Menomonie WI, June 6 – It was a glorious Friday night at the Red Cedar Speedway for the racing Anderson Brothers out of Colfax Wisconsin as shortly after Travis won his second Midwest Modified main event of the year at the Dunn County Speedway, Mike won his first Modified feature also as the family swept the open wheel classes at the track. Four other first time winners at the track this year included Mike Knudtson, Aaron Wilson, Brent Larson and Buddy Hanestad while Jesse Bryan won his second Pure Stock main of the year.
For Travis, the win was a sweet one as he held off some of the fastest Midwest Modifieds in the area to take his second Red Cedar win of the year. He started on the inside of row two but with a great move on the opening lap found an opening on the inside down the back chute and took the lead before the first lap was complete. Kerry Halopka challenged briefly before being overtaken by Nick Koehler who then closed on Anderson and gave him a strong challenge for the lead.
The brothers Halopka soon battled for position while Mike Truscott was on the charge also. Koehler put heavy pressure on Anderson for the lead and several times got to inside but wasn’t quite able to make the passing move. Near the end of the event, Nick again made a charge and the leaders raced into turn three side by side. A slower car lurked right ahead of them and as Travis got around on the high side, Nick got into the back marker leaving turn four and that car spun, triggering a yellow flag. The call went against Koehler and he was sent to the tail with only three laps remaining.
Anderson got a great restart as the cars right behind him got involved in their own little battle. While Travis extended his lead and drove on for the win, Shane Halopka took advantage of the yellow to gain several positions and end up in the second spot with Truscott trailing. Grant Southworth and Kerry Halopka were next in line.
Mike Anderson had to fight off a race long challenge from Jake Hartung to take the Modified win. He, just like his brother, started inside row two and was able to duck under Jay Richardson and Ross Prochnow and take an early lead. Hartung and Prochnow waged a hard battle for second as they leaned on each other before Hartung took the spot and then closed on Anderson. Lap after lap, Jake would try the second groove and while he would close on Anderson, and several times draw beside him, Mike would always pull away slightly on the chutes.
While the battle for the lead raged, Cory Mahder moved into third and tried to track down the top two runners. Hartung continued his challenge but Anderson was up to the fight and he drove home for the win with Hartung a close second. Mahder finished a solid third as Jesse Glenz nipped Kevin Adams on the last lap for the next position.
Wilson has been an infrequent competitor at the track this year and in only his second strt of the season took a caution plagued and time limit shortened Super Stock feature. It took three tries to get the first lap in and once again, that magic row two starting spot worked as Wilson ducked past Ben Hillman to take the early lead. Hillman and Mike Keller battled for the second spot until they got together in turn one, triggering yet another yellow bunting.
While Wilson continued to lead, benefitting from all the slow downs was Eric Olson as he charged up from the seventh row to third and then, on the final green, he got past Keller for second. He then tried to catch Wilson but Aaron was in the groove as he expanded his advantage and drove home for the win. Keller finished a solid third behind Olson with Gunnar Watkins and Luke Plank completing the top five.
As usual, the Street Stock feature was a battle right down to the wire with Knudtson holding off Ron Hanestad and Sam Fankhauser for the win. Hanestad took the early lead with Knudtson and Fankhauser racing side by side behind him as the top three broke away from the pack. Hanestad continued to lead but the other two were all over him and just as Fankhauser moved to the high side to try and drive around Hanestad, Ron bobbled and that gave an opening to Knudtson who drove into the lead.
The rest of the race saw Knudtson hold the lead but Hanestad and Fankhauser, jockeying side by side were right on Knudtson’s bumper and any mistake would have cost him. However, he hung in his groove and drove home for the win with Hanestad nipping Fankhauser for second with Cody Kummer and Adam Soltis next in line.
Larson drove to an easy victory in the Late Model feature, taking the lead away from Greg Nippoldt early and then driving off to a considerable lead in the nonstop main event. Later in the race, Rick Hanestad would pick up the pace and drive past Scott Gilberts into second and close considerably on Larson but he ran out of time as Larson rode home for the win. Mike Prochnow settled for fourth at the finish with Nippoldt trailing.
Fan favorite Krysta Swearingen slowed early in the Pure Stock feature after starting on the pole, and following a yellow flag for her stalled car, Kent Harmon took the early lead. He was soon challenged by Bryan and when Harmon slipped up the track, Jesse roared past to take over the lead. Once in front, he started to stretch his margin as Hunter VanGilder and Jeremy Dahl also passed Harmon. Both of them tried to track down the leader but Bryan was strong and lead the rest of the way for the win. Following VanGilder and Dahl, Randy Burton and Harmon completed the top five.
Buddy Hanestad made short work of the Hornet class, passing Bob Seidler two laps into the main event and then driving away from the field in another non stop main event. Hanestad built up a huge margin as he drove home for an easy win over William Voeltz, Seidler, Dan Prissel and Mark McQuisten.
Conrad’s Auto Salvage and WXCE-WLMX Radio will co sponsor next Friday night’s race action. The Late Models will have the night off but the other six classes will compete in a full racing program with the first green flag to drop at 7 p.m.
SUMMARY
Red Cedar Speedway
Menomonie WI
June 6, 2014
WISSOTA Late Models
20 lap Feature – Brent Larson(Lake Elmo MN), Rick Hanestad(Boyceville), Scott Gilberts(Menomonie), Mike Prochnow(Menomonie), Greg Nippoldt(Roberts), Ben Hanke(Hudson)
8 lap Heat – Larson, Hanestad, Prochnow, Gilberts, Nippoldt, Hanke
WISSOTA Modifieds
18 lap Feature – Mike Anderson(Colfax), Jake Hartung(Elmwood), Cory Mahder(Eau Claire), Jesse Glenz(Cadott), Kevin Adams(Cameron), Curt Myers(Cameron), Ashley Anderson(Elk Mound), Dave Cain(Corcoran MN), Ross Prochnow(Boyceville), Jordan Hessler(Beldenville), Justin Ritchie, Mark Hanson, Dave Baxter, Scott Splittstoesser, Robbie Johnson, Jay Richardson, Mark Hessler, Steve Hallquist
8 lap Heat 1 – Hartung, M. Anderson, Brent Prochnow(Colfax), A. Anderson, Baxter, Splittstoesser, Johnson
Heat 2 – Glenz, Mahder, R. Prochnow, M. Hessler(Menomonie), J. Hessler, Ritchie
Heat 3 – Adams, Myers, Richardson(Spring Valley), Cain, Hanson(Eau Claire), Hallquist
WISSOTA Super Stocks
10 lap Feature – Aaron Wilson(Eau Claire), Eric Olson(Ladysmith), Mike Keller(Menomonie), Gunnar Watkins(Elk Mound), Luke Plank(Eau Claire), Ben Hanke(Hudson), Tom Karis(Menomonie), Bart Steffen(Eau Claire), Jesse Redetzke(Eau Claire), Darrel Hazelton(Chippewa Falls), Marcus Simonson, Jim Harris, Rick Hallquist, Ben Hillman, Steve Thomas, Chad Johnson, Curt Myers, Curt Hazelton, Larry Fitzsimmons
8 lap Heat 1 – Karis, D. Hazelton, Wilson, Watkins, Redetzke, Fitzsimmons, Johnson
Heat 2 – Myers(Cameron), Steffen, Keller, Plank, Olson, Simonson
Heat 3 – Hillman(Menomonie), Harris(Menomonie), Hanke, Thomas(Menomonie), Hallquist(Eau Claire), C. Hazelton
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
15 lap Feature – Travis Anderson(Colfax), Shane Halopka(Greenwood), Mike Truscott(Chippewa Falls), Grant Southworth(Bloomer), Kerry Halopka(Wheeler), Jake Smeltzer(Menomonie), Josh Wahlstrom(Rice Lake), Nick Koehler(Bloomer), Shawn Wihren(Oakdale MN), Karl Kolek(Menomonie), James Giossi, Charlie Wihren, Cory Bruggeman, Nate Spence, Mike Schnider
8 lap Heat 1 – Smeltzer, Anderson, K. Halopka, James Giossi(New Richmond), S. Wihren, Spence, Bruggeman, Jim Giossi
Heat 2 – Koehler, Truscott, S. Halopka, Southworth, Wahlstrom, Schnider, Kolek, C. Wihren
WISSOTA Street Stocks
15 lap Feature – Mike Knudtson(Osseo), Ron Hanestad(Glenwood City), Sam Fankhauser(Rice Lake), Cody Kummer(Medford), Adam Soltis(Ladysmith), Jake Hanson(Downing), Heidi Karshbaum(Chetek), Brandon Baker(Eau Claire)
8 lap Heat – Fankhauser, Knudtson, Hanestad, Soltis, Karshbaum, Baker
Pure Stocks
12 lap Feature – Jesse Bryan(Menomonie), Hunter VanGilder(Rice Lake), Jeremy Dahl(Knapp), Randy Burton(Menomonie), Kent Harmon(Arkansas), Brett Myers(Eau Claire), Mike Grover(Chetek), Jeff Tisdale(Eau Claire), Krysta Swearingen(Little Canada MN)
6 lap Heat – Swearingen, Harmon, Dahl, VanGilder, Bryan, Burton, Grover, Tisdale, Myers
Hornets
10 lap Feature – Buddy Hanestad(Boyceville), William Voeltz(Glenwood City), Bob Seidler(Chippewa Falls), Dan Prissel(Mondovi), Mark McQuisten(Elk Mound), Jeremy Johnson(Elmwood), Brad York(Colfax), Dustin Shackleton(Menomonie), Devon Johnson(Elmwood), Dillon Pronschinske(Eau Claire), Brendon Uetz, Alex Waldera, Rick Hoffman, Jay Welk
6 lap Heat 1 – Hanestad, McQuisten, Seidler, Prissel, D. Johnson, Waldera, Hoffman
Heat 2 – J. Johnson, Voeltz, Shackleton, Uetz(Menomonie), Welk(Cadott), York, Pronschinske