Hartung, Thatcher and Schoettle Find Red Cedar Speedway Victory Lane

 

By Ed Reichert

 

Menomonie WI, July 23 – Jake Hartung, Craig Thatcher and Scotty Schoettle all tasted the thrill of victory for the first time in 2010 in racing action Friday night at the Red Cedar Speedway. For Hartung it was his first win since moving into the Late Model division, For five time National Champion Thatcher it was his first win this season and for rookie Schoettle, it was his first feature win ever. Other winners Friday night included Jason Forehand and Shane Halopka.

Hartung totally dominated the Late Model finale as he led from start to finish and was never seriously challenged throughout the contest. He took the lead from the outside pole and quickly put distance on the field as Ronnie Rihn moved into second behind him. Rihn  was also able to put some ground on the pack as there was a large group of drivers fighting for that spot. Chris Oertel, Ashley Anderson and Brent Larson were all fighting for the spot while Jimmy Mars and Jake Redetzke looked for racing room.

Hartung had built up nearly a straightaway lead when the lone yellow flag flew with eight laps complete. That didn’t bother Hartung though, as he promptly set about restoring the big margin. Rihn continued to look strong as he ran second and maintained the spot. Larson and Anderson challenged but then fell back slightly as Mars finally got moving and started cutting through the field on his way to the front. Hartung continued to motor on unchallenged for the win while Mars made a last lap surge that saw him edge Rihn for second with Larson and Mike Prochnow completing the top five.

Thatcher finally got things together Friday and the result was his first win of the 2010 campaign. Bryan Nayes and Steve Hallquist battled for the early lead with Thatcher going to the cushion and able to squeeze past Hallquist on the high side to take over the lead. Thatcher opened up a small lead as Nayes and Hallquist continued their fight for position as Steve Wik and Luke Schilling moved in to challenge them. Farther back in the pack, Dave Cain, Kevin Adams and Brent Prochnow all looked for racing room in their attempt to  move toward the front. Cain and Adams especially were on the march as they weaved through traffic and gradually placed themselves into a challenging position. Adams was finally able to edge past Hallquist and take over the second spot.

Just then, Thatcher lost his big lead as the yellow flew for a spin. However, his chief challenger at this point Adams, failed to restart the event as suspension damage from one of his bouts with the wall ended his night. On the green, it was Cain who moved into the second spot and immediately closed on Thatcher in a battle for the lead. He pulled up beside Craig once, but then Thatcher regained the edge and when Cain slid up the track on the final lap, Thatcher was home free for the win. Hallquist finished a fine third ahead of Schilling and Prochnow.

Schoettle also dominated his main event as he started on the pole for the Pure Stock feature and ran away for the win as he established a good sized lead early. Twice in the closing laps the yellow flew to bunch the field but both times Scotty pulled away from the pack for the memorable win. He was trailed by Nate Spence, Jake Smeltzer, Kory Hathaway and Mike Liphardt.

The Super Stock feature had a surprise finish as the race long leader Shane Kisling lost his advantage after a late surge by Forehand to take away the win. Wayne Dean was the early leader of the contest but Kisling was flying up on the cushion and came charging by Wayne to take over the top spot. Ben Hillman also liked the high groove as he battled with Steve Thomas who had also moved into a challenging position. Kisling had a fairly comfortable lead while Hillman and Thomas had to deal with Forehand, who was on the move after starting eighth on the grid. Forehand was working the low side of the track as he closed on the leaders.

A spin bunched the field and while Kisling resumed the lead, it was a disaster for Thomas who got bottled up and lost several positions. Three laps later a spin once again set up a four lap sprint to the finish and Forehand was strong on the start as he dove deep into the corners and was able to edge past Kisling to take over the lead. In the last couple of laps Forehand was able to extend his advantage as the frustrated Kisling watched his apparent win disappear as he has to settle for second as Forehand claimed his division leading third win of the year. Hillman finished a strong third with Shawn Huse and Dean next in line.

The Midwest Modified feature was a caution plagued event that saw the yellow fly four times in the first three laps. Travis Anderson jumped into the early lead over Justin Supri but Mark Thomas was on the move and drove into second. Thomas’ effort ended after a spin by a backmarker that he caught a piece of and flattened a tire on his car, ending his effort.

Anderson continued to hold the lead but Halopka used the frequent yellows to work his way up from the fourth row and when Anderson slid out , Halopka was right there to take over the lead. Mark Gerth was also on the move and he worked his way into second and started to put the pressure on Halopka. The Smith brothers, Jake and Josh, were also having great runs as they moved up from the sixth row and raced into the top five with plans to move up even farther.

Two more yellows continued to bunch the field and break up the momentum, and set up a two lap sprint to the finish. Halopka was running the bottom and Gerth went to the cushion to try and build up momentum. It came down to the last corner but Halopka was able to hold on by less than a car length for his fourth win here. Jake Smith finished a strong third ahead of a high riding Clark Swartz who really came on at the end and Josh Smith.

Next week the speedway will run their final show before taking a one week break in deference to the Dunn County Fair. Racing on Friday, July 30^th will be in all five classes that normally compete at Red Cedar and it will be Plum City, Beldenville and Elk Mound night at the track with residents from those communities eligible for reduced adult admission tickets. Race time is 7 p.m.

 

SUMMARY

 

Red Cedar Speedway

Menomonie WI

July 23, 2010

 

WISSOTA Late Models

 

20 lap Feature – Jake Hartung, Elmwood; Jimmy Mars, Menomonie; Ronnie Rihn, Bloomer; Brent Larson, Lake Elmo MN; Mike Prochnow, Menomonie; Chris Oertel, Marshfield; Jake Redetzke, Eau Claire; Ashley Anderson, Elk Mound; John Kaanta, Elk Mound; Kerry Hanson, Baldwin; Kevin Carlson, Hermantown MN; Kerry Hansen, Spencer;  Cory Mahder, Elk Mound; Greg Nippoldt, Roberts; Scott Meeds, Spooner; Jesse Redetzke, Altoona

8 lap Heat 1 – Larson; Ja Redetzke; Oertel; Carlson; Hansen; Je Redetzke; Kaanta; Nippoldt

Heat 2 – Mars; Hartung; Anderson; Rihn; Prochnow; Mahder; Hanson; Meeds

 

WISSOTA Modifieds

 

Craig Thatcher, Knapp; Dave Cain, Corcoran MN; Steve Hallquist, Eau Claire; Luke Schilling, Granton; Brent Prochnow, Colfax; Mark Hanson, Chippewa Falls; Robby Bunkelman, Abbotsford; Eric Pember, Pittsville; Dave Baxter, Eau Claire; Mark Hessler, Menomonie; Brandon Jensen, Hammond; Cory Williams, Spring Valley; Jason Swan, Chippewa Falls; Jay Richardson, Spring Valley; Steve Lavasseur, River Falls; Mike Goodremote, Sand Creek; Don Brightbill, Hudson; Bryan Nayes, Chippewa Falls; Jeremy Houle, Forest Lake MN; Steve Wik, Downsville; Kevin Adams, Cameron; Mike Anderson, Colfax

8 lap Heat 1 – Adams; Schilling; Pember; Bunkelman; Hanson; Richardson; Houle; Brightbill

Heat 2 – Prochnow; Hallquist; Nayes; Hessler; Goodremote; Williams; Lavasseur

Heat 3 – Cain; Thatcher; Wik; Jensen; Baxter; Anderson; Swan

 

WISSOTA Super Stocks

 

18 lap Feature – Jason Forehand, Eau Claire; Shane Kisling, Sarona; Ben Hillman, Menomonie; Shawn Huse, Bloomer; Wayne Dean, Fall Creek; Mike Keller, Menomonie; Steve Thomas, Menomonie; Aaron Wilson, Menomonie; Lance Schilling, Chili; Ryan Olson, Chippewa Falls; Brad Johnson, Wilson; Tommy Richards, Mondovi; Bart Steffen, Eau Claire; Charley Obermueller, Menomonie; Jay Quilling, Menomonie; Tom Karis, Menomonie; Wayne Bignell, Menomonie; Luke Plank, Eau Claire

8 lap Heat 1 – Thomas; Karis; Obermueller; Schilling; Johnson; Bignell; Quilling

Heat 2 – Forehand; Keller; Dean; Wilson; Richards; Olson

Heat 3 – Kisling; Hillman; Huse; Plank; Steffen; Rick Hallquist

 

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds

 

14 lap Feature – Shane Halopka, Greenwood; Mark Gerth, Menomonie; Jake Smith, Eau Claire; Clark Swartz, Bloomer; Josh Smith, Chippewa Falls; Justin Supri, Eau Claire; Bob Wood, Cadott; Kevin Smeltzer, Menomonie; Travis Anderson, Colfax; Jordan Hessler, Elk Mound; Bob Anderson, Colfax; Cooper Dohms, Menomonie; Robbie Johnson, Wilson;  Gary Sorenson, Eau Claire; Cory Jackson, Chippewa Falls; Derek Borchardt, Bay City; A.J. Roschen, Hudson; Randy Smeltzer, Colfax; Matt Leer, Bruce; Mark Thomas, Menomonie

8 lap Heat 1 – Leer; R. Smeltzer; Roschen; Swartz; Hessler; K. Smeltzer; Johnson

Heat 2 – Wood; T. Anderson; Supri; Ja Smith; Mark Clements; Dohms; Jackson

Heat 3 – Gerth; Halopka; Thomas; Jo Smith; B. Anderson; Sorenson; Borchardt

 

Pure Stocks

 

10 lap Feature – Scotty Schoettle, Osseo; Nate Spence, Spring Valley; Jake Smeltzer, Menomonie; Kory Hathaway, Elmwood; Mike Liphardt, Menomonie; Randy Burton, Menomonie; Gunnar Watkins, Elk Mound;Willy Hughes, Elmwood; Rick Williams, Spring Valley; Matt Klukas, Colfax; Brad Spence, Spring Valley

6 lap Heat 1 – Hathaway; Schoettle; Burton; N. Spence; Klukas; B. Spence

Heat 2 – Watkins; Jeremy Dahl; Smeltzer; Hughes; Liphardt; Williams