Amsoil Speedway Completes Packed Night Of Racing

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June 10

By: Jerry O’Brien

SUPERIOR – Amsoil Speedway was able to get in it’s complete program on Friday night which included not only regular racing, but
a total of four make-up features, giving fans a huge bang for the
buck.

First three qualifying heats were run for the Pure Stock division, this for the weekly program. They were won by Matt Madsen, Jeff Christman and Steve Udeen.

Immediately after these races, the first make up feature for the WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds from May27 took to the track. Deven Van House took the early lead from the pole in the 15 lap affair and drove out to a big lead over Jeff Pohjonen, Lance Solem and Neil Balduc. On the move from the fifth row was Skeeter Estey, who was in third place by the half way mark. Estey got by Scott Herrick, who was running second at this point and began to close in on Van House. With four laps remaining Estey had caught Van House and nipped him at the checkered flag for the win. Van House, Herrick, Balduc and Jorgenson rounded out the top five.

The second make up feature was 20 laps for the WISSOTA Super Stocks. The first try at a start saw a spin in turn one, then next try moved the wreck to turn four, another try saw more wrecking in turn one with a clash between Scott Lawrence and Mike Bellefeuille that sent Lawrence to the rear to re-start in 19th place. The fourth try was the charm and Dave Flynn grabbed the point as Kevin Burdick battled with Nick Oreskovich just ahead of Andy Davey and Jeff Tardy. Flynn held a four car length lead but the caution flag again appeared when Brian Carl looped the #32F.

Flynn maintained the lead at the green over Burdick, Oreskovich, Bellefeuille and Davey. Meanwhile, Lawrence was knifing through the field passing cars in bunches and had reached sixth place. He then began to work his way past the top five using an outside move to pass the final pair in front of him for the win. It was Lawrence’s 70th career feature win at the speedway and 18th in the Super Stock division. Oreskovich got by Flynn for second, Burdick finished fourth, and Bellefeuille fifth.

Then it was time for the May 27th make up main event for the WISSOTA Late Models with veterans Don Copp and Tim McMann on the front row. McMann grabbed the lead but the caution flag flew when Chris Olson spun in turn three. On the restart Copp got the jump and shot to the lead with McMann, Aaron Lillo, Darin Meierotto and Caley Emerson close behind. Copp slipped high in turn one and McMann slipped through to the lead while Meierotto took advantage and took second. Darrell Nelson and Copp Battled for third and 11th starting Todd Gehl was fifth. On lap eight, Meierotto made an inside move on McMann, took the lead and raced out to a straight-away’s lead by the half way point. Nelson had taken second and tried to cut into Meierotto’s huge lead. With five circuits remaining Meierotto began to encounter lapped cars but Meierotto took the win over Nelson, McMann, Gehl and Copp.

Next up was the 20 lap May 27 Modified Makeup feature. Destin Lorimor led briefly from the pole, but Ryan Aho came from row two to take over at the front. The red flag appeared when Bill Byholm’s #4 climbed the third turn wall and landed between it and the catch fence giving the fans an up close and personal look at a Modified. Byholm was not hurt nor were any fans and Byholm was able to start the weekly feature later in the evening.

Only one lap was complete as the field restarted after Byholm’s car was extracted and it was Aho who continued to lead over Lorimor, Rick Rivord, Scott Hudack and Kelly Estey. Estey was on the move and soon raced into second with Joey Jensen lurking in fifth. Aho and Estey battled for the lead just ahead of a three car skirmish for third between Hudack, Rivord and Jensen. Darrell Nelson soon joined this skirmish as Jason Miller arrived in sixth. Hudack dropped off the pace and retired as the midpoint was reached. Estey got by Aho for the lead and the order at this point was Estey, Aho, Jensen, Nelson and Miller.

Jensen then disposed Aho and moved up to harass Estey for the lead. The pair battled back and forth, and, on the white flag lap, Jensen made a strong outside move in turn three and the two drag-raced toward the checkered flag. In a near photo finish Estey was declared the victor by the narrowest of margins. Nelson, Aho and Jody Bellefeuille rounded out the top five.

Qualifying heats were then run in all WISSOTA Divisions to set the feature events for the weekly scheduled show. The first feature to take to the track was the WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds with 16 cars set to start the 15 lap race. Cody Wolkowski jumped to the lead from the outside pole ahead of Lance Solem while George Dalbeck and Deven Van House battled for third. With a pair of laps recorded the caution flag flew for Andy Nelson’s spin.

The restart saw Wolkowski back to the lead over Dalbeck as Jason Vandekamp move into third ahead of Solem. Dalbeck nipped Wolkowski for the lead as Vandekamp charged past Solem and Wolkowski into third. Dalbeck moved out to a big lead over Vandekamp with six laps to go and Skeeter Estey arrived in fifth. With three laps remaining Vandekamp was eight car lengths back of Dalbeck but time ran out and Dalbeck won his second feature in a row at the Speedway. Vandekamp finished second over Estey, a strong Jeff Pohjonen and Van House.

20 laps was the distance for the WISSOTA Super Stock feature. Shane Kisling took the lead from the outside pole just ahead of a scrimmage between Kevin Burdick, Zach Wohlers and Mike Bellefeuille for second. Jeff Tardy moved to fourth and Dave Read charged to fifth. All the close racing behind him enabled Kisling to move out to a huge lead. Burdick and Tardy battled for second and Tardy took the position. Kisling had about a dozen car lengths over Tardy as the ten lap half way point was reached. Third was Burdick, fourth was Read and Scott Lawrence was fifth.

A lap past the mid-point the first caution flag appeared and Kisling’s lead had evaporated. Kisling still had the measure of the field at the green flag and Burdick reclaimed second from Tardy while Lawrence was running fourth. Zach Wohlers was on the move after sliding back from the pole position and was now back to fifth. With five to go the second and final caution flag flew when Max Dondelinger spun at the exit of turn two. The race went green the rest of the way with Kisling taking a flag to flag win over Tardy, Burdick, Lawrence and Wohlers.

The WISSOTA Late Models fielded 18 cars for their 25 lap feature with Jeff Provinzino towing Aaron Lillo, Kyle Peterlin, Darin Meierotto and Brady Smith in the top five. Meierotto move into second and blew by Provinzino in turn three for the lead. Lillo ran second and Provinzino and Smith battled for third. Peterlin and Darrell Nelson raced for fourth as Smith broke loose and raced into second. Meierotto had a near straight away lead as the laps flew by with not caution flags.

Smith began the task of slowly reeling in Meierotto with 15 laps remaining. Lillo was third and Todd Gehl, Peterlin and Nelson raced for position closing up on Lillo in a scramble for the position. Up front Meierotto was lapping cars and was in heavy traffic. Smith couldn’t seem to make much headway as Meierotto maintained his lead despite the traffic. The race went to the checkered flag with no caution flags and Meierotto won his second feature of the night. Smith, Nelson, Peterlin and Lillo finished in the top five.

Nick Lavato was quick on the throttle at the start of the 20 lap WISSOTA Modified feature and got the jump on the field. Steve Lavasseur pulled up to second ahead of Al Uotinen, Ryan Aho, Kelly Estey and Jason Miller. Lavato and Uotinen pulled away from Lavasseur in third as Uotinen overtook Lavato for the lead. Uotinen had just begun lapping cars when the first caution flag appeared for the spin of Scott Heikkinen in turn two.

The restart saw Uotinen lead Estey while Nelson moved past Lavato to third but the caution lights blinked on again for the spin of Rick Niemi. Uotinen was able to pull out five car lengths on Estey and Nelson who were locked in battle for second. Moving forward from the fifth row was Joey Jensen into fourth while Miller and Jody Bellefeuille who had started at the back of the field after pulling out of his heat, was battling for fifth. Uotinen was able to pull a little distance on the squabble for second between Estey, Jensen and Nelson. Jensen won the skirmish for second and closed on Uotinen nipping him for the lead on the next to last lap. Jensen was the winner over Uotinen Nelson, Estey and Bellefeuille.

The final feature of the evening was for the Pure Stocks. Several caution flags slowed the action and when an incident that would have been the sixth stoppage occurred, it was decided to display the caution flag and the checkered flag a couple of laps short of the scheduled 15. Steve Udeen led the entire distance from the pole but was harassed the whole way by Dustin Follett and Ashley Smith. Smith nearly grabbed the lead on a restart when she was able to get alongside Udeen but was unable to make the pass. When the checkered flag appeared with the yellow flag, Udeen had a car length on the pair who came across the line in an almost dead heat for second with Follett getting the position by a bumper over Smith, Chad Carlson and Justin Madsen in fifth.

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