Chad Mahder, Adams Control Red Cedar Speedway

 

By Ed Reichert

 

Menomonie WI, May 28 – After last week’s rainout, great weather returned to start the Memorial Day weekend, and one hundred drivers and a large, holiday crowd were on hand to enjoy racing Friday night at the Red Cedar Speedway. Chad Mahder continued his recent hot streak as he and Kevin Adams controlled the Late Model and Modified feature events respectively while other winners Friday included Jason Forehand, Matt Leer and Chaz Ducommun.

Justin Ritchie got off to a great start as he shot into an early, big lead in the Late Model finale. As Mahder and Scott Gilberts worked their way toward the front, the yellow waved when Kerry Hansen slowed with difficulties. Back under green, Ritchie continued to lead but Mahder went tearing by Brent Larson and Ronnie Rihn and then closed on Ritchie as Gilberts also continued his march to the front.

Mahder looked to the inside of Ritchie but when Justin slammed the door, Chad simply moved up the track and drove right around Ritchie to take over the lead. Once in front, Mahder eased away from the field as the battle then focused on second where Gilberts had caught Ritchie. Scott was able to get to the open bottom lane and drove into second.

After a lap twelve spin, Mahder continued to hold the lead and drove home for his second win of the year here. Gilberts finished a strong second ahead of Ritchie with Larson swapping spots with Jake Redetzke on the last lap for fourth.

It took three attempts to get the Modified feature race underway. On the first two attempts, the field had gone four wide with Adams able to sneak into the lead from the second row. On the third try, the green remained out and this time it was Cory Williams who grabbed the lead with Adams ducking in behind him. Adams looked over Williams for a lap, and then blasted past him to take over the lead. Adams was flying tonight as he extended his advantage while the battle for second saw Williams fighting off Keith Tourville, Craig Thatcher and Scott Duval. Duval eventually worked to the low side and ducked under Williams to take second while the race for third was frantic with Tourville and Thatcher exchanging  the position several times.

A late yellow saw Adams lose a straightaway lead, and set up a green, white and checkered finish. Kevin carefully took the green and protected the low side as he edged away from the field on the last two circuits to take his first win of the year here. Duval finished a strong second with Tourville edging Thatcher and Williams to complete the top five.

Forehand stole the lead on the last lap of the Super Stock feature to keep rookie Luke Plank from getting his first ever feature win in the division. Plank had started on the outside pole and had opened up a nice lead in a race that was stopped only twice for minor spins. Ben Hillman challenged Plank early for the lead but then fell back with Mike Anderson applying the pressure. Forehand started in the fourth row, but he found the bottom groove to his liking and soon moved under Anderson to take over second as he began to close the gap on Plank.

Luke still seemed in charge but in the last few laps his car started skating around in the corners and Forehand closed the gap measurably. As they took the white flag, Forehand got beside Plank down the front chute and took the lead through turn one. He was able to extend the margin by a car length and coming off the final corner, he secured his first win of the year here but second in a row counting a win last weekend. Plank finished a solid second as he quest for the first win continues, with Cory Davis, Paul Erikson and Anderson completing the top five.

Leer outslugged Shane Halopka in a wild Midwest Modified feature that saw the caution plagued event cut to just a handful of laps. Mark Clements and Jake Smith fought for the early lead as the race saw yellow on four straight occasions before one lap could be scored complete. The biggest pileup saw contender Mark Gerth trigger a five car mess in turn two that eliminated several drivers from the event.

When the field was finally able to get the first lap done, Smith had grabbed the top spot but Leer quickly moved in to challenge him. When Smith slid up the track, Leer was right there to grab the top spot with Halopka moving up from row four to take second.

After a final yellow for a spin, the field took off one last time with Halopka diving to the inside of Leer in turn one. There was contact between the two at least twice, and Leer responded by drilling Halopka in the rear bumper in turn three. Their battle for the lead continued as they went side by side down the front chute before Leer regained the upper hand. Halopka continued to apply pressure on the final go round, but it was Leer who earned his first victory of the year here. Behind Halopka, Mark Thomas, Smith and Justin Supri completed the top five with only half the starters still on the track.

The Pure Stock feature started out with a grinding crash on the opening lap and ended up with only a handful of cars completing the distance. As the pack raced into turn four on the opening lap, front row starter Jordan Johnson was turned sideways and he peeled off a rear tire that left him setting broadside on the track. The field piled into him at high speed, with at least six cars slamming into him. Fortunately, there were no injuries but six cars were eliminated before a lap could be scored.

Rookie Jake Smeltzer took the lead but it wasn’t long before he too, spun out and was slammed into, eliminating two more cars. Finally, Willy Hughes finally grabbed the top spot and it looked like he might grab the win before Ducommun came charging up from the third row to challenge for the lead. Despite smoke billowing from his car, Ducommun was able to fight off Hughes and take his third feature win of the year here in the early season. Hughes held on for second over Kory Hathaway, Jeremy Dahl and Gunnar Watkins.

In pre race ceremonies, Bob Wik and Steve Rudiger were added to the Red Cedar Speedway Hall of Fame.

Next Friday night, June 4, it will be Clear Channel Radio’s Relay at the Races night, with pink door panels from some of the top racers to be auctioned off with proceeds to the American Cancer Society plus a lot of other surprises. It will also be Turtle Lake, Cumberland and Balsam Lake night at the track with residents of those communities receiving discounted adult admission tickets. Race time is 7 p.m.

 

WISSOTA Late Models

20 lap Feature – Chad Mahder, Eau Claire; Scott Gilberts, Menomonie; Justin Ritchie, New London; Brent Larson, Lake Elmo MN; Jake Redetzke, Eau Claire; Cory Mahder, Elk Mound; John Kaanta, Elk Mound; Ashley Anderson, Elk Mound; Jake Hartung, Elmwood; Jesse Redetzke, Altoona; Ronnie Rihn, Bloomer; Randy Gullixson, Baldwin; Steve Isenberg, Marshfield; Dennis Larson, Lake Elmo MN; Scott Meeds, Spooner; Tom Naeyaert, Shawano; Mike Prochnow, Menomonie; Kerry Hansen, Spencer.

8 Lap Heat 1 – Gilberts; Ch. Mahder; Anderson; B. Larson; Kaanta; Co. Mahder; Hartung; Isenberg; Meeds.

Heat 2 – Ritchie; J. Redetzke; Rihn; Naeyaert; Je. Redetzke; Gullixson; Hansen; D. Larson; Prochnow.

 

WISSOTA Modifieds

 

14 lap Feature – Kevin Adams, Cameron; Scott Duval, Bloomer; Keith Tourville, Ellsworth; Craig Thatcher, Knapp; Cory Williams, Spring Valley; Robby Bunkelman, Abbotsford; Eric Pember, Pittsville; Luke Schilling, Granton; Jay Richardson, Spring Valley; Mark Hessler, Menomonie; Dave Baxter, Eau Claire; Mike Truscott, Chippewa Falls; Shawn Anderson, Chetek; Don Brightbill, Hudson; Ron Schreiner, Hudson; Brent Prochnow, Colfax; Steve Hallquist, Eau Claire; Mike Anderson, Colfax; Bryan Nayes, Chippewa Falls; Ross Prochnow, Boyceville; Mark Hanson, Chippewa Falls.

8 lap Heat 1 – Thatcher; Williams; Pember; Schilling; Richardson; Nayes; Hessler.

Heat 2 – Tourville; Adams; Bunkelman; Anderson; B. Prochnow; Schreiner; Brightbill

Heat 3 – Duval; R. Prochnow; Hallquist; Hanson; Truscott; Baxter; Anderson.

 

WISSOTA Super Stocks

10 lap Feature – Jason Forehand, Eau Claire; Luke Plank, Eau Claire; Cory Davis, Turtle Lake; Paul Erikson, Abbotsford; Mike Anderson, Colfax; Steve Thomas, Menomonie; Tom Karis, Menomonie; Mike Keller, Menomonie; Aaron Wilson, Menomonie; Wayne Dean, Fall Creek; Lance Schilling, Chili; Tommy Richards, Mondovi; Brad Johnson, Wilson; Dan Arneson, Eleva; Bernie Christianson, Menomonie; Tony Falkner, Menomonie; Bart Steffen, Eau Claire; Wayne Bignell, Menomonie; Shane Kisling, Sarona; Ben Hillman, Menomonie; Chad Tarvis, Chetek; Rick Hallquist, Eau Claire.

8 lap Heat 1 – Anderson; Erikson; Davis; Keller; Schilling; Thomas; Kisling; Dean.

Heat 2 – Plank; Karis; Hillman; Wilson; Arneson; Steffen; Tarvis

Heat 3 – Johnson; Forehand; Falkner; Richards; Hallquist; Christianson; Bignell

 

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds

6 lap Feature – Matt Leer, Bruce; Shane Halopka, Greenwood; Mark Thomas, Menomonie; Jake Smith, Eau Claire;  Justin Supri, Eau Claire; Kevin Smeltzer, Menomonie; Randy Smeltzer, Colfax; Ronnie Rihn, Bloomer; Tony Schill, Oakdale MN; Jordan Hessler, Elk Mound; Robbie Johnson, Wilson; Grant Southworth, Bloomer; Jason Swan, Chippewa Falls; Bob Wood, Cadott; Mark Clements, Bloomer; Mark Turner, Rice Lake; Gary Sorenson, Eau Claire; Cooper Dohms, Menomonie; Mark Gerth, Memononie; Travis Anderson, Colfax; Cory Jackson, Chippewa Falls.

8 lap Heat 1 – Halopka; Anderson; Thomas; Swan; Supri; Sorenson; Hessler; Schill

Heat 2 – Gerth; Wood; Clements; Southworth; Turner; Dohms; R. Smeltzer

Heat 3 – Leer; Rihn; Ja. Smith; K. Smeltzer; Jackson; Johnson; Josh Smith

 

Pure Stocks

Chaz Ducommun, Chetek; Willy Hughes, Elmwood; Kory Hathaway, Elmwood; Jeremy Dahl, Knapp; Gunnar Watkins, Elk Mound; Karl Knopps, Chippewa Falls; Jake Smeltzer, Menomonie; Brandon Davis, Chetek; Jason Hoyt, Menomonie; Matt Klukas, Colfax; Chris Wert, Roberts; Scott Schoettle, Osseo; Mike Liphardt, Menomonie; Nate Spence, Spring Valley; Ron Zurek, Chippewa Falls; Jordan Johnson, Augusta.

6 lap Heat 1 – Hughes; Dahl; Ducommun; Johnson; Liphardt; Davis; Zurek; Watkins

Heat 2 – Knopps; Smeltzer; Wert; Schoettle; Hathaway; Spence; Hoyt.