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Hard Racing Heats Up The Cold Night
4/29/2005
by Dan Bailey
(Arcadia, WI) – With temperatures dropping into the 40’s and terrifyingly
close to the 30’s Friday night, it was a sure bet that those individuals
populating the FOX RIDGE SPEEDWAY grand stands were either family members of
racers, true die-hard stock car racing junkies or recently relocated Eskimos.
But despite, or perhaps it was IN SPITE of, the unseasonably frigid end of
April temperatures, the on track action was incredibly hot.
From the drop of the green flag at the start of the 32-car 4-Cylinder Hornet
feature, all the way to the waving of the checkered flag at the end of the
USRA Modified feature, it appeared that the racers themselves felt a little
pressure to heat up the night for those fans in the stands.
The Hornets wasted no time, providing 5-wide and even 6-wide racing action
throughout the early laps of their feature. The fans were treated to 4-wide
racing in both the WISSOTA Street Stocks and WISSOTA Super Stocks features in
the most unlikely spot – the tight turn two ‘funnel’ which has already
claimed a handful of victims across only two nights of racing in this young
2005 season.
FENSKE FIGHTS BACK
After struggling through an unbelievable string of bad breaks (literally) the
first two weeks of the season, two-time defending champion Karl Fenske showed
why he’s still in the game after all these years by climbing to the top of
the heap to grab his first feature win of the season at Fox Ridge Speedway.
Defending feature winner Brad Waits appeared ready to make it two feature wins
in a row before a distributor screw came loose while leading the race. With
Waits #24 stalled at the top of the banking in turn two, Fenske inherited the
lead and never once looked back.
After leaving Victory Lane, Fenske admitted to the joy of over coming the
early season struggles, “Yeah, we had to work through some problems, kind of
work the bugs out. But now that’s behind us now, this thing work perfectly
tonight.”
Current point leader John Doelle took advantage of attrition – both heat
race winners Jay Ihrke and previously mentioned Waits failed to finish the
feature - to struggle to a second place finish.
DREGNEY DRIVES TO VICTORY
Similar to Fenske stumbling start to the season, WISSOTA Super Stock driver
Rodney Dregney suffered through a less than stellar two weeks to open the
’05 season. But that came to a close Friday night with a dominant ride to
the front of the Super Stock Feature.
After a three car battle up front between Dregney’s #88, First Heat race
winner Troy Brand, and Opening Night feature winner Shawn Huse, Dregney dove
to the bottom of turns three and four to pass Brand and take sole possession
of the lead. After than it was all Dregney as he stretched his lead out to
just more than half a straight away to grab the checkered flag.
Brand and Huse completed the top three with second heat race winner Troy
Langowski resurfacing after a blown motor two weeks ago to finish fourth.
TWO IN A ROW FOR DEAN
Fall Creek, WI’s Wayne Dean dispensed with second heat race winner Kylan
Gamez early in the 22-car 18-lap WISSOTA Street Stock feature and then put on
a ‘Driver’s Education’ styled display of ‘smooth is fast’ driving to
dominate the field and pick up his second consecutive feature win.
Star Praire, WI’s Keith Tourville made a successful return to the track,
winning the third heat and battling through the field to a solid second place
finish directly in front of Rochester’s Chuck Nerland.
Point leader and first heat race winner Danny Hanson suffered a mechanical
failure and just barely finished inside the top-20.
HESCH WINS
Arcadia’s Dan Hesch returned after a dismal display during the second
week’s racing action to win both the second heat race and the evening’s
WISSOTA MIDWEST MODIFIED feature. Dispensing with first heat race winner Dean
Hoffman, and fending off early race challenges from the likes of Ryan Olson,
Dan Fagerlind and Ben Anderson, Hesch settled into a comfortable pace to pick
up the checkered flag.
Anderson finished second followed by Olson, Hoffman and Fagerlind rounding out
the top-five.
BORNITZ DOUBLES UP THE WINS
Holmen’s Mark Bornitz won the second 4-Cylinder Hornets heat race and then
raced to the front of the 32 car field to pick up the feature win.
Coty Slawson and Ron Hestekin finished second and third with first heat race
winner Robert Carpenter rounding out the top-four.
Racing resumes next Friday night with all five divisions returning for more
dirt-track action – hot laps begin at 7 pm with the first green flag
scheduled for 7:30 at FOX RIDGE SPEEDWAY!
Hornets
A-Main 01 -- 1. Mark Bornitz, Holmen, Wis; 2. Coty Slawson, Ettrick, Wis;
3. Ron Hestekin, Strum, Wis; 4. Robert Carpenter, Black River Falls, Wis; 5.
Roger Niederkorn, Ettrick, Wis; 6. Wade Elliott, Galesville, Wis; 7. Kyle
Franson, Strum, Wis; 8. Gary Towner, Galesville, Wis; 9. Michael Peters,
Whitehall, Wis; 10. Dan Carpenter, Black River Falls, Wis; 11. Mike Thompson,
Melrose, Wis; 12. Rich Niederkorn, Galesville, Wis; 13. Tommy Richards,
Mondovi, Wis; 14. Mike Gilbertson, Trempealeau, Wis; 15. Colt Johnson, Black
River Falls, Wis; 16. Chris Gilbertson, Trempealeau, Wis; 17. Chad Kosidowski,
Cochrane, Wis; 18. Mike Krause, Buffalo City, Wis; 19. Cale Slawson,
Rochester, Minn.; 20. Alan Van Vleet, Galesville, Wis; 21. James Clark,
Winona, Minn.; 22. Justin Yahnke, Sparta, Wis; 23. Jody Tollefson, West Salem,
Wis; 24. Coray Coulson, Houston, Minn.; 25. Ryan Ruhbusch, Holmen, Wis; 26.
Lorne Klonecki, Arcadia, Wis; 27. Brandon Gleiter, Alma, Wis; 28. Joel Hesch,
Arcadia, Wis; 29. Eric Komperud, Galesville, Wis; 30. Danny Richards, Mondovi,
Wis; 31. Matt Fawcett, Onalaska, Wis; 32. Rick Slawson, Ettrick, Wis.
Heat 01 -- 1. Robert Carpenter, Black River Falls, Wis; 2. Gary Towner,
Galesville, Wis; 3. Wade Elliott, Galesville, Wis; 4. Michael Peters,
Whitehall, Wis; 5. Chad Kosidowski, Cochrane, Wis; 6. Danny Richards, Mondovi,
Wis; 7. Ryan Ruhbusch, Holmen, Wis; 8. Cale Slawson, Rochester, Minn.; 9. Mike
Thompson, Melrose, Wis; 10. Eric Komperud, Galesville, Wis; 11. Rich
Niederkorn, Galesville, Wis; 12. Rick Slawson, Ettrick, Wis; 13. Mike
Gilbertson, Trempealeau, Wis; 14. Chris Gilbertson, Trempealeau, Wis; 15. Matt
Fawcett, Onalaska, Wis; 16. Coray Coulson, Houston, Minn..
Heat 02 -- 1. Mark Bornitz, Holmen, Wis; 2. Kyle Franson, Strum, Wis; 3.
Joel Hesch, Arcadia, Wis; 4. Ron Hestekin, Strum, Wis; 5. Coty Slawson,
Ettrick, Wis; 6. Alan Van Vleet, Galesville, Wis; 7. Dan Carpenter, Black
River Falls, Wis; 8. Justin Yahnke, Sparta, Wis; 9. Roger Niederkorn, Ettrick,
Wis; 10. Mike Krause, Buffalo City, Wis; 11. Brandon Gleiter, Alma, Wis; 12.
Tommy Richards, Mondovi, Wis; 13. Lorne Klonecki, Arcadia, Wis; 14. Colt
Johnson, Black River Falls, Wis; 15. James Clark, Winona, Minn.; 16. Jody
Tollefson, West Salem, Wis.
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
A-Main 01 -- 1. Dan Hesch, Arcadia, Wis; 2. Ben Anderson, Winona, Minn.;
3. Ryan Olson, Strum, Wis; 4. Dean Hoffman, Eyota, Minn.; 5. Dan Fagerlind,
Dover, Minn.; 6. Travis Krause, Buffalo City, Wis; 7. Jeff Brauer, Eyota,
Minn.; 8. Terry Timmerman, Rochester, Minn.; 9. Robert Bautch, Winona, Minn.;
10. Joel VonHaden, Trempealeau, Wis; 11. James Pehler, Fountain City, Wis; 12.
Matt Steffen, Mondovi, Wis; 13. Tom Brink, Winona, Minn.; 14. Leigh Volkman,
Rushford, Minn..
Heat 01 -- 1. Dean Hoffman, Eyota, Minn.; 2. James Pehler, Fountain
City, Wis; 3. Dan Fagerlind, Dover, Minn.; 4. Robert Bautch, Winona, Minn.; 5.
Matt Steffen, Mondovi, Wis; 6. Ben Anderson, Winona, Minn..
Heat 02 -- 1. Dan Hesch, Arcadia, Wis; 2. Terry Timmerman, Rochester,
Minn.; 3. Jeff Brauer, Eyota, Minn.; 4. Tom Brink, Winona, Minn.; 5. Ryan
Olson, Strum, Wis; 6. Travis Krause, Buffalo City, Wis; 7. Leigh Volkman,
Rushford, Minn.; 8. Joel VonHaden, Trempealeau, Wis.
USRA Modifieds
A-Main 01 -- 1. Karl Fenske, Winona, Minn.; 2. John Doelle, Arcadia, Wis;
3. Jason Marten, Mondovi, Wis; 4. Paul Hamernik, Winona, Minn.; 5. Ron
Britain, Winona, Minn.; 6. Hank Rollinger, Buffalo City, Wis; 7. Rick Hauser,
Winona, Minn.; 8. Les Jonsgaard, Winona, Minn.; 9. Gary Doelle, Fountain City,
Wis; 10. Jay Ihrke, Dover, Minn.; 11. Brad Waits, Zumbrota, Minn.; 12. LeRoy
Scharkey, Rochester, Minn.; 13. Kerry Ledebuhr, Winona, Minn..
Heat 01 -- 1. Jay Ihrke, Dover, Minn.; 2. Rick Hauser, Winona, Minn.; 3.
Ron Britain, Winona, Minn.; 4. Jason Marten, Mondovi, Wis; 5. John Doelle,
Arcadia, Wis; 6. Les Jonsgaard, Winona, Minn.; 7. Gary Doelle, Fountain City,
Wis.
Heat 02 -- 1. Brad Waits, Zumbrota, Minn.; 2. Paul Hamernik, Winona,
Minn.; 3. Hank Rollinger, Buffalo City, Wis; 4. Kerry Ledebuhr, Winona, Minn.;
5. Karl Fenske, Winona, Minn.; 6. LeRoy Scharkey, Rochester, Minn..
WISSOTA Street Stocks
A-Main 01 -- 1. Wayne Dean, Fall Creek, Wis; 2. Keith Tourville, Star
Praire, Wis; 3. Chuck Nerland, Rochester, Minn.; 4. Andy Bohnstengel, Winona,
Minn.; 5. Jim Randall, Rice Lake, Minn.; 6. Kylan Gamez, Arcadia, Wis; 7.
Darryll Foegen, Cochrane, Wis; 8. Fred Prudoehl, Winona, Minn.; 9. Jared Loos,
Loyal, Wis; 10. Cory Hanson, Onalaska, Wis; 11. Michael Conrad, Independence,
Wis; 12. Matt Wolfe, Mondovi, Wis; 13. Jeff Nelson, Stacy, Minn.; 14. Gerald
Schultz, Arcadia, Wis; 15. Tagge Pape, Arcadia, Wis; 16. Dennis Davis,
Fountain City, Wis; 17. Danny Hanson, Alma, Wis; 18. Roger Conrad,
Independence, Wis; 19. Tom Hund, Fountain City, Wis; 20. Shaun Wehlage,
Stockton, Minn.; 21. Adam Wilken, Eau Claire, Wis; 22. Dan Bork, Alma, Wis.
Heat 01 -- 1. Danny Hanson, Alma, Wis; 2. Shaun Wehlage, Stockton,
Minn.; 3. Wayne Dean, Fall Creek, Wis; 4. Tom Hund, Fountain City, Wis; 5. Jim
Randall, Rice Lake, Minn.; 6. Jeff Nelson, Stacy, Minn.; 7. Adam Wilken, Eau
Claire, Wis; 8. Dan Bork, Alma, Wis.
Heat 02 -- 1. Kylan Gamez, Arcadia, Wis; 2. Darryll Foegen, Cochrane,
Wis; 3. Matt Wolfe, Mondovi, Wis; 4. Chuck Nerland, Rochester, Minn.; 5. Cory
Hanson, Onalaska, Wis; 6. Tagge Pape, Arcadia, Wis; 7. Roger Conrad,
Independence, Wis.
Heat 03 -- 1. Keith Tourville, Star Praire, Wis; 2. Michael Conrad,
Independence, Wis; 3. Fred Prudoehl, Winona, Minn.; 4. Andy Bohnstengel,
Winona, Minn.; 5. Jared Loos, Loyal, Wis; 6. Dennis Davis, Fountain City, Wis;
7. Gerald Schultz, Arcadia, Wis.
WISSOTA Super Stocks
A-Main 01 -- 1. Rodney Dregney, Mondovi, Wis; 2. Troy Brand, Winona,
Minn.; 3. Shawn Huse, Bloomer, Wis; 4. Troy Langowski, Winona, Minn.; 5. Jon
Duffy, Winona, Minn.; 6. Dennis Earney, Cochrane, Wis; 7. Dan Nissalke,
Winona, Minn.; 8. Dan Gullikson, Stacy, Minn.; 9. David Nastvold, Galesville,
Wis; 10. Kevin Glander, Pepin, Wis; 11. Jeff Dregney, Eleva, Wis; 12. Mark
Strobel, Holmen, Wis; 13. Gary Wiersgalla, Fountain City, Wis; 14. Dan Arneson,
Eleva, Wis; 15. Wyatt Wolfe Jr, Lacrosse, Wis; 16. Justin Sass, Alma, Wis; 17.
Bill Schwantes, Marshfield, Wis; 18. Jesse Lutz, Winona, Minn.; 19. Travis
Wagner, Arcadia, Wis.
Heat 01 -- 1. Troy Brand, Winona, Minn.; 2. Shawn Huse, Bloomer, Wis; 3.
Dennis Earney, Cochrane, Wis; 4. Dan Nissalke, Winona, Minn.; 5. Dan Arneson,
Eleva, Wis; 6. Gary Wiersgalla, Fountain City, Wis; 7. Justin Sass, Alma, Wis;
8. Mark Strobel, Holmen, Wis; 9. Kevin Glander, Pepin, Wis; 10. Jesse Lutz,
Winona, Minn..
Heat 02 -- 1. Troy Langowski, Winona, Minn.; 2. Jon Duffy, Winona,
Minn.; 3. Rodney Dregney, Mondovi, Wis; 4. Dan Gullikson, Stacy, Minn.; 5.
David Nastvold, Galesville, Wis; 6. Wyatt Wolfe Jr, Lacrosse, Wis; 7. Bill
Schwantes, Marshfield, Wis; 8. Jeff Dregney, Eleva, Wis; 9. Travis Wagner,
Arcadia, Wis.
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