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Matthees Continues Hot Streak at Dodge County Speedway
by Bob Peine 6-30-2002
It was a warm one on Sunday at the Dodge County Speedway as spectators and racers entered the fairgrounds. The track looked great, and racing got underway right on time and after some of the heat race action, the features looked promising.
The first feature event on the schedule were the Midwest Modifieds. Neil Eckhart would jump from his second row starting position to grab the lead immediately. Chad Herman, Scott Olson, and Carter Gerlach were locked in a three car battle for third, while polesitter Todd Miller tucked in for second.
Dan Fagerlind would come up to also challenge for third with Carter Gerlach. Gerlach felt the heat and continued towards the front, passing Miller for second. Herman also got around Miller, followed by Fagerlind who rode in fourth.
Brian Hernandez was on the move as well, also looking to get by Miller for fifth. As the laps wore on, Gerlach started to close the gap on Eckhart who continued to lead. But with not quite enough laps left, Gerlach was unable to get close enough to challenge for the lead. Eckhart would hold on for the win, followed by Gerlach, Herman, Fagerlind and Hernandez.
Next up, were the WISSOTA Super Stocks, and Mark Teske would start from the pole.
A four car spin on the first lap would slow the field under caution. Once under green again, Teske again held the top spot, and started to pull away early on. Nick Herrick and Dan Nissalke went at it for second, with Nissalke eventually taking the position.
Brandon Jensen started looking under Bill Stettner for the fourth spot, but couldn't make the pass. Mark Wytaske got under Jensen to taker fifth away, but out front, it was still Teske all alone.
Kelly Anderson, after starting deep in the field, was really coming alive, and started to pressure Brandon Jensen for sixth. Anderson not only got by Jensen, but also took the high line to shoot past Wytaske to take over fifth. A good run for Brandon Jensen came to an end just a few laps early with a breakdown, after running in the top five through most of the race.
Anderson was still on the charge and went after Herrick for fourth, but Herrick's run also ended early with a breakdown in the closing laps.
Crossing the stripe first was Teske, followed by Nissalke, Stettner, Anderson, and Wytaske.
The Modifieds were next in line, and before a lap could be completed, LeRoy Scahrkey and Darwyn Karau got together to bring out the early caution.
Steve Wetzstein almost made it look easy as he shot from third to first, under Nate Wasmund and Nathan Kilwine to take the lead. Todd Klees went to work on Jim Arnold for fourth, and came out on top to secure the position. Wetzstein was starting to walk away from the pack, while Klees continued to move forward, going to the inside of Wasmund for third.
Jay Ihrke was also moving up in the field, now starting to challenge Arnold for the fifth position. Wetzstein had pulled out to a straightaway advantage over the second place car of Kilwine and if anyone had any hope of seeing the rear bumper of Wetzstein's car again, it would take a caution flag to achieve it. And it did, for debris on the speedway, and on the re-start it was Wetzstien, Kilwine, Klees, Wasmund, and Arnold.
Once again, Wetzstein would start to pull away, but Todd Klees with a great run exiting turn two, would go to the outside of Kilwine to take over second. Wetzstein would go on to win, followed by Klees, Kilwine, Wasmund, and Ihrke.
The WISSOTA Late Models took to the speedway next, and Lance Matthees was looking to pick up his fourth feature win in four days. And from the drop of the green, it was obvious to everyone in attendance how Matthees had been able to rack up three feature wins in the past three days.
Jon Kurshinsky would lead the first lap, and the first caution came on lap two, when Ben Mattick found himself parked sideways on the speedway in turn two.
Matthees went from fifth to second on the first lap, and on the re-start, he immediately shot under Kurshinsky to take the lead, and never looked back. Pulling out to a straightaway lead in only a few laps, it was now a matter of who would finish second.
Eric Breeschotten, Mark Teske, and Brad Waits were all involved in a great battle for fifth, and after a lot of side by side racing, and mixing it up, it was Breeschotten who would prevail. Teske followed closely behind, as the two cars tried to reel in the third place car of John Chrest.
Out front, it looked pretty lonely for Matthees, as Kurshinsky and Chrest tried to give chase. Breeschotten was doing a very impressive job riding the cushion, while Kurshinsky and Chrest worked the bottom side, trying to stay on the same straightaway as Matthees.
Teske would again challenge Breeschotten in the closing laps, and the two cars were side by side going in to three on the white flag lap, and Breeschotten overshot the cushion a little bit, but made a great recovery to beat Teske by inches at the line for fourth. Matthees held on to cap the perfect weekend with four wins in four nights, followed by Kushinsky, and Chrest.
The fifth and final event of the night was the WISSOTA Street Stock feature. At the drop of the green, it was apparent that this was going to be a great one.
Only two laps in to the event, cars were going four-wide in to the corners, and holding nothing back. Chuck Nerland was the early leader, and would face a challenge from Greg Erickson early on. Arlen Diercks was also pressuring Nerland, but it was Dan Gullikson who would take all of the front runners by surprise, and making some great moves to pass all three cars in less than a lap.
Steve Eischens was also on the charge, looking to the inside of Nerland for second, as Arlen Diercks rode in fourth. Eischens would pick up the position, and the first caution came as Jim Gullikson got turned around while running fifth. He would get the spot back, and on the re-start, it was Dan Gullikson, Eischens, Nerland, Diercks, and Jim Gullikson in the top five.
Jim Gullikson would look to the inside of Diercks for fourth, and at the same time, Jeff Brauer got to the inside of Gullikson to take fifth away. The next caution came when the second place car of Steve Eischens spun in turn four. On the next and last re-start, it was Brauer under Nerland for second, while Dan Gullikson still held the top spot.
Going in to turn three on the last lap, Jim Gullikson would make the pass of the night, taking it three wide, and going under both Nerland and Brauer to steal second, while Brauer, Nerland, and Diercks rounded out the top five.
Another entertaining and enjoyable night of racing at the Dodge County Speedway, with more to come on Sunday, July 7th, with racing in all five divisions once again. Races start at 6 PM.
SUMMARY
WISSOTA Late Models
Feature: Lance Matthees, Jon Kurshinsky, John Chrest, Eric Breeschotten, Mark Teske, Nick Herrick, Brad Waits, Ben Mattick, Keith Foss
Heat 1: Mattick, Chrest, Waits, Breeschotten, Kurshinsky
Modifieds
Feature: Steve Wetzstein, Todd Klees, Nathan Kilwine, Nate Wasmund, Jay Ihrke, Jay Poidinger, Jim Arnold, Dave Siercks, Chad Behne, Dave Wytaske Jr., Bobby Sorenson
Heat 1: Klees, Kilwine, Jordan Steier, Deny Barwald
Heat 2: Wetzstein, Wasmund, Bill Angst, Siercks, Ihrke
Heat 3: LeRoy Scharkey, Arnold, Behne, Poidinger, Darwyn Karau
WISSOTA Super Stocks
Feature: Mark Teske, Dan Nissalke, Bill Stettner, Kelly Anderson, Mark Wytaske, Mark Oltjenbruns, Dan Gasner, Steve O'Malley, Brandon Jensen
Heat 1: Teske, Stettner, Dave Haberman, Jensen, Chris Klinger
Heat 2: Nissalke, Nick Herrick, Oltjenbruns, Dave Solum, O'Malley
Midwest Modifieds
Feature: Neil Eckhart, Carter Gerlach, Chad Herman, Dan Fagerlind, Brian Hernandez, Greg Pfiefer, Matt Stark, Scott Olson, Joe Werneke, Tony Angrimson
Heat 1: Herman, Hernandez, Pfiefer, Olson, Ryan Weber
Heat 2: Fagerlind, Todd Miller, Eckhart, Gerlach, Tim Bustad
WISSOTA Street Stocks
Feature: Dan Gullikson, Jim Gullikson, Jeff Brauer, Chuck Nerland, Arlen Diercks, Troy Voth, David Gustafson, Steve Eischens
Heat 1: Brauer, Diercks, Erickson, Eischens, Alan Oltjenbruns
Heat 2: Dan Gullikson, Jim Gullikson, Nerland, Voth
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