Repeat Winners Rule at Eagle Valley Speedway On Memorial Day
By Gene Harmelink
Jim Falls, WI, May 25, 2009

 

                Driving a new Shaw by Taylor, Keith Tourville swept the WISSOTA Modifieds getting his third win of the weekend and his third of the year.  Mike Keller, last week’s winner in the WISSOTA Super Stocks, followed up this week with another win.  Shane Halopka, after some early year trials and tribulations, picked up his third win of the year and completed a sweep in his WISSOTA Midwest Modified.  Cory Crapser, on his way toward the quest of another National WISSOTA Street Stock title, picked up his eleventh win of the year, completing a sweep for the night.  George Richards picked up a win and completed a sweep in his Eagle Valley Pure Stock and Rocky Kempe picked up his first win of the year and completed a sweep in the Eagle Valley Hornets.

                After driving to Texas earlier in the week to pick up a new car, Keith Tourville won his heat race. After starting on the outside of the front row for the feature, Tourville took an immediate lead with Kevin Adams, who had started fourth in hot pursuit.  Tourville and Adams ran one and two for three laps until the motor in Adams car developed a problem.  After a loud pop, Adams exited the track leaving Bryan Nayes, who had started on the pole, with the task of catching Tourville.  Tourville and Nayes then continued to battle, but Tourville’s car was obviously the strongest in the field and by mid-race Tourville led the field by at least a full turn.  Meanwhile, back in the pack, Nayes continued to run second, Dustin Nelson, who had started fifth, ran a solid third, Mike Anderson, who had started eighth, ran fourth, and Steve Hallquist, who started fourth, ran fifth.  By race end, Tourville had a full straight lead, Nayes ran second, Nelson ran third, Anderson was fourth and Cory Crapser finished fifth, after starting sixth.  Tourville’s win, in the Bikeman Performance. Com-sponsored WISSOTA Modified, was his third of the weekend.

                It had been a challenging year, up until last week, for the Keller WISSOTA Super Stock racing team, but last week the team met the challenge and won their first feature.  Luck continued to be on Keller’s side as Mike Keller started on the outside of the front row and shot to an early lead at the drop of the green flag.  With heat winner, Aaron Wilson, who had started third, giving chase, Keller continued to lead, as Eric Olson, who had started fourth, dogged Wilson for second.  Just behind Olson, Paul Erikson, who had started fifth; heat winner, Shawn Huse, who started seventh, and Jeff Tardy, who started sixth, fought tooth and nail for fourth.  By mid-race, Keller had stretched his lead with Wilson doing his best to stay competitive as Olson ran third, Huse ran fourth, and Erikson ran fifth.  By race end Keller had built up a substantial lead and took the win in his Midwest Stainless-sponsored WISSOTA Super Stock, Wilson finished second, Olson hung on to third, Huse ran fourth, and Jeff Tardy finished in fifth.

                After suffering a variety of problems early in the season, including the loss of his primary motor, Shane Halopka was looking good as he sat on the outside of the front row of the feature after winning his heat.  Halopka was off to an early lead as the race began with Travis Anderson, who had started on the pole, running second.  Anderson’s hopes soon faded as he began to drop in the field and eventually pulled off after the completion of lap five.  After a succession of two restarts, one for a spinning Scott Erickson in turn one and another for a spinning Cooper Dohms on the restart lap, heat winner, Mark Gerth, moved into the second spot, after starting seventh.  Mike Truscott, who had started fourth, continued to run third, but was replaced by lap seven by Ronnie Rihn, who had started sixth.  By mid-race, Halopka continued to lead, Gerth ran second, Travis Krause, who had started fifth, ran third, Rihn ran fourth, and Truscott ran fifth.  With just two laps to go, Scott Erickson, who had worked his way back up to tenth, rolled his car in turn three.  Erickson was bruised, but otherwise okay, and after his car was removed the race continued with green, white, checkered.  Halopka won, getting his third win of the year in his Bob Seckora—Coldwell Banker-sponsored WISSOTA Midwest Modifed, followed by Gerth, Krause, Rihn, and Truscott.

                Coming into the night with ten wins, Cory Crapser was looking forward to completing a sweep after starting fourth in the feature.  Ron Hanestad, though, had other ideas as Hanestad, who started on the outside of the front row, was off to a quick lead.  Hanestad dominated early, but Crapser was on the move and by the end of lap one was trailing Hanestad.  Hanestad continued to lead and appeared to be building on the lead early, but Crapser charged up on the line he was running and by lap seven had come up to Hanestad’s driver’s door.  By lap eight, Crapser had made the move for the lead with Hanestad in second; Mike Conrad, who had started third, in third; and Scott Miller, who had started on the pole, in fourth.  By race end, Crapser had taken the win in his Troy’s Shop Racing Engine-sponsored WISSOTA Street Stock completing a sweep and getting his eleventh feature win of the year.  Crapser was followed by Hanestad, Conrad, and Miller.

                Rick Weir and Josh Walstrom were on the pole for the Eagle Valley Pure Stock feature, but it was Cody Kummer, who had started sixth, who took the early lead.  Kummer led the first four laps of the feature when he was passed by heat winner, George Richards.  Richards and Kummer ran side-by-side for the next five or six laps, but Richards was the stronger of the two and with two laps to go, clearly led.  Richards took the win in his Richard’s Repair-sponsored pure stock with Kummer, Simon Wahlstrom, (heat winner) Zach Manley, and Weir filling out the top five.

                It’s been a long time coming, but Rocky Kempe put a great night of racing together and completed a sweep in the Eagle Valley Hornet division.  After winning his heat, Kempe started fourth, but soon made quick work of getting to the front, leaving front row starters, Matt Marvin and Shawn Warner fighting for second.  Kempe dominated the race, taking the win in his Johnson Concrete-sponsored Hornet.  Marvin, Mike Peters, who had started third, and Randy Anderson filled out the top runners.

                Racing action continues on Sunday, May 31, when Cesspool Cleaner Service presents the races.  Pits open at 4:00, cut off time is 5:30; hot laps are at 5:30, with racing beginning at 6:00.  Come join the fun where the valley heats up!

                Keep June 21—Fastrack Late Models Series Races—and July 5—WISSOTA Dart Late Model Challenge Series Races—open on your race calendar.

 

SUMMARY

Eagle Valley Speedway

Jim Falls, WI

May 25, 2009

 

WISSOTA Modifieds

20 Lap Feature:  Keith Tourville, Star Praire, WI, Bryan Nayes, Chippewa Falls, WI, Dustin Nelson, Ogilvie, MN, Mike Anderson, Colfax, WI, Cory Crapser, Eau Claire, WI, Steve Hallquist, Eau Claire, WI, Bryan Hessler, Chetek, WI, Kevin Adams, Cameron, WI, Kevin Rogers, Unity, WI, Robby Bunkelman, Abbotsford, WI

Heat 1:  Tourville, Anderson, Nayes, Crapser, Bunkelman

Heat 2:  Adams, Nelson, Hallquist, Hessler, Rogers

WISSOTA Super Stocks

20 Lap Feature:  Mike Keller, Menomonie, WI, Aaron Wilson, Menomonie, WI, Eric Olson, Ladysmith, WI, Shawn Huse, Bloomer, WI, Jeff Tardy, Hibbing, MN, Darrel Hazelton, Chippewa Falls, WI, Paul Erikson, Abbotsford, WI, Chad Zastrow, Cadott, WI, Ryan Olson, Chippewa Fallls, WI, Lance Schilling, Chilli, WI, Mark Stender, Holcombe, WI, Shane Kisling, Sarona, WI, Rick Hallquist, Eau Claire, WI, Terry Kroening, Colby, WI

Heat 1:  Wilson, Kisling, Erikson, Tardy, Kroening, Hallquist, Zastrow

Heat 2:  Huse, Keller, Schilling, E Olson, R Olson, Stender, Hazelton

 WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds

15 Lap Feature:  Shane Halopka, Eau Claire, WI, Mark Gerth, Menominie, WI, Travis Krause, Buffalo City, WI, Ronnie Rihn, Bloomer, WI, Michael Truscott, Chippewa Falls, WI, Justin Supri, Eau Claire, WI, Matt Leer, Bruce, WI, Nathan Thums, Dorchester, WI, John Moravec, Ladysmith, WI, Bob Wood, Cadott, WI, Cooper Dohms, Menomonie, WI, Grant Southworth, Bloomer, WI, Robbie Johnson, Wilson, WI, Jason Swan, Chippewa Falls, WI,  Chad Kallenbach, Eau Claire, WI, Ryan Johnson, Lindstrom, MN, Scott Erickson, Barron, WI, McAdam Kensmoe, Strum, WI, Casey Manor, Chetek, WI, Travis Anderson, Colfax, WI, Mike Knudtson, Osseo, WI, Dan Larson, St. Croix Falls, WI

Heat 1:  Halopka, Truscott, Erickson, Johnson, Swan, Thums, Knudtson, Kallenbach

Heat2:  Gerth, Leer, Krause, Moravec, Dohms, Johson, Larson

Heat 3:  Supri, Rihn, Anderson, Kensmoe, Wood, Manor, Southworth

WISSOTA Street Stocks

15 Lap Feature:  Cory Crapser, Eau Claire, WI, Ron Hanestad, Glenwood City, WI, Mike Conrad, Independence, WI, Jason Long, Sheldon, WI, Scott Miller, Stanley, WI (DQ—No scale)

Heat:  Crapser, Conrad, Hanestad, Miller, Long

Eagle Valley Pure Stocks

12 Lap Feature:  George Richards, Mondovi, WI, Cody Kummer, Medford, WI, Simon Wahlstrom, Cameron, WI, Zach Manley, Cameron, WI, Rick Weir, Mondovi, WI, Kyle Bitney, Chippewa Falls, WI, Rod Ryba, Boyd, WI, Chad Tarvis, Menomonie, WI, Tony Falkner, Menomonie, WI, Josh Wahlstrom, Cameron, WI, Tyler Wahlstrom, Eau Claire, WI, Mike Harshman, Chippewa Falls, WI, Mitchell Johnson, Bloomer, WI, Dalton, Hazelton, New Auburn, WI

Heat 1:  Richards, S. Wahlstrom, J. Walhlstrom, Harshman, Johnson, Tarvis, Bitney

Heat 2:  Manley, Kummer, Weir, T Wahlstrom, Falkner, Ryba, Hazelton

Eagle Valley Hornets

12 Lap Feature:  Rocky Kempe, Chippewa Falls, WI, Matt Marvin, Whitehall, WI, Mike Peters, Whitehall, WI, Randy Anderson, Chippewa Falls, WI, Shawn Warner, Bruce, WI

Heat:  Kempe, Peters, Marvin, Warner, Anderson