Menomonie WI, July 12 – It was Race of Champions qualifying night Friday at the Red Cedar Speedway and the winners of the feature races in the five WISSOTA sanctioned classes would be automatically qualified for the Race of Champions event to be held during the annual WISSOTA 100 to be held at the Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron South Dakota in September. The five winners Friday who punched their ticket for the special event in September included Brent Larson in the Late Models, Mark Gerth in the Modifieds, Ben Hillman in the Super Stocks, Kerry Halopka in the Midwest Modifieds and Sam Fankhauser in the Street Stocks. Winners in the other divisions included George Richards in the Pure Stocks and Eric Schultz in the Mini Stocks.
Larson started on the outside pole for the Late Model headliner and he outgunned Jake Redetzke right at the start to take the early lead. Redetzke settled into second and set out to track down Larson while a good battle for third saw Chad Mahder, Mike Goodremote, Mike Prochnow, John Kaanta and A.J. Diemel battling in a fierce fight for position.
Larson continued to maintain his lead through the halfway point of the event when the yellow flew for a spin which bunched up the field. On the green, Larson again showed that he was the class of the field on this night as he once again gradually pulled away from Redetzke, who was doing everything he could to try and cut down Brent’s lead. Diemel settled into third with Kaanta following him. There were no more challenges for Larson as he motored home for the win, his first at the track this year. The following running order remained unchanged with Goodremote fighting off Prochnow to complete the top five.
Gerth led from wire to wire to win the Modified main event showing much of the same dominance that Larson did in the Late Models. Mike Anderson attempted to stay with Gerth on the start but Mark got up on the cushion and once there, started to pull away. Anderson slapped the wall hard in turn three and while he was able to retain second, Gerth took advantage to pull away.
The race was stopped only once when Kevin Adams hammered the wall in turn one and on the green, Gerth was again able to get up on the cushion and pull away from Mike Anderson. Ashley Anderson three wheeled his way up from the third row to drive into the third spot while the battle raged behind him for position. Gerth continued to hold a half straightaway lead which he maintained to the checkered to earn his first Red Cedar win of 2013. Mike and Ashley Anderson followed with Mark Hessler making a late dive past Jay Richardson for the fourth spot.
Hillman and Mike Keller went side by side for a couple of laps at the start of the Super Stock feature, but then Hillman powered off turn two to edge ahead of Keller, and once he did that he moved to the cushion and took over, with his lead becoming substantial as the race moved on. Keller settled into second but he was soon challenged for the position by Aaron Wilson who had moved up from the third row. Jesse Redetzke was also on the move after starting one row farther back.
A late yellow for debris on the track bunched the field and while Hillman got a strong restart and again pulled away from the field, Keller had problems on the start with Wilson moving into second briefly before Redetzke made a low move and drove under him for the second spot. They continued to battle in the remaining laps, but Hillman was long gone as he drove on for his third win at Red Cedar. Redetzke completed his strong run for second ahead of Wilson, Luke Plank and Keller.
The Midwest Modified feature saw the most passing of any of the main events with winner Kerry Halopka storming up from the third row to get the eventual win. Early in the race, Nick Koehler and Josh Smith battled for the lead with Koehler eventually securing the position. Travis Anderson and both Shane and Kerry Halopka were on the move to the front too, and soon a pitched battle broke out for the lead. They were joined by Dustin Scott, who had started in row four and there was a big gaggle of cars fighting for the lead.
Coming out of turn four, Koehler was in the middle of the track with Anderson trying to get under him when Kerry Halopka, working the cushion well, boldly went around both of them on the high side to take over the lead. Scott was on the move too along with Shane Halopka and they battled for second while at the same time fighting to take over first.
A late spin set up a three lap sprint to the finish and Scott gave it his all , diving under Kerry Halopka on the restart and nearly getting past for the lead. However, Kerry held tough on the outside and held off the severe challenge to maintain the lead. Things remained hectic right to the finish but Kerry held on for the win, his second at the speedway. Shane Halopka tried to get past Scott on the final lap but settled for third with Anderson and Koehler next in line.
Fankhauser continued the theme of dominating runs as he led from start to finish to win the Street Stock feature. In fact, Fankhauser has been the most dominating driver at the track this season, winning his fifth feature race of the year Friday. Sam got the lead on the opening lap and pulled away from the field in the nonstop main event. Adam Soltis tried to stay with Fankhauser and if fact did cut his lead in the late going, but Sam nevertheless drove home for the win. A good battle for third saw Cody Kummer edge out Ron Hanestad for the position with Ashley Wahlstrom cracking the top five.
Richards had an easy time of it too, winning his third Pure Stock feature of the season. He started on the pole and got a big lead early, only to see the yellow flag cut his margin. George continued to lead on the restart but Jeremy Dahl had raced his way up from the fourth row to second and he gave it his all to catch Richards for the lead. However, George was a little bit quicker and maintained his margin as Dahl pushed hard but had to settle for second. Randy Burton finished a strong third ahead of Hunter VanGilder while Dustin Doughty came from the back early to complete the top five.
Eric Schultz was the early leader of the Hornet main event but he was tracked down and passed by both Brent Voeltz and Jeremy Johnson. However, following a midrace yellow flag, Schultz picked up the pace and first re passed Johnson and then caught Voeltz. They went side by side, leaning on each other heavily as the brother-in-laws fought hard for the win. On the last lap they again got together, pushing on each other and in the last corner Schultz was able to move Voeltz over and drive home for the win, his fourth of the year at the track. Behind Voeltz, Buddy Hanestad came home third with Jeremy and Devin Johnson following.
Earlier in the event, Dave Clausen went for a roll in turn three but almost before starter Rick Cook could get the yellow flag out, Clausen drove away from the accident under his own power, with only a flat tire to show for his wild ride. Clausen gave the crowd a wave as he limped to the pit area.
Next Friday night racing action continues with the Kid’s Club back in action at the track starting at 6 p.m. Snap-On and Quality Auto Body present the racing next Friday and on July 26th, it will be Dunn County Fair racing at the track with $5 admission courtesy of Tractor Central and WAXX 104.5 fm. Raced time both nights is 7 p.m.
For more information on the speedway, check the speedway website at www.redcedarspeedway.com
SUMMARY
Red Cedar Speedway
Menomonie WI
July 12, 2013
WISSSOTA Late Models
20 lap Feature – Brent Larson(Lake Elmo Mn), Jake Redetzke(Eau Claire), A.J. Diemel(Elk Mound), John Kaanta(Elk Mound), Mike Goodremote(Sand Creek), Mike Prochnow(Menomonie), Chad Mahder(Eau Claire), Steve Isenberg(Mosinee), Justin Ochsner(Marshfield), Greg Nippoldt(Roberts), Ricky Peterson
8 lap Heat 1 – Diemel, Redetzke, Larson, Goodremote, Isenberg, Ochsner
Heat – Kaanta, Mahder, Prochnow, Nippoldt, Rick Hanestad(Boyceville), Peterson
WISSOTA Modifieds
18 lap Feature – Mark Gerth(Menomonie), Mike Anderson(Colfax), Ashley Anderson(Elk Mound), Mark Hessler(Menomonie), Jay Richardson(Spring Valley), Cory Mahder(Elk Mound), Cory Williams(Spring Valley), Kent Baxter( Colfax), Jesse Glenz(Cadott), Steve Hallquist(Eau Claire), Zach Drews, Kevin Adams, Robbie Johnson, Brent Prochnow
8 lap Heat 1 – Mahder, Adams(Cameron), Richardson, Gerth, Prochnow(Colfax), Baxter, Hallquist, Drews
Heat 2 – A. Anderson, M. Anderson, Hessler, Glenz, Andy Jones(Princeton MN), Johnson
WISSOTA Super Stocks
18 lap Feature – Ben Hillman(Menomonie), Jesse Redetzke(Eau Claire), Aaron Wilson(Eau Claire), Luke Plank(Eau Claire), Mike Keller(Menomonie), Wayne Stricker(Highbridge), Tom Karis(Menomonie), Steve Thomas(Menomonie), Jim Harris(Menomonie), Brad Johnson(Wilson), Jim Cimfl, Bart Steffen, Rick Hallquist
8 lap Heat 1 – Hillman, Redetzke, Hallquist(Eau Claire), Keller, Steffen(Eau Claire), Cimfl, Thomas
Heat 2 – Plank, Wilson, Harris, Stricker, Karis, Johnson
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
15 lap Feature – Kerry Halopka(Wheeler), Dustin Scott(Rosemount MN), Shane Halopka(Greenwood), Travis Anderson(Colfax), Nick Koehler(Bloomer), Josh Smith(Eau Claire), Jake Smith(Eau Claire), Luke Shackleton(Menomonie), Dylan Goettl(Chippewa Falls), Ben Schultz(Menomonie), James Green, Jason Richardson, Jake Smeltzer, Justin Supri, Jake Stai
8 lap Heat 1 – S. Halopka, Jo. Smith, Stai(New Auburn), Anderson, Ja. Smith, Goettl, Smeltzer, Green
Heat 2 – Scott, K. Halopka, Koehler, Supri(Eau Claire), Shackleton, Schultz, Richardson
WISSOTA Street Stocks
15 lap Feature – Sam Fankhauser(Rice Lake), Adam Soltis(Ladysmith), Cody Kummer(Medford), Ron Hanestad(Glenwood City), Ashley Wahlstrom(Rice Lake), Troy Fransway(Elk Mound), Derek Borchardt(Bay City), Andrea Keeney(Ridgeland), Tyler Lamm(Spring Valley), Brandon Baker(Altoona)
8 lap Heat 1 – Kummer, Wahlstrom, Baker, Keeney, Lamm
Heat 2 – Fankhauser, Soltis, Fransway, Hanestad, Borchardt
Pure Stocks
10 lap Feature – George Richards(Mondovi), Jeremy Dahl(Knapp), Randy Burton(Menomonie), Hunter VanGilder(Rice Lake), Dustin Doughty(Ladysmith), Jesse Bryan(Menomonie), Jake Hanson(Downing), Mike Grover(Chetek), Kent Harmon(Downsville), Michael Miller(Barron), Andrew Conklin
6 lap Heat 1 – Dahl, VanGilder, Bryan, Hanson, Harmon, Miller
Heat 2 – Richards, Burton, Doughty, Conklin(Ladysmith), Grover
Hornets
10 lap Feature – Eric Schultz(Downing), Brent Voeltz(Glenwood City), Buddy Hanestad(Glenwood City), Jeremy Johnson(Elmwood), Devin Johnson(Ellsworth), Dan Prissel(Mondovi), Leslie Jackson(Wilson), Dave Clausen(Mondovi), Andrew Lee(Colfax)
6 lap Heat 1 – Schultz, Hanestad, D. Johnson, Lee, Jackson
Heat 2 – J. Johnson, Voeltz, Prissel, Clausen, Jess Seim(Glenwood City)