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Tom Chrest Notches First Feature Win at DCS!
by Bob Peine
Sunday June 16th, 2002
Another great night for racing at the Dodge County Speedway, on Sunday June 16th. It was also Father's Day, and everyone from the Dodge County Speedway would like to wish all the fathers a Happy Father's Day! The weather was perfect, after some threats of rain, but for the most part, the sun was shining, and everything looked promising for another
action-packed night of racing.
The first event of the evening was the make-up feature from Sunday, June 9th, for the WISSOTA Street Stocks. Steve Eischens would start from the pole and lead the majority of the race, with a lot of pressure from current National Point leader, Jeff Brauer. Chuck Nerland was also looking to get involved in the battle for first, and was right in the thick of things, as he was close behind Eischens and Brauer.
Brauer kept the pressure on and would eventually overtake Eischens for the top spot, and Steve Goodenough went to work on Nerland. Goodenough got by Nerland for third, and with 2 laps remaining, the caution flew as Arlen Diercks, Greg Erickson and Tony Sass got together in turn three.
Brauer would hold on for the win, followed by Eischens, Goodenough, Nerland, and Dan Gullickson rounding out the top five.
Next up, were the WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds, always putting on a very entertaining show. Neil Eckhart and Harland Morehart Jr. had quite a battle going for the lead, when the yellow flag flew early on. Eckhart had secured the top spot, and when Jesse Frericks came up to challenge Morehart for second, the two cars made some contact and Frericks would have to go to the pit area to change a right front tire which resulted from the contact.
Eckhart continued to pull away, and build up a good sized lead, but further back, Kenny Wytaske was on the move, and was involved in some great side by side racing with Matt Stark. Wytaske was very fast running the top side of the track, and had worked his way up to second, and then got a little sideways, dropping him back to sixth.
Brian Hernandez was now in second, and Wytaske went to work regaining lost positions when the caution flew again, when three cars got together and Harland Morehart was sent to the tail as a result.
On the re-start, it was Eckhart still out in front, followed by Hernandez, Stark and Wytaske. Eckhart would hold on for the win, and Wytaske would find a way around Stark and Hernandez and finish a very strong second.
The WISSOTA Super Stocks took to the track next, and John Remington would be the early leader, but the man on the move was Tom Chrest, working very well on the top side, and headed towards the front.
Jon Duffy took the lead from Remington just a few laps in, and Chrest also got by Remington to take over second. Bill Stettner was also having a very strong run, and behind him, Mark Wytaske and Bill Clemens were also looking to come up and challenge for the lead.
The first yellow flag came when Mark Teske and John Remington got together, and Remington would suffer a flat left rear from the incident.
When racing resumed, things really started to heat up between Clemens and Stettner, while Duffy continued to hold Chrest off. Brandon Jensen, after starting deep in the field, had worked his way up to seventh, but the battle now was for the lead, as Chrest, with a spectacular move under Duffy, gained the top spot. But Duffy was not about to let Chrest get away, and a great three car
battle for second would follow, between Duffy, Stettner and Clemens. And after gaining many positions and a very strong run, Brandon Jensen would bring out the next caution after making contact with the concrete in turn three.
After the re-start, there would be one last caution, and after running in the top three all night, Jon Duffy was charged with the caution, for sending Bill Stettner around coming off of turn four, and would re-start at the tail of the field.
Tom Chrest would go on to win his first feature, and make his father John, a very happy man.
Rookie Eric Breeschotten would start from the pole in the WISSOTA Late Model feature, and put on quite a display of driving talent, as he would face some serious challenges from some of the best in the business.
John Kaanta was very fast early on and would continue to be throughout the race. Using the top groove, he wasted no time at all in working his way to the front. Also, on the move was first-time visitor Jon Kurshinsky.
Kaanta moved in to second, and would now start to challenge Breeschotten for the lead, and Breeschotten was giving Kaanta all he could handle, while Kurshinsky
continued to march towards the front. Kaanta would prevail over Breeschotten for the lead, and Kurshinsky had also caught the leaders now, and started to look to the outside of Breeschotten.
Kaanta had pulled out to a three car length advantage over Breeschotten and Kurshinsky, but it wasn't quite enough as Breeschotten picked up the pace, and pulled along side of Kaanta, and took back the lead.
But once again, Kaanta would go around Breeschotten on the outside, and this time, it was for keeps. Kurshinsky also managed to get by Breeschotten for second, but overall, a very impressive run for the rookie Late Model driver, who would hang on to finish third. Bob Timm and Mark Teske rounded out the top five.
The WISSOTA Modifieds were on deck next, and Nathan Kilwine had the early lead, followed closely by the hard charging Bob Timm who started outside of row two. Timm would look to the inside of Kilwine, and make the pass for the lead coming off of turn four, and would not face any challenges as he worked the bottom of the track to perfection.
LeRoy Scharkey, who started 14th, was storming his way to the front, and gaining positions rapidly. Not taking long to get in to the top five, Scharkey and Bobby Sorenson, would soon be in a heated battle for the third position. Side by side, the two drivers put on quite a show, but Scharkey would eventually take the spot, and continue to move forward.
Steve Wetzstein was making progress on the top side, after starting in the middle of the pack. With just a few laps to go, he had worked his way up to fifth, but with not enough time left to mount a charge on the leaders.
Scharkey closed in on Kilwine, and would take the second position, but with the laps winding down, there was not a lot he could do to catch Bob Timm.
Timm would score the victory, followed by Scharkey, Kilwine, Sorenson, and Wetzstein.
The final race of the evening were the WISSOTA Street Stocks, and Jeff Brauer looking to make it two for two for the night, after winning the make-up feature earlier on.
Greg Erickson grabbed the early lead, followed by Eischens. On the move early, were Dan Gullickson and Jeff Brauer, after both starting in the fifth row. The two were coming through the field quickly, when Dan Gullickson and brother Jim Gullickson were involved in an incident, which resulted in Dan re-starting from the back. But he would not stay there for long.
Back under green, Brauer continued his charge to the front, but coming up fast from the rear, was Dan Gullickson. Brauer worked his way past Eischens and Erickson, and started to pull away from the field, but Dan Gullickson was the one to watch. Like a man possessed, he rocketed his way back through the field to an amazing second place finish.
It was Brauer coming out on top, scoring two feature wins in the same night, followed by Dan Gullickson, Steve Eischens, Chuck Nerland, and Greg Erickson.
A superb night of racing, with some stellar performances in all five divisions. Racing resumes next Sunday, June 23rd with racing in all five divisions once again. See you at the races!
SUMMARY
WISSOTA Street Stocks (Make-up Feature from June 9th, 2002)
Feature: Jeff Brauer, Steve Eischens, Steve Goodenough, Chuck Nerland, Dan Gullickson, Tony Sass, Rick Lisowski, Jim Gullickson, Fred Prudoehl, Bill Steinburg, Arlen Diercks
WISSOTA Street Stocks
Feature: Jeff Brauer, Dan Gullickson, Steve Eischens, Chuck Nerland, Greg Erickson, Steve Goodenough, Arlen Diercks, Sass
Heat 1: Nerland, Brauer, Dan Gullickson, Goodenough, Erickson
Heat 2: Jim Gullickson, Diercks, Lisowski, David Gustafson
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
Feature: Neil Eckhart, Kenny Wytaske, Brian Hernandez, Matt Stark, Jade Anderson, Chad Herman, Dan Fagerlind, Jesse Frericks
Heat 1: Anderson, Harland Morehart Jr., Jerry Lisowski, Frericks, Ryan Weber
Heat 2: Wytaske, Stark, Eckhart, Greg Pfiefer, Jerry Young
Heat 3: Hernandez, Gary Wilde, Daryl Hainka, Matt Narveson
WISSOTA Super Stocks
Feature: Tom Chrest, Bill Stettner, Bill Clemens, Dan Nissalke, Nick Herrick, Dave Solum, Dave Haberman, Todd Reiser, Dan Gasner, Jake Pogones
Heat 1: Stettner, Chrest, Jon Duffy, Chris Klinger, Gasner
Heat 2: Mark Teske, Herrick, Clemens, Kelly Anderson, Mark Oltjenbruns
Heat 3: John Remington, Solum, Nissalke, Mark Wytaske, Todd Reiser
WISSOTA Modifieds
Feature: Bob Timm, LeRoy Scharkey, Nathan Kilwine, Bobby Sorenson, Steve Wetzstein, #52?, Russ Quinell, Jay Poidinger, Dave Wytaske Jr.
Heat 1: Kilwine, Wetzstein, Chad Behne, Wytaske Jr., Denny Barwald
Heat 2: Poidinger, Sorenson, #52, Jim Arnold, Scharkey
Heat 3: Timm, Dave Siercks, Matt Madsen, Darwyn Karau, Gary Schmidt
WISSOTA Late Models
Feature: John Kaanta, Jon Kurshinsky, Eric Breeschotten, Bob Timm, Mark Teske, Duane Mahder, Keith Foss, Marty Wold, Joe Bean, Nick Herrick
Heat 1: Breeschotten, Foss, Bean, Jeff Matejka, Nick Herrick
Heat 2: Brad Waits, Teske, Ben Mattick, Mahder, Roger Herrick
Heat 3: Timm, Kaanta, Kurshinsky, Wold, Jon Van Minsel
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