Follett Wins Fair Races at Proctor

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July 7

By Jerry O’Brien

It was Proctor/Duluth Fair racing Wednesday July 7 at the Proctor Speedway featuring two classes of cars racing for points. In the case of the Proctor Pure Stocks, track points and for the WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds both track and national points.22 Pure Stocks and 19 Midwest Modifieds came to compete at a rare midweek show on the three eighths mile clay track.

Pure Stock qualifying heats were won by Tim Carlson, Superior, Craig Horak, Grand Marais, MN and Dustin Follett of Cloquet, MN. Midwest Modified heats went to Skeeter Estey, Kelly Lake, MN, Johnny Broking Grand Rapids, MN and Jesse Ogston, Duluth.

The Pure Stock feature was set for 15 laps starting all the heat race survivors. Point leader Al Rapp came out for the feature but before the event started the #33r erupted in a cloud of steam cutting the field to 21 starters. Tim Carlson failed to enter the track in a timely manner and was relegated to the back of the pack shuffling the order and moving Scott Larsen up to the pole. Larson got the jump at the green flag followed by Craig Horak, Austin Blom, Dustin Follett and Pete Ciurleo.

Horak, Mark Korte and Ciurleo battled for third as Follett drove past Larsen to the point. The lead duo raced way out in front of the rest of the field as Richard Dzelak appeared in the top five and took third from Horak. Horak fell into the clutches of Matt Deragon and Jon McKinnon in a battle for fourth. A bobble by Follett in turn two let Larsen close up the interval and Dzelak and Blom also gained ground. Follett again widened his lead and had the race well in hand. He went on to take the win in the flag to flag run. Larsen, Blom, Dzelak and Josh Loucks finished in the top five.

The Midwest Modified 20 lap feature did not fare as well as attrition took its toll on the 19 car field, starting with the failure of outside pole sitter Neil Balduc to start the event. Jimmy Latvala moved into the vacant spot and quickly took the lead with Dan Doran second and Tommy Turcotte battling for third with Skeeter Estey and Dan Ebert. On lap three Lance Solem spun in turn three with help bringing out the caution flag.

Here is where it all went wrong. On the restart with Latvala leading Doran, Deven VanHouse suffered a flat tire and slowed, Adam Archer, E. J. Hietala and Johnny Broking all spun and Hietala was out. VanHouse changed the tire and returned. The next attempt at a restart also went wrong as a pile-up in turn two involved Broking, Doran, Tom Mackey, Loren Inman and Jake Gondik.

At this point six cars were out of the race. At the green flag Latvala held the lead but slipped high in turn four. Estey and Ebert both went for the lead and clashed. Ebert suffered a right front flat tire just as Jesse Ogston brought out the caution flag spinning in turn two. Ogston was out of contention as was Ebert. When the green flag flew Estey had the lead over Turcotte, Latvala and Andrew Inman.

At the half way point Estey had half straight away on Turcotte and there were ten cars left as attrition continued to decimate the field. The event went the rest of the way without another caution flag, two more cars dropped out and eight limped across the line with Estey taking the win over survivors Turcotte, Latvala, Mackey and Cody Carlson. Sunday July 11 the Proctor/Duluth Fair races continue with a full five class program starting with hot laps at 5 p.m. and racing at 5:30.

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