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Victorious Visitors At Fox Ridge
by Dan Bailey
(ARCADIA, Wisc.) - - Race fans laughed in the face of the hot, humid and muggy
weather that continued to show its presence over the west-central Wisconsin
country side by celebrating with ‘Hawaiian Night’ fun presented by TRIWEST
Communications Friday July 22nd at FOX RIDGE SPEEDWAY.
And even as the fans battled the heat, the on-track action was hot and heavy
as well. Little did the crowd, or the regular weekly competitors for that
matter, know that the evening’s results would be heavily influenced by a
handful of ‘visiting’ drivers making guest appearances at ‘The Big
3/8-Mile’.
KONKEL WINS ON FIRST TRY
“I’d come here just to watch as a spectator on one of the opening nights
when FOX RIDGE first opened,” explained USRA Feature winner Ron Konkel,
“But tonight was my very first time ever actually on the track.”
Gauging by his on-track performance, not many would have believed it. After
winning the second USRA heat race, the Caledonia, MN driver shot through the
feature race pack from his fourth row inside starting spot and stole the lead
from 2005 dominator Karl Fenske on lap three.
What made it all the more impressive is that, taking into account Fenske’s
dominating performance this year, the pass for the lead was almost a
‘non-event’. Konkel dove to the bottom cleared Fenske on the straight and
then, after a couple laps of Fenske hanging out around his rear bumper, simply
pulled away to a commanding lead.
“I liked the bite down low,” explained Konkel of his pass for the lead
down low and then his switch to the top groove for the remainder of the
feature, “but the set up I was trying was better up top.”
“I couldn’t believe all the room out there,” continued Konkel, impressed
with the racing room at FOX RIDGE, “There were openings everywhere, so I
just used the space as I found it and got to the front maybe even quicker that
I’d expected!”
Les Duellman cleared Fenske for second on lap nine and then closed in slightly
on Konkel but was never able to actually engage for a battle out front.
“We’d made some minor setup adjustments,” explained Duellman, “but
even with more laps I don’t think I could have caught the winner.”
Fenske held on for a third place finish with John Doelle finishing right
behind him in fourth. Fenske and Doelle continue their dual atop the point
standings, separated now my only 10 points!
STANTON STUNS STARTERS
Arpin, WI’s Jere Stanton, visiting FOX RIDGE SPEEDWAY for only the second
time during the 2005 season, laid down the law and walked way with two
checkered flags by the time the night’s WISSOTA Super Stock action was
complete.
After winning the evening’s second heat race, Stanton lined up on the Pole
for the 18-lap feature event. With the drop of the green flag outside pole
sitter Gary Wiersgalla jumped out to the front to lead the opening lap, but
Stanton was not to be denied.
Pulling his #21S up to challenge Wiersgalla for the top spot, Stanton took
over the lead on lap two and lead for the remainder of the event to pick up
the feature win.
While Stanton lead the way, that action behind him was intense with a six-car
battle for second that lasted almost the entirety of the feature. Over the
first five laps Shawn Huse pressured Stanton hard, using a combination of both
the low and high grooves to challenge for the lead.
But a lap-six four-wide battle for position produced a tangle exiting turn two
that eventually brought Huse’s challenges, and feature race, to a
close.
The on track action was actually interrupted several times by cautions; one of
which slowed traffic with the T-2 of David Nastvold lying on it’s roof top
on the outside of turn two.
After Huse’s withdrawal from the battle for position, and with Stanton
opening up a lead, the fan’s attention was focused on the six-car battle for
second.
Wiersgalla, Jon Duffy, first heat-race winner Rodney Dregney, Dennis Earney,
Troy Brand, and Troy Langowski fought tooth and nail for every inch of racing
space. Dregney, working from the rear of the field after a lap three caution,
finally usurped second place from Wiersgalla on lap 16.
GAMEZ GRINS WITH WIN
Several weeks ago, a radio interview with Arcadia’s Kylan Gamez showed the
frustration this driver was feeling. “I feel like I’m just banging up
against a brick wall.” Commented the WISSOTA Street Stock driver, “I had
those three third place finishes, and now I’m struggling to get the set up
to work.”
After which one of his crew members chuckled and added, “Sooner or later
we’ll just knock that brick wall down!”
Friday night was Gamez’s night to show that he had, indeed, cleared that
brick wall. Starting from the inside of the second row, Gamez cleared the
front row on the opening lap and led the entire 15-lap feature event to grab
his first feature win of the 2005 season at FOX RIDGE SPEEDWAY.
Current point leader Danny Hanson battled the field valiantly, but wasn’t
able to deny Gamez his visit to Victory Lane, Hanson finished second ahead of
Chuck Nerland and Dennis Davis.
OLSON COLLECTS HIS THIRD
It took nine laps of the 12-lap WISSOTA Midwest Modified feature for 20-year
old Ryan Olson to get to the front, but once there, he was in the lead to
stay.
Working from the outside of the fourth row, Olson passed Travis Krause to lead
the final three laps and pick up his third feature victory of this season.
Post race discussions between Olson and his family and crew focused on how
well the #21 handled the track and conditions, “I could run where I needed
to run or where I wanted to run. This car was awesome tonight!”
Krause and Bud Pehler completed the top three.
BORNITZ BEATS ‘EM
Mark Bornitz added to his point lead with his third 4-Cylinder Hornets feature
win of the year. After winning the third heat race, Bornitz raced to the front
of the feature and passed second heat race winner Robert Carpenter for the
lead and eventual win.
Mike Skroch worked through the ‘B Feature’ as one of the six final
transfer cars to the ‘A Main’, and then battled the 24-car pack from a 23
position starting spot to finish an amazing third!
Racing resumes next Friday night with a complete night of High-Banked
High-Speed Dirt-Track action presented by Supreme Graphics of Arcadia. All
five divisions will hit the track for an evening of racing action.
The grand stands open at 5 p.m., with the first big race starting at 7:30.
Don’t miss the action at FOX RIDGE SPEEDWAY!!
7/22/2005 - Fox Ridge Speedway Results
USRA Modifieds
A-Main 01 -- 1. Ron Konkel, Caledonia, Minn.; 2. Les Duellman, Winona,
Minn.; 3. Karl Fenske, Winona, Minn.; 4. John Doelle, Arcadia, Wis; 5. Jason
Marten, Mondovi, Wis; 6. Rick Hauser, Winona, Minn.; 7. Bobby Sorensen,
Rochester, Minn.; 8. Mick Glenn, Minnesota City, Minn.; 9. Jay Ihrke, Dover,
Minn.; 10. Jesse Frericks, Pine Island, Minn.; 11. Paul Hamernik, Winona,
Minn.; 12. Ron Britain, Winona, Minn.; 13. Kerry Ledebuhr, Winona, Minn.; 14.
Gary Doelle, Fountain City, Wis; 15. Les Jonsgaard, Winona, Minn.; 16. George
Schrumpf, Rochester, Minn.; 17. Brad Waits, Zumbrota, Minn.; 18. Hank
Rollinger, Buffalo City, Wis.
Heat 01 -- 1. K. Fenske; 2. L. Duellman; 3. R. Hauser; 4. J. Doelle; 5.
J. Frericks; 6. J. Marten; 7. K. Ledebuhr; 8. G. Schrumpf; 9. P. Hamernik.
Heat 02 -- 1. R. Konkel; 2. B. Sorensen; 3. M. Glenn; 4. G. Doelle; 5.
L. Jonsgaard; 6. R. Britain; 7. J. Ihrke; 8. H. Rollinger; 9. B. Waits.
WISSOTA Super Stocks
A-Main 01 -- 1. Jere Stanton, Arpin, Wis; 2. Rodney Dregney, Mondovi,
Wis; 3. Gary Wiersgalla, Fountain City, Wis; 4. Troy Brand, Winona, Minn.; 5.
Troy Langowski, Winona, Minn.; 6. Dennis Earney, Cochrane, Wis; 7. Jon Duffy,
Winona, Minn.; 8. Dan Arneson, Eleva, Wis; 9. Travis Wagner, Arcadia, Wis; 10.
Jesse Lutz, Winona, Minn.; 11. Bruce Lutz, Minnesota City, Minn.; 12. Quinn
Arnoldy, Arcadia, Wis; 13. Justin Sass, Alma, Wis; 14. Shawn Huse, Bloomer,
Wis; 15. Jeff Dregney, Eleva, Wis; 16. David Nastvold, Galesville, Wis.
Heat 01 -- 1. R. Dregney; 2. D. Earney; 3. T. Brand; 4. G. Wiersgalla;
5. J. Dregney; 6. D. Arneson; 7. Q. Arnoldy; 8. D. Nastvold.
Heat 02 -- 1. J. Stanton; 2. J. Duffy; 3. T. Langowski; 4. S. Huse; 5.
T. Wagner; 6. J. Sass; 7. J. Lutz; 8. B. Lutz.
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
A-Main 01 -- 1. Ryan Olson, Strum, Wis; 2. Travis Krause, Buffalo City,
Wis; 3. James Pehler, Fountain City, Wis; 4. Robert Bautch, Winona, Minn.; 5.
Jeff Brauer, Eyota, Minn.; 6. Dean Hoffman, Eyota, Minn.; 7. Dan Hesch,
Arcadia, Wis; 8. Corey Breitung, Prior Lake, Minn.; 9. Matt Steffen, Mondovi,
Wis.
Heat 01 -- 1. R. Olson; 2. T. Krause; 3. R. Bautch; 4. J. Brauer; 5. D.
Hoffman; 6. D. Hesch; 7. M. Steffen; 8. J. Pehler; 9. C. Breitung.
WISSOTA Street Stocks
A-Main 01 -- 1. Kylan Gamez, Arcadia, Wis; 2. Danny Hanson, Alma, Wis;
3. Chuck Nerland, Rochester, Minn.; 4. Dennis Davis, Fountain City, Wis; 5.
Cory Hanson, Black River Falls, Wis; 6. Matt Wolfe, Mondovi, Wis; 7. Gerald
Schultz, Arcadia, Wis; 8. Tagge Pape, Arcadia, Wis; 9. Tom Hund, Fountain
City, Wis; 10. Darryll Foegen, Cochrane, Wis; 11. Roger Conrad, Independence,
Wis; 12. Michael Conrad, Independence, Wis; 13. Andy Bohnstengel, Winona,
Minn.; 14. Adam Wilken, Eau Claire, Wis; 15. Erik Kanz, Winona, Minn..
Heat 01 -- 1. C. Nerland; 2. D. Davis; 3. A. Bohnstengel; 4. G. Schultz;
5. C. Hanson; 6. M. Wolfe; 7. R. Conrad; 8. T. Pape.
Heat 02 -- 1. D. Hanson; 2. T. Hund; 3. K. Gamez; 4. D. Foegen; 5. A.
Wilken; 6. E. Kanz; 7. M. Conrad.
4-Cylinder FOX RIDGE Hornets
A-Main 01 -- 1. Mark Bornitz, Holmen, Wis; 2. Robert Carpenter, Black
River Falls, Wis; 3. Mike Skroch, Independence, Wis; 4. Roger Niederkorn,
Ettrick, Wis; 5. Rick Slawson, Ettrick, Wis; 6. Kyle Mcnearey, Lakeville,
Minn.; 7. Mike Krause, Buffalo City, Wis; 8. Dan Carpenter, Black River Falls,
Wis; 9. Rich Niederkorn, Galesville, Wis; 10. Joel Hesch, Arcadia, Wis; 11.
Michael Peters, Whitehall, Wis; 12. Brandon Gleiter, Alma, Wis; 13. Blaze
Wagner, Wabasha, Minn.; 14. Danny Richards, Mondovi, Wis; 15. Mackenzie Ziemer,
Winona, Minn.; 16. Tommy Richards, Mondovi, Wis; 17. Tim Ryan, Lakeville,
Minn.; 18. Steve Bryn, Arcadia, Wis; 19. Mike Thompson, Melrose, Wis; 20. Coty
Slawson, Ettrick, Wis; 21. Steve Dwyer, LaCrosse, Wis; 22. Kyle Franson,
Strum, Wis; 23. Brad Duellman, Dodge, Wis; 24. Gary Towner, Galesville, Wis.
B-Main 01 -- 1. C. Slawson; 2. J. Hesch; 3. D. Carpenter; 4. B. Gleiter;
5. M. Skroch; 6. K. Mcnearey; (TOP SIX FINISHERS TRANSFER UP TO THE A-MAIN) 7.
Chris Gilbertson, Trempealeau, Wis; 8. Kris Oium, Eleva, Wis; 9. Corey Klink,
Fountain City, Wis; 10. Matt Ziemer, Goodview, Minn.; 11. James Clark, Winona,
Minn.; 12. Derrick Hammer, Galesville, Wis.
Heat 01 -- 1. B. Duellman; 2. S. Dwyer; 3. G. Towner; 4. Ro. Niederkorn;
5. S. Bryn; 6. Ri. Niederkorn; 7. D. Carpenter; 8. C. Slawson; 9. K. Oium; 10.
D. Hammer.
Heat 02 -- 1. R. Carpenter; 2. R. Slawson; 3. K. Franson; 4. T.
Richards; 5. D. Richards; 6. Mac. Ziemer; 7. J. Clark; 8. Matt Ziemer; 9. J.
Hesch; 10. K. Mcnearey.
Heat 03 -- 1. M. Bornitz; 2. M. Thompson; 3. M. Peters; 4. T. Ryan; 5.
B. Wagner; 6. M. Krause; 7. C. Klink; 8. B. Gleiter; 9. C. Gilbertson; 10. M.
Skroch.
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