Mahder Nabs AMSOIL Series Cash
Eau Claire Driver Trounces Tough Field

By Jerry O'Brien
May 26, 2004
Superior, WI

Duane Mahder of Eau Claire was the class of the field Wednesday night May 26th as he dominated the last two thirds of the 35 lap AMSOIL Series opener main event. Mahder grabbed the lead from outside pole sitter Jeff Provinzino after a lap six caution flag and never looked back as he began lapping the field before the half way mark.

At the start Provinzino beat pole sitter and local favorite Tim McMann to the first turn surging into the lead across the back stretch. Following the lead duo was Mahder, Bob Reed and Darin Meierotto. Mahder challenged Mcmann for second and Reed joined the battle as Meierotto moved up to contend. The only caution flag of the event flew for a scuffle in the first turn between Tom Nesbitt, Tom Waseleski, Steve Laursen and Nick Nelson. Only Nesbitt was unable to continue. Provinzino was unable to fend off Mahder on the restart and once he secured the lead he began to widen the gap quickly. Provanzino maintained second while McMann was hounded by Meierotto for the third spot. With 19 laps remaining Mahder put the first tail end driver a lap down while behind him Meierotto disposed of Provinzino for second but could gain little ground in traffic on the fleeing Mahder as Reed slipped into fourth. With ten laps remaining Mahder had a huge lead over Meierotto and Reed as the battle for fifth heated up between McMann who was trying to hold off Rick Hanestad and Harry Hanson. Mahder was never challenged the rest of the way and took his first AMSOIL Series feature win. Meierotto, Provinzino and Hanestad rounded out the top five.

The support class for the AMSOIL Late Model Series was the WISSOTA Super Stocks which ran their usual 15 lap main event. Starting from the pole was Super Stock rookie Jason Forehand flanked by Rick Rivord. At the green flag Rivord shot into the lead and quickly opened a gap on Forehand. Kelly Anderson, Joe Oliver and Ryan Aho battled for position behind them. As in the Late Model feature, the only caution flag of the event flew when Rivord lost control and spun off turn two in front of the field leaving the lead to Anderson. Rivord was sent to the back and racing resumed with Anderson leading Forehand, Aho, defending track champion Dale Gangl and Oliver. The second five included John Copp, Steve Thomas, Dave Mass, Todd Bonney and Rick Simpson in tenth. Forehand was pressured by Aho for second and Gangl queued up and slipped by Forehand for third while John Copp cracked the top five. At the half way point Gangl was in second ahead of Aho while Copp got by Forehand into fourth. As the white flag flew with Anderson staving off Gangl for the win, Copp nipped Aho at the line for third while Mass moved past Forehand to round out the top five.

Results:
AMSOIL Series 2004 race one. (38 Late Models)
Heat 1: Bob Reed, Darrell Nelson, Rick Hanestad, Keane Laakson, Mike Nutzmann, Trent Follmer, Jimmy Mars, Jeff Broking, Curt Myers, Todd Gehl (DNF)
Heat 2: Tim McMann, Darin Meierotto, Tyler Keyser, John Kaanta, Nick Nelson, Don Shaw, Andrew McKay, Bob Broking, M J Hintz, Mitch Johnson (DNF)
Heat 3: Duane Mahder, Harry Hanson, Leon Plank, Tom Nesbitt, Curt Gelling, Steve laursen, Bob Slater, Pat Doar, Steve Roseen
Heat 4: Jeff Provinzino, Bill Byholm, Brady Smith, Tom Waseleski, Steve Vesel, Joel Cryderman, Luke Roffers, Wayne Engen, Andy Simonsen

B Main #1: (two advance) Follmer, Mars, Laursen, J Broking, Doar, Simonsen, Myers, Gehl (DNF), Slater (DNS)

B Main #2: (two advance) Roffers, Cryderman, Mckay, Johnson, B Brokinf, Engen, Roseen, Hintz(DNF), Shaw (DNS)

Feature: (25 cars start, Laursen provisional) (1-10) Mahder, Meierotto, Provinzino, Reed, Hanestad, Follmer, Hanson, McMann, D Nelson, Smith 
(11-25) Keyser, Byholm, Kaanta, Laursen, Plank, Nick Nelson, Mars, Vesel, Nutzmann, Waseleski, Cryderman, Roffers Laakson, Gelling, Nesbitt (DNF)

WISSOTA Super Stocks
Heat 1: Steve Hallquist, Jason Forehand, Rick Rivord, Donnie Lofdahl, Al Uotinen
Heat 2: John Copp, Rick Simpson, Ryan Rivord, Dave Mass, Scott Lawrence
Heat 3: Ryan Aho, Joe Oliver, Dale gangl, Jay kuras, Nick Musel
Heat 4: Steve Thomas, Kelly Anderson, Todd Bonney, Keith Kern, Randy Silverness
B Main #1: Uotinen, Musel, Tom Treviranus, Rob Cooper, Willie Johnson
B Main #2: Lawrence, Silverness, John Hunker, Mike Bellefeuille, Destin Lorimor
Feature: Anderson, Gangl, Copp, Aho, Mass, Thomas, Simpson, Lawrence, Forehand, Oliver.