; 3. Cody Vander Loop, Freedom; 4. Bryce Miller, Columbus; 5. Holtz; 6. Grant Griesbach, Waukesha; 7. Brandon Reichenberger, Appleton

Feature: 1. Reichenberger; 2. Gregorich; 3. Swan; 4. Zielezinski; 5. Knuese; 6. Holtz; 7. Miller; 8. Kole Guralski; 9. Lynch; 10. Ace; 11. Griesbach; 12. Cain; 13. Behn; 14. Doerr; 15. C. Vander Loop; 16. Steinbach; 17. T. Bodendorfer; 18. Joosten; 19. Kraiss; 20. Noble; 21. K. Vander Loop; DQ: Nottestad