Jad Carlson Dominates Modified Feature At Proctor

Click Here For Complete Race Results

June 27

Jerry O’Brien

PROCTOR – Jad Carlson of Duluth dominated the WISSOTA Modified 20 lap feature Sunday night at the Proctor Speedway. Carlson started on the pole and got the jump on Ken Hron at the green flag. Hron fell into the clutches of, Nick Lavato, Greg Chesley and Steve Stuart as they went three wide for second. Stuart squirted through to second as Hron; Chesley tried the three wide move again. Chesley got squeezed off the back stretch falling back to eleventh.

Carlson then
raced out to a comfortable lead as Kelly Estey charged from row four to second. Action slowed when Hron spun off turn four bringing out what would prove to be the only caution flag of the event. Just after the restart Carlson nearly made a fatal mistake as he went too high in turns one and two nearly sliding off the track giving Estey a shot at the lead. Carlson recovered and kept the lead. Jody Bellefeuille and Stuart got a little crossed up allowing Chesley to shoot through third redeeming himself for the off track excursion. Carlson was able to extend his lead as Estey desperately tried to track him down. Bellefeuille recaptured third from Chesley and made up some ground on Estey. Bellefeuille car began to smoke heavily but it lasted long enough to finish third behind Carlson and Estey, Chesley settled for fourth and Lavato rounded out the top five.

George Ledin and Kevin Carlson made up the front row for the 25 lap WISSOTA Late Model main event. Carlson sailed into first at the green flag as Kyle Peterlin, Ledin and Todd Gehl went three wide for second. Carlson began to pull away but Gehl spun in turn two collecting Ledin to bring out the first caution flag. Aaron Lillo got a great restart to take the lead but Carlson prevailed off turn four to recapture the point. Peterlin took over the second spot followed by Lillo, Harry Hanson and Jeff Provinzino. Hanson went to the top side and began to reel in the leaders as Provinzino took over fourth. Carlson was still able to outturn both Peterlin and Hanson in the bottom groove while Don Copp took the fifth spot. Peterlin and Hanson made up ground on Carlson and at the half way point it was Carlson, Peterlin, Hanson, Provinzino and Copp running in the front five. Peterlin was able to close on Carlson and take the lead as Carlson began to fade. Hanson took second and closed on Peterlin as Provinzino and Copp also got by Carlson who managed to hold onto the fifth spot. Hanson recorded his second straight feature win at the speedway as he passed Peterlin on the white flag lap for the win. Copp, Provinzino and Carlson finished in the top five.

The start of the 20 lap Midwest Modified feature was a little rough as the caution flag flew before the first lap was complete when Andrew Inman turned around in the first turn. At the restart outside pole starter Cody Carlson sneaked by in turn two for the lead but soon fell to Jesse Ogston’s charge off turn four. The caution again appeared when Neil Balduc looped in turn three. Ogston took the lead on the restart followed by a pair of 16 year olds, Carlson and Johnny Broking. Broking took second while 11th starting Dave Mass was on the move trying to take fourth from Lance Solem as Carlson slipped back to sixth. The third caution flag appeared when Dan Doran’s #5t shucked the drive shaft on the back stretch. All this happened in the first five laps leaving 15 to go at the green flag. A lap later the fourth caution flag appeared when several cars tangled in turn one, among them Carlson, Glen Dammer, last week’s feature winner Deven VanHouse and E.J.Hietala. Carlson was off on the hook, the rest continued. Ogston continued in the lead as Mass tried to overhaul him using the high groove. Ogston was able to fend Mass off but not by much. Mass finally wrested the point from Ogston; who tried not to let him get too far ahead. Mass dominated the rest of the way though he began to show smoke in the closing laps. Ogston, Adam Archer, Solem and Broking finished in the top five. Mass mentioned in his victory lane interview that he felt the smoke from the engine was terminal.

There was a scramble at the start of the 15 lap Pure Stock feature that fourth place starter Austin Blom won as he grabbed the lead. Tim Carlson spun and everyone missed him dropping him back to 17th before he could recover. Blom led Chad Carlson, Josh Loucks, Matt Deragon and Richard Dzelak until the caution flag waved when Cory Lonetto’s #5L shucked the right rear wheel causing him to spin in turn two. Again it was three wide for the lead at the green with Blom high, Loucks low and Chad Carlson the meat in the sandwich. Loucks took the lead at the half way point over Blom as Deragon and Carlson battled for third. Al Rapp took over the fifth position and Jon McKinnon was sixth after starting 20th. Loucks found the low line to his liking while Blom stayed on top. Loucks moved out to an easy win over Blom, Deragon, Carlson and Rapp. It was the second feature win of the summer at the Proctor Speedway for Loucks.

The WISSOTA Super Stock feature would prove to be another hard-fought event. Kevin Burdick led the 16 car field to the green flag and edged ahead of third starting Tom Treviranus as Mike Bellefeuille, Kevin Eder and Dave Mass trailed. Bellefeuille took the high road and zipped by Treviranus off turn two for second. Turn one bit Mass as he slipped off the high side and was able to rejoin the pack in 12th. Bellefeuille extended his lead over Eder by the half way mark but the only caution flag flew when Donnie Lofdahl and Nick Oreskovich clashed and did a dual spin backwards off turn one. It was a single file restart as Lofdahl was given his spot back and Oreskovich left the speedway with damage. The restart was single file and Scott Lawrence was on the move from his fourth row start to third. Eder was able to hold Lawrence off for second as Bellefeuille captured his first feature win of the season at the speedway. Jeff Tardy and Devin Necked, a first time visitor from Princeton, MN finished in the top five.

Also on the program were the school bus races. Steve Loucks of Carlton won the heat race and Al McDougall of Proctor was the ten lap feature winner.

Comments can be sent to sports@northlandsportsonline.com