Hanestad Wins in His WISSOTA Late Model at Eagle Valley

by Gene Harmelink

                After starting on the pole for the WISSOTA Dart Challenge Series race, Pat Doar appeared to be the man to beat.  Doar dominated the first twenty-six laps of the forty lap feature, but it was Rick Hanestad who led when the race was over.

                Mark Thomas won in an abbreviated, caution-filled WISSOTA Midwest Modified main event and Curt Myers picked up his eleventh win of the year in his WISSOTA Super Stock.  There were no winners in the Eagle Valley Pure Stocks or Hornets as heavy rains fell ending the race night after the Late Model feature.

                The third and final feature for the night was the Dart Challenge Late Model feature.  Pat Doar started on the pole for the Dart Challenge Series feature by virtue of the fact that he was a fourth-place winner in Debbie’s Dash earlier in the race night.  Debbie’s Dash was actually won by Duane Mahder, but a four-car invert put Doar on the Pole for the main event.

                At the drop of the green flag, Doar was off and running with heat winner, John Kaanta, who had started second, setting his sights on the front spot.  Adam Hensel, who had started third, and heat winner, Duane Mahder, who had started fourth, had other ideas as they pursued Doar and Kaanta as Mahder and Hensel ran second and third.

                Lap six saw Rick Hanestad moving up into the top five as he sped up to fourth, dropping Hensel to fifth.  Kaanta continued to run second and Mahder held on to third.  A caution for a spinning Shawn Mahder, after lap seven, realigned the field and on the restart, Doar again assumed the lead.

                By lap fifteen, Doar still led the race, Mahder held on to second after taking second during lap ten, Hanestad was running third after taking third during lap thirteen, Hensel replaced Kaanta for fourth and Kaanta was running fifth.  Lap twenty saw no change in the top five.

                It was during lap twenty-four that Hanestad’s car seemed to take on a new life as he shot past his opponents to take the top spot.  With Hanestad in the lead, Doar dropped to second, Mahder to third, Hensel to fourth and Kaanta to fifth.

                A caution for a slowing A. J. Diemel after lap twenty-six, with Diemel needing an assist to the pits, realigned the field  Hanestad resumed the lead and worked at extending the lead over the rest of the field.

                By lap thirty, the top five remained virtually unchanged, but Joel Cryderman had his car headed for a top five finish.  By lap thirty-five Cryderman had moved up to fifth and Kaanta had dropped to sixth.

                Hanestad never relented and only extended his lead as the race progressed to the finish with Doar in the second spot.  Duane Mahder held on to third, while Hensel and Cryderman rounded out the top five.

                It was the second win for Hanestad, in as many nights, as he had won the Dart Challenge Series race at Deer Creek Speedway on Saturday night.

                A tip of the hat to Lucas Peterson for allowing, Lance Matthees, Dart Challenge Point’s leader coming into the night, the use of his car as Matthees motor expired during hot laps.

                The first feature of the night was the Midwest Modified feature.  In WISSOTA/Amsoil Midwest Modified action, Mark Gerth and McAdam Kensmoe started on the front row.  Kensmoe led the first lap, but Gerth didn’t wait long and took the lead with two laps into the books.  Gerth led the next four laps which were followed by two cautions, one for debris in turn four and one for two cars spinning in turn two.

                When racing resumed, Gerth again shot to the lead with heat winner, Jared Loos, who had started third, Mark Thomas, who had started sixth, Matt Leer, who had started fifth and heat winner, Josh Smith, who had started eighth in hot pursuit.

                Gerth led lap six, but then Gerth’s race night came to an end as his car slowed coming out of turn four.  Gerth’s drove his car into the pits and then the car of track point’s leader, Shane Halopka, came to rest in the back stretch and was assisted off the track, calling for another caution.

                The race resumed briefly with Loos in the lead, but another caution for debris in turn one halted the race one more time.  At this point, the powers to be were in the process of ending the feature due to time constraints.  The decision was made to go green, white, checkered.

                Lap seven saw Loos in the lead, but Mark Thomas, who was running second, had other ideas and passed Loos for the lead and the win.  Rounding out the top five were:  Loos, Leer, Smith and heat winner, Michael Truscott, who had started fourth.

                While the Midwest Modified race was caution filled, the WISSOTA/Amsoil Super Stocks ran their feature with just one caution.  That caution occurred after lap five for Eric Olson, whose car had lost its steering and was wedged sideways and badly beaten in the turn three track exit.  Olson was fine, but his car suffered what appeared to be significant damage.

                Steve Hallquist, who had started on the outside of the front row, was the early race leader, leading for the first two laps.  At the completion of lap three, heat winner, Curt Myers, had moved into the lead from his sixth-place starting spot.

                Lap ten saw Myers extending his lead while Hallquist hung on for second.  Ryan Olson, who had started on the pole continued to run third, while Jeff Dregney, who had started third, ran fourth and Mike Keller, who had started seventh, ran fifth.

                By lap fifteen, Myers continued to lead, Hallquist was in second, Keller was in third, Ryan Olson was in fourth and Dregney was running fifth.  Myers continued to dominate, taking the win. The remaining top five were:  Hallquist, Keller, Ryan Olson, and heat winner, Mark Stender who had started eighth and made a last ditch effort

                Racing action concluded after the Dart Challenge Late Model feature when wind, thunder, lightning, and heavy rain invaded Eagle Valley Speedway.  The features for the Eagle Valley Pure Stocks and Hornets will be run next week when racing resumes.

Sunday, July 13 will be a special night as Eagle Valley is “Racin for a Reason” in support of breast cancer awareness.  July 19 and 20 Eagle Valley will host a two-day special sponsored by Baxter Engines and Baxter Speedshops.  Also, keep Sunday, July 27 open on your calendars because on that night the IRA Sprints invade Eagle Valley Speedway.

Hot laps are at 5:30 with racing starting at 6:00 and as always there’s a two bike giveaway 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 with full results, including point standings, etc. at:  http://www.speednetdirect.com

 

SUMMARY

Eagle Valley Speedway

Jim Falls, WI

July 7, 2008

 

WISSOTA Dart Challenge Late Models

40-Lap Feature:  Rich Hanestad, Pat Doar, Duane Mahder, Adam Hensel, Joel Cryderman, Keith Foss, John Kaanta, Cory Mahder, Pete Parker, Tom Nesbitt, Scott Gilberts, Steve Isenberg, John Bey, Lance Matthees, Mike Goodremote, Jake Redetzke, Brent Larson, Steve Laursen, A. J. Diemel, Jesse Redetzke, Shawn Mahder, Lucas Peterson (DNS)

DEBBIE’S DASH

8-Laps:  Duane Mahder, Adam Hensel, John Kaanta, Pat Doar, Pete Parker, Rick Hanestad, Steve Laursen, Tom Nesbitt

Heat 1:  Kaanta, Doar, Parker, Bey, Matthees, Gilberts, Diemel

Heat 2:  D. Mahder, Laursen, Hensel, Isenberg, Larson, Goodremote, Jesse Redetzke

Heat 3:  Hanestad, Nesbitt, Cryderman, C. Mahder, Jake Redetzke, Foss, S. Mahder

 

WISSOTA Super Stocks

15-Lap Feature:  Curt Myers, Steve Hallquist, Mike Keller, Ryan Olson, Mark Stender, Paul Erikson, Jeff Dregney, Rich Bishop, Shane Kissling, Chad Zastrow, Eric Olson

Heat 1:  Myers, Erikson, Hallquist, Dregney, Bishop, E. Olson

Heat 2:  Stender, Keller, R. Olson, Zastrow, Kisling

 

 

 

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds

8-Lap Feature:  Mark Thomas, Jared Loos, Matt Leer. Josh Smith, Michael Truscott, Brad Hudson, McAdam Kensmoe, Dalton Yohnk, Jesse Glenz, Chad Manor, Scott Erickson, Ronnie Rihn, Nick Koehler, Dennis Haines, Grant Southworth, Shane Halopka, Bryan Bisonette, Mark Gerth, Cole Neitzel, Alan Broker, Will Lymann, Casey Manor, John Moravec, Bob Wood, Bill Retzloff

Heat 1:  Smith, Hudson, Bisonette, Yohnk, Neitzel, Chad Manor, Glenz, Retzloff, Lymann

Heat 2:  Truscott, Gerth, Kensmoe, Southworth, Broker, Halopka, Wood, Rihn

Heat 3:  Loos, Leer, Thomas, Moravec, Erickson, Koehler, Casey Manor, Haines