First Time Drivers Win At Amsoil Speedway

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July 13, 2012

By Jerry O’Brien

Drivers in four of five divisions recorded their first feature wins of the season at AMSOIL Speedway Friday night. Kevin Carlson of Hermantown won his first ever Late Model feature at the track and also his first with his new Lazer Chassis. Andy Grymala was the first time winner in the Super Stocks while Mr. Consistency, Cody Wolkowski, the track points leader in the Midwest Modified division won his first feature of the season and Steve Udeen won his first Pure Stock feature.

Despite a shower early in the evening and impending rain storms that never materialized, fans in attendance witnessed a track that was blinding fast and some excellent racing. The pole position was a great place to start but didn’t always guarantee a win. A case in point was the run of Brady Caul, who ran from 13th to second in the Midwest Modified feature behind Cody Wolkowski, who started 8th.

Kevin Carlson started the 20 lap WISSOTA Late Model feature from the pole but Gregg Hill found the top groove to his liking as he shot out into the lead. Carlson gathered it back up, tracked Hill down and took the lead after a brief battle. Harry Hanson ran third behind Hill as Darrell Nelson and Tim McMann battled back and forth for the four spot.

With no caution flags and a fast track, the mid-point was quickly reached with Carlson comfortably in the lead over Hanson, Hill, McMann and Nelson. Nelson moved to fourth and then to third as Hill began to fade to an eventual fifth place finish. Hanson began to inch closer to Carlson but couldn’t muster enough to mount a challenge. Carlson became the sixth different feature winner of the season.

It was 20 laps for the WISSOTA Modifieds and pole sitter Destin Lorimor got a gigantic start which he turned into a huge lead. Scott Heikkinen, Ross Lightner, Darrell Nelson and Rick Rivord ran in the top five but it was Nelson who was on the move as he raced to second and with five laps in, went past Lorimor and drove off to a long lead. Charging from 8th to third was Matt Leer.

By the half way point Nelson had a straight away lead over Lorimor but a caution for a Jody Bellefeuille spin in turn one erased it. At the restart Leer jumped past Lorimor to second and set out after Nelson, but came up short as Nelson won his second Modified feature of the season at the speedway. Leer, Lorimor, Lightner and Rick Rivord rounded out the top five.

Andy Grymala used his outside front row starting spot to great advantage as he raced into the lead for good off turn two. Nick Oreskovich, and Dave Flynn followed but the caution flag flew for a Flynn spin when he and Rick Simpson touched as Simpson went to the outside to pass. Flynn was sent to the rear.

With one lap in, Grymala got a good start and Simpson out dragged Oreskovich to take over second. Mike Bellefeuille ran third ahead of Scott Lawrence who was up to fifth after starting 9th. Lawrence was being challenged by Andy Davey for the position. The laps clicked off quickly as the top six pulled away from the rest by almost a straight away.

Flynn was on a mission and was up to seventh from the back of the pack. By the midpoint Grymala had a big lead over Simpson and Oreskovich, who was busy trying to hold off Lawrence. Simpson slowly reduced the distance to Grymala as Lawrence took third with Davey following him by into fourth. Grymala began to widen his leading margin with three laps remaining and went on to take his first career feature win at the speedway.

Jason Goldfine grabbed the point at the green in the 15 lap Midwest Modified feature. Hard racing for second between Brian Youderin, Don Craig, Dan Kingsley and Neil Balduc let Goldfine get away for a time but a caution flag for debris set up a restart with one lap in. Goldfine got another good start on Craig and Balduc as point leader Cody Wolkowski slipped into third.

The second caution flag appeared as Craig spun in turn one with nine laps to go. Craig went to the rear as the green flag flew for the restart but no laps were completed before Cody Carlson spun off turn two onto the back stretch. The next try saw Wolkowski get the jump on Goldfine who had to deal with Balduc, Brady Caul who had come from the seventh row and Kingsley. Deven VanHouse was also closing on the front runners. Balduc went to second and Caul went into third.

As the laps wore down with Wolkowski in the lead, Balduc made a last ditch effort for the lead, couldn’t quite pull it off and fell off the pace and out of the race leaving second to Caul. Wolkowski was the winner over Caul, Kingsley, VanHouse and Goldfine.

Multiple caution flags as well as a red one marred the 15 lap Pure Stock feature which was won by Steve Udeen. Heat winner Annika Hammitt ended up being involved in four of the caution flags, not all of which were her fault until the car gave up the ghost and appeared to stall on the back stretch.

Brothers Jon and Matt Hammitt ran at the front of the field for the entire race with Jon leading several laps before finishing third and Matt fifth. The red flag came out for Kayla Anderson who rolled the 5k onto the roof in turn one. She was uninjured. On the final restart Udeen Justin Madsen and Jon Hammitt battled for the win with Udeen taking his first win of the season at the speedway. Madsen, Jon Hammitt, Chad Nikstad and Matt Hammitt were the top five.

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