Sauter wins Blue Race, Kenseth claims Championship

August 18, 2011
By: Sandy Shultz

(KAUKAUNA, WI) Travis Sauter passed Terry Baldry to take the lead on lap 56 as the two raced side-by-side through turn four. Sauter had been battling Baldry on the inside for the past several laps. With just 20 laps to go, Sauter began to extend his lead on the field, until the caution flag came out with just three laps to go. On the restart, Sauter was followed by Baldry, Tim Rothe, Ross Kenseth, Andy Monday and Lowell Bennett. Sauter and Baldry took off, while Kenseth passed Rothe for third place. Sauter went on to win the Blue Race sponsored by Budweiser /WAPL/MCL. Baldry finished second, followed by Kenseth, Rothe and Monday. Kenseth was named the 2011 Red, White & Blue Champion, finishing three points ahead of Bennett. Point leader Jeff Van Oudenhoven had a trying night, first having to race his way into the feature, by winning the semi-feature and then not finishing the Blue Race. Van Oudenhoven holds a 19-point lead over Bennett in the 2011 championship battle.

Sawyer Effertz was declared the winner of the limited late model feature, which was marred with cautions and a lengthy red flag. Effertz led every lap in the shorted 29-lap feature, holding off Todd Verhagen for his second win of the season. Mike Meyerhofer finished third, followed by Brandon Conrad and Gary Natrop. Natrop was crowned the Red, White & Blue Champion, finishing 7 points ahead of Effertz. Natrop leads Meyerhofer by 18 points in the 2011 championship battle.

Larry Raygo won the 25-lap Super Stock feature. Raygo took the lead from the very start, leading each lap on his way to his fist feature win of the season. VandeWettering finished second, followed by Rick Wenzel, Dave Meyerhofer and Greg Hauser. Hauser and Andy Casavant won the Red, White & Blue Championship by three points over Wenzel. With two weeks to go in the season long battle, Hauser and Casavant hold a 34 point lead over Wenzel.

In the Sport Truck action, John Roeser won his eleventh feature of the season, leading the final 22 laps. Roeser finished 3.453 seconds ahead of Jason Plutz. Jacob Boldig was third, followed by Jake Carpenter and Eric Johnson. Roeser claimed the Red, White & Blue Championship, finishing 24 points ahead of Plutz. Roeser leads the season long point battle by 152 points over Plutz.

Cole Gracyalny won the 20-lap Sizzlin 4 feature. Gracyalny took the lead from Patrick Braun on lap nine, holding him off for the final twelve laps. Braun went on to finish second, followed by Wayne Sonkowsky, Braison Bennett and Cory Romenesko. Wayne Sonkowsky won the Red, White & Blue Championship, finishing 7 points ahead of Cody Huven. In the seaon long points battle, Huven holds a one point lead over Cody Kippenhan with two weeks to go.

To wrap up the evening, Dan Gracyalny won the Figure Eight feature, his fourth of the season. Gracyalny took the lead from Terry Van Roy on lap twelve and went on to finish 1.462 seconds head of Van Roy. Mike Meyerhofer Jr. was third, followed by Christopher Price and Jared Baughman. Gracyalny was named the Red, White & Blue Champion, finishing 75 points ahead of Meyerhofer. Gracyalny leads Meyerhofer by 80 points in the championship battle.

There are just two weeks left in the 2011 season, join us next week for a full night of racing sponsored by Faith Technologies.