State Park Speedway: Heinrich spices up super late models points race with feature win

Adam Glatczak | State Park Speedway track writer

WAUSAU, Wis. (Aug. 18) – Brock Heinrich entered Sunday night third in State Park Speedway’s super late model point standings. He exited the night in first, and suddenly a second straight title at the track is very much in play.

Heinrich led most of the final 47 laps, including pulling away from Jevin Guralski on a restart with 20 laps left on his way to victory in the 60-lap Auto Select Super Late Models pres. by C-Tech feature. The win came on Breaman Merrill Ford Night at the Rib Mountain quarter-mile, on a rare Sunday rain date after Thursday night’s originally scheduled races were postponed due to rain.

With the victory, the 2023 super late model champion Heinrich moved into the top spot in the points for the first time in 2024. He won his second feature this season and holds a three-point lead over Justin Mondeik of Gleason and is five points ahead of Travis Volm of Wausau. The top three, who have accounted for all five feature wins in regular super late model points racing at the track this year, are separated by five points entering Thursday night’s Wayne ‘Lodi’ Lodholz Memorial and the final points race of the season.

Heinrich started sixth in the feature but was in the top three by lap 3. He was in second in short order too, just after Guralski surpassed early leader Mark Mackesy of Wausau for first on lap 4.

Heinrich chased Guralski for the next 10 laps and got inside him for the top spot on lap 14. The two weren’t done, though, as they lined up alongside each other on two restarts, the first coming after a lap 24 caution after Chris Weinkauf’s car broke in the front end, sending him sliding into the Turn 2 wall.

Heinrich and Guralski ran side-by-side for five laps after the restart, with Guralski nosing ahead at the line on laps 25 and 26 before Heinrich inched back ahead. Heinrich cleared him on lap 28, and then foiled Guralski’s attempt to make a crossover move immediately after, forcing him to settle into the second spot.

The two squared off on one final restart after a competition caution with 20 laps left. Heinrich needed less than half a lap to clear Guralski, though, and he cruised the rest of the way to the victory with Guralski coming in second.

The intrigue in the final laps was provided further back in the field.

Mondeik was the night’s fastest qualifier and early in the feature appeared to be waiting in the weeds for a chance to challenge the leaders, sitting just behind Heinrich and Guralski but well ahead of fourth-place running Rayce Haase of Wausau. Shortly after the final restart, though, Haase of Wausau got by him on the outside for third on lap 43. Jason Weinkauf of Merrill was then working on Mondeik on laps 44 and 45, but Mondeik got high and Volm drove underneath to move into fourth.

Mark Mackesy also got past Mondeik a lap later to move into fifth on the way to his best feature finish of the season. Mondeik would hold on to finish sixth, but saw his points lead slip away after coming into the night six points ahead of Volm and 17 up on Heinrich.

Volm and Guralski posted heat wins. The night also included the return of former super late model feature winner Jerry Brickner of Wausau for the first time this season, Mosinee native Alex Volm returning from a hand injury and racing his new No. 13 late model for the first time, and also a visit from Travis Walker of Vulcan, Mich., a regular at Norway Speedway in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Auto Select Super Late Models pres. by C-Tech

Fast Qualifier: Justin Mondeik, Gleason, 13.719 sec.

First Heat: 1. Travis Volm, Wausau; 2. Jerry Brickner, Wausau; 3. Mark Mackesy, Wausau; 4. Alex Volm, Mosinee; 5. Travis Walker, Vulcan, Mich.

Second Heat: 1. Jevin Guralski, Wausau; 2. Brock Heinrich, Wausau; 3. Mondeik; 4. Rayce Haase, Wausau; 5. Chris Weinkauf, Merrill; 6. Jason Weinkauf, Merrill

Feature: 1. Heinrich; 2. J. Guralski; 3. Haase; 4. T. Volm; 5. Mackesy; 6. Mondeik; 7. J. Weinkauf; 8. Brickner; 9. A. Volm; 10. Walker; 11. C. Weinkauf