Proctor Speedway Hosts American Cancer Society Night

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July 18

By Jerry O’Brien

Proctor – Sunday night July 17 was the fourth annual American Cancer Society Relay For Life event at the Proctor Speedway honoring the late Clayton Schwarzkopf, a man who loved racing and spent much of his time helping out at the speedway. His favorite class of cars was the WISSOTA Modified so the Memorial Race featured those cars. His son Jon did a yeoman job garnering donations from individuals and businesses to increase the Modified purse. Those donations added to the weekly purse increased the amount to $10,000 which drew 26 cars for the Sunday night race.

Three heats qualified the field for the 20 lap feature. Those were won by Darrell Nelson, Joey Jensen and Jeff Spacek. The feature lined up with Rick Niemi on the pole and Jensen outside.

At the green flag it was Jensen who shot out into the lead but the first try could not be completed as Rick Cannata and Chad Manor tangled in turn four. The next try saw Jensen again get the jump, but this one didn’t last long as Jacob Morinville and Manor scuffled in turn two. The third time appeared to be the charm as Jensen again drove away from the pack. Alan Hartel, Rick Rivord Spacek and Jeff Wood ran in the top five as Jensen was sailing along widening his lead when J B Stortz ended up facing the wrong way in turn four.

Once again Jensen had little trouble getting away from Hartel who was busy fending off Rick Rivord. Hartel began falling back after losing second to Rivord, Spacek was third, Dave Cain ran fourth and Hartell was fifth. Rivord slipped off the top of turn four bringing out yet another caution and putting a damper on his great run. This time on the restart, Jensen had plenty of company but still another caution flag appeared for Jody Bellefeuille. Jensen still led, but this time he had Cain to contend with at the green. He was able to fend him off and began to pull away as Spacek ran third while Jeff Wood and Nelson battled for fifth.

Cain was slowly closing on Jensen as the half way point was reached. Hartel spun at the top of turn one and the caution flag flew as the race moved in fits and starts. The restart was with 11 laps remaining, the green flag flew followed quickly for a debris call in turn four. Racing resumed with a well rested Jensen controlling the pace at the green. Cain and Spacek ran a skirmish for second as Nelson took fourth, then captured third. Dave Mass was fifth and Kelly Estey up from 14th to sixth and Al Uotinen was seventh after starting 11th.

As the laps began to click off with no delays, Jensen was unbeatable on restarts and pulled away by several car lengths as the top five were separated from each other. That changed when Cannata spun off turn three closing up the pack to Jensen’s bumper once again. Jensen had everything well in hand as there were few laps left for anyone to challenge him. As the white flag was displayed Bellefeuille and Jeff Hart clashed with both cars heavily damaged. Neither driver was hurt but the incident set up a Green/White/Checkered finish. Even that took two tries as on the first one there was a debris call in turn four.

Finally the 20 lap marathon came to a close with Jensen crossing the stripe first followed by Cain, Nelson, Mass and Spacek in the top five. Uotinen, E. J. Hietala, Estey, Brent Larson and Wood rounded out the top ten Jensen collected $1500 for the win.

Dave Mass drove to an easy win in the 20 lap Super Stock feature. Pole sitter Tristan LaBarge popped out of the scramble at the start as Al Rapp slid high in the first turn. Mass wasted little time bolting to the lead as LaBarge had to deal with Donnie Lofdahl and a fast moving Scott Lawrence. A five car “wrecktangle” in turn four involving Pat Heikkinen, Brian Carl, Kevin Burdick, Cody Carlson and Jeff Tardy brought action to a halt as it took several minutes to untangle the mess.

With three laps in, Mass got a great restart, pulling Lofdahl by five car lengths. Lofdahl held off Lawrence as Tardy got past LaBarge. Tardy pulled up on Lawrence and tried for third but couldn’t make the pass. Lawrence went high while Lofdahl went low for second spot. Lawrence slid into second, Tardy was fourth and there was a big gap back to LaBarge, who was trying to hold off Burdick.

Mass had engaged the cruise control and was clicking off laps, the entire field was running the top groove and Mass began to lap cars as the white flag flew. Mass took the easy win over Lawrence, Tardy, Lofdahl and LaBarge in the top five.

It was 25 laps for the WISSOTA Late Models. Kevin Carlson jumped into the lead from the outside of the front row and widened it considerably as pole sitter Cory Jorgensen dived into the infield and out of the event. Harry Hanson battled with Joey Ogston for second ahead of Caley Emerson and Darrell Nelson. Hanson finally disposed of Ogston, but it was Nelson who was on the move getting by Emerson, Ogston and Hanson into second.

Nelson began to close the gap on Carlson, whittling it down to five car lengths, but Carlson was still able to hold him off. At the midpoint Carlson still had the lead over Nelson, Ogston, Hanson, and tenth starting Kyle Peterlin who had made it to the top five. Carlson continued to fly around the top groove but the track seemed to come to Nelson on the bottom and he was able to gain ground and finally make the pass off of turn two. Carlson was second followed by Hanson, Peterlin and Ogston.

Dan Kingsley grabbed the early lead in the 20 lap Midwest Modified feature over Jeffrey Lien, Jr., Andrew Inman, Deven Van House, Scott Herrick and Lance Solem. Solem looped in the first turn bringing out the caution flag with one lap complete. At the restart Kingsley again led Lien, Van House and Inman, but Solem and newcomer Adam Prieve tangled in turn one.

Caution flags seem to breed caution flags as, again the try for a restart was spoiled as another newcomer Jesse Tripp spun in turn two. With seven laps recorded, Lien got the better start and took the lead as Kingsley was busy battling with Skeeter Estey for second. Estey got by and set out to take the lead from Lien. Lien held off Estey for a couple laps before Estey nipped by for the lead and the win. Lien, Inman, Kingsley and Neil Balduc were top five finishers.

There was a scramble at the front at the start of the 15 lap Pure Stock feature and Austin Blom edged into the lead over Dale Soumala, Esten Nelson, Dustin Follett and Corey Lonetto in a pack. The pack dissolved and Nelson took second and Follett was third. Lonetto got by Soumala to fourth with Ashley Smith lurking in sixth.

There was a caution flag with nine laps remaining and, on the restart, Follett got by Blom for the lead but another caution flag appeared when Justin Bassa, Mark Korte and Matt Hammitt tangled in turn four. Bassa got the ticket for the incident and, on the restart, Nelson tried for the point.

At the midpoint of the event, Blom was back in the lead over Follett and Nelson as Soumala and Lonetto battled for fourth and were joined by Smith. Blom and Follett battled side by side for the lead leaving Nelson alone in third. Lonetto was fourth as Smith challenged Soumala for fifth and took the spot. Follett won the battle and finished first by a car length over Blom with Nelson, Lonetto and Smith rounding out the top five.

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