<-- BACK TO NEWS Eagle Valley Crowns Season Champions by Gene Harmelink On Sunday, August 17, Eagle Valley Speedway near Jim Falls, WI, crowned its WISSOTA/Amsoil season champions on a warm, but pleasant night with the races presented by General Beer Northwest and Leinenkugle’s. Champions in each division included: Kevin “Buzzy” Adams in Modifieds, Curt Myers in Super Stocks, Matt Leer in Midwest Modifieds, and Clark Swartz in Street Stocks. In the Eagle Valley Pure Stock division, it was Danny Richards taking home the honors and Brittany Olson won in the Eagle Valley Hornet division. In the WISSOTA/Amsoil Modified feature, Kevin Adams and Mark Hanson were scheduled to start on the front row; however, Hanson’s car would not fire. Hanson did come to the track late and was relegated to the back row only to have his car quit in turn four on the first lap. This race was Kevin Adam’s race from the drop of the green flag. The only question was, would anyone have anything to even come close to passing Adams? Mike Anderson, who started third, gave it a valiant try, but the best he could do was to stay within a few car lengths early in the race. By lap twelve, Adams led by almost a full corner and the rest of the field was at his mercy. This race ran caution-free and by race end, it was Adams taking his 21st win of the year, Anderson held on for second, Thatcher ran third, after getting up to third from fifth early. Rich Loftus finished fourth after starting eighth and Robby Bunkelman finished fifth after starting fourth. In Super Stock racing, Eric Olson and Steve Hallquist led the field to the green for the start of the WISSOTA/Amsoil Super Stock feature. Starting on the front row of this feature turned out to be a curse, rather than an advantage. Hallquist spun out coming out of turn four on the second lap while in the lead, ending his night in the infield and bringing out the caution flag for the only time in this feature. Olson then inherited the lead and led the race for the next ten laps only to be passed by Curt Myers. Olson’s night also ended in disaster as he broke either an axle or rear end housing, ending his night in turn four on the checkered flag lap while he was running second. Once Myers had made the pass, the race was his until the finish. The only driver giving Myers any competition at all had been Olson and they had a few laps of good side-by-side racing early after Myers had made the pass. Mike Keller, after starting in fourth, did finish second in the feature but was some distance back at the checkered. Rounding out the top five were: Shawn Huse in third after starting eighth, Aaron Wilson in fourth after starting ninth, and Jeff Dregney in fifth after starting sixth. Brad Hudson and Michael Truscott led the field to the start of the WISSOTA/Amsoil Midwest Modified feature. This race would run caution-free once an initial caution was taken care of prior to the competition of lap one. At the drop of the green flag to start the race, Mark Gerth’s car spun coming out of turn one, collecting the car of Jason Zdroik. Geth’s car went off on the hook, but Zdroik was able to continue for a few laps and then he pulled into the pits. Matt Leer took advantage on the restart and grabbed the lead after coming from third. Leer and Truscott fought it out for first for the remainder of the race with Truscott challenging on many occasions to take the lead. Leer; however, proved to be too strong for Truscott and the rest of the field and dominated until the end, collecting his second win of the year. Truscott settled for second, Brad Hudson finished third, Ronnie Rihn, who started fourth, finished fourth, and Grant Southworth finished fifth after starting fifth. Eagle Valley point’s champion, Shane Halopka, had motor issues in his heat and started fifteenth in the feature, finishing sixth. Just as the Midwest Modifieds had begun their feature with an early caution, the WISSOTA/Amsoil Street Stocks did the same in their feature and then ran caution-free for the duration. Coming out of turn four, after the drop of the green flag to start the race, there was contact between Scott Miller and Mark Schuenemann resulting in Schunenemann’s car going off on the hook. Once racing resumed, Clark Swartz saw his chance to take the lead, from his second-place starting spot. With Swartz in command, it was the job of the rest of the field to give chase. Heat winner, Tommy Richards, gave it a go, but Swartz proved to be too strong thwarting every attempt Richards made to make a pass. By race end, Swartz had taken the win with Richards hanging on for second. Rounding out the top four (only four cars finished) were: Cory Hanson, who started third and Crystal Hanson, who started fifth. The Eagle Valley Pure Stock feature did not run caution-free, barring any unforeseen events,. , the outcome of the race was quite predictable even before the race started. Danny Richards had been dominant all year, so why should the championship race be any different, especially with Richards starting on the pole? The Richard’s fans would not be disappointed as Richards drove to the lead from the drop of the green. With four cautions, in the first six laps, there were opportunities for other drivers to take a shot at the top spot, but Richards just had too much to offer for them to succeed, even though Zach Manley did get close a few times. By race end, Danny Richards had succeeded in getting his 12th win of the year and George Richards had finished second after starting tenth. Rounding out the top five were: Jason Lang who started second, Doug Wojcik who started third, and Cody Kummer who started fifth. Zach Manley, who ran so strong all race long, was the victim of mechanical woes coming out of turn three on the last lap, ending his night in sixth place. The Eagle Valley Hornets were the last division to run and they also ran another caution-free race. Brittany Olson and Bob Anderson led the rest of the field to the starter’s stand with Anderson taking an early lead. Anderson’s lead was short-lived as Olson passed Anderson to take the lead at the end of lap two. Olson and Anderson ran doo-to-door for several laps and then Anderson’s car began to slow with Anderson pulling off into the pits at the end of lap four. With Anderson off the track, would anyone have anything for Olson? The only taker was Mark Ryskoski who started fourth, but Olson proved to be too tough and went on for the win with Ryskoski settling for second. Rounding out the top five were: Steven Tautges of Mooresville, NC, in the EVS car, Matt Marvin who started sixth, and Chad Schwartz who started fifth. Racing resumes on Sunday, August 24 when a regular night of racing will be presented by River Country Co-op. Be there when the Valley Heats Up! Hot
laps are at 5:30 with racing starting at 6:00 and as always there’s a
two bike giveaways every Sunday night, sponsored
by Kelly Oium Well Drilling & Pump Service and Chris Oium
Blacktopping. Further information can be found at: http://www.eaglevalleyspeedway.net. Full results, including point standings, etc. may be found at: http://www.speednetdirect.com SUMMARY Eagle
Valley Speedway Jim
Falls, WI August
17, 2008 WISSOTA
Modifieds 20-Lap Feature: Kevin Adams, Mike Anderson, Craig Thatcher, Rich Loftus, Robby Bunkelman, Jay Richardson, Keith Tourville, Bryan Nayes, Dan Hesch, Paul Niznik, John Hazelton, Mark Hanson Heat 1: Adams, Anderson, Thatcher, Niznik, Nayes, Hesch Heat 2: Hanson, Tourville, Bunkelman, Richardson, Loftus, Hazelton WISSOTA
Super Stocks 15-Lap Feature: Curt Myers, Mike Keller, Shawn Huse, Aaron Wilson, Jeff Dregney, Rick Hallquist, George Balcaen, Chad Zastrow, Cody Campeau, Eric Olson, Scott Geiger, Steve Hallquist, Shane Kisling Heat 1: Olson, Myers, R. Hallquist, Kisling, Wilson, Balcaen, Geiger Heat 2: S. Hallquist, Keller, Dregney, Huse, Zastrow, Campeau WISSOTA
Midwest Modifieds 15-Lap Feature: Matt Leer, Michael Truscott, Brad Hudson, Ronnie Rihn, Grant Southworth, Shane Halopka, John Moravec, Jason Swan, Scott Erickson, Eric Herbison, McAdam Kensmoe, Jesse Glenz, Chad Kallenbach, Jason Zdroik, Mark Gerth Heat 1: Hudson, Leer, Southworth, Glenz, Erickson, Herbison, Kensmoe, Halopka Heat 2: Truscott, Rihn, Gerth, Swan, Yohnk, Moravec, Zdroik, Kallenbach WISSOTA
Street Stocks 15-Lap Feature: Clark Swartz, Tommy Richards, Cory Hanson, Crystal Hanson, Scott Miller, Jay Kesan, Mark Schuenemann Heat: Richards, Swartz, Cory Hanson, Crystal Hanson, Miller, Kesan, Schuenemann Eagle
Valley Pure Stocks 12-Lap Feature: Danny Richards, George Richards, Jason Lang, Doug Wojcik, Cody Kummer, Zach Manley, Mike Hashman, Jeremy Robinson, Casey Endle, Mitchell Johnson, Mike Knudtson, Nick Wojcik, Chad Tarvis Heat 1: D. Richards, D. Wojcik, Kummer, N. Wojcik, Tarvis, Endle, Knudtson Heat 2: Lang, Manley, Harshman, Johnson, G. Richards, Robinson Eagle
Valley Hornets 12-Lap Feature: Brittany Olson, Mark Ryskoski, Steven Tautges, Matt Marvin, Chad Schwartz, Bob Anderson Heat: Olson, Anderson, Tautges, Ryskoski, Schwartz, Marvin, Zebro |