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Murgic Grabs Feature by Horns at Elko
by Gregg McKarns
August 24, 2002
ELKO, MN- Steve Murgic squeezed past early Budweiser Late Model race leader and pulled away from the trio of Jeff Martin, Dean Cornelius and Donny Reuvers to capture the "Dodge/Arctic Cat 40". Mid-American Stock Car ace Jake Ryan topped Miller Lite Sportsman competition, Chad Walen shot past Wade Roggeman in the final laps of Modified feature action and went on to victory. Jeff Choban recorded his first victory triumph of the year in Coca-Cola Thunder Car racing while Brock Weber competed a clean sweep with his Impact Printing Feature win.
Jay Halbert shot from his front row starting position to lead the opening eight laps of the "Dodge/Arctic Cat 40" Saturday Night at Elko Speedway. Young rookie contender Kyle Estes applied pressure on the leader before having veteran Steve Murgic to deal with. Murgic lead the field by the tenth circuit, while the likes of Jeff Martin, Twin Cities Featherlite Ultimate Challenger Adam Royle and Donny Reuvers worked their way through the field. The black Ford Taurus of defending division Champion Martin discarded Estes and began to reel Murgic within his grasp.
As the laps wound down Martin developed a "loose" condition and faded away from Murgic, allowing Dean Cornelius and Donny Reuvers to close the gap on the second place runner. As the checkered flag waved it was Murgic followed by Martin, Cornelius, Reuvers and Dan Ryan. Royle who opted to start at the rear of the field to attempt the Twin Cities Featherlite Ultimate Challenge in hopes to collect the $1,200 bonus finished in seventh.
Ricky Martin began the Miller Lite Sportsman Feature at the front of the field and hoped to finish the same, but he had to contend with the likes of Steve Schutz, Jake Ryan and Mike Skaja. Ryan took command of the race after passing Martin on the outside in turn four as the race passed the halfway mark. As Ryan increased his lead Skaja made his bid for second for the closing ten laps, pulling inside of Martin in each turn.
Current division point leader Martin finished just inches ahead of Skaja as the two crossed the finish line side by side, well behind race winner Ryan. Second place point man Steve Schultz wheeled his machine to a fourth place showing and Kent Eastlick rounded out the top five.
Modified action witnessed point leader Steve JoHanneck placed to the rear of the field after an early race incident. JoHanneck spent the remainder of the Modified feature playing catch-up as Wade Roggeman flexed his muscle in the top spot. Roggeman held off charges from Chad Walen who was making his presence know on the inside of the leader. With just three laps remaining Walen made his move into the top spot and claimed the feature win. Roggeman settled for runner-up honors, Jack Paulson was third, James Kulseth fourth and Randy Waibel completed the top five.
The opening feature of the evening was the longest as numerous cautions slowed Coca-Cola Thunder Car feature action. Each time the field restarted in two wide formation, each time allowing challenges on the leader. Early front man Dave Franek lost his top billing as Jeff Choban charged to the front of the field.
A restart with four laps left on the scoreboard left Choban challenging with Mike Felixberger for the winner's hardware. Felixberger was unsuccessful in his bid for a third straight feature crown as Choban inched his way to his first win of the season. Front runner Mark Storlie continued a late season charge with a third place showing while Brent Kane and Kevin Lutz also recorded top five runs.
The Weber brothers topped the Impact Printing Bombers feature. It would be Chase chasing brother Brock to the line as the duo finished one, two. Josh Emerson managed his way through the thirty car field and in contention for the win, but had to settle for second. Rookie Dusty Parrott closed his gap on front point man Scott King with a fourth place showing and Daniel Meszaros had an impressive fifth place run.
Labor Day Weekend is full of action at Elko Speedway. Friday Night marks the Eve of Destruction with the first ever School Bus Figure 8 race plus Roll Over Contest, Flag Pole Race, Figure 8's, Cruisers, Powder Puffs, Spectator Drags and Legends. Spectator Gates open at 5:30 with Destruction beginning at 7:30. Adult admission is $15, ages 5-12 are $5 with children 4 and under Free.
NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge competition resumes Saturday night as Miller Lite Night at the Races features six NASCAR divisions. The Budweiser Late Models, Miller Lite Sportsman, Super Trucks, Modifieds, Coca-Cola Thunder Cars and Impact Printing Bombers will all race. Adult general admission is $10, ages 5-12 $5 with children 4 and under Free. Gates are set to open at 5:30 with racing at 7. Contact the Speedway Box Office at 952-461-RACE or visit
www.goelkospeedway.com
for more information.
Budweiser Late Models
Qualifying (1-3) Brian Johnson, Jeff Martin, Donny Reuvers
Heat 1 (1-3) Kyle Estes, Dan Ryan, Tom Sorem
Heat 2 (1-3) Steve Anderson, Darren Giles, Mark Nesheim
Fast Dash (1-3) Steve Murgic, Reuvers, Adam Royle
Feature (1-10) Murgic, Martin, Dean Cornelius, Reuvers, Ryan, Johnson, Royle, Estes, Anderson, Sorem (11-20) Mike Tuma, Jacob Goede, Jay Halbert, Darren Giles, Darren Wolke, Jimmy Robertson, Rick Burns, Nesheim, Daniel Giles, Matt Kern (21-23) John Odega, Gary Petrash, Jason Schneider
Miller Lite Sportsman
Qualifying (1-3) Jake Ryan, Mike Skaja, Steve Schultz
Heat 1 (1-3) Ryan, Schultz, Jeff Partington
Heat 2 (1-3) Ricky Martin, Duane Halvorson, Skaja
Feature (1-10) Ryan, Martin, Skaja, Schultz, Kent Eastlick, Partington, Lynn Peterson, Thomas Boisvert, Greg Bieber, Daniel Whitehead (11-16) Shane Huth, Josh Larsen, Randy Nesheim, Gregory Hakala, Halvorson, Jeff McClintock
Modifieds
Qualifying (1-3) Mike Tuma, Jack Paulson, James Kulseth
Heat 1 (1-3) Kulseth, Tuma, Jack Maas
Heat 2 (1-3) Paulson, Chad Walen, Wade Roggeman
Feature (1-10) Walen, Roggeman, Paulson, Kulseth, Randy Waibel, Roger Bongers, Mike Pederson, Troy Maas, Steve JoHanneck, David Latham (11-12) Jack Maas, Tuma
Coca-Cola Thunder Cars
Heat 1 (1-3) Matt Carlander, Dave Franek, Mark Storlie
Heat 2 (1-3) Andrew Ruthenbeck, Jeff Choban, Kevin Crawford
Feature (1-10) Choban, Mike Felixberger, Storlie, Brent Kane, Kevin Lutz, Crawford, Michael Crilly, Dave Sorem, Niel Peterson, Ted Reuvers (11-20) Kristopher More, Shannon Ericksen, Carlander, Franek, Jonathan Eilen, Randall Petrash, Brad Kubes, Jerry Thomsen, Ruthenbeck, Greg Gernentz
Impact Printing Bombers
Heat 1 (1-3) Brock Weber, Corey Butler, Jr., Clinton Grandel
Heat 2 (1-3) Josh Emerson, Daniel Meszaros, Tom Nordwall
Heat 3 (1-3) Chase Weber, Kerry Estes, Raymond Sangren
Heat 4 (1-3) Matt Edwards, Robert Clingingsmith, Dusty Parrott
Last Chance (1-10) Andrew Kodada, Randy Pfluger, Robert Aszmann, Kevin Novotny, Dennis Warnke, Jason Novak, Dustin Mann, Luke Sexton, Randy Kotek, Jered Olson (11-14) Brent Johnson, Tim Hollen, Dan Johnson, Scott Powers
Feature (1-10) Brock Weber, Chase Weber, Emerson, Parrott, Meszaros, Edwards, Estes, John Norris, Grandel, Nordwall (11-20) Butler, Jr., Clingingsmith, Sandgren, Scott King, Danny Weber, Nate Kane, Nathan Wefel, Jeff Cook, James Rhoades, Josh Gernentz (21-30) Timm Morvec, Joe Fierst, James Weeks, Novak, Pfluger, Novotny, Roger Meyer, Warnke, Kodada, Aszmann
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