Cloquet’s Esse Wins First Late Model Feature

Wes Vork-NSO

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July 11

Jerry O’Brien

The 25 lap late model feature started with a false start but the next try was good and pole sitter Dave Esse raced away from the pack. However a caution flag flew for a tangle between Kevin Carlson, George Ledin and Jeff Lien in turn three. Greg Ferris and Don Copp were also peripheral participants. Ledin got the ticket for the incident and was sent to the back of the pack.

Esse again got the good restart contested by Cory Jorgensen, Tim McMann, Darrell Nelson and Kyle Peterlin. Kevin Carlson started 12th and was up to sixth while the field became strung out around the track. By the halfway mark Ledin had made it to the top ten. Esse began to lap cars but the second caution of the event killed his lead. The green flag flew for the restart with Nelson breathing down Esse’s neck with 10 laps remaining. Ledin’s good rebound was thwarted when he was tagged with his second caution and sent to the pits.

The restart did not go well as Carlson, Ferris and Tim Lillo clashed causing a lot of sheet metal damage to Carlson’s #79 car. Esse was able to hang onto the lead after the green flag, but after another lap a debris flag flew. It was another good restart for Esse with nine laps to go. Nelson still ran second while McMann and Peterlin battled for third. With about six laps remaining the track locked down with everyone running on the bottom as Esse went on to win his first career late model feature ahead of Nelson whose break into the late model division came from Dave Esse’s father Tom Esse. Add in the heat race win and it was a sweep for the high school hockey coach.

Mike Bellefeuille and Jad Carlson posted feature wins in the Super Stock and Modified divisions respectively, the second straight win for both. Carlson found the pole start in the 20 lap feature to his liking and weathered the storm, leading from flag to flag in the non-stopped Modified feature. Bellefeuille had to work a little harder to get to the lead, starting inside the third row but took the lead very early with a move in the high groove and weathered four caution flags for the win.

After the qualifying heats were run, the Midwest Modifieds took to the track for their 20 lap main event. Jimmy Latvala took the early lead but Adam Archer sneaked underneath off of turn two to grab the point. Cody Carlson, Lance Solem, and Justin Jones followed as Archer pulled away to a huge lead. He was brought back to the rest of the pack when Dan Kingsley slipped off of turn one, causing a caution flag. Archer continued to be the class of the field, pulling out another large lead while Latvala, Carlson, Jones and newcomer to the top five, Skeeter Estey battled.

A restart after Neil Balduc slid off turn one resulted in a clash on the front stretch with the cars of Solem, Tommy Turcott, and Carlson shedding pieces. More trouble ensued when on the next restart when E.J. Hietala, Devon VanHouse, and Tom Mackey tangled in turn two. With a dozen laps left, Archer held a tight lead while Latvala, Jones and Estey went three wide for second. Jones broke free with the top three, Archer, Latvala, and Jones moved away from the rest. A caution flag necessitated a restart just at the mid-point, but the field couldn’t get a lap in before Glenn Dammer and Andrew Inman tangled in turn two.

When the event finally resumed it turned into a great three way battle for the lead as the laps began ticking off. The youthful Archer kept his head and was driving well in the low groove, the high side was beginning to come in but it appeared there would not be enough laps left for it to make a difference. Archer, looking for the white flag, got it and held onto the lead for the win. Latvala, Solem, Jones and Estey rounded out the top five.

There was a scramble at the start of the Super Stock feature allowing Mike Bellefeuille to sneak from inside of row three to the lead, followed by Zach Wohlers, Donnie Lofdahl, Kevin Burdick and Jeff Tardy. Justin Iverson spun on the front stretch bringing out the caution flag. The order in the top five remained the same except with Kevin Eder supplanting Tardy. Bellefeuille motored out to a lengthy lead as Lofdahl slid off turn one and re-joined the pack in last place.

As Bellefeuille increased his lead, Wohlers ran second, Tardy moved to third while Eder and Burdick battled for fourth. Scott Lawrence moved from ninth to sixth and was looking for more. The caution flag again waved, this time when Todd Carlson was squeezed going down the backstretch by Tom Treviranus and Lofdahl resulting in a 360degree spin by Carlson into turn three. On the restart it was Bellefeuille, Wohlers, and Burdick on the high side while Tardy, Lawrence, and Eder tried the low groove. Again the action slowed when Treviranus spun in turn three and collected Todd Carlson.

The action resumed for another couple of laps before Pat Heikkinen spun on the nose of Eder. This time it was a single file restart with nine laps remaining. The action seemed to settle down, Burdick slid up and Lawrence moved to the second spot as Bellefeuille was long gone and took the checkered flag. Wohlers and Heikkinen finished in the top five.

Jad Carlson started on the pole for the 40 lap Modified feature, took the lead and stayed there as the first 20 laps flew by without a caution flag. Carlson moved to the high side, the same groove that took him to victory on June 27. Carlson was followed by Jeff Broking, Nick Lavato, Greg Chesley, Jody Bellefeuille, and Darrell Nelson. The mid-point was quickly reached with the top five still the same. Nelson, Kelly Estey, Ryan Aho, Jayme Lautigar, and Scott Heikkinen ran in the top ten.

Carlson’s driving was very smooth as he increased the lead like he was on a Sunday drive. Bellefeuille moved to second, Nelson grabbed third as Broking and Lavato ran in the top five. Further back, Estey, Chesley, and Aho began to reel in Lavato but ran out of laps before anything could become of it with Carlson winning his second straight feature at the Proctor Speedway.

Tim Carlson borrowed his brother Chad’s Pure Stock, slapped a #18 on it and proceeded to win the 15 lap Pure Stock feature. Carlson took the early lead but a spin and a flat tire on the Mark Korte ride brought out the caution flag. Carlson had little trouble maintaining the lead as Dustin Follett, Dan Larson, Al Rapp and Jon McKinnon gave chase. It went clean and green to the halfway point and Carlson was a mere speck on the horizon until the caution flag appeared when Jeff Engelmeier’s machine lost the right rear wheel and the huge lead was gone. The event restarted with five laps to go and Carlson again pulled away until Cory Lonetto had problems in turn four, setting up a green/white/checkered situation. Carlson was up to the task and held off Rapp and Follett for the win. It was Carlson’s first trip to victory lane to go along with his five heat wins at the speedway.

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