Bunkelman Dominates Red Cedar Modified Special

 

By Ed Reichert

 

Menomonie WI, July 2 – Robby Bunkelman led thirty nine of forty laps Friday night to win the Modified special and start off the holiday weekend of racing at the Red Cedar Speedway. Other winners on a steamy Friday night in Dunn County were Tom Karis, Mark Gerth and Nate Spence.

Twenty four open wheel cars took Rick Cook’s green flag for the forty lap grind with all the drivers in search of the $1,500 payday that awaited the winner. Bunkelman started on the pole but it was Jeff Spacek that got the jump to lead lap one with Bunkelman close behind. Robby then dropped inside Spacek down the back chute and took over the top spot. As he moved out by  few car lengths , the battling was farther back in the pack with Kevin Adams and Mike Anderson both on the move along with Brent Prochnow.

Ross Prochnow moved past Spacek into the second spot with Adams, Anderson and Brent Prochnow moving into the positions behind him.

As the race stayed under the green, Bunkelman gradually began to extend his lead over the pack. Adams moved into third and began to battle with Ross Prochnow for the spot while Anderson and Brent Prochnow fought behind them. Adams was finally able to clear Ross, and then took off after the leader.

Adams was driving deep into the corners and gradually began to close the gap on the leader. Kevin was able to get to a car length or two of Bunkelman as the halfway signal came out. Meanwhile, the Prochnow brothers and Anderson were locked in a good battle for third.

Bunkelman seemed to have saved something for the second half of the race, and he gradually began to pick up the pace and slowly move away from Adams again until he had increased his lead to ten car lengths. Ross Prochnow continued to hold third as he fought off Brent while Anderson faded back to fifth.

The leaders started to hit lapped traffic, and as Bunkelman carefully worked his way through, Adams was able to close up again slightly until Kevin had some trouble with the traffic, and Robby was again able to stretch his lead.

In a race that incredibly went forty laps without a caution flag, Bunkelman continued to maintain his smooth pace and he drove home for the victory with a comfortable lead over Adams. Anderson picked up the pace in the final laps and was able to drive past the Prochnow brothers to take third with Ross holding off Brent to complete the top five. The win was Bunkelman’s third of the year at Red Cedar. Twenty of the starters were still on the track at the finish of the event.

Tom Karis lost his first feature win of the year last week when a late race mechanical issue cost him. Tonight he made up for that back luck with a strong run to the Super Stock win. Shawn Huse debuted a new car and he took the early lead over Paul Erikson and Karis. Huse led until the second caution of the event, which unfortunately was for him after he pounded the third turn wall and rolled to a halt.

Erikson took the lead on the restart with Karis moving in to challenge him on the high side. Two more quick yellows kept the field bunched but every time racing resumed, it was Erikson and Karis side by side for the lead. Tom was persistent on the high groove, and he kept working on it until he gradually gained a little momentum and edged away from Erikson. Jason Forehand moved up from the fourth row, and after a battle with Mike Keller , took over the third spot and started to close on the leaders.

Karis continued to work the high side, and Erikson wasn’t able to offer a serious challenge as Tom drove all the way home for the win with Forehand closing on Erikson but settling for third ahead of Keller and rookie Luke Plank.

Mark Gerth has found his new/old car to be nearly as dominating as his original car was as he drove to a track leading fourth feature win of the year. He started on the pole and quickly asserted his lead while Shane Halopka worked into second and began to pressure the leader. Justin Supri moved into third as Matt Leer was on the move also.

The yellow flag was visible on a regular basis in this race, as seldom was more than a lap or two made under the green without a slow down. Despite this, Gerth continued to hold off the constant pressure of Halopka. Leer moved into third and at one point , nearly snuck past into second but Halopka got up on the wheel and fought him off.

The last three laps ticked by with no change up front as the top three ran close together but no one was able to advance a position. Supri continued in fourth to the flag with Jake Smith completing the top five.

Spence picked up his second Pure Stock feature win of the year after a good battle with Kory Hathaway. They traded the lead back and forth in the early going before Spence settled in. Hathaway continued to pressure for the lead while the driver making the most moves was Karl Knopps who drove into third and was closing on the leaders as the laps ran down.

On the final circuit Hathaway made a last ditch effort to take the lead but Spence held his line for the win and as Hathaway slid up the track, Knopps nipped him at the line for second. Rookies Jake Smeltzer and Scotty Schoettle completed the top five.

Another important race is on tap at the Red Cedar Speedway next Friday night, July 9^th. Sailer’s Meats presents the AMSOIL Race of Champions qualifiers event at Red Cedar. The feature race winners in all four WISSOTA sanctioned classes will automatically qualify themselves for the AMSOIL Race of Champions event to be held during the WISSOTA 100 at the Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron South Dakota on September 15-18. Pure Stocks will also compete in a full program. Race time will be 7 p.m. Residents of Glenwood City, Wheeler and Downing will qualify for the discounted admission tickets with proof of residence.

 

SUMMARY

 

Red Cedar Speedway

Menomonie WI

July 2, 2010

 

WISSOTA Modifieds

 

40 lap Feature – Robby Bunkelman, Abbotsford; Kevin Adams, Cameron; Mike Anderson, Colfax; Ross Prochnow, Boyceville; Brent Prochnow, Colfax; Jay Richardson, Spring Valley; Luke Schilling, Granton; Cory Williams, Spring Valley; Rich Lofthus, Bloomer; Jeff Spacek, Phillips; Dave Baxter, Eau Claire; Mark Hanson, Chippewa Falls; Keith Tourville, Dairyland; Jason Swan, Chippewa Falls; Rick Kobs, Deer Park; Steve Lavasseur, River Falls; Jerry Weigel, Jim Falls; Bill Byholm, Glidden; Bryan Nayes, Chippewa Falls; Paul Knauf, Marshfield; Scott Duval, Bloomer; Steve Hallquist, Eau Claire; Mike Truscott, Chippewa Falls; John Hazelton, New Auburn.

10 lap B Feature – Tourville; Lavasseur; Kobs; Truscott; Byholm; Hazelton; Mark Baxter; Mike Kelley Jr; Kent Baxter; Don Brightbill

8 lap Heat 1 – Spacek; B. Prochnow; Duval; Williams; Hanson; Lavasseur; Tourville; Brandon Jensen

Heat 2 – Richardson; Anderson; Swan; Hallquist; D. Baxter; Truscott; M. Baxter; Brightbill

Heat 3 – Adams; Bunkelman; Lofthus; Mark Hessler; Kobs; Hazelton; Shaun Kelley; Ron Schreiner

Heat 4 – Schilling; R. Prochnow; Nayes; Knauf; Weigel; Byholm; K. Baxter; Kelley Jr

 

WISSOTA Super Stocks

 

12 lap Feature – Tom Karis, Menomonie; Paul Erikson, Abbotsford; Jason Forehand, Eau Claire; Mike Keller, Menomonie; Luke Plank, Eau Claire; Shane Kisling, Sarona; Cory Davis, Turtle Lake; Steve Thomas, Menomonie; Brad Johnson, Wilson; Mark Stender, Holcombe; Jeff Heintz, Turtle Lake; Jim Harris, Menomonie; Chad Johnson, Colfax; Andy Grymala, Superior; Bart Steffen, Eau Claire; Aaron Wilson, Menomonie; Ryan Olson, Chippewa Falls; Charley Obermueller, Menomonie; Shawn Huse, Bloomer; Chad Tarvis, Chetek.

8 lap B Feature – Kisling; Stender; Harris; Steffen; Grymala; Rick Hallquist; Bernie Christianson; C.J. Polacek; Ron Hoffman; Lance Schilling

8 lap Heat 1 – Huse; Forehand; Karis; Olson; Obermueller; Stender; Harris; Grymala; Kisling

Heat 2 – Thomas; Erikson; Plank; C. Johnson; B. Johnson; Christianson; Polacek; Hoffman; Hallquist

Heat 3 – Wilson; Keller; Davis; Heintz; Tarvis; Steffen; Dan Arneson; Schilling

 

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds

 

12 lap Feature – Mark Gerth, Menomonie; Shane Halopka, Greenwood; Matt Leer, Bruce; Justin Supri, Eau Claire; Jake Smith, Eau Claire; Bob Wood, Cadott; Randy Smeltzer, Colfax; Bryce Johnson, Barron; Jordan Hessler, Elk Mound; Kevin Smeltzer, Menomonie; Chuck Lambert, Fort Frances Ont; Cory Jackson, Chippewa Falls; Robby Johnson, Wilson; Clark Swartz, Bloomer; Dan Svee, Elk Mound; Josh Smith, Chippewa Falls; Grant Southworth, Bloomer; Mark Turner, Rice Lake; Travis Anderson, Colfax

8 lap Heat 1 – Gerth; Southworth; Halopka; R. Smeltzer; Turner; Jackson; Anderson

Heat 2 – Wood; Ja. Smith; Swartz; K. Smeltzer; B.  Johnson; Lambert; Hessler

Heat 3 – Leer; Jo. Smith; Supri; Svee; Joe Olson; R. Johnson

 

Pure Stocks

 

10 lap Feature – Nate Spence, Spring Valley; Karl Knopps, Chippewa Falls; Kory Hathaway, Elmwood; Jake Smeltzer, Menomonie; Scotty Schoettle, Osseo; Gunnar Watkins, Elk Mound; Jeremy Dahl, Knapp; Willy Hughes, Elmwood; Dalton Hazelton, New Auburn; Jay Folz, Rice Lake; Randy Burton, Menomonie; Jason Hoyt, Menomonie; Mike Liphardt, Menomonie; Matt Klukas, Colfax; Chaz Ducommun, Chetek

6 lap Heat 1 – Spence; Hughes; Knopps; Hathaway; Dahl; Burton; Ducommun; Klukas

Heat 2 – Folz; Schoettle; Smeltzer; Liphardt; Watkins; Hazelton; Hoyt