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Kaanta, Nelson, Johnson Earn First Red Clay Classic Wins
by Nick Gima
Ashland, WI, September 30 -- John Kaanta continued his late-season winning
ways, Darrell Nelson took home two huge trophies, and Tim Johnson used lapped
traffic to his advantage as all three won their first-ever Red Clay Classic
championships during Saturday night’s conclusion of the 31st running of the
ABC Raceway’s season-ending event.
Kaanta, who had won at the WISSOTA 100 in Rice Lake and the Punky Manor
invitational at Menomonie over the previous two weekends, took over the
WISSOTA late model feature lead after a heated battle with polesitter and
two-time RCC winner Steve Laursen and dominated the majority of the race’s
50 laps for the $4,000 win.
Two laps into the race Pat Doar’s car stalled along the front staright,
bringing about the first caution slowdown of the event. Laursen led the field
for the “Delaware double-file” restart, with Canadian youngster Danny
Young and Kaanta side by side behind him, and that green flag kicked off a
stretch of 29 non-stop laps.
With plenty of two- and three-wide racing behind them on the smooth, fast
3/8th-mile oval, Kaanta used an inside move on Young to take over second spot
and set off after Laursen. Once Kaanta caught the leader on lap 8, the two
veterans raced door to door for eight more circuits before Kaanta completed
the winning move and began to draw away.
By lap 20 Kaanta had caught the slower tail-end of the field, but he made his
way through traffic with ease, which did not offer Laursen any opportunity to
make up lost ground. Young, meanwhile, did make up nearly a straightaway
deficit on Lausen and began a determined challenge for second. Just as Jeff
Provinzino pulled to within a length or two of the race for runner-up honors,
the caution lights came on for only the second time on lap 31, when Tom
Waseleski, Sr.’s car dramatically slowed coming out of turn 4. The resulting
pile-up collected three other cars, including that of 2001 RCC champ Mike
Goodremote, who was done for the night.
With the race into its second half, the field was realigned single-file, with
Laursen restarting on Kaanta’s rear bumper. In the first attempt to get back
to green-flag racing Paul Brust and Tom Waseleski, Jr., got together and spun
before they got to turn 1, and on the next try Gary Baxter looped his ride in
turn 2, knocking him to the back of the field after a fine race-long
fifth-place run.
The final 19 laps ran off without delay, and Kaanta not only withstood
Laursen’s challenge to the inside off the restart, but he eventually pulled
away to a half-straightaway victory, his first ever in the Classic and second
of his career in Ashland. Laursen felt the pressure from Young again over the
final laps but held on for second, while at a distance another former Classic
winner, Rick Eggersdorf, came home solidly in fourth.
After starting 20th on the 24-car grid, Nick Anvelink quietly completed an
extraordinary run to finish fifth, while Provinzino slipped back to sixth in
the closing laps. Rick Hanestad finished seventh, ahead of Gordie Seegert,
Waseleski, Jr., and Caley Emerson, who started 18th.
“(Winning the Red Clay Classic) was on our list of things to do this
season,” Kaanta stated after the event. “This is a great place to race.
The track was very fast and smooth. It was great to race with Steve side by
side, never touching.
“We’ve had a tough middle of the summer, so this really makes up for
it.”
Of the 24 qualifiers for the late model event, only defending race champ Joey
Jensen’s car was unable to make the call for the green flag. But for the
vast majority of the WISSOTA modified A-main, he was the class of the field.
Jensen dominated the first 32 of the 35 scheduled laps, all of which were
uninterrupted. He edged past fellow front-row starter Paul Knauf into the
initial lead coming out of turn 2, and with every lap he extended his lead
until he was up by a straightaway as he reached slower traffic by lap 20.
Behind him a ferocious battle for second ensued as Nelson raced by Robby
Bunkelman on lap 2 but spent the next 30 laps resisting Bunkelman’s comeback
attempts.
Another significant race in the early going was for fourth, as Jason Miller
and Craig Thatcher renewed a friendly rivalry that began with their thrilling
race for the win here back in August during the track’s Mod Triple Header
show. Miller fended off Thatcher’s many challenges through the long
green-flag run, and their battle allowed Brent Larson to catch up and join the
fight by lap 25.
Nelson couldn’t make up any ground on Jensen as the leaders weaved through
traffic, but that all changed on lap 32, when Bunkelman got caught up in
traffic and hit the back-straight wall going into turn 3. Thatcher had just
gotten by Miller the lap before, and that put Nelson and Thatcher right behind
Jensen for the three-lap shootout.
Nelson showed his hand during the first lap after the restart, using the high
groove to take a look alongside Jensen, with Thatcher waiting for an opening.
On the penultimate lap Jensen moved upstairs to block Nelson’s path in turn
4, slowing Nelson up just enough for Jensen to see the white flag first. But
that left the bottom open for Thatcher, so Jensen slid back down to block that
lane, too. Coming out of turn 2 for the final time Nelson swept around Jensen
to drive into first, and he held on to win by less than half a car-length as
Thatcher edged inside on Jensen to steal second at the line in one of the most
thrilling finishes at the track in years.
Larson came home a solid fourth, ahead of Tony Bahr, who started 20th on the
25-car field. The second five was led by 1989 RCC winner Don Copp, who got by
Miller in the three-lap sprint to the checkers. Jeff Wood, Steve Wik and
three-time defending ABC mod champ Al Uotinen completed the top ten.
Nelson’s effort capped off a weekend in which he clinched the inaugural Como
Oil Mod Series championship, which paid out $9,000 in cash and prizes and a
seven-foot-tall trophy to the titlist in addition to the $3,000 first-place
check for winning the race. “This is awesome, it’s just incredible,”
Nelson exclaimed during the trophy presentation, surrounded by his crew and
family. “This has been such a competitive series, and we’ve had to really
work for this. I just can’t thank all my fans, sponsors and the Como people
enough for this.” Nelson swept the Series’ two visits at Ashland in 2006
to bring his career win total at ABC to seven.
Kelly Estey came home 15th to edge Copp for runner-up honors in the Series.
The WISSOTA super stock feature also was highlighted by a long green-flag run.
A five-car melee in turn 4 on the initial start of the 30-lap race and Keith
Kern’s spin in the same spot on the next attempt slowed action early, but
Johnson worked a three-wide inside pass of front-row starters Joe Oliver and
Eric Olson to secure the lead, with Tom Karis in tow, before the third - and
final - caution flag of the race flew on lap 3.
From that point on the race went 27 laps non-stop, and Karis and Johnson
pulled away from the field to decide the lead. Karis eventually worked by
Johnson on lap 8 and pulled to a six-length advantage over the next dozen
circuits, while further back ABC points champ Scott Lawrence slipped around
Oliver for third on lap 7 but could not draw up to the lead pair.
The tide turned in Johnson’s favor on lap 21, when Karis struggled somewhat
while negotiating through the backmarkers. Johnson drew alongside Karis within
a couple of laps, and when Karis checked up to pass a slower car Johnson
slipped by for good on the low side on lap 23. Karis had several opportunities
to retake the lead but couldn’t quite get them to stick, and Johnson
collected his second career Ashland win and first RCC crown. Lawrence was a
few car-lengths back in third, just ahead of Oliver, who finished off an
impressive season at ABC.
Mike Bellefeuille stayed in the top ten all race long to claim fifth, while
Olson slipped back to sixth. National WISSOTA championship contender Kyle
Peterlin took seventh, and Mark Stender came home eighth. The most impressive
runs may have come from three-time RCC champ Rich Bishop and ABC points
runner-up Ron Hmielewski - each finished third in their respective
semi-features and started 25th and 24th on the 26-car grid, respectively, to
wind up ninth and tenth.
All 21 heat races took place on Friday night, with a total of 171 entrants
participating, including 65 super stocks, 58 mods and 48 late models.
Saturday’s program included eight semi-features, a pole dash for the mods
won by Joey Jensen, and the three A-features. A capacity crowd of over 2,400
was on hand both nights despite a threat of rain on Friday that never
materialized, and a cool, clear Saturday.
Prior to Saturday’s features, a presentation of over $4,400 was made to mod
driver Jerry Hartman, who is recovering from work-related injuries. The
donations came from a raffle-ticket sale in which six autographed NASCAR-related
collectibles were given away.
The ABC Raceway is located 3-1/2 miles south of Ashland on State Highway 13
and one mile west on Butterworth Road. For more information log on to the
track’s website, .
Results
WISSOTA Late Models
Heat 1: Danny Young, Thunder Bay, ON; Bradley Jensen, Maplewood, MN;
Kerry Hanson, Baldwin.
Heat 2: Rick Eggersdorf, Lake Elmo, MN; Gary Baxter, Eau Claire; Steve
Isenberg, Marshfield.
Heat 3: John Kaanta, Elk Mound; Gordie Seegert, Oostburg; Tim McMann,
Duluth, MN.
Heat 4: Rick Hanestad, Boyceville; Tom Waseleski, Jr., Pengilly, MN;
Joey Jensen, Maplewood, MN.
Heat 5: Steve Laursen, Cumberland; Jeff Provinzino, Hibbing, MN; Tom
Waseleski, Sr., Pengilly, MN.
Semi-Feature 1: Todd Gehl, Solon Springs; Tom Nesbitt, Thunder Bay, ON;
Mike Hesselink, Deer Park.
Semi-Feature 2: Pat Doar, New Richmond; Tony Bahr, Eau Claire; Keane
Laakson, Stone Lake.
Feature: Kaanta; Laursen; Young; Eggersdorf; Nick Anvelink, Navarino;
Provinzino; Hanestad; Seegert; Waseleski, Jr.; Caley Emerson, Hibbing, MN.
WISSOTA Modifieds
Heat 1: Paul Knauf, Marshfield; Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN; Jeff Wood,
Chisholm, MN.
Heat 2: Jason Miller, Osceola; Don Copp, Brule; Al Uotinen, Superior.
Heat 3: Joey Jensen, Maplewood, MN; Craig Thatcher, Knapp; Scott
Splittstoesser, Lake Elmo, MN.
Heat 4: Darrell Nelson, Hermantown, MN; Scott Hudack, Ashland; Don
Brightbill, Hudson.
Heat 5: Robby Bunkelman, Abbotsford; Nick Nelson, Duluth, MN; Todd
Siddons, Eau Claire.
Heat 6: Steve Wik, Downsville; Duane Dale, Aurora, MN; Ross Prochnow,
Menomonie.
Pole Dash: Jensen; Knauf; D. Nelson.
Semi-Feature 1: Brent Prochnow, Menomonie; Bill Byholm, Glidden; Rick
Cannata, Hibbing, MN.
Semi-Feature 2: Tony Bahr, Eau Claire; Dave Cain, Corcoran, MN; Doug
Gustafson, Frederic.
Semi-Feature 3: Dean Yrjanainen, Lake Nebagamon; Kelly Estey, Kelly
Lake, MN; Ross Lightner, Washburn.
Feature: D. Nelson; Thatcher; Jensen; Larson; Bahr; Copp; Miller; Wood;
Wik; Uotinen.
WISSOTA Super Stocks
Heat 1: Tim Johnson, Brainerd, MN; Todd Bonney, Bayfield; Jeff Tardy,
Hibbing, MN.
Heat 2: Darin Meierotto, Ashland; Kyle Peterlin, Hibbing, MN; Larry
Haderly, Marengo.
Heat 3: Joe Oliver, Superior; Mark Stender, Eau Claire; Harvey Fjorden,
Luck.
Heat 4: Eric Olson, Ladysmith; Greg Alling, Dresser; Kevin Eder,
Ashland.
Heat 5: Mike Bellefeuille, Duluth, MN; Scott Lawrence, Superior; Dody
Evenson, Eveleth, MN.
Heat 6: Tom Karis, Menomonie; Steve Hallquist, Eau Claire; Cy Hoaglan,
Ashland.
Heat 7: Trevor Wilson, Superior; Ryan Rivord, Superior; Dave Flynn,
Superior.
Heat 8: Steve Zurek, Chippewa Falls; Keith Kern, Superior; John Feirn,
Chippewa Falls.
Semi-Feature 1: Tardy; Sam Skalsky, Hibbing, MN; Ron Hmielewski,
Washburn.
Semi-Feature 2: Haderly; Rob Erickson, Ashland; Rich Bishop, New
Richmond.
Semi-Feature 3: Fjorden; Randy Spacek, Phillips; Wayne Harris, Jr.,
Hayward.
Feature: Johnson; Karis; Lawrence; Oliver; Bellefeuille; Olson; Peterlin;
Stender; Bishop; Hmielewski.
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