Schultz is season champion; Voeltz earns back-to-back wins

By Kelsie Hoitomt

The beginning of August brought dirt track racing wins to area locals, Brent Voeltz and Eric Schultz at Red Cedar Speedway in Menomonie on the Friday evening of August 2.

So far this season only two drivers have won the Hornet feature race and that is Voeltz who earned his fourth victory of the year that Friday and Schultz earned his fifth.

In a makeup feature race from July 26, Voeltz started on the pole and led the entire ten laps with Schultz on his tail the entire time and Buddy Hanestad trailing them.

While on the podium to accept his trophy, Voeltz dedicated the win to his brother who is at Regions Hospital after a motorcycle accident.

It was the during the actual, ten-lap feature race of the night that Schultz landed himself out in front when the checkered flag dropped. He started in the third row and hammered his way around the track in his neon for the win.

Hanestad finished in second and Voeltz landed in the back of the pack due to engine failure.

Since it was the last night to earn points, point champions were crowned in six classes including the Hornets, which had Schultz in the number one slot. Because of this Schultz started the heat race this past Friday night (August 9) on the pole for the Season Championship.

Season Championship

Schultz held onto his pole position throughout the ten-lap feature, which led him to be crowned the season champion. The race ran in typical fashion with Voeltz on his bumper, fighting for the top spot as well. However, Voeltz settled for second place with no hard feelings as the brother-in-laws finished the night with burn outs together in victory lane.

Also hitting the track that evening in the Hornet race was Buddy Hanestad who finished fourth in the feature, Justin Lamm of Boyceville was sixth, Dean Butler of Wheeler was ninth and Leslie Jackson of Wilson was tenth.

It was a busy night in the WISSOTA Late Model class with two heat laps, a 20-lap makeup race and a 20-lap feature.

Rick Hanestad drove his way into the top five in both races with two, fourth-place finishes after starting the night in third during the eight-lap heat race.

Saturday at CLS

Voeltz continued his winning streak this past Saturday (August 10) after finishing in the top spot at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond. He took first place against 11 other drivers in the Hornet race. Buddy Hanestad took the top spot in the first heat race and then landed in fourth during the feature.

Rick Hanestad also made an appearance on the track last Saturday after spending the prior weekend competing at the USA Nationals in his Late Model. He ended the evening near the top with a third place finish against 12 other drivers.

The drivers will be back in their cars this Friday for the last night of the regular racing season in Menomonie.