Thomas Tops Red Cedar Speedway Midseason Champions

 

By Ed Reichert

 

Menomonie WI, June 11 – Steve Thomas picked Midseason Championship night to record his first victory of the season to highlight the racing action Friday night at the Red Cedar Speedway. Other Midseason Champions, all of whom have multiple feature wins at the track so far this season included Chad Mahder, Kevin Adams, Mark Gerth and Dusty Brown.

It took three attempts to get the Super Stock feature off the ground due to spins, but the third attempt was a good one with Thomas powering from the outside to overtake Mike Keller and jump into an immediate lead. As Keller struggled to stay with Thomas, Jason Forehand and Ryan Olson moved in to challenge him for the second spot.

The yellow flew one more time when Wayne Bignell erupted a motor on the front chute and laid down a streak of motor parts and liquid on the track. When racing resumed, Thomas again pulled away from the field while Forehand got to the inside of Keller to take over second. Aaron Wilson was making a move from farther back in the pack using the high side as he drove into the top five. Thomas was all alone as he took the checkered flag with Forehand and Keller trailing while Olson held off the charging Wilson at the line by inches. In victory lane, Thomas dedicated the win to fellow Super Stock driver and close friend Tony Falkner who will be leaving Tuesday for a tour of duty in Iraqi

Chad Mahder cruised to his second Late Model win of the year in a nonstop main event. Mahder started on the pole and after a brief challenge from John Kaanta, he was alone the rest of the main event. Kaanta moved up nicely from the second row to overtake Scott Gilberts for the second spot and then briefly challenge Mahder. Meanwhile, Jake Redetzke, who had slumped back at the start of the race, got un on the wheel and charged back up through the pack. The best race for position saw Redetzke challenge Kaanta on a constant basis for the second half of the main event but despite Jake’s best efforts, Kaanta held on for second at the finish. Jesse Redetzke had a fine run for fourth as did Ashley Anderson , who got up on the cushion after starting in the tail to crack the top five.

Adams debuted a new car tonight and the results were impressive as he drove to his second Modified win of the year over a stout field of open wheel cars. Adams and Robb y Bunkelman dueled over the first couple of laps with Bunkelman taking the lead off the bottom line. However, Adams had the momentum and he raced high off turn three and dove under Bunkelman down the front chute to take over the lead. Once in front, he gradually began to pull away as the race remained under the green after a first lap multiple spin.

The battle was for third with Craig Thatcher, Luke Schilling and Mike Anderson fighting for the spot. Thatcher showed in third but Schilling was constantly challenging him to the inside until Anderson pulled in to make it a three car battle. As Adams began to pull away from Bunkelman, the fight for third continued. Anderson gained a position on several occasions, only to lose it back to Schilling. The top three remained steady to the finish with Anderson making the late race pass for fourth ahead of Schilling.

The Midwest Modified main saw three competitors who have been going at it two and three times a week already continue their battle tonight with Gerth securing his third win at Red Cedar. Gerth and Matt Leer raced wheel to wheel for the opening two laps with neither giving an inch before Gerth was able to edge into the lead. Shane Halopka also made a strong move as he took third and closed in on the top two runners. They continued to race close, with Leer trying to get inside Gerth but Mark continuing to maintain his slight edge.

The race was stopped at the halfway point by a red flag for a hard flip right in front of the crowd. Bob Wood got into the wall right under the flag stand and he took a wild flip, ending up on his roof. Fortunately, Wood was uninjured but his new car was heavily damaged.

Gerth continued to hold he lead on the green but Halopka made a strong move on the high side to drive into second and move in to challenge Gerth for the lead. Mark continued to hold the top spot when Halopka got too high and surrendered second back to Leer. The top three continued to run in close formation but they remained in the same order to the checkered. Steve Houle edged Josh Smith for fourth, with both competitors making strong charges up from their sixth row starting spots. Clark Swartz had made a strong run up into the top five but he lost the position when it was discovered that his car had lost a muffler during the event.

For two straight Fridays, Dusty Brown has gotten rained out at his regular Friday night track, and both times he has dropped in to the Red Cedar Speedway and won the feature race. Tonight he started in the second row and trailed early leader Chaz Ducommun until Chaz gave Brown an opening  on the inside and Brown blasted past in turn three to take over the lead. With Ducommun getting very high in the turns, Steve Zurek moved into the second spot.

Just past the halfway point, the lone yellow of the race flew when Ducommun’s car emitted a huge cloud of smoke that obscured the vision of the drivers. Brown continued to lead on the green, but Zurek started to close in. On the last lap Steve made a hard charge into turn four but Brown held him off by two car lengths for the win. Jeremy Dahl settled for third at the line ahead of Nate Spence and Nick Traynor.

Next Friday night, June 18^th, the Late Models have the night off as they head to Hibbing Minnesota for a big, two day show. The other four classes that normally race at Red Cedar will be in action and will be joined by the Northern Vintage race cars. It will be New Richmond, Roberts and Hammond night at the track with residents of those communities receiving discounted adult admission tickets. Tri Mart is the presenting sponsor for the evening. Race time is 7 p.m.

 

SUMMARY

 

Red Cedar Speedway

Menomonie WI

June 11, 2010

 

WISSOTA Late Models

 

20 lap Feature – Chad Mahder, Eau Claire; John Kaanta, Elk Mound; Jake Redetzke, Eau Claire; Jesse Redetzke, Altoona; Ashley Anderson, Elk Mound; Mike Prochnow, Menomonie; Scott Gilberts, Menomonie; Randy Gullixson, Baldwin; Ronnie Rihn, Bloomer; Jake Hartung, Elmwood.

8 lap Heat 1 – Mahder; Kaanta; Ja, Redetzke; Prochnow; Anderson

Heat 2 – Gilberts; Je. Redetzke; Rihn; Hartung; Gullixson

 

WISSOTA Modifieds

 

15 lap Feature – Kevin Adams, Cameron; Robby Bunkelman, Abbotsford; Craig Thatcher, Knapp; Mike Anderson, Colfax; Luke Schilling, Granton; Mark Hanson, Chippewa Falls; Brent Prochnow, Colfax; Ron Schreiner, Hudson; Dave Baxter, Eau Claire; Bryan Nayes, Chippewa Falls; Steve Lavasseur, River Falls; Jeremy Houle, Ham Lake MN; Pat Hoffman, Rice Lake; Jason Swan, Chippewa Falls; Mark Hessler, Menomonie; Scott Duval, Bloomer; Steve Hallquist, Eau Claire; Cory Williams, Spring Valley; Jay Richardson, Spring Valley; Don Brightbill, Hudson.

8 lap Heat 1 – Bunkelman; Thatcher; Hanson; Prochnow; Houle; Richardson; Brightbill

Heat 2 – Adams; Schilling; Nayes; Baxter; Hessler; Hoffman; Hallquist

Heat 3 – Anderson; Williams; Duval; Schreiner; Swan; Lavasseur

 

WISSOTA Super Stocks

 

15 lap Feature – Steve Thomas, Menomonie; Jason Forehand, Eau Claire; Mike Keller, Menomonie; Ryan Olson, Chippewa Falls; Aaron Wilson, Menomonie; Ben Hillman, Menomonie; Charley Obermueller, Menomonie; Michael Hofer, Cochrane; Luke Plank, Eau Claire; Tony Falkner, Menomonie; Bernie Christianson, Menomonie; Lance Schilling, Chili; Tom Karis, Menomonie; Bart Steffen, Eau Claire; Wayne Bignell, Menomonie; Rick Hallquist, Eau Claire; Brad Johnson, Wilson; Shane Kisling, Sarona

8 lap Heat 1 – Keller; Christianson; Olson; Plank; Johnson; Obermueller; Hallquist; Steffen; Kisling

Heat 2 – Thomas; Forehand; Hillman; Wilson; Karis; Falkner; Hofer; Schilling; Bignell

 

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds

 

15 lap Feature – Mark Gerth, Menomonie; Matt Leer, Bruce; Shane Halopka, Greenwood; Steve Houle, Forest Lake MN; Josh Smith, Chippewa Falls; Grant Southworth, Bloomer; Mark Thomas, Menomonie; Justin Supri, Eau Claire; Jake Smith, Eau Claire; Jordan Hessler, Elk Mound; Jim Giassi, New Richmond; Bob Anderson, Colfax; Kevin Smeltzer, Menomonie; Bob Wood, Cadott; Randy Smeltzer, Colfax

8 lap Heat 1 – Leer; Halopka; Supri; R. Smeltzer; Anderson; Jo Smith; K. Smeltzer; Hessler

Heat 2 – Gerth; Wood; Clark Swartz; Ja Smith; Thomas; Houle; Southworth; Giassi

 

Pure Stocks

 

10 lap Feature – Dusty Brown, Rice Lake; Steve Zurek, Colfax; Jeremy Dahl, Knapp; Nate Spence, Spring Valley; Nick Traynor, Chetek; Scotty Schoettle, Osseo; Bill Skoug, Osseo; Mike Liphardt, Menomonie; Brandon Davis, Chetek; Matt Klukas, Colfax; Chaz Ducommun, Chetek; Randy Burton, Menomonie; Jake Smeltzer, Menomonie

6 lap Heat 1 – Ducommun; Brown; Zurek; Schoettle; Liphardt; Smeltzer; Davis

Heat 2 – Dahl; Spence; Traynor; Burton; Kory Hathaway; Klukas; Skoug