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Lanigan Tops Deer Creek Stacker 2 World of Outlaws Late Model Event
By Bill Nelson
Spring Valley MN - June 6th - A record setting race night crowd was on hand at
the Deer Creek Speedway on Monday night to witness the 26th Running of the
Gopher50 Charity Late Model race. Over 4,000 people were on hand to
witness the racing action in front of the Speed TV broadcast team. A
nice breeze and mid 80 degree temperature greeted race fans as they arrived at
the speedway with many arriving early in the day and spending time in the
parking lots visiting with friends and family. The $10,000 to win event
sponsored by Valley Transportation, Peterbilt of Winona and Premier Banks of
Rochester was the largest single day event in the history of the track.
With the USRA modifieds also on the evenings car the fans were treated to
some great racing action. With the help of the Blooming Prairie Lions
club the event was a huge success.
During the time trial portion of the WoO event Steve Francis set the fast time
followed by Clint Smith, Darrell Lanigan and Josh Richards. Justin
Fegers of Mound MN set second fast time but was disqualified after weighing
light at the scales. The top four drivers ran a fast dash to set the
front two rows for the nights feature race with Francis taking home the win
and Lanigan second.
The USRA modifieds saw 30 cars pull onto the track for their qualifying races
which set up the 24 car starting field for the night. Jay Ihrke of Dover
MN and Steve Arpin of Fort Frances Ontario Canada paced the field. Ihrke
took the initial lead with Arpin in second. Behind the front runners the
field was racing hard with some great two and three wide battles for
spot. After the completion of lap 1 a 9 car pile up in turn one slowed
the field. The modifieds had a tough time getting started on the night
and were ordered to restart in single file formation after three trys failed
to get the field moving again. Ihrke again held the lead with Arpin
pressuring on the high side of the speedway and Jason Krohn in third working
the low line around the speedway. With 22 laps to go in the 25 lap
feature Arpin pulled under Ihrke to take the lead. Krohn and Ihrke
battled for the second spot while Steve Wetzstein ran solidly in fourth.
Mike Sorensen was on a charge through the field after starting tail end on the
restart he was back inside the top five with eighteen laps to go after
clearing Jed Moore for the position. 9 laps into the race Krohn took
over the second spot as Irhke and Wetzstein raced for the third
position. Krohn and Arpin had a great race going up front with Krohn
running the low line and Arpin up against the wall. Krohn would gain in
the corners but Arpin had the momentum up high and would back in front at the
line. Ihrke again settled into third as Wetzstein and Sorensen raced for
the fourth spot and Moore and Tim Donlinger raced side by side for
sixth. Donlinger also restarted early at the tail of the field and was
making his way to the front with twelve laps to go. Donlinger cleared
Moore and raced Wetzstein for fourth late in the race until Wetzstein tagged
the wall lightly slowing his momentum allowing Sorensen and Moore to move
past. With three to go Donlinger moved alongside of Ihrke for third as
Krohn and Arpin continued their dance up front. Arpin held on for his
first career feature win at the speedway followed by Krohn and Donlinger with
Ihrke and Sorensen rounding out the top five.
The Quensland Family, promoters of the speedway and the Blooming Prairie Lions
presented the major sponsors plaques on the front straight for their support
of the Gopher50 Charity Late Model race. Then under enthusiastic
response from the crowd the drivers were introduced and sent under a pace lap
behind a Valley Transportation pace Semi. The drivers, fans and everyone
on hand prepared for the racing action with the traditional 4-wide
salute. Darrell Lanigan pulled out to the initial lead in the 50 lap
feature event with the field two and three wide behind him. Steve
Francis dropped into the second spot with Josh Richards pressuring him.
Dan Schlieper and Billy Moyer were in a dog fight for fifth as Brady Smith and
Rick Eckert raced for seventh. The early stages of the feature saw the
top six running on the bottom half of the track with Moyer and a few others
working up top trying to claw their way to the front. The top three
started to pull away from the rest of the field until they entered lapped
traffic with eleven laps completed. With fifteen laps completed Jimmy
Mars looked the strongest after starting twelfth was up to sixth.
Lanigan started to have difficulty working through the lapped traffic as the
back markers were racing hard for their spots. With Twenty one laps in
the books Mars worked into fifth behind Eckert who was pressuring
Richards and Francis as they were dicing for second. Schlieper, Brian
Birkhofer and Trent Follmer were in a great race for seventh as Follmer and
Birkhofer tried to work their way to the front. These three caught up to
Clint smith to make a four car battle for sixth with Smith, Justin Fegers and
Chub Frank in a three wide battle behind them. Follmer took over the
seventh spot running up against the wall just before the only caution came out
with 33 laps completed for a slowing Eckert. Lanigan continued to hold
the point while Mars and Richards battled for fourth and Moyer and Follmer
raced for the sixth spot. Richards eventually regained control as Moyer
started to come alive up high. With 42 laps completed Moyer moved into
fourth while Follmer battled Mars for fifth. Lanigan held on for the win
followed by Francis and Richards with Moyer and Follmer rounding out the top
five.
A special thanks to those who helped in this event. Tracy Clemet
Featherlite Trailers, Catco, Tonna Mechanical, all of the Blooming Prairie
Lions, Grand Meadow Color Guard, the racers and all of the great fans who were
on hand to participate in this event. It was a pleasure working with all
of the great people of the Stacker2 World of Outlaws Late Model series and the
people from Speed.
USRA Feature
Steve Arpin, Jason Krohn, Tim Donlinger, Jay Ihrke, Mike Sorensen, Jed Moore,
Bob Timm, Steve Wetzstein, Jesse Frericks, Joey Jensen
B- Feature Moore, Bobby Sorensen, Matt Stark, Alan Mondus, Dain Schultz
Heat 1 M. Sorensen, Wetzstein, Doug Hillson, Bruce Angst
Heat 2 Brian Shaw, Frericks, Donlinger, Jamie Davis, Jimmy Davis
Heat 3 Bob Timm, Nate Wasmund, Ihrke, Neil Eckhart, Matt Aarsvold
Heat 4 Arpin, Albert Wytaske, Krohn, Jensen, Gary Oskerson.
Stacker 2 World of Outlaw Late Models
Feature Darrell Lanigan, Steve Francis, Josh Richards, Billy Moyer, Trent
Follmer, Jimmy Mars, Clint Smith, Brian Birkhofer, Chub Frank, Brady Smith,
Dan Schlieper, Dale McDowell, Mark Teske, Kerry Hansen, Lance Matthees, Justin
Fegers, John Blankenship, Tim McCreadie, Chris Carlson, Rick Eckert, Steve Ihm,
Ron Schreiner, Joel Cryderman, Brad Waits.
B Feature 1 Matthees, Teske, Carlson, Foss, Schreiner, Waits, Gary Webb,
Steve Yaggy, Jeff Matjeka, Nick Kramer, Bob Bunne, Joe Ludemann,
B feature 2 Hansen, Cryderman, Ihm, Barry Underdahl, Paul Novotny, Chris
Simpson, Nick Herrick, Jerry Bloom, Toby Patchen, James Parker, John Kaanta,
Jason Weis-dns
Fast Dash Francis, Lanigan, Richards, Smith
Heat 1 Francis, Smith, Frank, Fegers, Teske, Carlson, Matthees, Schreiner,
Metjeka, Kramer, Bunne
Heat 2 Smith, Schlieper, McCreadie, McDowell, Yagy, Ludemann, Simpson-dnf,
Waits-dnf, Foss-dnf, Webb-dnf
Heat 3 Richards, Eckert, Birkhofer, Blankenship, Ihm, Simpson, Novotny,
Herrick, Bloom
Heat 4 Lanigan, Moyer, Mars, Follmer, Cryderman, Hansen, Kaanta, Underdahl,
Patchen
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