141speedway Archives

Czarneski stars at 141 Car Wars finale

By Joe Verdegan FRANCIS CREEK, Wis. (Oct. 11, 2024) – 2024 track champion Cole Czarneski stormed past Shawn Kilgore on a lap nine restart into the lead and cruised to victory in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at 141 Speedway’s Car Wars curtain closer. The victory was worth $2,000 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility for the second-generation ace. Kilgore swapped the lead with fellow front row starter Cody Apfelbeck for the first several circuits. While that scrum was going on up front, Czarneski, who started 10th on the grid, quickly threaded his way through traffic, jumping into the third spot on lap four. Czarneski quickly closed in on the lead duo and a three car duel quickly evolved for the lead. Czarneski worked the high line inches from the concrete retaining wall and the lead trio began weaving through lapped cars by lap eight. A lap nine yellow tightened up the field and when racing resumed, Czarneski made his move. Czarneski skillfully weaved his way through those lapped cars and fought off a [Read More]

Avila sails to $10,000 checkers at 141’s Captain of the Creek

FRANCIS CREEK, Wis. (Aug. 14, 2024) – Starting from the pole was easy. Staying on the front not so much. Matt Avila tamed a top-flight field of Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods, racing to the $10,000 checkers in winning Wednesday’s 50-lap Captain of the Creek main event at 141 Speedway. “It’s huge. It probably hasn’t even set in yet,” said Avila, who had a slew of congratulatory phone calls and texts waiting for him by the time he got back to his trailer. “This is probably my biggest win, definitely my biggest payday, one of the biggest wins a guy can get in the SportMod class and one of the most prestigious for sure.” He’d raced from ninth to third and started and finished second in his Tuesday night heats. The pole position was the last pill left when his turn came in the redraw. “The clean air was good. I think I was on lap 13 and I thought to myself ‘Man, if I have to race more than 35 laps through this it’s [Read More]

Lemmens is best of the best at 141’s IMCA King of the Creek

FRANCIS CREEK, Wis. (July 17, 2024) – Luke Lemmens drove back to the pits after hot laps Wednesday night knowing he had a good shot at winning 141 Speedway’s King of the Creek special for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. After 50 laps of main event racing, he’d done just that. “This has been a race that‘s probably eluded me for years. We’ve won a lot of races at 141, a lot of $1,000 to win races and two track championships, and we’ve finished in the top four, top five three or four times in this race,” the Green Bay driver said after outrunning Troy Jerovetz to the $10,000 checkers. “This race brings a lot of competition, guys like Benji LaCrosse and Mike Mullen, the best of the best, so this one is definitely one I’ve wanted for a long time. “It’s a relief and absolutely amazing that we finally got it done.” More than 80 of the best drivers in the division from Wisconsin, the Midwest and from as far away as New Mexico were [Read More]

IMCA Stock Car stars are 141 bound for $10,000 to win King of the Creek

FRANCIS CREEK, Wis. (July 8, 2024) – Stars of the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car division come out July 15-17, for the seventh annual King of the Creek special at 141 Speedway. Winner of the Wednesday night main event earns both $10,000 and a guaranteed starting spot in the upcoming B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational. Entry fee is $100 and drivers can register at www.141speedway.com. Qualifying for the Stock Cars begins and Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds run for $750 in their Tuesday, July 16 feature. Last-chance races and the main event for Stock Cars and a $500 to win feature for Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods are on the Wednesday, July 17 docket. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Razor Chassis North Central and EQ Cylinder Heads Northern region, and Wisconsin State points will be awarded. There is no entry fee for Modifieds or SportMods. Pit gates open at 3 p.m. and racing starts at 6 p.m. both nights. Pit passes are $35. Pit stalls are $30 and can be reserved by emailing kyle141speedway@yahoo.com. Rental of a [Read More]

LaCrosse is IMCA Modified star on night 2 of Clash

FRANCIS CREEK, Wis. (June 12, 2024) – Two-car star Benji LaCrosse gave a hint of even bigger things to come, racing from 10th to win the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature and taking Friesen Performance IMCA Modified runner-up honors on opening night of 141 Speedway’s Clash on the Coast. On Wednesday, the Casco clipper motored all the way from 12th on the initial grid to earn the $10,000 top prize, plus qualifying eligibility for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, helping bring the flag down on two of the richest days of racing this season for IMCA Modifieds. LaCrosse, previously a two-time winner of 141’s King of the Creek special for Stock Cars, quickly became part of a five-car pack running at or toward the front in last night’s 50-lapper. He completed the pass for the lead on the 32nd circuit and ran in heavy lapped traffic before winning ahead of Jordan Grabouski, Josh Long, Dallon Murty and Cody Schroeder. Tuesday’s Stock Car win was the career 44th for LaCrosse in The Class Too Tough To Tame; his Wednesday win was [Read More]

Ward rewarded with $10,000 on opening night of Clash at the Creek

FRANCIS CREEK, Wis. (June 11, 2024) – A regular at 141 Speedway’s Clash at the Creek since 2018, Tim Ward could recall “hanging around for a while” before falling back and out of contention in his best prior outing in the Francis Creek. That changed Tuesday night as Ward took charge after midway of the 50-lapper for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, earning $10,000 and his career 99th victory in the class. “This is such a tough place to win,” Ward acknowledged, after matching career-best paydays from the 2021 Land of 10,000 Lakes Tour finale and last year’s IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s main event. “I was one of the favorites here last year, started 13th, got up to sixth and just ran out of time,” he said. “This time I had a really good race with Jake (McBirnie) the first half. It reminded me of Super Nationals – we raced really hard.” The one caution flew on lap 27. Ward beat Benji LaCrosse … winner of Tuesday’s IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature … [Read More]

Both IMCA Modified features pay unprecedented $10,000 to win at 141’s Clash at the Creek special

FRANCIS CREEK, (May 29, 2024) – As if they needed them, Friesen Performance IMCA Modified drivers will have another 10,000 reasons to get 141 Speedway’s upcoming Clash at the Creek on their racing schedule. Main events both nights of the 16th annual special Tuesday and Wednesday, June 11 and 12, will pay $10,000 to win, courtesy of title sponsor Quietwoods RV. “That’s unprecedented,” said Toby Kruse, part of the promotional team at Francis Creek. “I don’t know of another event where Modifieds race for $10,000 to win on back-to-back nights.” Entry fee is $100 a night, payable through MyRacePass, and both Modified winners become eligible to qualify for the upcoming Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods race for $1,000 to win each night, with Stock Car winners joining the list of drivers eligible to qualify for the B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational. Entry fees for those divisions are $20 a night. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional and Wisconsin State points will be awarded for both shows. Pit [Read More]

IMCA Modified win at 141 is career first for Apfelbeck

FRANCIS CREEK, Wis. (April 27, 2024) – With a career-first Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature win on his resume, Cody Apfelbeck promised he’d work just as hard for his second. The Burnett driver held off 10th starting Cole Czarneski and the rest of a who’s who of Wisconsin IMCA Modified field Saturday night, leading start to finish of the main event at 141 Speedway. “It was a good morale booster and a good win for the team,” said Apfelbeck, who bounced back big time from engine issues that resulted in a DNF from his heat at Francis Creek two weeks prior. “It was obviously helpful to start on the pole but it means a lot to be able to win here. I think 141 has some of, if not the best weekly competition in the country.” He’d raced Legends cars before moving to the sanctioned Modified division in 2019. The checkers came in Apfelbeck’s fifth start of the season and followed a top four finish last Tuesday at Beaver Dam Raceway. Todd Dart, Mike Wedelstadt, Benji [Read More]

Opportunistic LaCrosse tops IMCA Modified feature at 141

By Greg Aregoni FRANCIS CREEK, Wis. (April 20, 2024) – On a cold night with hot racing, Benji LaCrosse used some misfortune of the leader to take home the checkered flag at 141 Speedway. Rob Charapata put himself up front right off the bat in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature while LaCrosse and Brandon Schmitt made their respective ways toward the front from mid-pack starting spots, with Schmitt getting to the leader first. Schmitt made quick work of Charapata and set sail with LaCrosse making his way to second. Schmitt seemed to be destined for the checkered flag even after he entered lapped traffic but made contact with another car and bent up his front suspension. He was able to maintain the lead until LaCrosse came storming past. A caution before the final flag set up a dash to the finish. Cole Czarneski used the final restart to his advantage and stay with LaCrosse for the lead. The two would put on a great battle over the final two laps with LaCrosse edging Czarneski. Johnny Whitman ran out [Read More]

Win by Wittkopf comes on emotional night at 141

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 [Read More]