Red Cedar Speedway Championships to Mars, Huse and
Johnson
By
Ed Reichert
Menomonie WI, August 28 It was round two of the Season
Championship races Friday night at the Red Cedar
Speedway with the Late Models, Super Stocks and Pure
Stocks running their highlight events. Despite rain
earlier in the afternoon, high winds and an annoying
mist later in the evening that threatened to end the
action prematurely, race officials prevailed and the
show was run to its conclusion, despite several delays
due to the precipitation. Crowned as track champions
Friday were Jimmy Mars in the Late Models, Shawn Huse in
the Super Stocks and Jordan Johnson in the Pure Stocks.
The Modifieds and Midwest Modifieds ran a regular
program Friday after crowning their champions last week
and the winners were Keith Tourville and Shane Halopka.
Mike Prochnow and Mars started side by side in the front
row of the Late Model headliner, with Mars using the
high side to pull into the early lead. Prochnow ran
second for several laps until he was challenged by Chad
Mahder, who had moved up from the fourth row to pressure
Prochnow. The light mist slowed the action with six laps
completed and after several minutes of circling the
track by the competitors, the race resumed. Mars
continued to show the way with Mahder and Prochnow
battling for second but they were now joined by Ashley
Anderson in the battle for second. During the battling
for second, Mahder managed to clip the turn three wall
hard, and when his car showed with a flat tire on lap
twelve, the yellow flag waved again.
Mars continued to show the way with Anderson moving into
second. Ashley tried various lines on the track in an
effort to close on Jimmy, but Mars was rock solid as he
maintained his lead and drove home for the win. Prochnow
hung on for third with Chris Oertel having one of his
best runs of the year as he took fourth ahead of Jake
Redetzke. Mars has had quite a year at Red Cedar, as
despite limited appearances at the track, he has managed
to win three feature races including both the Midseason
and Season Championships.
The Super Stock feature was a two car battle all the way
as the two drivers who fought it out for the point
championship, Huse and Mike Keller, were at it again in
the championship race. Keller took the early lead with
Huse all over him as he looked for a way by into the
lead. After making several attempts, Huse was able to
get underneath Keller coming off turn two and took over
the lead. Meanwhile, Ben Hillman was tearing to the
front from the fifth row using the cushion, and he drove
into third and was looking for more.
Keller continued to stalk Huse for the lead, with the
action being slowed three straight times on lap twelve
for spins by competitors. Finally they were able to get
the last three laps completed and despite a strong
attempt by Keller, Huse maintained his line and drove
home for the win, his third of the year here. Hillman
pushed hard on the high side but had to settle for third
ahead of Shane Kisling and Jason Forehand.
Johnson caught a ride in one of the Richards cars late
in the season and he responded by winning two straight
Pure Stock features, including the Championship Friday.
It was a hard battle for him though, as he had to
overcome the top two drivers in track points, Nick Field
and Luke Plank. Johnson was able to move up from the
third row and take the second spot from Plank, after
which he closed in on Field who was leading the race.
With a strong move to the inside, he was able to get
under Field and take over the lead in the nonstop event.
Field tried to fight back in the late going, and when he
went for broke in the corners, he slid out and Plank was
able to take over second on the final lap. Kory Hathaway
and Mike Harshman completed the top five.
The Modifieds fought the mist more than any other class
and their feature event was eventually cut by three laps
due to the length of time spent trying to dry the track
after repeated shots of moisture. Cory Williams took the
early lead and was running strongly up front, but
Tourville came flying by him early in the race to take
over the lead.
Six laps were completed before a spin triggered the
first yellow of the event. Tourville continued to lead
while Craig Thatcher worked his way up from the fourth
row to take the second spot. The yellow then waved again
as the mist increased and a series of attempts were made
to try and dry out the track.
Finally racing resumed, with Tourville continuing to
hold the lead but Thatcher was putting the pressure on
him while Robby Bunkelman and Mark Hessler raced close
behind them.
With the race being shortened up, just as the white flag
was ready to fly, a spin on the back chute tightened up
the field one more time with a two lap sprint to the
finish required. Thatcher tried the inside line on the
high riding Tourville, but he couldnt make the move
stick and Tourville hung on for his second win of the
year here. Bunkelman finished a strong third ahead of
Mike Anderson and Hessler.
Halopka had one of his strongest runs of the year as he
made two impressive passes to take the lead and
eventually the win in the Midwest Modified main event.
Mark Thomas and Dustin Scott battled for the lead in the
early going with Thomas fighting his way into the lead.
However, Halopka was surging and he dropped to the low
side of the track and made strong , back to back moves
to pass both Scott and Thomas for the lead. Once in
front, he stretched his lead to several car lengths as
Thomas moved around the track trying to find a line that
would allow him to catch up.
Scott found himself engaged in a spirited battle for
third as Andy Jones had moved in to challenge him while
Mark Gerth was also trying to work his way into
contention.
After three early yellow flags, the rest of the race ran
nonstop and there was no catching Halopka on this night
as he raced home for his third feature win of the year
at Red Cedar. Thomas settled for second, with Scott
holding off both Jones and Gerth for position.
Tonights racing action marks the conclusion of the 2009
regular season at the Red Cedar Speedway. Next up on the
schedule will be the thirtieth annual rendition of the
Punky Manor Challenge of Champions. Scheduled for
September 25th and 26th , this
event, which is one of the most prestigious in the
Midwest, will feature WISSOTA sanctioned Late Models,
Modifieds, Super Stocks and Midwest Modifieds, all
racing in memory of a Champion. Qualifying events will
be held on the 25th for Late Models,
Modifieds and Super Stocks with their main events slated
for the 26th . The Midwest Mods will run a
complete program on the 25th also. Race time
is 7 p.m. on Friday and 6 p.m. on Saturday.
SUMMARY
Red Cedar Speedway
Menomonie WI
August 28, 2009
WISSOTA Late Models
20
lap Feature Jimmy Mars, Menomonie; Ashley Anderson,
Elk Mound; Mike Prochnow, Menomonie; Chris Oertel,
Marshfield; Jake Redetzke, Eau Claire; Cory Mahder, Elk
Mound; Jake Hartung, Elmwood; Jesse Redetzke, Altoona;
Steve Laursen, Cumberland; Pat Doar, New Richmond; Scott
Gilberts, Menomonie; John Kaanta, Elk Mound; Ronnie
Rihn, Bloomer; Brent Larson, Lake Elmo MN; Duane Mahder,
Eau Claire; Randy Gullixson, Baldwin; Tim Buhler,
Glenbuelah; Chuckie DeSmith, Glenwood City; Dennis
Larson, Lake Elmo MN; Chad Mahder, Eau Claire.
8
lap Heat 1 Prochnow; Anderson; Ch. Mahder; Gilberts;
Rihn; B. Larson; D. Larson.
Heat 2 Mars; Co. Mahder; Oertel; Hartung; Kaanta; D.
Mahder; Buhler.
Heat 3 Je. Redetzke; Ja. Redetzke; Laursen; Doar;
Gullixson; DeSmith.
WISSOTA Modifieds
12
lap Feature Keith Tourville, Star Prairie; Craig
Thatcher, Knapp; Robby Bunkelman, Abbotsford; Mike
Anderson, Colfax; Mark Hessler, Menomonie; Cory
Williams, Spring Valley; Brent Prochnow, Colfax; Scott
Duval, Bloomer; Pat Doar, New Richmond; Jay Richardson,
Spring Valley; Brandon Kallenbach, Prairie Farm; Kenny
Kinkaid, Trego; Chris Prussman, Brookings SD; Jerry
Weigel, Jim Falls; Bryan Hessler, Chetek; Luke
Schilling, Granton; Mark Hanson, Chippewa Falls; Andy
Jones, Princeton MN; Steve Hallquist, Eau Claire; Bryan
Nayes, Chippewa Falls.
8
lap B Feature Duval; Richardson; B. Hessler;
Hallquist; Kinkaid; Prussman; Ryan Olson; Don
Brightbill.
8
lap Heat 1 Schilling; Ron Schreiner; M. Hessler;
Prochnow; Doar; B. Hessler; Brightbill; Olson.
Heat 2 Thatcher; Weigel; Jones; Hanson; Anderson;
Richardson; Prussman.
Heat 3 Bunkelman; Tourville; Williams; Nayes;
Kallenbach; Hallquist; Duval; Kinkaid.
WISSOTA Super Stocks
15
lap Feature Shawn Huse, Bloomer; Mike Keller,
Menomonie; Ben Hillman, Menomonie; Shane Kisling,
Sarona; Jason Forehand, Eau Claire; Paul Erikson,
Abbotsford; Cory Davis, Turtle Lake; Mike Bellefeuille,
Duluth MN; Tommy Richards, Mondovi; Rod Dregney,
Mondovi; Ryan Olson, Chippewa Falls; Brad Johnson,
Wilson; Dave Shackleton, Menomonie; Lance Schilling,
Chili; Joe Rhead, Menomonie; Bernie Christianson,
Menomonie; Aaron Wilson, Menomonie; Tom Karis,
Menomonie; Steve Thomas, Menomonie; Rick Hallquist, Eau
Claire.
8
lap B Feature Karis; Thomas; Dregney; Bellefeuille;
Shackleton; Mark Stender; Karl Dicks; Ajay Christianson;
Dan Preston.
8
lap Heat 1 Keller; Erikson; Forehand; Johnson;
Dregney; Olson; Karis; Stender.
Heat 2 Huse; Rhead; Schilling; Richards; Hallquist;
Thomas; Dicks; Preston.
Heat 3 Wilson; Kisling; Hillman; Davis; B.
Christianson; Bellefeuille; Shackleton; A. Christianson.
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
Shane Halopka, Eau Claire; Mark Thomas, Menomonie;
Dustin Scott, Rosemount MN; Andy Jones, Princeton MN;
Mark Gerth, Menomonie; Justin Supri, Eau Claire; Jesse
Glenz, Cadott; Randy Smeltzer, Colfax; Kyle Johnson, Eau
Claire; Travis Anderson, Colfax; Jake Smith, Eau Claire;
Travis Hallquist, Eau Claire; Mike Knudtson, Osseo;
Scott Naset, Lexington NC; Cooper Dohms, Menomonie;
Kevin Smeltzer, Menomonie; Clark Swartz, Bloomer; Matt
Steffen, Chetek; Bob Wood, Chippewa Falls; Robbie
Johnson, Wilson.
8
lap B Feature Anderson; Naset; Steffen; R. Johnson;
Wood; Shawn Wihren; Jason Swan; Gary Sorenson; Wayne
Bignell.
8
lap Heat 1 Thomas; Supri; R. Smeltzer; K. Johnson; K.
Smeltzer; Wood; R. Johnson; Sorenson.
Heat 2 Scott; Jones; Glenz; Smith; Dohms; Anderson;
Steffen; Wihren.
Heat 3 Halopka; Gerth; Swartz; Hallquist; Knudtson;
Naset; Swan; Bignell.
Pure Stocks
10
lap Feature Jason Johnson, Augusta; Luke Plank, Eau
Claire; Nick Field, Knapp; Kory Hathaway, Elmwood; Mike
Harshman, Chippewa Falls; Nate Spence, Spring Valley;
Tony Falkner, Menomonie; Eric Burton, Menomonie; Ron
Hoffman, Ridgeland; Pat Smith, Eau Claire; Jason
Williams, Baldwin.
6
lap Heat 1 Field; Falkner; Harshman; Spence; Burton;
Smith.
Heat 2 Plank; Hathaway; Johnson; Hoffman; Williams.
