Win by Wittkopf comes on emotional night at 141

Modified, Northern SportMod, Results, Sport Compact, Stock Car

Robert Wittkopf raced to an emotional Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod win Saturday at 141 Speedway. The season opener at Francis Creek came in his first outing since the death of his father and biggest supporter Rodney last November. (Photo by Joe Slack, www.danlewisphoto.net)

FRANCIS CREEK, Wis. (April 13, 2024) – Robert Wittkopf doesn’t believe there could be a better night to win at 141 Speedway than on opening night.

Especially this year.

After carrying the black flag remembering his father Rodney during pre-race ceremonies at Francis Creek, the Green Bay driver led the last 19 of 20 laps in winning the Saturday night Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod main event.

“We lost dad to cancer last November. He’d been with me from the start of my career and was my biggest supporter,” said Wittkopf, “whether working on the car or at the track. He was always there.”

“There was an amazing amount of emotions from the start of the night to the end, to say the least. It kind of felt like he was still there with me,” Wittkopf added. “You couldn’t have asked for a better opening night.”

The win was just his career second in the class and first-ever at 141.

Forty-eight Northern SportMods were entered, with five heats and three ‘B’ features needed to fill the Championship Cup Night field of 24.

The 20-lapper ran green to checkered, with Wittkopf following the mid- to lower line before catching up to the back of the field.

He won ahead of Chris Kuchta and Elijah Koenig.

“141 is just first-rate in every way,” Wittkopf said of his home track. “You get to race with the cream of the crop here, for sure. Every class is competitive from top to bottom.”

Shawn Kilgore paced the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature, Beni LaCrosse was the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car winner and Trever Cronick topped the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact main.

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