EAGLE VALLEY’S WINNER’S CIRCLE SEES NEW FACES
By Gene Harmelink, Photos by Chris Burback

Once again, Mother Nature was gracious and Eagle Valley Speedway’s racers and fans enjoyed a third successful Sunday night of racing presented by Cesspool Cleaner Company.

While surrounding tracks have been experiencing weather woes, Eagle Valley Speedway has been fortunate the last three weeks giving drivers an opportunity to flex their muscle and work off a little weather frustration.  Although the temperatures were a bit cool, the racing action was once again hot at Eagle Valley Speedway with the majority of the fans staying until the end of the program which concluded shortly before 9:15.

Ninety-three cars entered the gates on Sunday, May 18, ready for action.  The largest contingent was in the WISSOTA/Amsoil Midwest Modified divisions where 27 cars competed for a spot in the winner’s circle.

Feature racing action began in the WISSOTA/Amsoil Midwest Modified division with Michael Truscott and heat winner, Bryce Johnson, on the front row.  Truscott jumped out to an early lead with Johnson giving chase.  An early caution occurred just after the completion of lap one when a number of cars tangled in turn one resulting in Justin Supri’s car going off on the hook and the retirement of Scott Erickson for the night.  On the restart, Truscott again showed his strength and was off to a comfortable lead with Johnson once again attempting to pass.  Meanwhile, Ronnie Rihn, Bryan Bisonette, Curt Myers and heat winner, Shane Halopka, were tightly bunched together threatening to take the number two spot.  With seven of a scheduled fifteen-laps feature in the books, John Moravac’s car made hard contact with the wall on the front stretch and Moravac went off on the hook.  Once again, on the restart, Truscott took command.  A battle ensued for the second spot, but Johnson held on strongly with Rihn and Halopka hot on Johnson’s heals.  In the end, Truscott proved to be the strongest car, taking the win.  Johnson, who threatened often for the lead, had to settle for second while last week’s feature winner, Halopka, got third.  Rounding out the top five were Rihn and Myers.

With a field of fourteen cars, the WISSOTA/Amsoil Super Stocks came to the starting line for their feature race.  Shane Kisling and Jeff Dregney made up the front row.  Kisling jumped to an early lead in a race that saw no cautions.  For all intents and purposes, it looked like Kisling would be the winner as he continued to lead a very strong field of Supers.  There was plenty of dicing and slicing going on in the remainder of the field with Steve Hallquist, Chad Zastrow, Mark Stender and Dregney fighting for the second spot.  As the cars rounded the track to take the white flag, disaster struck for Kisling whose right rear tire began to go flat.  With Kisling’s car slowing a bit as they approached the flag stand coming out of turn four, Hallquist took advantage and passed Kisling for the win.  The top five then were:  Hallquist, Kisling, Stender, heat winner, Curt Myers who had made one of his patented late race “pushes” during lap thirteen, and Mike Keller, who also came on strong with just five laps to go.

Up next, the mighty WISSOTA/Amsoil  Modifieds with rookie Mark Hanson and veteran driver, Pat Doar on the front row.  Doar went for an early lead and secured the lead spot with Hanson right on his bumper.  There was an early caution after the completion of lap one, for debris in corner two.  The cars were realigned and on the restart Doar again shot to an early lead, but this time with Mike Anderson, who had started fourth, giving pursuit.  Another debris caution, this time in the front stretch, resulted in the cars being realigned to begin lap eight.  Doar again made quick work of getting the lead, with Anderson, Kevin Adams, Rich Loftus and Mike Goodremote vying for the second spot.  Anderson did all that he could to maintain second, but by the completion of lap fourteen Adams had passed Anderson and set his sights on Doar.  A great battle then began for the number two spot with Anderson, Loftus and Hanson, who had worked his way back from running sixth, working hard to move up.  Doar proved to be too much for the rest of the field and pulled away taking the win.  Rounding out the top five were:  Adams, Anderson, Loftus and Hanson.

Twelve WISSOTA/Amsoil Street Stocks next came onto the track with Crystal Hanson and Tommy Richards on the front row.  Hanson was off to an early lead and led the race for the first two laps with heat winner, Clark Swartz, giving chase.  As lap three started, Hanson slid up the track a bit in corner two allowing Swartz to make a pass with Gary Kasperek right behind.  Richards by this time had dropped to fourth while Mike Conrad, who had started fifth, moved up to the third spot.  Having lost a few spots, Hanson was now running seventh.  Swartz led for four laps and then Kasperek who has been strong at Eagle Valley Speedway the last couple of weeks, made the pass for the lead.  A restart after lap nine, for a spinning Hanson in the front stretch, saw Kasperek again take the lead with Swartz, Richards, and heat winner, Scott Clark fighting for second.  Kasperek proved to be the strength of the division, taking the win, with Clark, Swartz, Conrad and Adam Soltis, who had started sixth, rounding out the top five.

The Eagle Valley Pure Stocks were up next with Jay Fotz and Doug Wojcik on the front row.  Before the completion of the first lap, a caution came out for Jeremy Staves whose car lost a wheel and made hard contact with the front-stretch wall.  At the restart, Fotz took the lead with heat winner, Danny Richards, who had started eighth, moving up to second.  It didn’t take Richards long to make the pass and by the completion of lap two he had taken the lead.  With Richards in the lead, the rest of the field was left to fight for second.  Richards dominated the rest of the feature and got his third feature win of the year.  Rounding out the top five were:  Fotz, Jason Lang, who had started fifth, Doug Wojcik, and Cody Kummer, who had started fourth.

With just five cars in the Eagle Valley Hornet division the action was limited, but there was some.  Rookie, Mackenzie Olson and heat winner, Travis Anderson were on row one for the feature.  Anderson jumped to an early lead and led for most of the feature with Olson leading briefly about mid-race.  Anderson, however, proved to be the car to beat and got his first win of the year.  The top five then were:  Anderson, Olson, Jeremy Ahrndt, Sheena Branson, and David Seckora.

Racing continues on Monday, May 26, when Eagle Valley Speedway presents a special Memorial Day racing program.  There will be no racing at Eagle Valley on Sunday, May 25.

 

 

 

SUMMARY

Eagle Valley Speedway
Jim Falls, WI
May 18, 2008

WISSOTA Modifieds
20-Lap Feature:  Pat Doar, Kevin Adams, Mike Anderson, Rich Loftus, Mark Hanson, Craig Thatcher, Mike Goodremote, Jake Hartung, Robby Bunkelman,  Paul Knauf, Jay Richardson, Keith Tourville, Bryan Nayes, Cory Karshbaum, Kent Baxter, Luke Schilling Cory Crapser
Heat 1:  Adams, Loftus, Doar, Goodremote, Richardson, Bunkelman, Hartung, Tourville, Karshbaum
Heat 2:  Schilling, Anderson, Knauf, Hanson, Thatcher, Baxter, Nayes, Crapser

WISSOTA Super Stocks
15-Lap Feature:  Steve Hallquist, Shane Kisling, Mark Stender, Curt Myers, Mike Keller, Erick Olson, Chad Zastrow, Aaron Wilson, Jeff Dregney, Rich Bishop, Paul Erikson, Don Talmage, Ryan Olson, Rick Hallquist
Heat 1:  Myers, Kisling, Zastrow, Stender, Wilson, Keller, Erikson
Heat 2:  Bishop, S Hallquist, Dregney, E Olson, R Hallquist, Talmage, R Olson

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
15-Lap Feature:  Michael Truscott, Bryce Johnson, Mark Gerth, Shane Halopka, Ronnie Rihn, Curt Meyers, Bryan Bisonette, Dan Svee, Brad Hudson, Dalton Yohnk, Ryan Olson, Reid Tiegs, Josh Smith, Cole Neitzel, Randy Bargender, Morgan Crotteau, John Moravec, Jesse Glenz, Scott Erickson, Justin Supri
Consi:  Morgan Crotteau, Reid Tiegs, Mark Clements, Jeffrey McDonald, Jason Swan, Wayne Dean, Matt Leer, Chad Kallenbach, Alan Broker
Heat 1:  Hudson, Rihn, Gerth, Svee, Erickson, Yohnk, Drotteau, Tieges, Kallenbach
Heat 2:  Halopka, Truscott, Bisonette, Smith, Supri, Glenz, Clements, Swan, Broker
Heat 3:  Johnson, Myers, Olson, Neitzel, Moravec, Bargender, McDonald, Leer, Dean

WISSOTA Street Stocks
15-Lap Feature:  Kasperek, Clark, Swartz, Conrad, Soltis, Arnoldy, Wolfe, Frankhauser, Antczak, Hanson, Richards, VonHaden
Heat 1:  Scott Clark, Mike Conrad, Gary Kasperek, Crystal Hanson, Scott VonHaden, Jeff Antczak
Heat 2:  Clark Swartz, Adam Soltis, Tommy Richards, Quinn Arnoldy, Sam Frankhauser, Matt Wolfe

Eagle Valley Pure Stocks
12-Lap Feature:  D Richards, Fotz, Lang, D Wojcik, Kummer, G Richards, Bitney, J Wahlstrom, S Wahllstrom, Hargeaves, T Wahlstrolm, Faldet, Johnson, Smith, Staves, Stockwell, N Wojcik, Johnson
Heat 1:  Danny Richards, Jason Long, Doug Wojcik, George Richards, Kyle Bitney, Tyler Wahlstrom, Mitchell Johnson, Nick Wojcik, Jeremy Staves
Heat 2:  Josh Wahlstrom, Cody Kummer, Jay Fotz, Will Hargreaves, Zach Faldet, Pat Smith, Paul Stockwell, Simon Wahlstrom, Jordon Johnson

Eagle Valley Hornets
12-Lap Feature:   Anderson, Olson, Ahrndt, Branson, Seckora
Heat:  Travis Anderson, Mackenzie Olson, Jeremy Ahrndt, David Seckora, Sheena Branson