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Southern Minnesota Racing Action Springs Into Life
By Bill Nelson
April 9th
Spring Valley MN - A balmy 70 degree afternoon greeted a large crowd and 144
race cars in the pit area at Deer Creek Speedway on the opening night of the
2005 racing season. The racing season started off with a bang with some
great features in a lot of classes. The fans were greeted to many new
projects going on at the speedway. The new VIP Suite and Deck building
is nearing completion with many of the leasers moving into the spaces. A new
wheelchair ramp has been erected in preparation for a new 1600 seat bleacher
system that is being installed shortly. Some additional changes to the
track surface occurred this spring with the racing width changing to
80’. New clay is currently being sought after and later this summer
should be installed onto the racing surface. Some changes to the
concession are will occur with some additional selling points available later
in the month as the other projects near completion.
The WISSOTA Street Stocks started off the season with one of the best feature
events at the speedway in recent times. Shaun Wehlage used the outside
front row to jump into the early lead with the rest of the field battling two
and three wide for the first couple laps. After selling his Super Stock,
Tyler Rubin moved back to the street stocks and battled early with Fred
Prudoehl for the second spot followed closely by Tom McEldowney.
Prudoehl took over the second spot with McEldowney moving into third.
With twelve laps to go McEldowney moved outside of Prudoehl for the second
spot. Eischens moved up to battle Prudoehl as McEldowney moved alongside
of Wehlage briefly with to ten to go. McEldowney kept working the line
and with eight to go took over the lead. Eischens secured second spot on
the next lap. Wehlage regained the lead again on lap six just briefly as
the top three ran side by side. McEldowney regained the lead with four
to go just to loose it to Wehlage again as a caution flew with three laps
remaining. The crowd anticipated a great three lap dash to the finish
and they got it. On the restart McEldowney moved below for the
lead. Coming into three Wehlage drove his car in too deep and slid up
the track slightly allowing Eischens to take over second. With two to go
Eischens worked past McEldowney in two to take the lead. Wehlage fought
back to run beside McEldowney for the second spot as the white flag
flew. Eischens held on for his first career feature win at Deer Creek
Speedway with McEldowney in second and Wehlage third. The race was a
great way to start off the season and set the pace for the rest of the feature
events.
The WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds pulled onto the speedway next with Jerry Young
taking the early lead. Dean Hoffman, Ryan Weber and Tim Siskow battled
early for the second spot. Siskow slipped in three allowing Jason
Cummins to move into the third spot as lots of battles raged on throughout the
field. A caution flew with eleven laps remaining with Cummins using the
restart to allow him to pull alongside of Young for the top spot. Ben
Anderson was charging up through the field and battled with Weber for the
fourth position. With seven laps before the checker Young still held
onto a slight lead with Derrick Bridley working into the top five. With
five to go Bridley works outside of Anderson and bounced off the front wall to
complete the pass for fourth. With two laps remaining Young slipped in
turn two allowing Cummins to take the lead and his first feature win at Deer
Creek Speedway.
The WISSOTA Super Stocks fielded a strong bunch of cars tonight with Dennis
Earney taking the early lead. Troy Brand was in hot pursuit of the
leader while Larry Fitzsimmons, Kevin Hager and Jason Gabrielson were in a
three way battle for third. Dustin Nelson started eighth on the field
and as a caution flew with sixteen to go Nelson was inside the top five.
On the restart Brand and Earney raced hard for the top spot. Earney held the
preferred Super Stock line around the top of the track while behind him Nelson
was showing everyone that the bottom was working well also as he and Brand
raced for the second position. These two exchanged the second spot until
Nelson finally held the second position strongly with twelve to go.
Nelson kept digging on the bottom of the speedway and moved into the lead at
the halfway point. A huge group of cars battled for the fourth spot with
Gabrielson, Zach Schultz, Dave Haberman, Ryan Siegle and Ferlin Miller all
trying to hold inside of the top 5. The leaders sea-sawed back and forth
as they both sought the fastest lines on their half of the speedway. A
caution flew with two laps remaining and during the pace lap the #4 machine of
Earney pulled off the track handing the point to Nelson. Brand got a
good jump on the restart as he and Nelson ran side by side coming to the
white. Nelson held onto the slightest margin to score the win on opening
night.
The USRA Modifieds put on one of their classic battles throughout the
field. Bob Timm jumped from his second row starting spot into the lead
at the completion of the first lap. From sixth on back a big gaggle of
cars where jumping and bouncing around as they battled for position. Tim
Donlinger brought out the only caution of the event as he spun in turn
three. On the restart Timm lead again with heavy pressure from Steve
Wetzstein, while through the field there were some great three and four wide
battles going on. At the halfway point the leaders moved into lapped
traffic. Timm and Wetzstein put on a clinic working through and around
the cars even splitting them at occasions as they had the hammer down all the
way around the track. Another driver flying around the track tonight was
Todd Scharkey. Scharkey worked into the top three and he and Wetzstein
rubbed and scrapped the wall a couple times in the last handful of laps as
they battled for second. Timm was working the lapped traffic to
perfection and pulled out to a ten car length advantage at the white flag
lap. Neil Eckhart made a late charge from the sixth position around
Bobby Sorensen and Brian Shaw to crack the top four on the white flag
lap. Wetzstein held onto second over Scharkey at the line with Timm
taking home the checkers for the night.
The WISSOTA Late Models found the high side the preferred line for the first
few laps with Troy Brand, Steve Yaggy and Paul Novotny racing early on for the
lead. Adam Hensel was sitting in fourth working the middle of the
speedway. Yaggy pushed in turn two allowing Brand and Novotny to battle
for the lead. With fourteen laps remaining Lance Matthees was locked in
a race for fourth with Yaggy and Ben Mattick. Brand kept the point until lap
twelve when Andrew McKay took the lead away from him. With nine to go
Brand tagged the turn two wall bringing out the caution. Matthees moved
into third with seven laps to go. Shortly after a yellow waved for a spin in
turn four. On the restart Matthees moved outside of Novotny for the
second position. With three to go Matthees pulled alongside of McKay on
the outside of him. McKay saw that Matthees was making up some ground
there and moved a little higher to block him with two to go, but Matthees
reversed his line and shot below McKay to take over the top spot and held on
for the win. A veteran move on a rookie driver won that race as
McKay looked very good and looked to be on his way to take home the checkers.
The Classic Dwarf cars started out their last season at the speedway with a
great race. Jeff Jech held at the green with some big battles further
back. Drew Jech and Corey Whalen raced hard for second as Mike Gaines
worked into the top five from his midpack starting spot. Gaines, D. Jech
and Whalen battled for most of the middle of the race for the second spot
while up front Jeff appeared to be cruising onto the opening night
win. With twelve to go Gaines and Whalen broke away from D.
Jech and while racing each other gained a lot of ground on the leaders. These
two swapped positions over the next six laps. With four to go they where
on J. Jechs rear bumper with D. Jech regaining composure and moving into a
four car battle for the lead. Jeff Jech slipped up with two circuits
remaining allowing the other three cars past. Coming into four to take
the white D. Jech moved past Gaines to take second and pulled along side of
Whalen at the stripe. With the flag man waving the checkers Whalen took
the win by half a car length over D. Jech and Roger Torgerson getting around
J. Jech for the fourth position on the last lap. A great race to finish
out the opening night of the 2005 racing season.
A Special thanks to Land Resource Management for their generosity to a few
lucky fans who had their numbers drawn and were invited into the nightly
sponsor suite. The promoters of Rice Lake Speedway were on hand to take
in the racing action along with Pat and Patsi Willis on this night.
WISSOTA Late Models
Feature - Lance Matthees, Andrew McKay, Paul Novotny, Adam Hensel, Jim
Carlson, Nick Herrick, Ben Mattick, Jeff Matjeka, Joe Ludemann, Kevin Keuhn
Heat 1 – Matthees, Mattick, Madsen, McKay, Matjeka
Heat 2 – Steve Yaggy, Brand, Novotny, N. Herrick, Hensel
USRA Mods
Feature - Bob Timm, Steve Wetzstein, Todd Scharkey, Neil Eckhart, Brian Shaw,
Bobby Sorensen, Nate Wasmund, Brad Waits, Barry Underdahl, Dain Schultz
B-Main – Albert Wytaske, Matt Stark, Darin Toot, Mike Budensiek, Russell
Quinnell
Heat 1 – Timm, Bruce Angst, B. Shaw, Sorensen, Denny Anderson
Heat 2 – Wasmund, Eckhart, Underdahl, Craig Shaw, Waits
Heat 3 – Schultz, Wetzstein, Tim Donlinger, Scharkey, Hank Rollinger
WISSOTA Super Stocks
Feature - Dustin Nelson, Troy Brand, Zach Schultz, Ferlin Miller, Dave
Haberman, Jason Gabrielson, Schatney Sanders, Ryan Siegle, Kevin Hager, Cole
Queensland
Heat 1 – Dennis Earney, Chris Klinger, Siegle, Gabrielson
Heat 2 - Brand , Larry Fitzsimmons, Sanders, Schultz, Todd Hauer
Heat 3 – Haberman, Nelson, Miller, Hager, Josh Bartel
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
Feature - Jason Cummins, Jerry Young, Ryan Weber, Derrick Bridley, Ben
Anderson, Kenny Wytaske, Joe Wernecke, Dean Hoffman, Bobby Saterdalen, Craig
Bentzin
B-Main – Andrew Wiste, Clint Wittlief, Dan Svee, David Kruckeberg, Bill
Curran
Heat 1 – Young, Cummins, Weber, Tim Siskow, Harlan Morehart
Heat 2 – Greg Pfeifer Jr, Kenny Wytaske, Bridley, Jeff Brauer, Bentzin
Heat 3 – Wernecke, Hoffman, Anderson, Joe Bunne, Victor Schmidt
WISSOTA Street Stocks
Feature - Steve Eischens, Tom McEldowney, Shaun Wehlage, Tyler Rubin, Fred
Prudoehl, Mark Hovland, Scott Olson, Kevin Hager, Jamie Johnson, Michael
Kalkbrenner
Heat 1 – Prudoehl, Johnson, Eischens, McEldowney, Tony Horsman
Heat 2 – Wehlage, Olson, Chuck Nerland, Rubin, Hager, Ron Rucker
Classic Dwarf Cars
Feature Corey Whalen, Drew Jech, Mike Gaines, Roger Torgerson, Jeff Jech, Tate
Bestor, Curtis Luhmann, Rick Utley, Kevin Bigalk, Gavin Wangen
Heat 1 - D. Jech, Bestor, Gaines, Bigalk, Kath
Heat 2 – Whalen, J. Jech, Utley, Luhmann, Wangen
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