Readers of the Back Stretch know that I always have the goal of getting to at least one pavement race a year and in 2020 that was the Friday night portion of Octoberfest in La Crosse. Yes, I am a dirt fan through and through, but I do enjoy a night on the tar now and then and there is one thing that they do that I would like to see in dirt track racing. Instead of using the Delaware Double File restart formation with the leader out front and the second place driver choosing the inside or outside of the first double row, they instead put a cone out on the front stretch once the proper single file lineup has been confirmed.
At La Crosse they call it "The Cone of Indecision" as drivers, including the leader, choose whether they start high or low by how they pass by the cone. So for example, if you have a track where one groove is clearly better than the other (either locked down low or riding a tall cushion), the first two or three drivers might all choose the preferred line making it worth the risk for the next driver to go to the other line and see if he or she can make it work. Not only does it add to the entertainment value, but it removes the situation where a third-place driver is forced to start in the slower line and perhaps get railroaded.
In 2019 my one "new to me" track was the high-banked quarter-mile Slinger Speedway and it was great to "know" who some of the drivers were through my tracking of the Midwest Pavement Late Model points using the same 5-point scale that I have been using on the All Iowa Points. I only do the Super Late Models and the Late Model divisions and frankly I am a bit sad to see that in 2020 a few tracks are now running a 602 Crate Late Model class as well. Nothing like spreading the counts out even further!
In the Super Late Model division Merrill, Wisconsin's Justin Mondeik is a first time champion in this the fifth season of these standings as he was a nine time feature winner in his twenty-two top five finishes in 2020. Mondeik surged onto the scene in 2018 finishing tied for third on this list before dropping to the twelfth spot last year. Mark Mackesy of Wausau, Wisconsin, is the runner-up posting four feature wins in sixteen top five finishes with his previous best showing coming in 2016 when he was twentieth on the list. John Beale of Verona, Wisconsin, completes the podium also winning four times in sixteen top fives. His previous best showing was a sixteenth place finish in 2019. Two-time defending champion Casey Johnson drops to the fifth position in this year's abbreviated schedule that saw no racing at Madison International Raceway.
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| From the De-Mon Racing #44 Justin Mondeik Facebook page |
That abbreviated schedule did not keep Minnesota's Jacob Goede from returning to the top of the Late Model standings for the fourth year in a row as his Big 8 Series win at Octoberfest was his eighth victory of the season in twenty top finishes bolstered of course by the fact that his home track the Elko Speedway runs two feature races each race night. I believe that this is done to give those drivers a better shot at the NASCAR weekly racing series point fund money when compared to southern tracks, but is an obvious edge here as well. Another Elko regular Nick Murgic is the runner-up with three wins in eighteen top fives while the driver ranked third, Jacob Nottestad was efficient scoring six wins in just eleven top five feature finishes. Murgic was ranked twentieth in 2019 while Nottestad was third in last year's standings as well. The 2019 runner-up Nick Panitzke scored his only points of the 2020 season during Octoberfest as he was twenty-third on the Wisconsin State Points Late Model list this year including one feature win driving a USRA dirt car.
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| From Jacob Goede Facebook page - Ross Krouse Photography |
Midwest Pavement
Super Late Models Final 2020
Pos. Driver Hometown Points
1 . Justin Mondeik Merrill WI 81
2 . Mark Mackesy Wausau WI 54
3 . John Beale Verona WI 52
4 . Paul Shafer Jr. Portage IN 39
5 . Casey Johnson Stoughton WI 38
6 . Eddie Hoffman Wheaton IL 37
7 . Steve Apel West Bend WI 33
8 . Gabe Sommers Richford WI 30
9 . Brock Heinrich Wausau WI 25
10 . Blake Brown 24
11 . Alex Stumpf Brillion WI 23
12 . Dillon Mackesy Wausau WI 23
13 . Alex Prunty Lomira WI 22
14 . Bobby Kendall Montello WI 22
15 . Luke Fenhaus Wausau WI 22
16 . Jeff Weinfurter Wisconsin Rapids WI 20
17 . Colin Reffner Wisconsin Rapids WI 19
18 . Dalton Zehr Menomonie WI 19
19 . Jesse Oudenhoven Kaukauna WI 19
20 . Jordan Thiel Appleton WI 17
21 . Jeff Van Oudenhoven Appleton WI 16
22 . Mark Eswein Wisconsin Rapids WI 16
23 . Sawyer Effertz Kaukauna WI 16
24 . D.J. Weltmeyer Dyer IN 15
25 . Dillon Hammond Grand Marsh WI 15
26 . Nathan Kelly 15
27 . Ty Majeski Seymour WI 15
28 . Paul Paine Mound MN 14
29 . Ryan Farrell East Troy WI 14
30 . Travis Volm Mosinee WI 14
31 . Darren Jackson Wisconsin Rapids WI 13
32 . R.J. Braun Wales WI 13
33 . Andrew Morrissey De Forest WI 12
34 . Andy Monday Appleton WI 12
35 . Dan Fredrickson Lakeville MN 12
36 . M.G. Gajewski Wausau WI 12
37 . Mike Litchfield Portage WI 12
38 . Ryan Destefano Colgate WI 12
39 . Jordan Devoy Lake Geneva WI 11
40 . Stan Zolodz 11
41 . Brad Keith West Bend WI 10
42 . Rich Bickle Jr. Edgerton WI 10
43 . Brad Mueller Random Lake WI 9
44 . Chad Butz Green Bay WI 9
45 . Michael Bilderback South Beloit WI 9
46 . Ricky Baker Plainfield IL 9
47 . Scott Koerner 9
48 . Billy Hulbert Jr. 8
49 . Brent Strelka Fox Valley WI 8
50 . Clay Curtis 8
51 . Eugene Gregorich Kewaunee WI 8
52 . Jesse Pokszyk Friendship WI 8
53 . Levon VanDerGeest Merrill WI 8
54 . Lowell Bennett Neenah WI 8
55 . Mike Held Hartford WI 8
56 . Grant Griesbach Pewaukee WI 7
57 . Jesse Bernhagen Stevens Point WI 7
58 . Dave Gentile 6
59 . Derek Kraus Stratford WI 6
60 . Harley Jankowski Sparta WI 6
61 . James Gregait 6
62 . Jeremy Lepak Wausau WI 6
63 . Johnny Sauter Necedah WI 6
64 . Keith Tolf 6
65 . Maxwell Schultz Reedsville WI 6
66 . Skylar Holzhausen Bangor WI 6
67 . Wyatt Brooks Pardeeville WI 6
68 . Jim Weber 5
69 . Max Kahler Caledonia WI 5
70 . Rich Loch Muskego WI 5
71 . Steve Carlson West Salem WI 5
72 . Austin Nason Roscoe IL 4
73 . Braison Bennett Neenah WI 4
74 . Dennis Prunty Knowles WI 4
75 . Matt Henderson La Crosse WI 4
76 . Nick Clements Bangor WI 4
77 . Steve Litchfield Pardeeville WI 4
78 . Tony Leis Bangor WI 4
79 . Austin Maynard 3
80 . Chris Weinkauf Merrill WI 3
81 . Greg Back Ringle WI 3
82 . John Deangelis Hubertus WI 3
83 . Kyle Calmes Freedom WI 3
84 . Mark Lamoreaux Bloomington MN 3
85 . Mike Sievers 3
86 . Riley Stenjam Utica WI 3
87 . Adam Oxborough New Prague MN 2
88 . Conrad Morgan Waukesha WI 2
89 . Darek Gress Neillsville WI 2
90 . Ernie Schlough 2
91 . Hunter Stenson Wisconsin Dells WI 2
92 . Landry Potter Twin Lakes WI 2
93 . Larry Middleton Jr. 2
94 . Corey Jankowski 1
95 . Jonathan Eilen Hampton MN 1
96 . Neil Knoblock Wausau WI 1
97 . Nick Wagner Hartford WI 1
98 . Rob Braun Wales WI 1
99 . Taylor Vandermoss Appleton WI 1
100 . Tony Brutti 1
Midwest Pavement
Late Model Final 2020
Pos. Driver Hometown Points
1 . Jacob Goede Carver MN 78
2 . Nick Murgic Rosemount MN 59
3 . Jacob Nottestad Utica WI 46
4 . Jesse Bernhagen Markesan WI 44
5 . Shaun Scheel Lake Mills WI 42
6 . Braison Bennett Neenah WI 39
7 . Mike Litchfield Portage WI 39
8 . Adam Bendzick New Prague MN 38
9 . Jon Reynolds Jr. Loves Park IL 36
10 . Michael Haggar Hanover MN 36
11 . Ryan Gutknecht Oak Creek WI 36
12 . Chad Walen Prior Lake MN 33
13 . Max Kahler Caledonia IL 33
14 . Chris Marek Lakeville MN 32
15 . Michael Grueneberg Madison WI 30
16 . Zack Riddle Brooklyn WI 30
17 . Stephen Scheel Lake Mills WI 29
18 . Steve Carlson West Salem WI 29
19 . Billy Mohn Lakeville MN 28
20 . Chase Randerson Oshkosh WI 27
21 . Dale Nottestad Cambridge WI 25
22 . Bryan Monday Appleton WI 24
23 . Eddie Muenster Green Bay WI 22
24 . Luke Westenberg Jefferson WI 22
25 . Brent Kirchner La Crosse WI 21
26 . Nick Clements West Salem WI 21
27 . Brian Henry 20
28 . Casey Johnson Edgerton WI 20
29 . Jack Stern Slinger WI 20
30 . Michael Bilderback South Beloit IL 19
31 . Mike Beyer Machesney Park IL 19
32 . Steve Schultz Webster MN 18
33 . Dennis Smith Jr. South Beloit IL 17
34 . Mike Carlson West Salem WI 17
35 . Seth Reamer Beaver Dam WI 16
36 . Mike King Jr. Appleton WI 15
37 . Riley Stenjem Utica WI 15
38 . Jeremy Miller Rockton IL 14
39 . Steve Bachman West Salem WI 14
40 . Tom Berens Slinger WI 13
41 . Justin Neisius Rosemount MN 12
42 . Brent Edmunds Monticello WI 11
43 . Devin Schmidt Lakeville MN 11
44 . Nick Egan Slinger WI 11
45 . Brand Reichenberger 10
46 . Jason Erickson Fort Atkinson WI 10
47 . Mahlon Bontreger Elroy WI 10
48 . Nick Panitzke Lonsdale MN 10
49 . Rhett Barkau Freeport IL 10
50 . Cole Thomas Franklin WI 9
51 . Dylan Schuyler Jefferson WI 9
52 . Michael Beamish Eagan MN 9
53 . Tom Gille Winnebago IL 9
54 . Tyler Schley Richfield WI 9
55 . Zach Prunty Lomira WI 9
56 . Brian Gibson Walford IA 8
57 . Noel Range Helenville WI 8
58 . Andrew Schultz Webster MN 7
59 . Bryan Wrolstad Northfield MN 7
60 . Matt Lundberg Rockton IL 7
61 . Nick Beaver Rosemount MN 7
62 . Paul Kislow Cambridge WI 7
63 . Ryan Varner Shorewood MN 7
64 . Dean Cornelius New Prague MN 6
65 . Jerry Stafford II South Beloit IL 6
66 . Kyle Kirberger Ramsey MN 6
67 . Ryan Craine Hartford WI 6
68 . Brad Powell La Crosse WI 5
69 . Chris Chenoweth Watertown WI 5
70 . Donny Reuvers Dundas MN 5
71 . Jacob Vanoskey Hartford WI 5
72 . Jeff Partington Farmington MN 5
73 . Joel Theisen Maple Grove MN 5
74 . Larry Schotten Mauston WI 5
75 . Matthew Henderson La Crosse WI 5
76 . Phillip Wuesthoff Beaver Dam WI 5
77 . Grant Brown Prior Lake MN 4
78 . Jakob Hassler Colgate WI 4
79 . Jason Stark Sparta WI 4
80 . Jerimy Wagner Onalaska WI 4
81 . Jerry Eckhardt Johnson Creek WI 4
82 . Jerry Gille Roscoe IL 4
83 . Jon Lemke Shakopee MN 4
84 . Kyle Smith Lake Mills WI 4
85 . Michael Weber Marion IA 4
86 . Mike Meyerhofer Hilbert WI 4
87 . Mitch Garfield Gilberts IL 4
88 . Brady Liddle Oregon WI 3
89 . David Thomason Poplar Grove IL 3
90 . Greg Hentrich Hiawatha IA 3
91 . Hunter Drefahl Evansville WI 3
92 . Lawrence Berthiaune Rogers MN 3
93 . Mike Ehde Prairie Du Chien WI 3
94 . Mitch Garfield Gilberts IL 3
95 . Nate Van Wychen Kaukauna WI 3
96 . Steve Anderson Lakeville MN 3
97 . Brady Bill Reedsburg WI 2
98 . Drew Bernhagen Markesan WI 2
99 . Griffin McGrath Cedar Rapids IA 2
100 . Hunter Stenson Wisconsin Dells WI 2
101 . Joe Shelby Slinger WI 2
102 . Jordan Devoy Lake Geneva WI 2
103 . Justin Mullikin Holmen WI 2
104 . Matt Wittman Appleton WI 2
105 . Morgan Schissel Mondovi WI 2
106 . Nick Nolden Sun Prairie WI 2
107 . Rayce Haase Wausau WI 2
108 . Scott J. Baker Kaukauna WI 2
109 . Tom Jasinski Pewaukee WI 2
110 . Tyler Hromadka Colgate WI 2
111 . Adam Degenhardt Cashton WI 1
112 . Cole Gray Endeavor WI 1
113 . Jeff Holtz Franksville WI 1
114 . Jeff Wakeman Streator IL 1
115 . Jerry Mueller Richfield WI 1
116 . John Beinlich Prairie View IL 1
117 . Mikie Breiner 1
118 . Rachel Meyerhofer Hilbert WI 1
119 . Willie Nelson Solon Mills IL 1
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