Cloquet’s Kevin Carlson Wins At Proctor

Wes Vork-NSO

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June 26

By Jerry O’Brien

The once postponed “At the track with the Classics” get together at the Proctor Speedway was a rousing success. Many former racers came Sunday afternoon to catch up on old times and view the vintage race cars from the Northern Vintage Stock Car Racers club, who put on a show later in the day.

Weekly WISSOTA racing began with qualifying heat races for the 70 cars on hand. George Dalbeck and Tommy Turcotte won the Midwest Modified heats; Dale Soumala, and Austin Blom won Pure Stock heats; Kevin Burdick and Scott Lawrence topped the Super Stock heats; Aaron Lillo and Caley Emerson took the Late Model heats and Kelly Estey won the Modified heat.

It was 20 times around for the Midwest Modifieds, the first feature to take to the track. Andrew Inman grabbed the lead from the outside of the front row as Glen Dammer, Dan Larsen and Neil Balduc battled for second. Balduc and Dammer clashed in turn one, bringing out the caution flag. Dammer was charged with the incident and sent to the rear.

At the green, Inman led Balduc while Larsen, Skeeter Estey and Deven Van House battled for third. Balduc dived to the inside of Inman in turn one and completed the pass for the lead off the second turn. Estey moved past Inman into second as the half way point. Balduc led Estey, Inman, Van House and George Dalbeck in the top five. Balduc began lapping back markers as the laps wound down, enabling Estey to close up and make a charge on the last lap. He came up short as Balduc won his first feature at the speedway. Van House, Inman and Dalbeck finished in the top five.

Next were the Pure Stocks for their 15 lap feature. At the green flag, pole sitter Derek Ament and Jeff Engelmeier went for the lead and Ament took the position. Matt Hammitt came up to battle with Ament for second while Craig Horak and Dale Soumala skirmished for third. Ament slowed on the track with a flat right rear tire bringing out the caution flag.

With four laps recorded, the green flag flew with Engelmeier at the point. Charging from the fifth row was former track champion Josh Loucks up into second on Engelmeier’s back bumper and soon after the mid-point was reached, made the pass and move out to a good lead. Loucks was cruising at the front while Engelmeier was safely in second. Horak, Jon Hammitt and Esten Nelson finished in the top five. It was the second feature win of the season for Loucks.

Pole sitter Al Rapp led the first circuit from the pole in the 20 lap Super Stock feature with Pat Heikkinen second while Scott Lawrence made a charge from the outside of row three into third. Heikkinen enjoyed a moment in the sun as he got by Rapp to lead a lap but Lawrence would not be denied and sailed past to the lead.

Lawrence moved to a comfortable lead over Heikkinen with a big gap back to the Kevin Burdick and Rapp battle for third. Burdick won that skirmish and moved into third. Those four along Kevin Salin were the top five as Lawrence was in another zip code with more than a straight away lead on Heikkinen and Burdick who had nearly that much on Rapp, who was grimly holding onto fifth. As the 20th lap was finished, the order remained the same as Lawrence recorded a sweep for his second feature win of the season.

It was to be 25 laps for the “big dog” WISSOTA Late Models with Kevin Carlson starting on the pole. Carlson got the early lead at the green, but Emerson got by for the lead and Cory Jorgensen ran third. Before the rest of the order could shake out, Aaron Lillo spun in turn one, collecting Dustin Lunde. Lunde was out; Lillo made another lap under green before pulling out.

On the restart, Emerson led Carlson, Tim McMann, Jorgensen and Don Copp. The front three moved to a near straight away lead as Jorgensen and Copp battled for fourth. Just past half way with not a change up front, Emerson suddenly slowed, off the pace with mechanical troubles leaving the lead to Carlson. Carlson and McMann went at it for the win but it was Carlson who pulled of his first win of the season. McMann, Copp, Darin Meierotto, in a car borrowed from Gregg Hill and Harry Hanson finished in the top five.

The final feature of the evening was 20 laps for the WISSOTA Modifieds. At the green flag, Jayme Lautigar jumped into the lead, only to spin in the second turn. Everyone scrambled by with no contact. On the restart Jody Bellefeuille popped out of the pack to the lead followed by Kelly Estey, E J Hietala, and Duane Dale in the #1 car which is usually driven by Alan Hartel and Nick Lavato.

Estey closed up on Bellefeuille, made the pass and was gone to a huge lead. That lead disappeared when Hietala spun in turn one with a flat tire. The event went the remaining 12 laps without any additional trouble. Estey crossed under the checkered flag for his third feature win of the season and the sweep. Lavato, Scott Heikkinen, Rick Niemi and Jacob Morinville finished in the top five.

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