Ryan Roars To First Ever Late Model Victory At Wet Elko
May 22, 2004

Elko, MN- Jake Ryan used the outside lane in a light mist Saturday Night at Elko Speedway to pass Steven Anderson and Steve Murgic to claim his first ever NASCAR Budweiser Super Late Model Victory.  The former Sportsmen division and Mid-American Stock Car Series stand out stated “I didn’t think it would come this quick, we have been working so hard on this car.” Referring to winning in just his third attempt.  2002 Sportsmen Champion Steve Schultz returned to victory lane in Sportsmen action, Ted Reuvers took home Coca-Cola Thunder Car honors while Chase Weber recorded his first win of the season in ACDelco Power Stock Feature competition.

Steven Anderson and Steve Murgic led the field to the green at the start of the Steve Schneeberger- Edina Realty 40 presented by Hot Tamales.  Anderson would take the upper hand with Murgic, Steve Anderson, Chad Walen and Jake Ryan in tow.  Both Ryan and Brian Johnson worked their way towards the front during the early stages of the caution free affair.  Murgic looked to the inside of Steven Anderson for multiple laps battling for the top spot.  Anderson held his ground on the outside as Murgic’s machine broke loose allowing Ryan into second on lap twelve.  Five laps later Ryan would hustle past Anderson and into the lead.  Ryan and Anderson were followed at the checkered flag by Walen, Johnson and a hard charging Jon Lemke.

Following a complete restart due to an eight car incident, Mike Felixberger found himself atop the leader board at the start of the Sportsmen feature.  Jeff Choban attempted to work his way past Felixberger opening the door for Gary Fredrickson to take the lead until he lost control of his Monte Carlo down the backstretch sending him into the turn three grass.  Mike Skaja used the restart to his advantage and bettered Felixberger going into turn one with Steve Schultz and Duane Halvorson in pursuit.  The 23 of Schultz passed Skaja on lap 23 to take the lead for good.  Skaja settled for second, Halvorson, Paul Neisius and Greg Bieber rounded out the top five.

Conrad Jorgenson and Ted Reuvers swapped the lead multiple times as the Coca-Cola Thunder Car Feature set sail, leaving Kevin Lutz, Jimmy Welton, Matt Carlander and Dave Franek wondering which leader to follow.  An early race caution for a three car spin placed the field side by side for a restart which Reuvers used to retake the lead.  Jorgenson would again place Reuvers into second position by lap ten while Franek began to work his way toward the front.  With twelve laps to go Reuvers had enough, pulling past Jorgenson to a two car length lead. Lutz followed suit and tried to reel in the 8 of Reuvers as the laps wound down.  Reuvers was too strong, Lutz finished second, Jorgenson third, Welton and Carlander bested Franek to finish in the top five.

Chase was the word of the night for the ACDelco Power Stocks, Chase Weber held the field at bay from the get go with Chad Tuma in a close second for most of the race.  The only yellow of the race flew on lap four when Jay Seiler hit the turn four wall hard, head on.  Seiler walked away from the incident.  When racing resumed, Clint Grandahl, Jr, Dustin Mann, Jeff Bratland and Jeff Cook began to work toward the leaders, Weber and Tuma.  Grandahl, Jr. moved into third past Robert Aszmann and set his sights on the lead until he had to deal with Mann.  Mann rocketed past Grandahl with just four laps remaining to finish third behind Weber and Tuma.  Grandahl, Jr. was forced to settle for fourth and Cook slid past Bratland to finish fifth.

Elko Speedway will host two events during the Memorial Day Weekend.  Friday Night is the first Eve of Destruction of 2004, with Big Dawg Monster Truck, KS 95 Battle of the Sexes, School Bus Figure 8’s, Firefly stuntman, a triple steel wall crash, Winged Figure 8’s, Hornets, Cruisers, Fast/Furious Spectator Drags, Roll Over Contest plus the I-35 Traffic Jam Race of Mayhem.  Gates open at 5:30, Destruction begins at 7:30.  On Saturday Night Sprite presents a full night of NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series action.  The NASCAR Budweiser Super Late Models, Sportsmen, Coca-Cola Thunder Cars, ACDelco Power Stocks plus Legends will be competing.  Spectator gates open at 5:30, Qualifying begins at 6:15 with the first race at 7.  Elko Speedway is located one mile west of I-35 Exit 76 on County Road 2.  For more information call the Speedway Box Office at 952-461-7223 or visit www.goelkospeedway.com.


NASCAR Budweiser Super Late Models
Heat 1 (1-5) Chad Walen, Steve Murgic, Steven Anderson, Darrin Giles, Gary Petrash
Heat 2 (1-5) Jake Ryan, Steve Anderson, Rick Burns, Mel Walen, Jamie Farrell
Fast Dash (1-5) Jeff Martin, Jon Lemke, Donny Reuvers, Jason Schneider, Jacob Goede

Feature (1-10) Ryan, Steven Anderson, Chad Walen, Brian Johnson, Lemke, Murgic, Goede, Reuvers, Schneider, Martin (11-17) Steve Anderson, Giles, Burns, Mel Walen, Petrash, Matt Kern, Farrell

Sportsmen
Heat 1 (1-5) Doug Brown, Joey Miller, Mike Skaja, Gary Fredrickson, Mike Felixberger
Heat 2 (1-5) Steve Schultz, Paul Neisius, Duane Halvorson, Jeff Choban, Andrew Ruthenbeck

Feature (1-10) Schultz, Skaja, Halvorson, Neisius, Greg Bieber, Miller, Brown, Dean Leffler, Choban, Ruthenbech, (11-17) Rick McNamara, Terry Moore, Dan Mueller, Amy Woodward, Fredrickson, Felixberger, Bill Kalberg

Coca-Cola Thunder Cars
Heat 1 (1-5) Jimmy Welton, Conrad Jorgenson, David Sellner, Jr., Corey Butler, Jr., Brent Kane
Heat 2 (1-5) Kevin Lutz, Matt Carlander, Kristopher Morelan, Danny Weber, Raymond Sandgren
Heat 3 (1-5) Ted Reuvers, Dave Franek, Jerry Thomsen, Justin Neisius, Roger Meyer

Feature (1-10) Reuvers, Lutz, Jorgenson, Welton, Carlander, Franek, Morelan, Kane, Meyer, Thomsen (11-20) Sellner, Jr., Joseph Garofalo, Weber, Butler, Jr., Sandgren, Kevin Turek, Kerry Estes, James Weeks, Arlen Diercks, Jason Novak, (21-24) David Carlson, John Norris, Mark Pollack, Justin Neisius

ACDelco Power Stocks
Heat 1 (1-5) Clint Grandahl, Jr., Jeff Partington, Tim Hollen, Bud Kane, Dustin Mann
Heat 2 (1-5) Chad Tuma, Clifford Adee, Kevin Novotny, Jeff Bratland, Jeff Cook
Heat 3 (1-5) Robert Aszmann, Chase Weber, Robert Clingingsmith, Dustin Tuma, Kelly Wefel

Feature (1-10) Chase Weber, Chad Tuma, Mann, Grandahl, Jr., Cook, Bratland, Hollen, Clingingsmith, Kane, Aszmann, (11-20) Brock Weber, Dustin Tuma, Michael Schmitz, Novotny, Scott King, Nick Crawford, Wefel, Paul Bryce Lally, Josh Gernentz, Joe Fierst, (21-29) Richard Salvesen, Paul Roby, John McReynolds, Shawn Craft, Adee, Jay Seiler, Jeremy Morse, Bob Oberaigner, Partington