Wiersgalla Whips WISSOTA Super Stock Field at Fox Ridge

By: Scott Malotke
5/10/02

Gary Wiersgalla made an exciting last lap pass to pick up his first victory of the season over a star studded field in the super stock feature Friday night at the Fox Ridge Speedway. Dave Shackleton, in his first appearance jumped out to the lead from his front row starting position. Wiersgalla who started on the outside of row two slid back in the opening laps until he was able to find a comfortable groove on the topside of the track. The Fountain City driver then started picking off cars in front of him, by lap seven Wiersgalla had moved into second and was in hot pursuit of Shackleton.

Wiersgalla tracked down Shackleton and on lap thirteen made a turn one pass only to see the yellow displayed when Steve Thomas blew a motor. On the restart, Shackleton went to the high side again and Wiersgalla stayed right on his bumper. The game of cat and mouse went on for the next seven laps as Wiersgalla searched for his opportunity. The right time came on lap nineteen when Shackleton drifted high in turn four and got loose in the marble. Wiersgalla dove to the inside and headed off to his first win of the season.

“I was already thinking that I was going have to go down to the bottom and pull a slide job on him,” stated Wiersgalla. “When he got loose in turn four, I didn’t have to do that. I’m not sure if I could of made the pass if he didn’t get loose, but I was ready to go to the bottom and pull the old slide job. I’ve had it happen to me enough to know that’s what I had to do,” said the winner. Wiersgalla bested a field of fourty-nine super stocks. Shackleton finished second followed by Chuckie DeSmith, Jason Johnson, and Lyle Schlomer. Track points leader, Mark Teske came from the rear of the field to finish sixth. Teske spun on lap one ending his threat to pick up a third straight super stock feature.

Pat Doar made a strong run from his row six starting position to garner his first feature win of the season in the thirty lap late model feature. Last weeks feature winner Tom Nesbitt led the first eleven laps of the main event. Todd Gehl challenged Nesbitt throughout the opening laps racing side by side. Gehl passed the Canadian veteran on lap twelve and appeared to be on the verge of victory in has first appearance ever at FRS. Doar was working his way through the field, by lap six he had moved into sixth and by lap sixteen the former Wissota national champion was fourth.

Doar then picked off Tony Bahr and second running Mark Hessler, on lap twenty Doar drove alongside Gehl and the two raced for the lead. Doar took the lead on lap twenty-two and led the final eight laps to pick up the win. Gehl started to encounter overheating problems and Hessler passed for second on lap twenty-seven. The finish order was Doar, Hessler, Gehl, John Kaanta, and Bahr.

“We’ve got a new car this year and we’re just trying to get it straightened out. We’ve always run well here when we haven’t had motor problems. Dave Hesch has went all out and done a really nice job with this place. Doar had to cautiously work his way through the field of drivers. “I got behind Hessler and Bahr and they were racing each other so hard, I didn’t know if I was going to get around either one of them,” he said. The victory completes Doar’s comeback from surgery just a few weeks before the season opener.

Les Duellman knocked off his second straight win in the open modified class. Duellman was fortunate to draw the pole for the feature. The Winona driver paced the field for the first eleven laps with Karl Fenske giving chase. A lap eleven caution for debris on the track bunched the field. A lap later the yellow flew again when Fenske spun in turn one. Mick Glenn tried to challenge Duellman in the final laps but Duellman was to strong. Eric Pember and Bob Timm raced hard for third with Pember winning out. Kerry Ledebuhr finished fifth. Duellman was pleased with the victory and happy that Glenn, in a Duellman built chassis was second. Duellman also mentioned the strong performance of Rick Hauser who cut a tire while running third. Earlier in the season, he had been a bit concerned on whether he had the time to help his customers and be able to focus on his racing efforts.

The Hanestad brothers can now both claim street stock victories at the speedway. Ron Hanestad won on opening night, now brother, Rick, has a feature win in his pocket. Danny Hanson raced off to the lead in the early portion of the main. Several drivers behind Hanson fought hard for position. Dan Gullikson and Hanestad pressured Hanson throughout the first seven laps. A caution brought the field together on lap seven. On the restart, Hanestad drove past Hanson and cruised the remaining eight laps to gain the win. Hanson fought off the advances of Gullikson and points leader Travis Krause to finish second. Gullikson, Krause, and Jeremy Sommer rounded out the top five. A regular season track record 151 cars attended Fridays show; 41 street stocks, 49 super stocks, 30 modifieds, and 31 late models were in the pits. The largest car count the track has seen for a regular season event.

Results

Late Models
Feature
1.Pat Doar, New Richmond, Wisc.;2. Mark Hessler, Menominee, Wisc.;3.Todd Gehl, Solon Springs, Wisc.;4. John Kaanta, Elk Mound, Wisc.;5. Tony Bahr, Eau Claire; 6.Steve Isenberg, Marshfield, Wisc.; 7. Ron Mahder, Eau Claire; 8.Tom Nesbitt, Thunder Bay, Ont.;9.Duane Mahder, Eau Claire; 10. Chad Cummings, Menominee, Wisc.;11.Steve Laursen, Cumberland,Wisc.;12.John Kurshinsky, Eau Claire; 13.Eric Pember, Pittsville, Wisc.;14.Bob Timm, Winona; 15.Joel Cryderman, Thunder Bay, Ont.;16.Mark Teske, Spring Valley, Minn.; 17. Jeff Keeney, River Falls, Wisc.; 18. Larry Stockwell, Ellsworth, Wisc.; 19. Jon Olsen, Three Lakes, Wisc.; 20. Tyler Keyser, Baldwin, Wisc.
B-feature
 Ashley Anderson, Eau Claire; 2. Pember; 3. Stockwell; 4. Cummings
Heats
1.Laursen; 2. Nesbitt; 3. Brady Smith, Solon Springs, Wisc.
1.D. Mahder; 2. Isenberg; 3. Hessler
1.Doar; 2. Cryderman; 3. Gehl
1.Bahr; 2. Kaanta; 3. Timm

Modifieds
Feature
Les Duellman, Winona; 2. Mick Glenn, Minnesota City; 3.Pember; 4. Timm; 5. Kerry Ledebuhr, Winona; 6. Jay Poidinger, Somerset, Wisc.;7.Troy Langowski, Winona; 8. Bruce Angst, Winona; 9.Ross Prochnow, Menominee, Wisc.; 10. Brent Prochnow, Menominee,Wisc.; 11.Randy Geisler, St. Charles, Minn.; 12. Steve Speltz, Fountain City; 13. Paul Hamernik, Winona; 14.Karl Fenske, Winona; 15.Wayne Engen, Shell Lake, Wisc.; 16. Jim Arnold, Rochester; 17.John Doelle, Arcadia; 18.Mike Bauer, Marshfield, Wisc.; 19. Gary Doelle, Fountain City; 20. Ron Brittain, Winona;
B-Feature
Prochnow; 2. Hammernik; 3. Speltz
Heats
1.Timm; 2. Duellman; 3.Engen
1.Fenske; 2. Poidinger; 3. Glenn
1.Brandon Kallenbach, Prairie Farm, Wisc.; 2.Ledebuhr; 3.Isenberg
1.Langowski; 2. Rick Hauser, Winona; 3. Pember

Super Stocks
Feature
Gary Wiersgalla, Fountain City; 2.Dave Shackleton, Knapp, Wisc.; 3. Chuckie DeSmith, Glenwood City, Wisc.; 4. Jason Johnson, Ettrick; 5.Lyle Schloemer, Osseo, Wisc.; 6. Teske; 7.Kevin Adams, Cameron, Wisc.; 8.Kenny Davis, Eau Claire; 9.John Duffy, Winona; 10. Josh Rodewald,Lake City; 11. John Copp, Lake Nebagamon, Wisc.; 12. Dennis Earney, Waumandee; 13.Mark Wytaske, Austin, Minn.; 14. Dan Arneson, Eleva, Wisc.; 15.Don Folz, Rice Lake, Wisc.; 16.Chris Gorka, New Richmond, Wisc.; 17. Eric Bolosky, Curtiss, Wisc. 18.Adam Stockhausen, Winona; 19.Mark Stender, Holcombe, Wisc.; 20. Shawn Huse, Bloomer, Wisc.
B-features
1.Huse; 2. Gorka; 3.Brian Fetting, Winona
1.Bolosky; 2.Stender; 3.Mike Hesselink, Deer Park, Wisc.
Heats
1.Wiersgalla; 2. Davis; 3.Arneson
1.Teske; 2.Schlomer; 3.Duffy
1.Adams; 2.Rodewald; 3.Wytaske
1.Danny Thomas, Wilson, Wisc.; 2.Shackleton; 3. Steve Thomas, Menominee, Wisc
1.Johnson; 2.DeSmith; 3. Folz

Street Stocks
Feature
Rick Hanestad, Boyceville, Wisc.; 2. Danny Hanson, Alma; 3. Dan Gullikson, Forest Lake, Minn.; 4. Travis Krause, Buffalo City; 5. Jeremy Sommer, Lake City; 6. Ron Hanestad, Glenwood City, Wisc.; 7. Jimmy Randall, Rice Lake, Wisc.; 8. David Nastvold, Galesville; 9. Darryl Foegen, Cochrane; 10. Brock Wright, Fall Creek, Wisc.; 11. Tom Brink, Winona; 12. Jack Nissalke, Winona; 13.Kylan Gamez, Arcadia; 14.Dennis Davis, Fountain City; 15. Brad Dennis, Winona; 16. Lee Hager, Kellogg; 17.Tony Foster, Kellogg; 18.John Laumb, Rushford; 19. Michael Sass, Fountain City; 20.David Stearns, Wabasha
B-features
1.Davis; 2.Gamez; 3.Fred Prudoehl, Winona;
1.Foegen; 2.Foster; 3. Greg Ziegler, Galesville
Heats
1.Krause; 2. Hanson; 3.Brink
1.Sommer; 2. Dennis; 3. Wright
1.Ron Hanestad; 2.Randall; 3.Laumb
1.Shawn Wehlage, Stockton; 2.Gullikson; 3. Nastvold
1.Rick Hanestad; 2.Stearns; 3.Nissalke

 

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