Amsoil Speedway Begins Racing Season

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By Jerry O’Brien

May 18, 2012

A sweltering day turned Lake Superior Cool for AMSOIL Speedway’s 50th season opener. A very good crowd of fans were on hand and a pit full of 96 cars came for their entertainment. Opening days can be quite challenging for the racers; for many it is the first time they have hit the track since last season. Once the fans were settled in their seats the fair skies turned inky black and the worst was feared. But though the blackness hovered, some lightning flickered and a couple of raindrops fell, the program was completed.

After qualifying heats were complete, it was time to trot out the first of five features that being the Midwest Modified 15 lapper. The event got off to a rocky start with several caution flags in the early going. Starting with lap one there was a no official start due to a spin followed by Brian Youderin’s #B1 getting turned into the front stretch wall. The next try was a good start as Canadian Cody Wolcowski got the jump over Rick Przybylski and the two were able to open some distance on the rest of the 21 car field. Lance Solem raced up to join them as Deven Van House led George Dalbeck and Rob Weber in a second three car battle.

David Simpson brought out the next caution with a spin in turn one. Simpson was sent to the pits as it was he who caused the caution on the first lap. With five of 15in the books, Wolcowski continued to lead Przybylski. Przybylski fell to an outside move by Solem who moved to second. Van House and Weber continued in the top five as further back the pack was led by Loren Inman.

Another caution for a turn one spin compacted the pack and enabled Van House to make an outside move around Wolcowski for the point. Pryzybylski’s great run came to an end as he stopped in turn two. The next restart came with six laps remaining with Van House in charge over Weber who had grabbed second from Wolcowski. Working their way into the top five were Inman and Willy Thompson. With three to go Solem and Don Craig tangled in turn four ending Solem’s night. It was a single file restart and the three laps went off without a hitch as Van House took the win home to Silver Bay, MN.

Next up was 20 laps for the WISSOTA Super Stocks. Scott Lawrence used his outside front row starting spot to his advantage as he jumped past Nick Oreskovich to the lead. He was chased by Willie Johnsen, Jr, Andy Grymala and Donnie Lofdahl. The first six laps clicked off with precision before yellow fever set in.

First it was a spin in turn one by Pat Heikkinen that brought out the caution flag. The try at a restart went nowhere when Dan Toucheri spun in turn one. The next try produced a similar result as this time it was Matt Madsen around in turn one. At the next try at a green flag lap, Lawrence fought off Johnsen to retain the lead with Oreskovich a close third. The man on the move was Dave Flynn who had started eighth and by half way was running fourth. Lawrence drove away to a huge lead but that evaporated when Shawn Polonoski turned around in turn two.

The restart went nowhere as a multi car wreck that spread over turns one and two involving, amongst others, Al Rapp and Shawn Rivord stopped the action. On the final restart with seven to go, Flynn got by Lawrence and drove to the win. Johnsen, Grymala and Lofdahl finished in the top five.

The 20 lap WISSOTA Modified feature also had its share of fits, starts and crumpled sheet metal before coming to an end. Outside pole sitter Kelly Estey shot to the lead past Ross Lightner but Rick Niemi and Nikki Wradzilo tangled before a lap could be completed. With no laps in Estey again took the lead but quickly lost it to Ryan Aho.

With a lap completed, Niemi again was involved in an incident not of his making to bring out another caution flag. At this point things went south for Darrell Nelson as something broke in the #44’s rear suspension and he was off to the pits on the hook. Aho retained the lead at the green but a deflating left front tire threatened to sideline him or at the very least put him to the back if he decided to replace it.

Completing lap two continued to be a problem as Aho led Estey into turn one only to have Estey turn him. Estey was penalized for the incident and sent to the rear. Aho was still hanging on with a now completely flat tire but getting in another lap continued to be a problem. First a two car tangle stopped the action followed by a tangle between Steve Lavasseur and Niemi on the front stretch.

Officials called for a single file restart and Aho drove off to a huge lead even with a tire that threatened to leave the rim at every turn. Jody Bellefeuille, who had started ninth, Al Uotinen and Scott Hudack sans right side sheet metal battled for second which went to Bellefeuille. Bellefeuille immediately began to close on Aho along with Uotinen. Those three began to distance themselves from Hudack in fourth as the halfway point was reached.

The event went the rest of the way with only a single caution flag for a back stretch spinout with a pair of laps remaining. Aho could not hold off a charging Bellefeuille who used an outside move to take the lead and the win. Aho held on for second over Uotinen, Rick Rivord and Lightner.

A dozen Late Models took to the track for 20 laps with Chris Olson pacing the field from the pole. Outside pole sitter Travis Budisalovich grabbed the early lead and survived a late race caution for the win. Budisalovich pulled out a near full straight away lead on the pack. Olson was holding off Jeff Provinzino for second until he lost control in turn one.

Budiaslovich’s big lead was gone but he was able to out accelerate Provinzino and again slowly widen his lead. With eight laps remaining another caution cut away his lead but he was still too strong for Provinzino. A Tommy Waseleski, Jr spin with five circuits remaining also did not faze Budisalovich, but cost Provinzino second as Darrell Nelson slipped by.

The final feature of the night was for the Pure Stocks. This one started out so badly officials cut the distance from twelve to nine laps. The reduced distance appeared not to help as the 27 car field produced multiple caution flags and four rollovers, two of them on the same lap at either end of the back straight.

The good news was that none of the drivers were injured. Josh Loucks was in charge from outside the front row for most of the event and survived the entire colorful event filled with green, yellow and red flags.

The final red flag of the event near the end proved to be Louck’s undoing as Justin Madsen who had been in the top three to five the entire way made a charge that propelled him into the lead and the win. Loucks, Travis Zembo, Jeff Christman and Jstin Bassa finished in the top five. 16 of 27 cars were running at the end.

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