2005 News Articles
August 20 Rice Lake Speedway Announces Labor Day Weekend Schedule
August 20 Pember Tops Rice Lake Late Models
August 13 Challenge Series Finale and Little Dream Scheduled For Rice Lake
August 13 Gilberts Bests Rice Lake Late Models
August 6 Mike Prochnow First Timer At Rice Lake
July 30 Ellis Tops Rice Lake Supers
July 16 Point Leaders Dominate Rice Lake Action
July 9 Kaanta Edges Goody In Rice Lake Thriller
July 2 Drew On Top Of Rice Lake Supers
June 25 Superman Flies In For Rice Lake Win
June 18 Sabraski Doubles Up On Rice Lake Foes
June 11 Richter Tops Rain Shortened Rice Lake Show
June 4 Rice Lake Speedway Suffers Another Rainout
May 29 Kaanta Earns Bonus Bucks At Rice Lake
May 28 Anderson, Arpin Highside Rice Lake Foes
May 21 Many New Winners In Rice Lake Action
May 16 Holiday Double, Miller Bonus Bucks Scheduled At Rice Lake
May 14 Rice Lake Once Again Weathered Out
May 7 Richter Wins Drew 21 Pit Crew Memorial
April 30 Rice Lake Speedway Postponed Again
April 23 Rice Lake Too Cold, Drew Race Reset Next Week
April 20 Drew Hopes to Repeat Rice Lake Opener Win
April 6 Rice Lake Speedway Practice Planned
March 30 Rice Lake Car Show Scheduled
February 26 Rice Lake Speedway Celebrates 2004 Season
Rice Lake Speedway Announces Labor Day Weekend Schedule
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake WI – The Rice Lake Speedway will wrap up another season of stock car racing with their traditional Labor Day weekend doubleheader which this year is scheduled for Friday, September 2nd and Saturday, September 3rd .
Classes completing will be the same as in recent years and will include Wissota sanctioned Late Models, Modifieds, Midwest Modifieds, Super Stocks and Street Stocks as well as the Rice Lake Pure Stocks. The schedule will have two small changes from last year however. The Late Models , Modifieds, Super Stocks and Street Stocks will all run two full programs as normal, however, the Midwest Modifieds and Pure Stocks will also run a full show on both Friday and Saturday where last year each class participated on only one day of the doubleheader.
Last year, 224 different drivers raced during the weekend and that number is expected to be even higher this year with the addition of the Pures and Midwest Modifieds each night. Last year’s big winners were Ryan Hensel in the Pure Stocks, Jay Kesan and Wayne Dean in the Streets, Tim Borgeson and Don Drew in the Supers, Shane Halopka in the Midwest Mods, Paul Harelstad and Steve Arpin in the Modifieds and Lance Matthees and Rick Hanestad in the Late Models and most of these drivers are among the expected entrants.
The drivers will be competing for big prize money for the weekend with the Late Models racing for $1,300 to win each day, the Modifieds $1,000, The Supers $700, and the Streets and Midwest Mods both running for $400 to win each day. The Pure Stock purse is available by calling the speedway.
Gates will be open each day at 3 p.m. with the draw cutoff at 5:30 p.m. and the first race to hit the track at 6:30 p.m. each night. Grandstand admission for this special will be $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors and children 9 and under will be admitted free. Pit admission is $25 . Rough camping will also be available free.
This race is being sponsored by H & E Ready Mix, L & L Excavating, Del’s Excavating and Adams Automotive.
The Rice Lake Speedway is a third mile, banked clay oval located just north of Rice Lake between state highway 48 and Barron Co. SS. The track phone number is 715-236-2002 and the information number is 715- 837-1068. The speedway website is: www.rlspeedway.com.
Pember Tops Rice Lake Late Models
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake WI, August 20 – Eric Pember, tuning up for the Wissota Challenge Series race this coming Wednesday, made his first appearance of the year a winning one as he topped the Late Model field Saturday night at the Rice Lake Speedway. Other feature winners on Fan Appreciation night included Mike Anderson, Jason Forehand, Kevin Adams, Cory Crapser and Bobby Kaufman Jr. Next Saturday night will be the last regular season race of the year with track championships to be decided in all six divisions.
The nonstop Late Model feature saw Rick Hanestad sitting on the pole but he got off to a slow start and Terry Henck used the outside to jump into the early lead. Keane Laakson moved in behind Henck with Mike Prochnow also following on the top. Henck continued to be strong on the point as he fought off challenges from Laakson and Prochnow and started to stretch his advantage.
Pember started in the fifth position and he quickly jumped to the cushion and started to move toward the front. Also taking advantage of the top side to begin a charge was Mike Goodremote. Pember picked his way past Prochnow and Laakson and closed on Henck , who was still showing the way. Pember tried to drive under Henck but couldn’t get past him on the bottom as the race moved into its second half. Finally, Pember got a strong run off turn four and dived to the unside and was able to slide up under the former leader and take the point. Goodremote was on the move now, and he drove past Henck to take second. Pember remained on the cushion as Goodremote started to close in while Henck and Prochnow battled for third.
Goodremote closed on Pember in the final laps but Mike ran out of time as Pember, driving his first Wissota race of the year, took his first ever Late Model win at Rice Lake. Prochnow got past Henck in the late going despite a strong run by Terry and Hanestad rounded out the top five.
Mike Anderson was also a first time winner as he topped the Modifieds and in doing so, became the eighth different winner in the division this year. Anderson started on the pole but it was Aric Lindberg who took the initial lead. Anderson battled with him from the start and Mike was eventually able to power past Lindberg to take over the lead. Larry Prochnow was having a good run as he maintained the third spot while Paul Harelstad and Tony Bahr were both on the move after starting farther back in the pack.
Anderson continued to lead but Bahr and Harelstad were cutting through the field as they moved into contention. Bahr was working the high side but when his car started to get too tight, he dropped to the low side which opened the door for the rim riding Harelstad. Harelstad, running an unusual line that seemed to work, began to close up on Anderson as the laps ran down. It looked like a close finish was setting up when the yellow flew for a spin with just two laps to go.
Anderson adjusted his line on the restart and he got a good break on the green. Harelstad regrouped and made a strong run on the final tour, but Anderson held him off by a car length. Bahr finished third with Brent Prochnow making another late charge to finish ahead of Lindberg.
The Super Stock feature had five slowdowns for minor spins, but Jason Forehand had the field covered tonight as he drove to his third win of the year here. Forehand had a near miss on the opening lap as pole sitter Donny Talmage spun in turn four on the opening circuit and collected Forehand. Despite some sheet metal damage, Forehand was able to restart the event. Rick Ellis was the early leader with Forehand quickly driving into second ahead of Cory Karshbaum. Aaron Wilson, Don Drew and Kori Richter were all headed to the front when the yellow waved again for a spin.
On the restart, Forehand dropped inside Ellis and was able to take over the lead. Drew moved in to challenge Ellis and was also able to pass for second. Drew started to challenge Forehand heavily for the lead as Richter continued his charge from the fifth starting row.
With thirteen laps complete, Kevin Adams was turned around in heavy traffic and the yellow flew once again. However, Forehand picked up the pace from this point and he began to pull away from Drew who was not able to match him. Richter took the third spot and tried to pressure Drew but the top three finished in that order. Ellis settled for fourth ahead of Wilson in the final tally.
Despite a shortage of cars, the Midwest Modifieds put on an excellent feature event with several three wide battles for the lead. Brandon Bowe got off to a very good start as he jumped into the early lead. Ryan Olson quickly moved in to challenge him while Kevin Vought was flying on the high side. Vought drove to the top of Bowe and Olson dived to his inside and the leaders ran three wide. Kevin Adams, meanwhile, was also on the move after starting seventh and he closed on the top three. When Bowe slipped back slightly as the three wide challenge continued, Adams dove to the inside and replaced Bowe and the three wide race for the lead continued. While all this was going on, Mark Hanson found the top groove fast and he came flying up from eighth to challenge also. He nearly got by all the leaders but slipped over the cushion which cost him time.
Adams was able to pull ahead on the low side and after the shuffling settled down, he was able to extend his lead in the late going. Hanson settled into second ahead of Olson with Vought and Bowe rounding out the top five. Adams’ win was his eighth of the year in the Midwest Modifieds here.
Cory Crapser won his third Street Stock feature of the year at Rice Lake as he overcame Terry Sirik to take the win. Sirek started on the pole but had to battle hard with Travis Hazelton during the opening laps. As Sirek moved under and past Hazelton, Crapser dove low and got under Sirek and took over the lead. As Crapser put some distance on the field. Sirek battled for second with Butch Madsen and Tito Viltz while Steve Golat and Jay Kesan were also moving up.
Kesan found the outside to be to his liking as he drove past Golat and closed on the three car battle for second. Kesan, locked in a point battle with Wayne Dean for the track crown, closed on the battle for second. As Crapser drove home for the win, Kesan edged past Madsen and then, off the final corner, drove past Sirek to finish second. Unofficially, that allowed him to tie Dean for the track point title pending a complete review of the point tally.
Bobby Kaufman Jr. won his second feature race of the weekend and third of the year here as he charged up from the fifth row and then held off a late race challenge from Darwin Brown. Jim Miller led the early laps from the pole and put on another strong performance as Kaufman Jr, Brown, Joel Hinrichs and Tony Luell all came driving up through the pack. Kaufman Jr. was able to find the openings in the pack and he dove under Miller to take over the lead. Brown came charging up into second and began to close on the leader. Luell and Hinrichs came together as they battled on the back chute but everyone was able to continue on without damage. Kaufman Jr was feeling the heat as Brown closed in during the closing laps. Brown made an all out charge on the final two laps and was nailed to Kaufman Jr.’s rear bumper, but Bobby never wavered as he drove on for the win. Luell got past Miller in the closing rounds to take third ahead of Hinrichs.
Point champions were determined tonight on the last night to collect track points , and besides the tie between Dean and Kesan in the Street Stocks, other champions included Hinrichs in the Pure Stocks, Richter in the Super Stocks, Adams in the Midwest Modifieds, Todd Siddons in the Modifieds and Hanestad in the Late Models.
Next Saturday night, August 27th, the Season Championships will be determined in all six classes. With sponsorship from Tim’s Automotive Machine and the Adventure Bar, the drivers will line up for their heat races based on points accumulated during the course of the season. They will then qualify for their respective feature races based on their heat race finishes. All cars on hand will race with the first green flag to fly at 6:30 p.m. The race season will then conclude with the annual Labor Day weekend doubleheader to be contested on Friday and Saturday, September 2nd and 3rd . All six classes will be running full programs each night with sponsorship from H & E Ready Mix, L & L Excavating, Del’s Excavating and Adams Automotive. Race time will be 6:30 p.m.
Challenge Series Finale and Little Dream Scheduled For Rice Lake
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake WI – The final round of the Tri Star Engine Supply Wissota Challenge Series for Late Models and the "Little Dream" race for Street Stocks is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, August 24th at the Rice Lake Speedway with a rain date of the 25th to be used as needed.
The Challenge Series is Wissota’s traveling series for the Late Models with the series visiting three states so far this season. With four races yet to be contested before the Rice Lake show, Elk Mound Wisconsin’s John Kaanta leads Pat Doar of New Richmond Wisconsin by the narrow margin of thirteen points unofficially. With over fifty points available each race night, the lead for Kaanta is tenuous at this juncture of the tour. The final battle is expected to go right down to the wire with the champion to be crowned on August 24th .
Last year fourty Late Models waited out an over two hour rain delay after the track was struck by a thunderstorm after qualifications were completed. Joel Cryderman of Thunder Bay Ontario was the winner and collected a paycheck for $5,000 for the win. Perhaps even more cars than last year can be expected to compete this year as the Challenge Series has been breaking records everywhere for car count and this year’s finale will be the night after a rescheduled event at the Superior Speedway which should help boost the car count.
Also on the card that night will be the "Little Dream" for street stocks, one of the most prestigious events for street stocks in all of Wissota racing. Last year fourty eight streets were on hand with Scott Paulson of Kimball Minnesota taking home over $800 for his win. The "Little Dream" is unique in that spectators and businesses contribute money toward the winning purse or for any other position for that matter with money having been put on the line for such things as last place in the feature to the highest finishing Ford and virtually every other scenario possible. It becomes a fun part of the night as fans watch the tally rise and the contributions get more and more interesting. The Street Stock winner will be guaranteed $500 for the win but the final purse is expected to be much higher.
The Late Model portion of the program will be presented by Coor’s Light and Pepsi while the "Little Dream" is being presented by Buzz Signs & Graphics.
Gates will open at 4 p.m. with the cutoff for drivers being 6:30 p.m. and the first race will hit the track at 7 p.m. General admission will be $15 for this race with students and seniors paying $10. Children aged 9 and under will be admitted free.
The Rice Lake Speedway is a high banked third mile clay track located one mile north of Rice Lake midway between state highway 48 and Barron Co. SS. The track phone number is 715-236-2002. Visit the speedway website for more track information at www.rlspeedway.com
Gilberts Bests Rice Lake Late Models
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake WI, August 13 – Scott Gilberts and Ryan Olson both won their first ever career feature races as racing action continued Saturday night at the Rice Lake Speedway. Other winners on a quick night of racing included Jason Miller, Don Drew, Jay Kesan and Tony Luell.
The Late Models ran off a nonstop main event with Jerry Weigel and Mike Prochnow battling in the early going. Weigel raced off the cushion to edge ahead of last week’s feature winner and show the way to the field for a number of laps. Curt Myers and Keane Laakson ran side by side for third with Gilberts, John Kaanta, Duane Mahder and Rick Hanestad all looking for racing room on a high speed, congested track.
Weigel continued to fly off the cushion with Prochnow close behind as Gilberts started to move up on the inside of the track. Gilberts was able to get under Myers for third and he closed on Prochnow while Mahder also found room on the bottom and he followed Gilberts advance.
Gilberts and Mahder both got by Prochnow and closed on Weigel. The battle for the lead saw the three cars run in tight formation with Gilberts gradually edging under Weigel to take over the lead. Jerry fought hard but Mahder was also able to eventually take over the second spot. Gilberts was able to sneak away by about three car lengths and while Mahder pushed hard, he wasn’t able to cut into Gilberts lead as Scott took his initial win here and first clean sweep of his career after winning his first career main earlier this summer. Weigel finished a close third while a late battle for fourth saw Hanestad get under both Prochnow and Kaanta at the line.
The Midwest Modified feature also went without a yellow flag slowdown, and Olson started on the pole and held off a late charge from Kevin Adams to take his first win at Rice Lake. Olson pulled away from Scott Erickson in the early going while Greg Chesley and Nick Lavato battled for third. Adams started tenth but quickly used the high side to move into the fourth spot. However, he got too high in turn two and Erickson got back under him with Adams having to make the charge again.
Olson was putting distance on the field with Chesley still holding off Lavato while Adams methodically worked his way back into contention. Despite a slipping transmission, Adams was able to work past both the Twin Ports drivers and set off after Olson. However, Ryan had built up too much of a cushion and while Adams pushed hard on the final lap, Olson held him off by three car lengths for the win. Lavato got past Chesley for third with Erickson having his finest run to round out the top five.
Jason Miller led all the way to record his second Modified win of the year at Rice Lake. He started on the pole and was never seriously challenged in the twenty lap main event. Aric Lindberg had another strong run as he maintained the second position for most of the first half of the race before Jed Moore drove around him on the cushion to take the runner up slot. Shaun Kreyer and Brent Prochnow battled behind them with Todd Siddons and Paul Harelstad on the move after started in the sixth row.
Two spins near the halfway point slowed the action but each time Miller would drive away from the field with Moore settling into second. Siddons continued his charge as he got under Prochnow and moved into third and set off after Lindberg. With only a couple laps left, Moore lost control in turn four and spun into the infield, handing the second spot to Siddons. Miller drove home uncontested for the win with Siddons taking over the point lead with his finish. Harelstad made a late rush to edge Lindberg for third with Prochnow next in line.
Rookie Ryan Hensel led the opening rounds of the Super Stock feature as he held off Greg Alling and Chuck Metzgar in the early going. Hensel looked good as he continued to lead the field with the yellow first waving with three laps complete for a spin. On the restart, a big snarl occurred in turn four with Kori Richter getting up on the car of Alling and the yellow flew again. Alling and Todd Madsen were eliminated.
On the green, Kevin Adams and Don Drew, both of whom had moved up after starting several rows back, were able to drive past Hensel who was developing a pushing condition. Adams led but Drew was tight on his rear bumper with Jason Forehand and Rick Ellis following.
Drew continued to trail tightly on Adams’ bumper when Kevin suddenly slowed in turn three with front end problems. Drew took over the lead as Adams was able to limp off the track. Jake Redetzke was riding the cushion and he drove into fourth spot and set off after the leaders.
In the late going, Drew started to take command and he pulled away from Forehand for his second win of the year. Ellis hung on for third while Richter made a charge from the back of the pack to edge past Redetzke on the final lap.
Another nonstop feature involved the Street Stocks with Butch Madsen on the pole but before one lap was completed, Jay Kesan drove around him in the middle groove and pulled into the lead. As Madsen chased Kesan, Butch Kummer settled into third but he was being pressured by Steve Golat and Scott Clark.
Kesan continued to maintain his lead with Madsen pushing hard to catch him as Golat also moved to the second lane and drove around Kummer to take third. While there was battling going on back in the pack, the top three remained the same as Kesan continued to drive a smooth line on his way to his second win of the year here. Golat maintained third with Terry Sirek moving into fourth ahead of Clark.
The Pure Stock feature was slowed four times for minor spins but it didn’t bother Tony Luell who led all the way for his third win of the season. After a first lap spin shuffled the pack, Luell pulled out ahead of Morgan Crotteau and Josh Amans. While Luell continued to lead, Crotteau hung tough in second with the third place up for grabs as Jamey Fisher and Joel Hinrichs jockeyed along with Amans for the spot with Jim Miller, Wade Aspen and Sam Fankhauser also in a cluster behind them.
Zach Ellis was also on a rush into the top five until he and Amans tangled with only three laps to go with Ellis going to the tail and Amans restored to his position. The final sprint saw Luell once again clear himself from the field to take the win while the rookie Crotteau had an outstanding run to take second. Fisher fought his way back into third ahead of Hinrichs and Amans while Darwin Brown came from twenty second to finish sixth.
Next Saturday night, August 20th, will be Fan Appreciation night sponsored by Huebsch Services and Rainbow Home Center. There will be a number of door prices for the spectators and other surprises and it will be the last night to garner track points for the 2005 season. Race time is 6:30 p.m. Also, the Late Models and Street Stocks are gearing up for the Wissota Challenge Series race on Wednesday, August 24th with a rain date of the 25th . It will be the final round of the Challenge Series and the new champion will be crowned that night. Also on the card will be the "Little Dream" for the Streets with the spectators encouraged to help contribute to the Street Stock payoff which guarantees $500 to the winner with the actual figure normally much higher. Race time on the 24th is 7 p.m.
Mike Prochnow First Timer At Rice Lake
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake WI, August 6 – Mike Prochnow won his first ever Late Model main event and Kevin Adams edged Mike Anderson by inches in the Super Stock feature race for his second win of the night to highlight the racing action Saturday night at the Rice Lake Speedway. Dave Cain topped the Modified field while other winners included Chris Peterson and Darwin Brown on a busy night of racing that also included two dozen of the Northern Vintage Race Cars.
The Late Model feature went nonstop with Prochnow moving off the outside pole to take the early lead as Terry Henck and Casey Mincoff battled for second. Prochnow ran the second lane as he moved out by eight car lengths as the battle for second continued. Chad Mahder was on the move also as he closed in on the battle for second. Henck hung tough but Mincoff was finally able to get past him and then take off after Prochnow.
Bryan Hessler was also having a good run as he moved to the high side and drove up beside Mahder and they battled for position. Mincoff picked up the pace as the race neared the midpoint and he closed to within two car lengths of Prochnow who continued to run the middle of the track. Hessler also was able to hold off several challenges by Mahder as Rick Hanestad started to advance slowly through the field.
Prochnow was able to withstand Mincoff’s best efforts and near the end of the race he started to pull away from Mincoff. Prochnow never missed a beat as he drove an extremely smooth race with the second year Late Model driver crossing the line with room to spare for his first ever feature win in the class. Mincoff also had a solid run as he was alone in second. The battle for third saw Mahder slip under Hessler with just over a lap to go and Hanestad followed suit on the final lap.
The Super Stock feature had a terrible time getting going but once all the spinning was out of the way, it turned out to be an excellent race for those that had the patience to wait out all the miscues.
Cory Mahder drew the pole position and he jumped into the initial lead over Greg Alling with Dan Nissalke and Cory Karshbaum battling for third. Todd Madsen was also a factor early as the spins and stalls started early. The yellow flag waved three times in the first three laps and five times in the first five laps, all for minor spins.
Mahder continued to hold the point but Alling was putting the pressure on him while Madsen also was quickly moving into contention. On one of the restarts, Mahder got crossed up in turn two and shot up the track, giving up several positions with Madsen taking over the lead. A strong running Nissalke moved into second and began to pressure Madsen while Mahder fought to get back up to third.
Nissalke drove hard into turn three, got to the inside of Madsen and contact was made between the two. Madsen rolled to a halt with a flat tire and the yellow came out again. An agitated Madsen raced to the pits for a tire change while Nissalke inherited the lead.
Nissalke took off as the new leader but just at this point, the track, which had been a low groove affair, suddenly opened wide as Mike Anderson and Kevin Adams both moved to the high side and made immediate progress. Anderson started seventh but he drove around Nissalke while the ninth starting Adams followed Anderson through the pack. They then began to battle for the lead during the last half of the race as Mahder and Nissalke raced side by side for many laps.
Adams closed on Anderson and made several serious attempts as the race neared its conclusion. Going down the back chute of the final lap, Adams pulled up beside Anderson and they raced off the final turn wheel to wheel. At the line, Adams had the win by a bumper in a thriller. It was the first win here in the Supers for Adams who has struggled with this car and he became the eighth different winner this season. Mahder edged out Nissalke in an excellent battle for third with Kori Richter coming from fourteenth to fifth at the finish.
Adams’ win in the Midwest Modifieds was considerably easier than the Supers. He started in the second row but drove around both Mark Thomas and Frank Soucek on the opening round to take the lead before the first lap was done. He then built up a big lead as first Greg Thell, then Shane Halopka took the second spot. Halopka was able to cut into Adams’ advantage as the race ran down, but was never able to establish a real challenge. It was Adams’ seventh win in the MM at Rice Lake. Thell’s first appearance resulted in a third place finish ahead of Kevin Vought while Riley Matthews got past Thomas for fifth.
A solid field of Modifieds was on hand but the field had to chance a racing veteran in Larry Prochnow for many laps before Dave Cain and then Jason Miller were finally able to get past him and stage their own battle for the win.
Prochnow got the jump at the start and led the early laps with Aric Lindberg and Paul Harelstad chasing. Lindberg made a strong run in turn two, but he got the back of Prochnow who went for a spin and brought out the yellow flag. Prochnow got his spot back and the race proceeded.
Prochnow continued to lead with Harelstad providing the challenge as Cain and Miller began to move from the fifth row. Buddy Mayala and Mike Anderson(Colfax) were both having strong runs but Cain was eventually able to drive past both of them with Miller also moving up. Harelstad got inside Prochnow to take over the lead but no sooner than he was in front, he broke the rear end gears in his car and pulled into the infield giving Prochnow the lead back. Prochnow found himself with quite an edge on the field but that was wiped out when Anderson spun after contact with the concrete wall with eleven laps completed.
Cain jumped to the outside of Prochnow on the restart and was able to drive into the lead. Miller then began to pressure Prochnow and was able to get past him for second. Cain saw his lead ended with a spin with four laps to go. Miller threw everything he had at Cain, but Dave withstood his challenges and maintained his two car length margin to the finish for his second win of the year here. Prochnow came home an excellent third with Mayala and Brent Prochnow filling out the top five.
Brown made the Ford fans happy as he won his second Pure Stock feature of the year wit his Thunderbird. He started in the second row and was able to get past early leader Joel Hinrichs and once in front, he opened up a margin not often seen in the Pures as he pulled away from the field. Bobby Kaufman Jr moved up to take second from Hinrichs with Wade Aspen and Jamey Fisher also in the top five.
The Street Stocks had a small field of cars but they made up for that flaw with an excellent feature event that saw Chris Peterson make some of the most spectacular moves of any driver all night. Wayne Dean and Steve Golat battled for the early lead with Golat edging ahead by inches in the early going. Dean drove back inside Golat and the battle for the top spot continued. Cory Crapser looked to the low side to make it three wide and then Jay Kesan moved to the high side to replace Crapser as the third party in a three wide battle. Peterson started eighth and moved to the high side where he was clearly very quick and he pulled in to join the congestion that was the battle for the lead. He was able to edge past Kesan on the high side and suddenly he was the third car in the three car battle.
Peterson found his car worked very well up high and he drove his car higher and harder into the turns than almost anyone all night. With that kind of momentum, he was able to drive around both Golat and Dean and take over the lead.
Once in front, he was able to put distance on the field as they continued to battle for what was now second spot. Dean eventually took the position and tried to close on Peterson, but it was not to be as Peterson smoothly drove on for his second win of the year here. Kesan held on for third ahead of Golat and Scott Clark.
Racing action continues next Saturday, August 13th , on County Market and Schwan’s night at the speedway. Once again, all six classes will be in action with race time being 6:30 p.m.
Upcoming on August 24th is the final round of the WISSOTA Challenge Series for Late Models along with the Street Stock Little Dream race.
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake WI, July 30 – Rick Ellis won his first Super Stock feature event of the year at the Rice Lake Speedway to highlight the racing action Saturday night. On a beautiful night for racing , a large crowd and full field of cars were on hand and the other winners included John Kaanta, Tony Bahr, Kevin Adams, Wayne Dean and Bobby Kaufman Jr.
Pat Jungerberg held the pole position for the Super Stock finale, but it was Steve Thomas on the outside that took the early lead. Ellis moved up quickly from the second row to slide into second with Kevin Adams following suit. Behind them, Kori Richter, Steve Hallquist and Jason Forehand fought for position.
The yellow flag waved with five lap in for debris on the track and the course of the race changed at this point. Previously, Thomas looked to be in good shape but on the restart Ellis jumped to the outside, got a good run off turn two, and powered past Thomas to take over the lead. Once in front, he began to put distance on the field as his car was running superior to the field. Adams closed in to challenge Thomas for second as Don Drew picked up the pace and pulled in to challenge Forehand and Richter.
Ellis continued to dominate the action and he wasn’t seriously challenged the rest of the event as he became the seventh different Super Stock victor this season. Thomas had a solid run for second while Adams held off the charging Drew for third with Richter next in line.
Kaanta continued his red-hot pace of recent weeks as he came from the seventh position to win his fourth Late Model feature event at Rice Lake and pad his top spot in the national point standings. Chad Mahder sat on the pole and led the opening laps in another strong run as he continues to search for his first ever feature win. Jerry Weigel slipped into second while a great battle for third saw heavy traffic as Duane Mahder, Mike Goodremote, Scott Gilberts, Rick Hanestad and Kaanta fought for position.
As Chad Mahder continued to lead, Kaanta found openings in the pack and he rocketed up to the third spot. He quickly disposed of Weigel and closed on the leader. With a strong outside move off turn four, he powered past Chad to take over the lead.
Hanestad was starting to move up at this point along with Tony Bahr who had started twelth on the field. A yellow for a spin bunched the field but Kaanta once again pulled away on the green. Chad Mahder had a great run go sour when mechanical problems saw him suddenly slow and pull into the infield. Hanestad moved in to challenge Weigel for second with Goodremote and Bahr also closing. As Kaanta took the checkered, Hanestad drove around Weigel on the last lap to take second with Weigel holding off Goodremote and Bahr.
Bahr had better luck with his Modified as he led all the way to take his second open wheel victory of the season here. He started on the outside pole, just where he wanted to be, and he jumped up on the cushion and quickly pulled away from the field. Jamie Bisonette held second briefly but when he got high, Ross Prochnow was right there to take the position. A good battle saw Jason Gross, Paul Harelstad, Jed Moore and Brent Prochnow among others jockeying for position.
Moore had a suspension failure and he spun in turn four in heavy traffic , triggering a grinding crash that eliminated himself along with A.J. Heuer, Aric Lindberg, Brian Siddons and Larry Prochnow.
Bahr once again powered away from the field on the restart as he was flying on the outside while Brent Prochnow picked up the pace. He drove under both Harelstad and Ross Prochnow to take second . Bahr continued on for the relatively easy win while the Prochnows continued to battle to the end with Brent holding on. Harelstad finished fourth with Bisonette next in line.
Kevin Adams won his sixth Midwest Modified main event but he was hard pressed tonight as a strong field of competitors fought him tooth and nail. Rookie Matt Leer raced hard with Nick Lavato in the early going before Lavato was able to secure the lead spot. Lavato, making his first start of the year here, moved away from the field in an impressive performance. Meanwhile, Adams was driving hard as he moved through some tough runners after starting sixth. He was able to get past Jason Gross and then move under Ryan Olson to take second. He closed on Lavato and they had a good battle for the lead.
Back in the pack, Kevin Vought and Shane Holopka were charging to the front after starting in the sixth row as they raced hard with Mark Hanson. Adams was able to edge under Lavato and take the lead just before the yellow waved when Vought and Hanson came together. Adams had the lead for the four lap sprint, and he managed to pull away from Lavato who, nevertheless, had a strong run. Holopka made a late surge that saw him get all the way up to third ahead of Vought and Olson.
The Street Stock field was a short one tonight but despite that fact, they put on a good feature event that saw the top three car run under a blanket for the lead. Scott Clark had the pole position and he quickly went to the cushion where he battled with Wayne Dean and Jay Kesan. Dean was able to edge into the lead after a first lap yellow for a spinning Butch Madsen. Dean continued to hold the lead but Kesan was nailed to his rear bumper. Steve Golat was charging also as he got past Clark and Cory Crapser to move into third and he looked ready to mount a severe challenge.
Dean continued to circle the track with Kesan nailed to his rear end, but Wayne refused to provide any openings and he drove on for his fourth win of the year at Rice Lake. Behind Kesan, Golat ran a very strong third with Clark and Crapser following.
The only feature race of the night that had issues was the Pure Stocks, and apparently the big , twenty four car starting field was too much for them to handle as six yellows saw the event cut to and eight lap distance. Early yellows for spinning cars slowed the action as Sam Fankhauser held the early lead with Clint Weber and Bobby Kaufman Jr trying to challenge him. It took four tries to get the first lap in, before real racing could proceed with Kaufman Jr quickly getting to second and pressuring Fankhauser. Dustin Schultz and Morgan Crotteau were having strong runs while Jamie Fisher, Adam Soltis and Joel Hinrichs were all advancing in the field.
Schultz’s car started to smoke as it was running hot and down the back chute it suddenly slowed dramatically. Trapped in heavy traffic, he couldn’t get out of the way and was hammered by several cars in the hardest wreck of the night. Along with Schultz, the cars of Soltis, Colton Ellis and Ryan Greener were all eliminated.
It was decided to end the race at that point with a two lap dash, and despite Fankhauser rubbing him on the green , Kaufman Jr drove on to his second win of the year at Rice Lake. Fankhauser finished a strong second with Hinrichs making a late rush for third. Weber had his best run of the year for fourth with Fisher rounding out the top five.
Racing action continues next Saturday night on Link Bros. Ford-Lincoln-Mercury of Rice Lake night. All six classes will be in action as usual and they will be joined by the Vintage cars of the Northern Vintage racing group. Race time will be 6:30 p.m.
Point Leaders Dominate Rice Lake Action
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake WI, July 16 – Four drivers leading their respective division track point chase showed why Saturday night at the Rice Lake Speedway. Rick Hanestad, Jed Moore, Kevin Adams and Kori Richter, all four on top in track points in their divisions, came home with feature wins along with Butch Madsen and Darwin Brown.
Jerry Weigel led the opening lap of the Late Model feature as he got the jump on Hanestad in the early going. Weigel was in the midst of a good run and he led several laps as Hanestad worked hard to track him down. Casey Mincoff also was running well as he slipped into third to jockey with Mike Goodremote for the position. Hanestad moved to the second lane and started to close on Weigel and driving out of turn four, moved into the lead.
As Hanestad started to pull away, farther back in the pack Todd Gehl and Johnny Hunker were both having nice runs. Hunker was running the cushion as he battled past Keane Laakson to take over fourth. Gehl started in the fifth row and it took him awhile to get going, but once his car started working in the middle lane, he too, came charging to the front. Hanestad was alone as he drove on for his third win of the year here while Weigel had his best finish at second. Gehl made a late charge as he got past Hunker and nearly nipped Goodremote for third.
The Modified feature was a dandy with Moore having to hold off two severe challenges during the race. Jamie Bisonette took the early lead with Moore moving into second. Bisonette was soon challenged by Moore and he got under Jamie off turn four to take over the lead. All eyes were focused back in the pack as Paul Harelstad was making a charge of epic proportions. He started seventeenth on the grid but was using the high line to fly toward the front of the field. He was all the way up against the wall in the corners but was getting tremendous bite as he forged his way toward the front at a rapid pace. He came off turn two in a four wide battle and somehow found room up against the wall as he squeezed by Mike Anderson to crack the top five. He then drove around Brent Prochnow and Bisonette and closed on leader Moore. They came off turn four side by side and Harelstad edged into the lead but just then the yellow flag flew as Aric Lindberg found the wall.
The green waved for the restart and while Moore took off, Harelstad was in trouble as he snapped an axle and was done for the event. As Moore continued to lead , it was Prochnow that made the next move, driving around Bisonette and then closing on Moore. As Moore continued to make consistent laps on the bottom, Prochnow gradually reeled in the leader but he ran out of time. His last lap charge came up a car length short as Moore took his third win of the year here and cracked the tie in the points battle with Todd Siddons. Bisonette had a fine run for third ahead of Buddy Mayala and Mike Anderson(Dallas).
Richter had his hands full in the early going as Don Drew got the jump on him and took the early lead. However Drew pushed out in the corner and both Richter and Kevin Adams got under him to take the top two spots. Todd Madsen was on the move as he battled with Steve Hallquist and Scott Zitelman for position behind the leaders. Bad luck struck as Hallquist looped in turn four and Zitelman had no where to go and crashed into Steve, eliminating both cars.
Richter got a good start on the green and gradually pulled away from the field during the last half of the race which ran without a yellow. He drove on to his fourth win of the year here, tops in the class. Adams’ rebuilt car performed well as he ran a strong second over Madsen while Drew got back in the groove and took fourth over a charging Rick Ellis.
Brad Hudson took the early lead in the Midwest Modified main event with Kevin Adams quickly moving in to challenge him. Adams got under Hudson in turn four to take over the lead but the yellow waved for a spin.
This time Adams was lined to the outside of Hudson and he out powered him into the first turn to take over the lead. Once in front, he began to pull away. Hudson was soon challenged for the runnerup slot by Kevin Vought and they exchanged the position before Vought settled into it. Hudson slowed dramatically on the back straightaway and rolled through the fourth turn and into the infield. Just as he rolled to a halt, the car ignited into a huge ball of flames. Hudson quickly bailed out uninjured but it took several minutes to extinguish the fire which was a major one. Reportedly, the driveshaft on the car broke and punched a hole in the fuel cell with the driveshaft being imbedded in the track on the back chute. The car then caught fire as he stopped when the fuel sloshed against the hot headers on the car.
When racing resumed, Adams was challenged briefly by Kevin Vought but then pulled away to record his fifth win here in the MM. Kevin Vought finished second with Tom Johnson edging Darin Vought for third and Frank Soucek rounded out the top five.
Butch Madsen ran away with the Street Stock feature as he started on the front row, quickly pulled away from Drew Sauer and then left the rest of the pack to battle it out while he sailed away comfortably in front . While Madsen took away any drama for the battle for the win, the race was excellent for second on back as the rest of the field was locked in a tight pack that was jockeying on every turn of the track. Wayne Dean eventually used the high side to come from eighth and lock into the second spot. When the lone yellow flew when Terry Sirek and Cory Crapser got together, it gave Dean his chance but Madsen would have none of it as he again pulled away from the hot running Dean. They finished in that order , however behind them the running order was scrambled when third place finisher Steve Golat was disqualified for a technical violation. This elevated Jimmy Randall to third ahead of Scott Clark and Jay Kesan.
Darwin Brown, recently returned to the race track after a number of years on the sidelines, won his first feature race since 1995 as he topped the Pure Stock main event with his Ford. Josh Amans took the early lead but Sam Fankhauser moved inside him and positioned himself to take his first win ever. However, Brown and Joel Hinrichs charged into contention and it turned into a three car battle for the lead. Brown was riding the high side and was able to drive deeper into the corners and he edged past Fankhauser into the lead. Hinrichs challenged him every step of the way but it was Brown who drove home under the checkers to get the popular win. Fankhauser settled for third as his quest for his first win continues with Ryan Hensel driving up from ninth to finish fourth ahead of Tony Luell.
There will be no racing at the Rice Lake Speedway next Saturday, July 23rd as the Barron County Fair will be in progress. The drivers will return, refreshed and reinvigorated, on Saturday, July 30th which will be Thompson & Nelson Insurance and Ken-Way Services night at the track. All six classes will be in action with the first green flag to drop at 6:30 p.m.
Kaanta Edges Goody In Rice Lake Thriller
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake WI, July 9 – On a hot, steamy night in northern Wisconsin, the action on the track matched the weather conditions with some close feature action highlighting the show. Topping the evening was a fiercely waged Late Model battle that saw John Kaanta hold off everything that Mike Goodremote could throw at him to claim the top prize in the highest Wissota class. The number two was prominent Saturday as Wayne Dean, Jason Forehand and Paul Harelstad all won their second feature races of the year here. Kevin Adams scored yet another Midwest Modified win and the Pure Stocks was topped by first time winner Josh Amans.
Bad luck struck pole sitter Duane Mahder for the Late Model headliner when he had suspension failure before the race ever began and he had to pull off the track before the green ever waved. This moved Kaanta to the pole and he took the early lead with Goodremote sliding into the second spot. Keane Laakson was having another strong run as he took third with Troy Kuyoth moving to the cushion to try and track him down. Goodremote picked up the pace and closed on Kaanta as the first yellow came out when Casey Mincoff suffered suspension problems and parked on the track.
Kaanta continued to lead with Goodremote applying lots of pressure. Tony Bahr was on the move after starting eleventh as he raced hard with his team mate Kuyoth. Goodremote got to the high side of Kaanta and was about to drive by him when the yellow waved one more time for a spin in turn four. Adam Hensel took his car pit side at this point.
The second half of the race saw Goodremote all over Kaanta as he tried repeatedly to get by. Kaanta kept changing lines on the track as Goodremote roared off the cushion with a full head of steam. They came together briefly in turn four but both continued on without incident. Meanwhile, Laakson had his hands full as both Kuyoth and Bahr were racing him hard. On the final lap, Goodremote had a run on the inside at Kaanta down the back chute. He threw it hard into turn three and got beside Kaanta but the car wouldn’t stick and he spun sideways. Kaanta continued on for his third win of the year here while Goodremote recovered to hold on to third. Bahr made a late charge on the low side to take the third spot ahead of Kuyoth and Laakson.
Harelstad returned to victory lane for the first time since bringing out his new car but it was a tough struggle as the story of the night was Aric Lindberg. After winning his first ever heat race earlier in the evening, he put on a strong performance , that except for an unwanted yellow flag, may have cost him his first ever feature win.
Lindberg started on the pole and quickly pulled away from the field in the early going as Bryan Bisonette, Buddy Mayala, Harelstad and Jed Moore battled for second. Harelstad eventually went to the high side and drove past Bisonette to take over second. Lindberg had built up a half straightaway lead when the yellow flew for a two car spin in turn three. This bunched the field with Harelstad and Lindberg battling under the green. Harelstad was eventually able to edge out front down the back chute and then put some distance on the field. Moore was the next charger as he got past Mayala and then drove around Lindberg to take over second. However, the green flag remained out and he wasn’t able to cut into Harelstad’s lead the rest of the way. Mayala ran a strong third at the finish with Lindberg and Larry Prochnow both also having strong runs.
Jason Forehand led all the way in the nonstop Super Stock main event. He jumped from the outside pole to edge away from Aaron Wilson in the early going. Wilson hung on Forehand’s bumper for a few laps but Jason would gradually pull away. Todd Madsen and Eric Olson had a great battle going for third until Olson had a tire go down and he dropped out of the action.
Forehand then gradually pulled away and remained unchallenged the rest of the event. Madsen remained in the third spot behind Wilson while Scott Zitelman had a strong run for fourth and Jake Redetzke rounded out the top five.
Brad Hudson had a strong night in the Midwest Modifieds as he took the early lead and quickly opened some distance on the field. Adams started sixth on the grid and quickly jumped to the cushion where he drove around Darin Vought and Mark Hanson to take over second. The race was stopped when the action got too heavy in turn one, with six cars getting together. Hanson and Wayne Harris Jr. were eliminated with Harris Jr. driving right over the hood on Hanson’s car and nearly going unside down.
Adams applied the pressure to Hudson on the start and Kevin was able to drive past Brad to take over the lead. Once in front, he opened what looked to be a comfortable lead , however, Shane Holopka had other ideas. He came storming to the front after starting ninth, and drove under Hudson for second. He then began to rapidly close on Adams, cutting his lead nearly in half.
However, the white flag was soon displayed, and Holopka didn’t have the time he needed to mount a serious charge as Adams took his fourth win of the year here. Behind Hudson, Darin Vought held off a last lap challenge by brother Kevin to take the fourth spot.
Wayne Dean managed to maneuver his way to the front of the Street Stock field and once he did so, he was able to check out on the field. However, the battle for second was one of the best races of the night as drivers exchanged positions and lanes on the track on nearly every corner. Shane Kisling, Scott Clark, Terry Sirek, Jay Kesan, Butch Madsen and Cory Crapser were in one big group and their race for position was excellent. Kisling lost out when he spun but the remainer of that pack continued to fight it out. Clark looked fast on the cushion for awhile and Crapser was also nearly in the second spot, but the driver that found the openings was Madsen who wormed his way into the runner up slot at the finish. Kesan came on strong to take third ahead of Crapser and Sirek.
A big field of Pure Stocks battled it out in their main event with Jim Miller looking for his first ever win , taking the early lead. He survived a spin with one lap complete, as he was restored to his position as another driver was tagged for the caution.
Miller continued to lead with Josh Amans moving into second and challenging as the lead pack held about six cars running very equally. Miller had Amans pull up beside him and Amans was able to take over the lead. Tony Luell was on the move after starting tenth as he secured the third spot and looked to pass Miller also.
Jamie Fisher, Darwin Brown and Ryan Hensel were also rapidly closing in on the field as the battles for position heated up. Just as Amans was set to take the white flag, Luell got turned around in turn two and the yellow flew for a second time.
Luell got his position back for the start but Amans got a good start and put a small gap between himself and the field. Luell drove around Miller for second and closed on the leader but Amans had a safe margin and he drove under the checkered with two cars lengths to spare. For the rookie driver, it was his first ever feature win. Miller held on for a strong third with Brown and Hensel rounding out the top five.
Upcoming to the Rice Lake Speedway on Saturday, July 16th , is AAM Customs & Kadinger II sponsored U.C.P. night. Race time in 6:30 p.m. with all six classes in competition once again. After that, the speedway takes a week off as on July 23rd there will be no racing due to the Barron Co. Fair.
Drew On Top Of Rice Lake Supers
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake WI, July 2 – In front of a huge holiday crowd, Don Drew recorded a popular feature win in the Super Stock main event to headline the racing program Saturday at the Rice Lake Speedway. Drew’s win, his first of the year, was met with great enthusiasm from the partisan crowd. Other winners at the Firecracker special included Duane Mahder, Tony Bahr, Kevin Adams, Jay Kesan and Ryan Hensel.
Drew started third in the nonstop main event for the Supers but quickly moved into the runner up spot in the order behind Greg Alling. Drew was all over Alling as he challenged for the lead while Todd Madsen and Kori Richter were both charging up from the sixth row. Drew tried several times to poke a nose under Alling, but Greg continued to hold the low line. So Drew changed up his strategy and moved to the second lane of the track. He picked up momentum and drove around Alling in turn four to take over the lead.
Once in front , he quickly put distance on the field as the battle instead focused on the second spot. Steve Hallquist was having another strong run and he got by Alling to take over second. Madsen and Richter continued to move and they also eventually got by Alling. Drew was in heavy traffic but his car was quick and he cut through the traffic to maintain his lead. Madsen began to close on Hallquist as the laps ran down.
Drew drove home uncontested for the win, marking the sixteenth straight year that he has won at least one Super Stock feature win at Rice Lake, possibly a Wissota record. Madsen got under Hallquist on the final tour to take second but Steve was able to fight off Richter for third with Alling rounding out the top five.
Duane Mahder appears back in the groove at Rice Lake. After a rocky start to the season, Mahder has now won his second straight Late Model feature here. He started on the front row but it was Keane Laakson who took the early lead. It took Mahder a couple laps to find the fast line but he went to the top of the track, and followed by son Chad, he drove around Keane to take over the lead. Once in front, he immediately stretched out his advantage and the battle shifted to the fight for second spot. Chad Mahder had gained that position but Tony Bahr was on the move after starting seventh and he worked on C. Mahder for the position. Bahr slid under Mahder in turn four to take second but Mahder came roaring back and the two made some contact with Bahr being forced high in turn two and Mahder regained the position. As these two waged war, Rick Hanestad started to pick up the pace running in the middle of the track. He slipped under Chad in the late going to take second with Chad nipping Bahr for third.
While things didn’t go Bahr’s way in the Late Model, the Modified was a different story as Tony drove Willy Little’s car to its first win of the year at Rice Lake, and he became the seventh different driver to win in the Modifieds so far this year. The Modified feature was a lesson in patience tonight as repeated spins slowed the pace to that of a snail’s.
Typically, the Modifieds do a good job here of racing under the green, but tonight it was one lap and a spin, one lap and a spin etc. While the yellow flag got a work out, there were no serious crashes and only five starters did not complete the distance.
Bahr started on the front row and he went to the cushion immediately. Jed Moore challenged early but it was A.J. Heuer that provided the most serious threat. Heuer’s car has been working great on the low side here, and again tonight the was able to get under cars off the corners as he moved into second. He never really had a legitimate chance to challenge Bahr, as racing was so disjointed that no more than a lap or two consecutively could be made.
Finally track officials opted to go green, white and checkered. Heuer got beside Bahr as they raced to the white flag in turn four and they bumped slightly. Both regained control but Bahr had a one car length lead and he held on for the win. Jamie Bisonette ran with the leaders the entire race and he finished third while Brent Prochnow came from thirteenth to fourth and Shaun Kreyer earned his first top five finish.
Kevin Adams took his third Midwest Modified feature win of the year as he got around Justin Schill and then had to hold off a late challenge from Shane Holopka. Schill took the early lead but Adams quickly moved up from the third row to challenge. Holopka and Mark Hanson also were heading to the front. Adams caught Schill and moved to the second lane and was able to drive around Schill and take over the lead. As the race remained under green, Adams built up a big lead while Holopka was able to get into second with Hanson following him.
A late yellow for a spin bunched the field for a three lap sprint to the finish, and Holopka tried his best to steal the win. He almost got under Adams but Kevin held him off to take the win. Hanson had back luck when motor problems took him out right at the end with Schill taking third ahead of Kevin Vought and Tom Johnson.
Jay Kesan took his first Street Stock win of the year and became the sixth different winner in the division as he used a yellow flag to get around Wayne Dean, and then repelled Dean and Steve Golat as they tried to take over the top spot at the end. Gary Solum held the pole but Dean quickly took the lead and stretched his advantage. Kesan moved to the second lane and drove into the runner up slot while Golat, Jimmy Randall, Scott Clark and Chanda Fjorden-Nord battled behind them. Kesan was able to close down on Dean but Wayne was able to hold him off for several laps.
A spin slowed the field and on the double file restart, Kesan used the second lane to gain momentum and he eased past Dean to take over the lead. Dean tried to move up the track himself but he pushed out in the turns and Golat got under him to take over second in the late going. Kesan continued on unchallenged to take the win while Golat had his best finish and Dean fought off Randall to take third. Fjorden-Nord rounded out the top five with a good run herself.
The closest finish of the night saw Ryan Hensel nip Jim Miller by half a car length to take the Pure Stock main event. Miller started on the pole and led the early going over Joel Hinrichs while Jamie Fisher, Zach Ellis and Sam Fankhauser battled for position behind Miller. Tony Luell moved to the outside and he closed up on the leaders as Hensel gradually worked his way forward after starting eleventh.
Miller continued to lead but Hinrichs was looking to his outside. Joel edged past into the lead but before the lap could be scored, Miller was turned around and the yellow flew. Miller went back in front but on the green, he was again turned around from behind and the yellow slowed the action once again. With several of the leaders relegated to the tail, Miller continued to hold on for a four lap sprint. Hinrichs had car trouble and he started to slow as Hensel went to the high side and began to close at a rapid pace. He edged up beside Miller as the white flag flew and they race together down the back chute. Hensel got a good run off turn four, and he edged in front by half a car length at the line to win his third feature of the year at Rice Lake. Miller had his best run for second with rookies Fisher and Josh Amans next in line ahead of Ellis.
Next Saturday night is Kid’s Night at the speedway. The DARE program will be on hand and among other special events, there will be a drawing for some bikes. S & R Towing is the sponsor for the evening activities. Race time is 6:30 p.m. with six classes in competition.
Superman Flies In For Rice Lake Win
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake WI, June 25 – Steve Hallquist, otherwise known as "Super Man", flew away from his Super Stock foes Saturday night at the Rice Lake Speedway as he recorded his first feature win of the year here to highlight the racing action. It was also a good night for residents of Eau Claire as the "Sawdust City" garnered feature wins in four of the six classes that competed tonight. Joining Hallquist as feature winners from that fair city were Duane Mahder, Todd Siddons and Cory Crapser while Kevin Adams and Tony Luell also sat in victory lane.
Hallquist led all the way in the Super Stock main with a comfortable margin that grew smaller as the race progressed and by the final lap, he had Kori Richter diving to his inside in an attempt to steal away the win. Hallquist started on the pole and put distance between himself and a big battle for second involving Eric Olson, Richter, Todd Madsen, Cory Davis and Don Drew.
Hallquist had half a straightaway on the field when the lone yellow waved as Madsen got turned around on the back chute. Hallquist again pulled away from the pack as Richter and Davis were on the move along with Jake Redetzke. Davis moved into second but Richter was able to pry the spot away from Cory and set off after Hallquist. Most of the leaders were riding the cushion tonight, and as the laps ran down, Richter closed to the back of Hallquist. Kori made a dive low off the final corner but "Super Man" had the momentum and he took home the win. Davis finished up third ahead of Redetzke and Madsen.
Other first time winners Saturday included Siddons and Mahder. Paul Harelstad had his new car out and he took the initial lead in the Modified feature. However, he pushed a little high in turn one and Paul Knauf and Siddons were able to get under him. Only one lap had been completed when the wildest wreck of the night occurred. Tim Shackleton turned to avoid a spinning car in turn three and the car climbed the wall and flipped on to its roof. Fortunately, the big guy climbed out uninjured and the race was restarted .
Knauf continued to lead but Siddons was working hard on the low side while Harelstad mounted a renewed charge along with A.J. Heuer and Jamie Bisonette. Siddons was getting great traction down low and he powered under Knauf to take over the lead with Harelstad moving to second.
Harelstad continued to hammer the cushion but he wasn’t able to cut into Siddons’ advantage despite a late yellow flag when Jed Moore rolled to a halt in turn three. Heuer made a late charge to get under Knauf for third with Bisonette rounding out the top five. Siddons becomes the six different Modified winner already this season.
Mahder was in a real dog fight in the Late Model feature as after taking the early lead, he had to fight off a severe challenge from Troy Kuyoth that saw Kuyoth take the lead before Mahder was able to regain it at the halfway point of the race and then hold on.
Mahder jumped off the outside pole to take the initial lead as he chose to run the low line. Kuyoth was a rocket early as he went to the cushion and quickly drove past Mike Goodremote and Rick Hanestad to take over second. He was very fast on the top side, and he quickly began to close on Mahder. Troy pulled up beside Duane and they raced side by side for several laps, trading the lead at the line on several occasions. Meanwhile, back in the pack, there was a wild scramble as Hanestad, John Kaanta, Adam Hensel, Goodremote, Tony Bahr and Jerry Redetzke were running in a tight pack.
The yellow waved near the halfway point for a spin and on the restart Mahder decided he better be on the top side. He edged past Kuyoth going into turn one and squeezed up to the cushion ahead of Kuyoth. Once on the top , he started to edge away and built up a three car length lead as the jockeying continued in the pack. One more yellow occurred with only four laps remaining when James Parker broke on the front chute.
Mahder stepped away from the field again but Kuyoth ran into problems as his car got so tight he couldn’t turn it, and he lost several positions in the late race jockeying. Hanestad came through to take second ahead of Kaanta and Hensel with Kuyoth holding on for fifth.
Mark Hanson took the early lead in the Midwest Modified feature as he was looking for his first win in his rookie year. Hanson edged away from Jeff Brauer in the early going with Kevin Adams moving into second but not really cutting into Hanson’s lead. The yellow flag for a two car tangle proved to be Hanson’s undoing as Adams got the jump on the restart and pulled into the lead. Hanson was able to stay within three car lengths of Adams despite a misfiring motor, but he was never able to provide a true challenge. Adams took his second win of the year here with Kevin Vought having another strong run for third ahead of Bryce Johnson and Brauer.
Cory Crapser drove another strong race as he took his second Street Stock feature in a nonstop main event that saw much jockeying of positions in the well balanced field. Scott Clark had the pole position and edged into the early lead but Crapser moved to the outside line and by driving deep into the corners, he was able to put up beside Clark for the lead. Crapser was able to drive deeper into the turns and he edged past Clark to take over the top spot. Jay Kesan and Wayne Dean were both on the move also and they put Clark behind them also. Crapser continued to hold the point but Kesan started to close in on him as Clark moved to the cushion and started to fight back on Dean.
Kesan closed to the rear bumper of Crapser and looked to his inside a few times near the end of the event but Crapser held him at bay. One last dive off the final corner didn’t get the job done and Crapser drove home the winner by a car length. Clark got around Dean for third and Shane Kisling rounded out the top five after Jesse Redetzke had bad luck in the waning laps.
Tony Luell took his second straight Pure Stock feature in an event that was slowed four times by the yellow, the only feature to see a multitude of slow downs. Luell started on the pole and he was strong right from the start as he had a strong early challenge from Josh Amans and then , later, from Bobby Kaufman Jr. Jamey Fisher was also in the lead mix with Zach Ellis working his way through the pack along with Joel Hinrichs after an early spin saw him go to the tail. Sam Fankhauser was also a challenger but a fire tire would eventually end his evening.
Colton Ellis stalled on the track bringing out the final yellow, and that set up a race to the finish. Luell got off to a strong start and while Kaufman Jr pushed hard, Luell was in the groove and took the win. Rookie Amans had another strong run for third ahead of another rookie, Fisher, with Zach Ellis also in the top five.
Next Saturday night, July 2nd , the speedway presents one of the most anticipated races of the entire year. It will be the Firecracker Special presented by South Lake Motors, White City Glass and TJ Trophies. A full program in all six divisions will be run along with one of the finest fireworks displays in the entire region. The fireworks has been a staple of the speedway since the early days of the track and they are still well known for having one of the best ground and aerial programs around. Race time is 6:30 p.m. with the gates opening at 4 p.m. Fans are urged to get to the track early as seating is always at a premium for this event.
Sabraski Doubles Up On Rice Lake Foes
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake WI, June 18 – It was a busy night at the Rice Lake Speedway Saturday with five make up features to complete from last week’s partial storm out plus a full racing program as well. The end result saw 130 race cars sign in to compete in a thirty three race program that included eleven feature races. When all was said and done, there were seven first time feature winners crowned including two drivers who recorded their first feature wins ever at Rice Lake plus three other drivers who won for the second time here in 2005.
Topping the list of winners was Shane Sabraski who was the only double winner as he broke home both ends of the Midwest Modified feature action in what were his first wins ever at Rice Lake. The nationally ranked Midwest Modified driver had to race his way up from the fifth row in the makeup feature and was able to get past Shane Holopka to take the lead and the eventual win. Kevin Adams came from deeper in the field yet as he started sixteenth and got past Holopka in the waning laps to finish second. Justin Schill and Mike Anderson rounded out the top five in the makeup event.
The regular feature saw Sabraski start in the front row and he pulled away from Schill at the beginning to win an easy victory. One yellow when Darren Vought hit the wall bunched the field but Schill was able to hold off Adams for the second spot. Holopka ran third ahead of Mark Hanson.
Rookie Adam Hensel led the first thirteen laps of the makeup Late Model feature and was pulling away from the field until he got tangled up with a lapped car which brought out the yellow flag. Hensel was restored to the lead position but front end damage caused his car to react badly and Steve Laursen was able to get under Hensel with only a few laps to go and then pull away for the win. It was Laursen’s first Late Model win here since the 1990 racing season. Hensel was able to hold off Mike Goodremote for second with Jerry Weigel and Tony Bahr rounding out the top five.
The regular Late Model feature saw John Kaanta withstand a great challenge from Troy Kuyoth to hold on for his second win of the year here. Kaanta took the early lead from Paul Brust and put some distance on the field. The yellow flew with eight laps complete when second place driver Bahr found the front stretch wall. Kuyoth inherited the second spot for the restart and he pulled beside Kaanta in a great battle for the lead. Kuyoth edged ahead but Kaanta refused to give up on the high groove and he once again edged up beside Kuyoth, and pulled past him for the lead with just a couple laps to go. Laursen came on for third followed by Goodremote and Todd Gehl.
Jason Miller led all the way to win the yellow plagued make up Modified feature which was his first ever Modified feature win at Rice Lake following a long and successful Super Stock career. Miller pounded the cushion on the heavy track and held off a late charge by Dave Cain for the win. Earlier, Cain and Dann Olson had engaged in a great battle for second before Cain prevailed. Todd Siddons and Brent Prochnow rounded out the top five.
The regular Modified feature found Cain getting that long awaited first checkered flag. He has been trying a number of years to get that first ever win here, and tonight provided the charm as he got up on the cushion and drove around Ron Mahder to take the lead and the win. Miller worked his way up from the midpack to take the second spot after a great battle with Siddons as the Modifieds were all over the track in their main event. Jed Moore came on for the fourth spot ahead of Prochnow.
The Super Stocks got their feature in last week so they ran just one main event tonight and Jason Forehand took that win which was his first of the year. He started on the front row of the nonstop main event and pulled away from Jake Redetzke in the early going. Kevin Adams, Kori Richter and Mike Anderson had a great battle for third as they ran in a group for the entire race with no one able to establish superiority. As the race progressed, Redetzke started to close on Forehand but Jason had enough of a cushion built up that he drove home with a three length lead. Richter got around Adams in the late going for third with Anderson rounding out the top five.
The Street Stocks may have provided the closest racing top to bottom the entire night with both of their feature events providing a lot of wild scrambling, changing of positions and hard charging through the field.
Drew Sauer and Steve Golat were the early leaders in the makeup feature until Wayne Dean , Jason VandeKamp and Cory Crapser moved to the front. Then it was Chris Peterson and Rod DiBernardeaux that went on the charge with Peterson finding an opening on the inside and moving into the lead. Unfortunately, with only a few laps left Peterson rolled a tire off the rim and his changes were done as VandeKamp inherited the lead and held on for his first ever win here. DiBernardeaux finished second ahead of Dean, Crapser and Golat.
Shane Kisling took the early lead in the second feature but VandeKamp was able to drive past him for the lead. Peterson and DiBernardeaux also moved past Kisling while Steve Golat, Jimmy Randall and Dean were on the move. The red flag flew on lap six after a three car tangle on the back chute saw Jay Kesan bounce onto his roof briefly before coming back to earth on all fours.
Peterson was on a tear on the restart and he moved to the second lane and drove past DiBernardeaux and VandeKamp to take over the lead. VandeKamp put a lot of pressure on Peterson, but Chris held on by two car lengths for the win, his first here since 2001. Golat came on for third ahead of Kisling and a rim riding Scott Clark.
The makeup Pure Stock feature saw Bobby Kaufman Jr. and Sam Fankhauser battle in the early going with Joel Hinrichs moving in to make it a three car battle. Fankhauser had a potential win go bad when he developed a flat front tire following a restart. Hinrichs was able to get past Kaufman Jr to take his second win of the year. Ryan Hensel took the third spot ahead of Zach Ellis and Randy Visger.
Tony Luell drove up from the fourth row, using the high line to take the lead and eventually the win in the regularly scheduled feature event. A late yellow gave Hinrichs the chance to score a double but Luell moved off well at the start and didn’t give Hinrichs the opportunity to get past him. Luell’s win was his first of the season. Ellis finished third ahead of Fankhauser and Kaufman Jr.
Regular racing action returns to the speedway next Saturday, June 25th , on Hillcrest Truck & Auto and Taylor’s ABC Seamless night. Racing action starts at 6:30 p.m. with all six classes in action once again.
Richter Tops Rain Shortened Rice Lake Show
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake WI, June 11 – The Rice Lake Speedway was able to complete all qualifying events and the Super Stock feature before the rains hit in earnest and postponed the rest of the racing program until next Saturday when it will be completed as a part of the show on June 18th .
After skirting the severe storms on several occasions over the course of the day, the sun came out in the late afternoon and a late arriving group of racers and fans filled the facility; surprised to be racing at all on this evening.
The Super Stock feature was the first main event on the track with Scott Zitelman taking the early lead over Jason Forehand and Richter. Kevin Adams, Don Drew and Todd Madsen were all moving up quickly as yellow flags slowed the action three times in the first five laps. Richter was able to get to the outside of Zitelman and he drove into the lead. Madsen was working well in the second groove and he drove around Adams and then Forehand to take second.
A light rain stopped the action briefly with seven laps complete but after the track was quickly dried off, Richter continued to lead as Madsen struggled to stay with him. Drew continued his charge as he drove around Adams to take third. One more spin slowed the action again but the last half of the race then ran nonstop. Richter built up a straightaway lead and Madsen wasn’t able to cut into it at all. Adams tried to repass Drew but wasn’t able to accomplish the move and settled for fourth ahead of Forehand.
The Modifieds then hit the track but as they got ready for their main event the rains started again. Lightly at first, they then increased into a driving rain storm and the rest of the show was postponed at that point.
Next Saturday, June 18th , feature races will be completed for the Wissota Street Stocks, Midwest Modifieds, Modifieds and Late Models and the Pure Stocks. Another complete race program will then be held for all six divisions, making for a full night of racing activity. The green flag will fly at 6:30 p.m. Long time supporter of the Rice Lake Speedway and sponsor of a number of race cars, Mark Rausch of Mark Rausch Funeral Services will be the presenting sponsor on June 18th .
The Rice Lake Speedway is located one mile north of Rice Lake between state highway 48 and Barron County SS. The track phone number is 7125-236-2002. The speedway would also like to announce that their new website is up and running. The address is rlspeedway.com.
Rice Lake Speedway Suffers Another Rainout
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake Wi, June 4 – The Rice Lake Speedway continues to fight the weather conditions as the racing program was once again rained out on Saturday night. The most recent rainout was the fourth of the 2005 season already.
Racing action is scheduled to continue on Saturday June 11th at 6:30 p.m. on Wynn’s Automotive Products, Ricci Tire, Inc and Lehmann’s Supper Club night. Six classes of competition are scheduled to compete on the third mile clay track located one mile north of Rice Lake between state highway 48 and Barron Co. SS.
Kaanta Earns Bonus Bucks At Rice Lake
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake Wi, May 29 – John Kaanta won the Late Model feature and took home the biggest check on Miller Lite Bonus Bucks night at the Rice Lake Speedway. Other winners Sunday included Jed Moore, Todd Madsen, Steve Arpin, Cory Crapser and Joel Hinrichs.
The pits were stretched to the limit as a huge field of 191 cars signed in to race tonight providing all the racing that both the fans and drivers could ever ask for as drivers from a wide area were on hand to test the Rice Lake oval.
Kaanta led all the way to win the Late Model headliner as he withstood an early challenge from Pat Doar and then had to patiently work his way through traffic near the end of the event. Kaanta jumped Adam Hensel to take the initial lead with Doar quickly moving into second. Troy Kuyoth and Duane Mahder also moved up to challenge Hensel as Kaanta put some distance on the field. Tom Nesbitt and Jeff Provinzino were also moving up as the field remained tightly bunched.
The yellow flew with nine laps complete as Lance Matthees rolled to a halt and on the restart another yellow quickly flew for a spin. The race then ran to its conclusion with Doar attempting to get a nose inside Kaanta on several occasions off turn four but Kaanta was able to fight him off. Kaanta then stretched his advantage as he caught the back of the pack. He found the openings to get through traffic and maintain his margin over Doar to the finish. Kuyoth finished a solid third ahead of Mahder and Nesbitt.
Ron Mahder took the early lead in the Modified finale but Craig Thatcher wasted little time as he drove past Mahder to take over the point. Thatcher quickly put distance on the field with a great battle taking place for second on back. Jed Moore moved to the second groove and he was able to drive past both Jamie Bisonette and Mahder to take the runner up spot. Tony Bahr also got to the outside to move into third while Luke Schilling, Dave Cain, Bill Byholm, Tyler Keyser and Joey Jensen had an intense battle for position.
Thatcher was checking out on the field as he opened nearly a straightaway advantage over Moore who had a slight lead on Bahr while the pack behind them continued to fight it out.
Suddenly, without warning, Thatcher’s car made an awful banging noise from the motor as he drove down the front chute and he quickly lost power. He idled down and pulled into the infield and Moore suddenly found himself in the lead. Bahr now raced hard to try and catch the leader and the yellow came out with eighteen laps complete for debris on the track.
Bahr took his best shot at Moore on the restart but Moore was able to maintain a four car length lead with never wavered. The battle was for third as Byholm, Jensen and Mahder fought hard for the spot. Byholm moved to the second lane and made an impressive run as he was able to drive around both his competitors in the waning laps to take the third spot ahead of Jensen.
Kevin Adams led the first half of the Super Stock feature but Todd Madsen was working well in the second lane and he was able to drive around Adams and then pull away from the field for an impressive win. Adams and Jake Redetzke battled for the first couple laps before Adams was able to secure the lead. Behind him, Jason Forehand , Mike Keller, Don Drew, Mike Anderson and Madsen were battling hard for position with the running order changing on nearly every lap. Madsen’s moves on the outside were very effective as he was able to drive past car after car on his rush to the front. He cleared to the second spot and set out after Adams. Kori Richter and Cory Davis were making strong advances from midpack as the race progressed.
Madsen caught Adams at the halfway point and after a brief battle, drove around him for the lead. He then began to stretch his lead as Richter now began to make a serious charge as he got past Drew, Keller and Forehand with Davis also marching to the front.
Two late yellows bunched the field but each time Madsen would quickly pull away from the field. With only a couple laps left, Richter got to the inside of Adams to take over second but he didn’t have time to make a serious charge at Madsen. Davis also wrapped up his rush as he got past Forehand to take the fourth spot.
The Midwest Modifieds had the closest finish as Steve Arpin held off a late rush by Kevin Adams to take the win. Brad Hudson took the early lead but Jason Gross then got under Hudson to take over the point. Gross didn’t give up and the leaders battled hard for the point before Arpin was able to edge into the lead for certain. Jeremy Sarsland was racing hard for third with Mark Thomas, Cory Williams, Shane Holopka and Dan Svee all in the mix.
Adams started in the sixth row and he moved to the outside immediately as he gradually worked his way through the heavy traffic. The outside lane was open and he patiently jumped on the openings to advance through the field. The yellow waved near the halfway point when Sarsland was turned around and this bunched the field.
Arpin continued to hold the lead but Adams was on the march and he drove into second and closed on the leader. One move spin bunched the field for a five lap sprint to the end. Arpin got a good start and opened a little distance but Adams then began to charge. He drove hard into the corners as he closed on Arpin. On the final tour Adams drove hard to the low side in turn four but Arpin was able to hang on by less than a car length. Hudson drove a solid race to finish third ahead of Williams and Svee.
Cory Crapser maintained his cool through a multitude of yellow flags to earn his first ever feature win at Rice Lake and top the Street Stock headliner. Chanda Fjorden-Nord drove an outstanding race as she grabbed the early lead over Ron Hanestad with Crapser quickly moving in to challenge. Hanestad suffered bad luck when a flat tire took him out of the action as Shane Kisling, Terry Sirek, Mike Conrad, Tito Viltz, Drew Sauer, Jay Kesan , Wayne Dean and Butch Madsen were all in a tight group and battling feriously.
Fjorden-Nord continued to maintain the lead until she slid out just a little and Crapser ducked to her inside and took over the lead. Fjorden-Nord settled into second as she was hounded on every turn of the track but she hung tough in second.
Meanwhile, in between battles on the track were a series of yellow flags as some of the front runners got into incidents. Sauer got turned around on the back chute as he battled for third and Kisling was an innocent victim as he suffered front end damage while Sauer was forced to leave after his bumper was torn off. The restart saw Fjorden-Nord take a shot in the rear with Sirek spinning and another of the leaders sent to the rear.
Finally, the last seven laps of the event were completed with Crapser maintaining his line and holding off the snarling pack. Chris Peterson moved to the second lane and was able to drive into second but Crapser stuck to the low side and didn’t give any openings and Peterson ran out of time for his charge. A late race shuffling of the field saw Jay Kesan move to third ahead of Madsen and Sirek.
The Pure Stock feature started out on a shaky note as a four car pileup on the first lap slowed the action and eliminated Josh Amans and Clint Weber. Joel Hinrichs jumped into the lead on the restart with Jamey Fisher and Zach Ellis battling for second along with Eric Partlow. Hinrichs was running strong up front but the race for second was excellent as Ellis finally edged his way past Partlow. A spin with two laps to go set up a sprint to the line but Hinrichs was strong on the green as wasn’t to be denied as he took his first win of the year. Rookie Fisher concluded a strong run in four ahead of Jim Miller.
Regular racing action returns next Saturday, June 4th, on Ricci Tire Inc and Lehman’s Supper Club night at the track. Racing action starts at 6:30 p.m. with the Northern Vintage Cars providing the special added attraction.
Anderson, Arpin Highside Rice Lake Foes
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake Wi, May 28 – Ashley Anderson and Steve Arpin were among the drivers that used the high side to make late race passes and garner their first feature wins of the season Saturday night at the Rice Lake Speedway for the first half of the Memorial Day doubleheader. Other feature winners Saturday included Kevin Adams, Kori Richter, Wayne Dean and Ryan Hensel.
One hundred sixty nine cars signed in to race Saturday so the competition was fierce in all divisions just to make the main events. Nineteen cars started the Late Model main event with Tony Bahr taking the early lead after a first lap collision eliminated Jerry Redetzke. Bahr moved to a slight lead as Jeff Provinzino and Scott Gilberts fought for second. Anderson took a few laps to get going but once he found his line, he gradually began to pull in on the leaders. John Kaanta, Pat Doar and Paul Brust were locked in a battle behind the top group.
Anderson worked into the second spot and gradually closed in on Bahr, catching him with about five laps to go. He moved to the high side of Bahr and edged past him into the lead. At the same time, Gilberts had picked up the pace and he was closing rapidly on the top two. As Anderson moved to a three car length lead, Gilberts passed Bahr for second and closed on Anderson. Gilberts made a drive deep into turn three on the final lap but he ended up a car length short as Anderson drove on for the win. Bahr held off Kaanta for third with Provinzino next in line.
Todd Siddons got the jump on the Modified field but Joey Jensen broke on the first lap and caused a yellow flag. The second attempt saw Tyler Keyser jump into the lead with Siddons close behind while Craig Thatcher and Arpin battled behind them. Arpin picked up the pace on the high side and began to track down Siddons while Keyser continued to maintain a slight lead. Arpin allowed his car to use its momentum on the high side and he drove past Siddons and began to gradually close down on Keyser. Brent Prochnow was also on the move as he drove past Thatcher and closed on Siddons.
Arpin got up beside Keyser with a few laps to go and with a strong move off turn two, was able to edge into the lead. Keyser tried to stay with Arpin but Steve began to edge away. Prochnow appeared to be the fastest car on the track at this time as he caught Keyser and then passed him for second. Prochnow began to close on Arpin but ran out of laps as the Canadian took the win. Siddons held on for fourth with Dave Cain coming from twelth to fifth at the line.
Kori Richter was the only runaway winner Saturday as he dominated the nonstop Super Stock main event from start to finish. Richter started on the pole and put distance immediately on Steve Thomas and Jason Forehand. Ashley Anderson used the same line with his Super Stock as he moved to the second lane and drove past both Forehand and Thomas to take second.
Rick Ellis was making a strong charge as he raced under Forehand and Thomas to move into third. Richter was on cruise control up front and no matter what line Anderson tried, he wasn’t able to cut into Richter’s lead at all. Kori just reached the back of the pack as the checkered flag waved for a dominating win, his second of the year here. The top five remained the same to the line.
The Midwest Modifieds went right down to the wire also with Adams edging Mark Thomas for the win. Thomas started on the pole and stepped into the early lead over Jeremy Sarsland and Mark Hanson. Adams started in the third row and drove to the high side as he quickly closed in on the leaders. He passed Sarsland for second and quickly closed on Thomas when the yellow waved for a spin.
Adams pulled past Thomas on the restart but the yellow waved a second time when Shane Holopka got turned around. During the yellow, third place Sarsland developed a flat tire and when the green returned, he quickly dropped back.
Thomas was strong on the start and Adams wasn’t able to get past him. Kevin tried both high and low but he wasn’t able to pull off the move. On the high side, Thomas continued to have just enough to hold him off and when Adams tried low, Thomas was strong enough off the top in turn two to hold him off. As the leaders battled, Steve Arpin was trying to turn in a double as he charged from the sixth row to the front.
Thomas and Adams continued to put on a show as the two former Street Stock standouts ran wheel to wheel. Finally, with just a couple laps to go, Adams was able to edge ahead down the back chute and take over the lead. Thomas didn’t back off however, as he tried to get his nose under Adams off the corners. They were still close on the final lap and Adams hung on by a half length for the win.Rookie Hanson continued his strong performances with a third ahead of Jim Bourn and Arpin.
The Street Stock feature was just as close with the finish being less than a car length for the winner, Wayne Dean. Dean started on the pole and had to weather the challenges of other drivers and maintain his cool as the Streeters had a tough time with their main tonight as the yellow waved six times during the course of the race.
As Dean maintained his lead, the battle for second was a good one as Shane Kisling, Terry Sirek, Jay Kesan and Ron Hanestad all battled for the spot. Lap after lap, Hanestad tried to move to the outside of Kisling but couldn’t find the room and Kesan was able to sneak by on the low side and take over second.
With the numerous yellows, Dean wasn’t able to establish any kind of lead and the face got tight in the closing laps as Kesan pulled in to make a hard challenge. Dean was driving the second lane, and Kesan tucked under him and made a challenge for the lead. They raced side by side off the final corner as a scramble on the back chute juggled the finishing order. There was no question who was racing for the lead however, and Dean held on by less than half a length to edge Kesan. Kisling maintained third while Hanestad was restored to fourth after the last lap shunt. Drew Sauer had his best run so far as he rounded out the top five.
Ryan Hensel used a late rush to take his second Pure Stock main event of the season here. Joel Hinrichs led most of the feature event after starting on the pole although he was receiving a strong challenge from Bobby Kaufman Jr. and Evan Quilling. Kaufman Jr. was giving Hinrichs a hard challenge when Hensel moved to the high side and was able to close in on the top two. He continued his strong run as he drove around both the leaders with Kaufman Jr. also moving into second.
Hinrichs got turned around off turn four and the yellow waved with three laps to go. Hensel got a good restart and opened some distance on the field while Kaufman Jr. seemed to lose power and Hinrichs got back around him for second. Josh Amans and Zach Ellis filled out the top five.
Many New Winners In Rice Lake Action
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake Wi, May 21 – New and first time winners were the order of the night at the Rice Lake Speedway Saturday. Ryan Hensel won his first feature at Rice Lake this season while Aaron Wilson and Jed Moore won for the first time ever at Rice Lake and Kevin Vought one upped them by winning the first feature race of his career. The beat continued for Butch Madsen and Rick Hanestad as they won their second straight main events here.
Vought is one of a growing number of drivers moving into the new Midwest Modified division from other classes; Vought having previously raced Super Stocks. Kevin started on the pole and withstood challenges from one of the strongest MM drivers around in Dan Wheeler for much of the event. Vought got the jump on Kent Paulson to take the early lead but a tangle in turn four stopped the action before a lap could be completed and eliminated the cars of Frank Soucek and Mike Steglich.
Vought retained the lead on the restart with Kevin Adams quickly becoming a factor as he was able to move from twelth to second. Jeff Marshall and Wheeler were also closing on the lead group and a battle soon broke out for position. Adams tried to work the outside but Wheeler came shooting up on the inside to take second while Marshall, Adams and Jason Gross battled behind them. Wheeler rode the bumper of Vought but Kevin didn’t give him any openings so Wheeler jumped to the outside but Vought was strong off the corners and Wheeler couldn’t quite pull off the move. Marshall developed steering problems and he got into Gross, turning him and bringing out a late yellow.
Vought was strong on the start and didn’t give Wheeler any openings the final two laps as he drove on to his first-ever win. Adams tried the outside on the late restart but it didn’t benefit him with Gross getting by for third while Shane Holopka rounded out the top five.
Wilson also led all the way but was also challenged heavily in the late laps before he could claim his win. He took the early lead from Lucas Peterson with Steve Hallquist driving into second and Mike Keller slid into third. Eric Olson, Don Drew and Cory Mahder were in a tight pack behind them as the race remained under the green for a number of laps.
Wilson was able to open a four car length lead over Hallquist who had the same comfort level over Keller while the battle for fourth was a spirited affair. Just at the half way point the yellow waved for a spin in turn two which bunched the field for a double file restart. Drew tried to make a move in turn two but something broke on his car and he took a sharp, right hand turn toward the wall and collected Kori Richter. Drew retired with steering problems while Richter restarted the event.
Wilson again jumped out to a small lead over Hallquist and Keller but Rick Ellis was on the move. After starting thirteenth on the grid, he drove under Mahder and then Olson to move to third. Near the end Wilson started to slow and Hallquist quickly closed in. On the final lap, Hallquist got to Wilson’s rear bumper and on the final corner Wilson slid out a little and Hallquist dove to his inside. They were extremely close coming off corner four and they raced to the line with Wilson holding on by a nose.
Moore had his Modified nailed to the track tonight and he dominated the open wheel feature. Dave Mayala got the jump on dad Buddy to take the initial lead with Moore moving up from row two quickly to take second. A three car spin slowed the action and on the restart Moore powered past Mayala to take over the lead. Dave was able to stay with Jed for a few laps but gradually Moore began to pull away.
Tony Bahr started to move up using the high side along with Todd Siddons who had started mid pack along with Jason Gross and Mike Anderson. Moore’s comfortable lead evaporated for a spin with only five laps remaining.
Moore again jumped out in front but the race was for second as Mayala had both Bahr and Siddons challenging him. The yellow flew one more time when Gross lost a driveshaft and when they went green again, Siddons was able to get to the inside of Mayala and take over second. Mayala held off Bahr and Anderson at the line.
Ryan Hensel led all the way for the Pure Stock win over a charging Joel Hinrichs and Bobby Kaufman Jr. Hensel pulled out to a comfortable lead in the early going while Hinrichs and Tony Luell battled for second. Hinrichs eventually to over that spot and Luell settled into third with Kaufman Jr. on the move.
Hinrichs started to close in on Hensel as the yellow waved for a slowing car on the track. Hensel was able to pull away on the restart as he worked through lapped traffic and stretched his lead. On the final tour, Luell shot a ball of flames from his car as the tranmission let go and he oiled down the track. Luell lost two spots as Kaufman Jr and Sam Fankhauser were both able to get by him.
Butch Madsen used a good starting position to lead all the way in the nonstop Street Stock feature and take his second straight here so far in 2005. Cory Crapser raced Butch hard the first couple of laps before Madsen was able to edge in front. Madsen then gradually began to stretch his advantage as Tito Viltz drove past Crapser to take second. Jimmy Randall, Wayne Dean and Jay Kesan were all on the move too, as they tried to advance in the tough field.
Madsen continued to motor up front with Viltz starting to cut into his lead somewhat. Randall was able to drive into third with Dean following him a lap later. Viltz was able to cut into Madsen’s lead somewhat, but Butch wasn’t seriously challenged as he drove on for the win. Kesan got Crapser on the final tour to round out the top five.
Rick Hanestad continued his strong performances of the spring season as he dominated the Late Model feature for the second straight night. He started on the pole and jumped away from Troy Kuyoth at the start to open an early lead. Kuyoth battled with Duane Mahder before Duane took the spot. Kuyoth continued to backslide as Chad Mahder took third while Adam Hensel, Jerry Weigel and Tony Bahr battled for position.
Near the halfway point, Duane Mahder started to cut slowly into Hanestad’s lead and by lap twelve, Mahder had cut the advantage down to two car lengths. However, Hanestad then picked up the pace again, and started to drive away from the field again. The best race saw Chad Mahder and Kuyoth swap positions and lanes on the track for a number of laps before Kuyoth finally secured the third spot with Weigel rounding out the top five.
The holiday weekend will provide some of the best racing action of the early season with a double header program slated. Crystal Pierz Marine & The Bungalow Bar will sponsor a regular show on Saturday night featuring all six classes in action at 6:30 p.m. On Sunday, Miller Lite Bonus Bucks night will see increased purses in all classes with the top class, the Late Models , racing for $1,600 to the winner as well as increased payoffs for all divisions. Race time will again be at 6:30 p.m.
Holiday Double, Miller Bonus Bucks Scheduled At Rice Lake
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake Wi – The first holiday weekend of the 2005 year is rapidly approaching and that brings the first special event of the season to the Rice Lake Speedway.
On Saturday and Sunday, May 28th and 29th , the second annual Miller Bonus Bucks event will be presented at the Rice Lake Speedway.
On Saturday, May 28th , the regular six class event will be held at the speedway with sponsorship from Crystal Pierz Marine & The Bungelow Bar. On Sunday, May 29th , the second annual Miller Lite Bonus Bucks event will be held. Again featuring all six classes in action, considerable additional prize money will be on the line thanks to Miller Lite. On Sunday, the Late Models will be racing for a top prize of $1,600, the Modifieds $850, the Super Stocks $650, the Midwest Modifieds $360, The Street Stocks $300 and the Pure Stocks racing for $150 to win along with a beefed up purse for other positions.
Last year the entire weekend of racing was rained out and the event was finally held as a part of the fourth of July celebration with Ryan Hensel, Ron Hanestad, Greg Alling, Todd Siddons and Tony Bahr being the feature winners. With the recent spate of bad weather this spring, it is hoped that by the holiday a stretch of warm , dry weather will be in the cards.
Race time both nights will be 6:30 p.m. with gates scheduled to open at 4 p.m. The Rice Lake Speedway is located one mile north of Rice Lake midway between state highway 48 and Barron Co. SS. The track phone number is 715-236-2002.
Rice Lake Once Again Weathered Out
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake Wi, May 14 – All day rains put an early end to any thoughts of racing Saturday night at the Rice Lake Speedway. The rainout was the third of the season so far at Rice Lake and the first month of the racing season has allowed the track to complete only one show so far during this challenging spring.
With the weather bound to improve in the coming days, upcoming events at the Rice Lake Speedway include a regular show on Saturday, May 21 presented by Drag’s Restaurant & Roman Lounge and Embroidery Outfitters along with last week’s scheduled sponsors, Cozy Creations & www.gabersigns.com.
On Saturday and Sunday, May 28th and 29th , the Memorial Day holiday doubleheader is scheduled with a regular program on Saturday and the Miller Lite Bonus Bucks night to be presented on Sunday. Race time for all shows will be 6:30 p.m.
Richter Wins Drew 21 Pit Crew Memorial
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake Wi, May 7 – Kori Richter topped a thrilling three car duel to win the Drew 21 Pit Crew Memorial Super Stock Special in opening night race action Saturday at the Rice Lake Speedway. It was the third attempt to get in the Drew Memorial race and despite threatening skies, occasional sprinkles and hurricane winds, the program went off as scheduled with 140 cars in the pits for the opener and an excellent, bundled up crowd on hand. Other winners on opening night included Rick Hanestad, Paul Harelstad, Jason Gross, Butch Madsen and Bobby Kaufman Jr.
The big Super Stock field was whittled down to twenty one starters for the main event with Richter getting the jump off the outside pole to take the early lead over Cory Mahder and Ryan Aho. Mahder pulled back up beside Richter and they raced side by side for the lead. Todd Madsen was on the move and he pulled up beside Aho as the top two rows ran in tandem fashion. Cory Davis was on the move on the high side while Kevin Adams and Don Drew, who started tenth, starting to work his way toward the front.
Mahder edged into the lead with Richter close behind as Madsen moved into third and started to close on the top two. Richter refused to settle for second and he ducked under Mahder to regain the top spot. Davis was flying on the high side as he closed on Madsen.
A yellow for a spin bunched the field and Richter continued to lead with Mahder and Madsen close behind. Davis went to the cushion again and pulled up on the leaders but he couldn’t quite get by them. Mahder and Madsen continue to ride the bumper of Richter while Drew started to work on the extreme high side. He drove past Davis and Aho to move into fourth and started to close on the leaders.
A late yellow for another spin set up a three car dash to the line with Richter now having Madsen on his rear bumper and Mahder tight behind. Madsen tried his hardest but Richter was strong off the corners and he drove to a two car length win with Mahder, Drew and Davis rounding out the top five. Richter was met in victory lane by representatives of the Drew family for an emotional victory lane ceremony including a big hug from Don Drew.
Rick Hanestad dominated the Late Model feature as he led from start to finish with no one even able to stay close to him. Hanestad came off the outside pole to put immediate distance on Jeff Broking. The first lap produced a three car get together on the front chute that eliminated Adam Hensel. Hanestad pulled away again with Broking settling into second. Tony Bahr moved into third and attempted to track down Broking while Troy Kuyoth moved to the high side as he worked his way up from the fourth row. Kuyoth drove past Tom Nesbitt and Chad Mahder and started to close on teammate Bahr.
The yellow waved for a spin with sixteen laps complete but it proved to be no problem for Hanestad who once again pulled away from the field. Bahr tried to go to the outside of Broking but he couldn’t pull that move off and that opened the door to Kuyoth who took the third spot and then went after Broking. Hanestad drove home unchallenged for the win with Broking completing his best run here ever as he held off Kuyoth for second with Bahr and Mahder trailing.
The Modified main event was probably the best race of the night as the race went nonstop with four different leaders, great side by side racing and a wild battle for the lead. Buddy Mayala and Ron Mahder started in the front row and they raced wheel to wheel before Mayala edged into the lead. Dean Yrjanainen and Todd Siddons also raced side by side right behind the leaders as the pack was three and four wide deep into the field. Mahder stepped up his pace and he edged past Mayala to pull into the lead as Siddons and Yrjanainen remained close behind. Brent Prochnow started to close on the leaders along with Al Uotinen. Paul Harelstad started tenth on the grid and he went to the extreme high side of the track looking for racing room. He was clearly fast as he gradually worked his way to the front, edging by on the outside as the holes opened up.
Mahder continued to lead but Mayala was still close behind as Prochnow moved to third and closed on the leaders. Harelstad continued to work his way forward as he cracked the top five and continued to move. At the half way point, Mahder started to slow a little and Mayala drove past him to take over the lead again. Harelstad was third and coming fast as he continued to work the outside. He drove past Prochnow and Mayala to take over the lead and the issue seemed to be settled. Prochnow , however, had other ideas as he took Mayala for second and closed up on Harelstad. He dove to the inside in turn four and slid into the lead. Harelstad wasn’t about to lay down either, as he got his elbows up and pounded the cushion in turn one, pulled up beside Prochnow down the back chute and dove back into the lead. The last few laps he rode the high side while Prochnow rode low and Harelstad had enough to hold off Brent by a car length for the win. Mayala took a strong third ahead of Mahder and Ross Prochnow.
The Midwest Modifieds made their regular season debut with Jason Gross being the last of four different leaders in a race that had some strange and surprising occurances. Jeremy Sarsland took the lead from the pole but he spun in turn four and Guy Carley took the top spot. Kevin Adams quickly closed in to challenge him for the lead and he drove around Carley to take the top spot. Shane Holopka moved into second and was closely following Adams as Gross moved into third.
Adams continued to lead with Holopka close behind when Shane suddenly came to a halt in turn four bringing out the yellow. Gross took over the second spot with Mickey Nosser, who had spun and dropped nearly a full lap behind , having worked his way back up to third. Gross tried to stay with Adams but Kevin was able to pull away and looked to be comfortably in front when the unthinkable happened. As he was getting ready to lap a car, that machine suddenly lost control and spun right in front of him. Adams slowed and did everything he could to avoid the spinning car but they came together on the inside of the track and Adams suffered a flat tire, taking him out of the lead.
Gross inherited the lead but Nosser wasn’t done as he jumped to the second groove on the restart and drove around Gross to take over the lead. Nosser edged out by a couple car lengths but Gross wasn’t done either. He charged hard to catch back up and on the final lap, he drew up beside Nosser on the back chute. Gross drove very hard into turn three and his car slid up the track. The leaders came together slightly and both were on the edge of control. Each driver struggled to maintain control and race to the line and Gross edged ahead by a couple feet to take the win. Riley Matthews drove a smooth race to finish third ahead of Frank Soucek and Sarsland.
Butch Madsen led all the way to take the Street Stock main event but he was pressured in the early going by Tito Viltz. They raced side by side for several laps before Madsen was able to edge into the lead. Once he was able to clear Viltz, he started to put a little distance on the field. The battle for position behind him remained hot however, as Viltz settled into second but the charger was Wayne Dean who moved to the high side and drove past Mike Kalkbrenner and Cory Fisk to take over third as Jay Kesan also was on the move.
Madsen continued unchallenged up front for the win while Viltz was able to hold off the charge of Dean. Kesan and Fisk rounded out the top five.
The Pure Stocks wrapped up the evening with an entertaining event that saw cars slicing and dicing all over the track.Sam Fankhauser took the early lead and held off the challenges of Jim Miller, Josh Amans and Zach Ellis among others. The running order changed on every turn but quietly moving up on the inside was Bobby Kaufman Jr. who started ninth in the running order.
Kaufman was able to find an opening and he drove around Fankhauser to take over the lead with only a couple laps left. The yellow flew when Tony Luell and Ellis got together and both the frontrunners were eliminated.
Kaufman maintained the lead on the green but Ryan Hensel, who started eleventh on the field was making a late charge. He drove up to second and closed fast on Kaufman but Bobby held him off to take the win.Adam Soltis ran a strong third ahead of Joel Hinrichs who came from sixteenth on the grid and Fankhauser.
Racing action continues next Saturday night as another six division program will be presented by Cozy Creations & www.gabersigns.com. Race time is 6:30 p.m.
Rice Lake Speedway Postponed Again
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake Wi, April 30 – For the second straight Saturday, extremely cold weather caused the opening race night of the 2005 season to be postponed. With temperatures in the low forties and occasional snow flakes drifting down, it was deemed that conditions were just too brutal for even the heartiest of race fans and drivers.
The Drew Pit Crew Memorial Super Stock special will be rescheduled to next weeks opener along with judging for the Best Appearing Cars. Race sponsors for the opener will now be Don Johnson Motors, Maxine’s Family Restaurant, WITC, Kitchen Kleen Potatoes, Mist-er G’s Mist-On Tanning and Rod’s Painting & Sandblasting.
With an extra two weeks for drivers to get their cars completed, a