Amsoil Speedway Crowns 2012 Season Champs

Click here for the complete race results

Aug 24, 2012

By: Jerry O’Brien

It was only fitting that the AMSOIL Speedway should have one of the biggest car counts of the season with 100 cars in the pits on the most important night of the season; Championship Friday. Though some of the championships were well in hand before the night began, a couple of them were in doubt and brought with it some entertaining racing.

Tim McMann of Duluth parlayed a single feature win and a string of consistent finishes into his first Late Model Championship in 12 years, the last coming in 2000. He needed only to take the green flag in the 20 lap feature to assure the title.

Zach Wohlers got a great start with McMann second but a spin by Terry Lillo in turn three. The restart saw Wohlers again to the point but just as quickly, the caution flag flew this time for a spin by Aaron Lillo in the first turn. The next try didn’t go so well, either as a multi-car pileup in the first turn at the green sent McMann to the tail of the field. Wohlers again held the lead at the restart followed by Kyle Peterlin, Jake Redetzke, Todd Gehl and Darrell Nelson. Redetzke got around Peterlin into second and began to close on Wohlers and, by the half way point, was a car length off the leader’s back bumper.

Wohlers turned up the wick and increased his lead by a couple of car lengths but Redetzke got back in the throttle and the race was on. The pair moved away from the pack and Redetzke made a last ditch effort on the final circuit but Wohler was able to hold him off by inches at the checkered flag for his first Late Model win at the Speedway. Peterlin came home in third followed by Nelson and John Kaanta.

Going into the championship main event for the Modifieds, many time track champion Al Uotinen led Jody Bellefeuille by a single point. Scott Hudack grabbed the lead at the initial green flag with Jeff Tardy and Rick Rivord close behind. The caution flag flew for debris in turn two, and, when racing resumed, the order remained the same except for the addition of Kelly Estey up to fifth. Bellefeuille, meanwhile, was losing ground but another caution flag for a Johnny Broking spin in turn four reassembled the field with five laps complete.

At the green, Nelson got a good start and took over the lead, but another tangle in turn three slowed the action before a lap could be completed. Nelson continued to lead as racing resumed dogged by Tardy and Hudack. With two laps remaining an incident in turn three caused a caution period again. The attempt at the restart this time saw Kelly Estey and Scot Heikkinen crash in turn four. Nelson had little trouble taking the win, his fourth in the division at the speedway. Tardy, Hudack, Rivord and Bill Byholm finished in the top five.

Bellefeuille’s sixth place finish assured his first track championship. Uotinen finished 11th but completed another 20 feature laps to put his second on the all time list of consecutive feature laps completed with 670 second only to Don Copp who has 721. Uotinen has completed all feature laps for the past three seasons. Ross Lightner of Washburn is the only other Modified driver who has completed all feature laps in 2012.

Deven VanHouse began the 15 lap Midwest Modified feature with a 10 point lead on Cody Wolkowski for the championship. Jason Goldfine jumped to the early lead over Neil Balduc, Dan Kingsley, Tanner Byholm and Wolkowski. Mack Estey brought out the first caution flag. On the restart Adam Shinn found the first turn wall bringing out the caution flag again before a lap was complete.

This time the start was successful and Balduc took the lead ahead of Kingsley and Wolkowski. Goldfine was fourth and Kevin Montieth moved into fifth. Wolkowski got around Kingsley into second and shortly thereafter another caution flag flew for Chris Bretting in turn three. Balduc maintained the lead at the restart over Wolkowski, Kingsley, Montieth, Dan Ebert and VanHouse who had started ninth and was now sixth. Balduc went on to take his second feature win of the season.

Wolkowski’s second place finish to VanHouse’s sixth place still left him 10 points shy as VanHouse becomes the 2012 AMSOIL Speedway Midwest Modified track champion.

It was 15 laps for the Pure Stocks and Andy Udeen took the early lead from the outside pole over Gary Campbell, Justin Madsen, point leader Josh Johnson, Chad Nikstad and Steve Udeen, who was second in points entering the final race. As the race progressed, Steve Udeen moved forward until he was right behind Johnson. Up front Madsen got by into the lead and began pulling away. Madsen was cruising along in the lead when he suddenly began losing ground. Madsen was unable to get into the pits stalling at the entrance which brought out the caution flag. This left Dustin Follett with the lead and Steve Udeen second. Follett went on to win his second feature of the season at the speedway.

Udeen’s second place finish apparently gave him the track championship, but the car failed post race inspection which disqualified Udeen giving the 2012 Pure Stock championship to Josh Johnson.

Though Scott Lawrence pretty much had the Super Stock track title wrapped up with a 15 point lead over Dave Flynn, that didn’t stop him from going for the feature win. Shawn Rivord bolted out front at the initial green flag and raced to a big lead over Trevor Arens, Pat Heikkinen and Dan Tocheri, it didn’t take Flynn long to find his way from the fourth row to second. Lawrence, meanwhile, was fighting his way forward from the fifth row and was running eighth.

An Ashley Smith spin in turn four brought out the caution flag and closed up the field. Rivord held onto the lead at the green flag with Flynn right there in second, Nick Oreskovich was third and Lawrence made the move up to fourth. As the half way point was reached it was Rivord and Flynn for the lead with Oreskovich and Lawrence battling for third. A slowing Joe Olson brought out the caution flag again with eight laps to go.

At the green Lawrence made a run for it, got by to race Flynn for the lead. Flynn and Lawrence drove away from the field but couldn’t shake Oreskovich. Flynn and Lawrence traded the lead back and forth as the laps wound down Flynn was leading on the final circuit but Lawrence made a final run at the checkered flag and lost by a matter of inches.

Flynn was the feature winner but Lawrence is the Super Stock track champion. Oreskovich, Joe Oliver and Rivord finished in the top five.

Comments can be sent to sports@northlandsportsonline.com