Menomonie WI, May 11 – The Red Cedar Speedway was able to defeat its two most persistent foes, the weather and the track curfew, in presenting one of the biggest programs in recent memory at the speedway.
With last Friday night’s rainout following the heat races, Friday the speedway was able to run off the six leftover feature races and then present another full racing program and was able to completed the program well before curfew and only minutes before a line of showers, that would have ended the racing early, hit the track.
There were twelve different feature winners during the night’s action, and of that winning group there was one driver that won his first ever feature race plus three more drivers that won their first ever features at Red Cedar.
The winners included Mike Prochnow and Steve Isenberg in the Late Models, Cory Williams and Rich Lofthus in the Modifieds, Steve Thomas and Aaron Wilson in the Super Stocks, Grant Southworth and Jake Smith in the Midwest Mods, Keith Tourville and Ron Hanestad in the Street Stocks and Jeremy Dahl and Jason Havel in the Pure Stocks.
Isenberg led all the way to win the Late Model headliner. He started on the pole and pulled away from the field in what was a nonstop main event. Isenberg’s charge was such that by the end of the race he had nearly a straightaway lead over the field. A.J. Diemel raced his way into second early and tried to catch up to the flying Isenberg, but there was no catching him Friday. Cory Mahder fought off a last lap challenge from Mike Prochnow to finish third with Scott Gilberts completing the top five. The win was Isenberg’s first ever in the Lates at Red Cedar.
In the makeup feature, Prochnow got to the front early and led all the way in that event. Cory Mahder chased Prochnow for a couple of laps before being overtaken by Diemel and for the second time Friday, Diemel chased but had to settle for runner up honors. Cory Mahder recorded his second “show” finish of the evening with Jake Redetzke and Gilberts, again fifth, completing the top three.
Lofthus led all the way to earn his first win of the year and first in his new Hughes Modified chassis. He started on the pole and pulled away from the field, stretching his lead to nearly a straightaway until Don Brightbill, caught in traffic amongst the leaders, got turned around with only three laps left in the event.
Lofthus didn’t let the bad break bother him, as he pulled away again on the restart to take the win. Brandon Jensen had a solid run to take second ahead of Mark Gerth. Craig Thatcher moved up from the seventh row to take fourth ahead of Mike Anderson.
Cory Williams led all the way to earn the win in the Modified makeup feature, his first ever Modified win at Red Cedar. Despite a broken rear suspension that kept his car in a permanently “hiked up” position, he was able to fight off a late race challenge from Anderson to take the win. A late spin set up a sprint to the finish but Williams held off the hard challenges of Anderson to take the victory. Brent Prochnow finished third ahead of Jake Hartung and Kevin Adams.
Rick Hallquist and Andy Grymala battled early in the Super Stock feature before Hallquist took the top spot. However, Wilson was on the move from the third row and swept past Hallquist on the high side to take over the lead. Despite strong pressure from Hallquist, Wilson eventually moved away from the pack to establish a strong lead. Ben Hillman charged up from the fourth row late in the event, but he couldn’t catch Wilson who drove on for the win. Hallquist finished a strong third ahead of Grymala and Jim Harris, both recording their best finishes of the year at Red Cedar.
The makeup event saw Thomas get to the front early and fight off challenges from Wilson for the win. A hard crash in turn three involved Hallquist and Hillman who were battling with the leaders knocked Hillman out of the event. Wilson tried to close late in the race, but Thomas turned aside his challenges to take his first win of 2012. Brad Edington had his best run to date as he finished third with Jesse Redetzke and Mike Keller trailing.
Smith earned his first ever feature win in style, as he ran away from the pack in the nonstop Midwest Modified main event. He started on the pole and just dominated, as his lead was nearly a straightaway before the conclusion of the race. Kerry Halopka also had his best run ever as the second year driver took second early and held off all challenges to take the runner up honors. The event finished under the caution as a wild tangle on the final lap saw a spinning car nearly take out the leader and then impact third place Nick Koehler. Koehler, who got a wrecked car in the incident, did earn the third place prize as the race was scored back to the white flag. Southworth finished fourth ahead of Travis Anderson.
The makeup feature probably was the most incident filled of the night. The yellow waved three times during the event and also had a wild finish. Southworth started on the pole and led all the way for his first Red Cedar win, but it wasn’t quite as easy as it sounds. While he did lead all the way, a late yellow made things very interesting. Cory Crapser, who spun and triggered the first yellow of the race, gradually worked his way back into contention and when a late spin set up a two lap sprint to the finish, Crapser came flying up on the outside on the green. He pulled up to challenge Southworth on the last lap for the win, with Grant nipping him by half a car length for the win. However, Crapser was docked two spots for jumping the last restart and Shane Halopka was awarded second place pay. Smith completed a great night by finishing third ahead of Crapser and Anderson.
Hanestad won the Street Stock feature as held off the challenges of several other drivers for his first win of the year. In the late going Sam Fankhauser gave Hanestad all the pressure he wanted, but when Sam hit the wall and gave himself a flat tire on the final lap, Hanestad was home free for the win. Adam Soltis finished second and was trailed to the line by Keith Tourville, Ashley Husby and Jared Lindner.
The makeup feature saw Fankhauser again in a wheel to wheel battle, this time with Tourville and after a very entertaining race, it was Tourville who hung on for the win. Fankhauser settled for second ahead of Cody Kummer, Mike Knudtson and Lindner.
The Pure Stocks engaged in a pair of nonstop main events. In the regularly scheduled event, Havel came roaring up from the fourth row through heavy traffic to find the lead early, and once in front he checked out on the field for his third win in four tries at Red Cedar. Jesse Bryan settled for second and was followed by Krysta Swearingen, Scottie Schoettle and Dahl.
Dahl controlled the make up feature, quickly moved to the lead from the second row and then cruising home after that. Bryan earned his second runner up honors of the night with Bill Skoug, Schoettle and Swearingen next in line.
Racing returns next Friday night with the action reverting back to the regular starting time of 7 p.m. The Hornets will make the first of several appearances at Red Cedar in 2012 so it will be a seven division program next Friday.
SUMMARY
Red Cedar Speedway
Menomonie WI
May 11, 2012
WISSOTA Late Models
20 lap Feature – Steve Isenberg(Marshfield), A.J. Diemel(Elk Mound), Cory Mahder(Elk Mound), Mike Prochnow(Menomonie), Scott Gilberts(Menomonie), Jake Redetzke(Eau Claire), Jimmy Mars(Menomonie), Greg Nippoldt(Roberts), Ashley Anderson(Elk Mound), Neil Eckhart(Rochester MN), Kerry Hanson, Chad Mahder, Scott Duval
20 lap Feature from 5/4 – Prochnow, Diemel, Co. Mahder, Redetzke, Gilberts, Duval(Bloomer), Hanson(Baldwin), Anderson, Ch. Mahder(Eau Claire)
8 lap Heat 1 – Mars, Diemel, Nippoldt, Gilberts, Ch. Mahder, Hanson, Eckhart
Heat 2 – Redetzke, Co. Mahder, Isenberg, Prochnow, Anderson, Duval
WISSOTA Modifieds
18 lap Feature – Rich Lofthus(Bloomer), Brandon Jensen(Hammond), Mark Gerth(Menomonie), Craig Thatcher(Knapp), Mike Anderson (Colfax), Robby Bunkelman(Abbotsford), Jay Richardson(Spring Valley), Curt Myers(Cameron), Jesse Glenz(Cadott), Ross Prochnow(Boyceville), Brent Prochnow, Cory Williams, Keith Tourville, Mark Hessler, Steve Hallquist, Jake Miller, Kevin Adams, Jake Hartung, Matt Leer, Paul Niznik, Don Brightbill, Mark Hanson
15 lap Feature from 5/4 – Williams(Spring Valley), Anderson, B. Prochnow(Colfax), Hartung(Elmwood), Adams(Cameron), Thatcher, R. Prochnow, Gerth, Bunkelman, Myers, Jensen, Richardson, Niznik, Miller, Leer, Tourville, Glenz, Brightbill
8 lap Heat 1 – Jensen, Adams, Anderson, Myers, Thatcher, B. Prochnow, Williams, Hallquist
Heat 2 – Gerth, Hartung, Lofthus, Hessler(Menomonie), Glenz, Hanson, Niznik
Heat 3 – R. Prochnow, Bunkelman, Richardson, Tourville(Dairyland), Miller(Somerset), Leer, Brightbill
WISSOTA Super Stocks
18 lap Feature – Aaron Wilson(Menomonie), Ben Hillman(Menomonie), Rick Hallquist(Eau Claire), Andy Grymala(Superior), Jim Harris(Menomonie), Mike Keller(Menomonie), Jesse Redetzke(Eau Claire), Brad Johnson(Wilson), Brad Edington(Elk Mound), Steve Thomas(Menomonie), Wayne Harris Jr, Chad Johnson, Chad Horst, Gunnar Watkins, Cody Campeau, Lyle Archambeau
15 lap Feature from 5/4 – Thomas, Wilson, Edington, Redetzke, Keller, Hallquist, C. Johnson(Colfax), B. Johnson, Campeau(Somerset), Shawn Huse(Bloomer), Hillman, Luke Plank
8 lap Heat 1 – Grymala, B. Johnson, Hillman, Edington, Thomas, Redetzke, Horst, C. Johnson, Watkins
Heat 2 – Wilson, Keller, Hallquist, J. Harris, W. Harris(Bloomer), Campeau, Archambeau, Plank
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
14 lap Feature – Jake Smith(Eau Claire), Kerry Halopka(Wheeler), Nick Koehler(Bloomer), Grant Southworth(Bloomer), Travis Anderson(Colfax), Shane Halopka(Greenwood), Cory Crapser(Chippewa Falls), Clark Swartz(Bloomer), Josh Smith(Eau Claire), Justin Supri(Eau Claire), Jake Smeltzer, Jesse Horst, Kevin Smeltzer, Brad Spence, Chris Huther, Chad Horst, Mitch Anderson, Travis Schilling, A.J. Roschen
15 lap Feature from 5/4 – Southworth, S. Halopka, Ja. Smith, Crapser, T. Anderson, Jo. Smith, Supri, Koehler, K. Halopka, Schilling(Dorchester), Spence, Huther, Levi Alton, K. Smeltzer, Swartz, James Green, M. Anderson, J. Smelter
6 lap B Feature – K. Smeltzer(Menomonie), C. Horst(Rapid City S.D.), Huther, (Medford), M. Anderson(Spring Valley), Roschen(Hudson), Alton, Douglas Toepper, Miranda Carlson
8 lap Heat 1 – Crapser, Southworth, Swartz, Supri, Schilling, K. Smeltzer, Alton, Shawn Carlson, M. Carlson
Heat 2 – Jo. Smith, K. Halopka, T. Anderson, J. Smeltzer, J. Horst(Rapid City S.D.), Huther, Toepper
Heat 3 – Koehler, S. Halopka, Ja. Smith, Spence(Spring Valley), Green(Menomonie), M. Anderson, C. Horst, Roschen
WISSOTA Street Stocks
15 lap Feature – Ron Hanestad(Glenwood City), Adam Soltis(Ladysmith), Keith Tourville(Dairyland), Ashley Husby(Menomonie), Jared Lindner(Greenwood), Mitch Kesan(Weyerhaeuser), Cody Kummer(Medford), Mike Knudtson(Osseo), Sam Fankhauser(Chetek), Ralph Stark(Withee), Brent Szymoniak, Josh Wahlstrom
15 lap Feature from 5/4 – Tourville, Fankhauser, Kummer, Knudtson, Lindner, Stark, Husby, Soltis, Wahlstrom(Menomonie)
8 lap Heat 1 – Kummer, Lindner, Husby, Kesan, Wahlstrom, Szymoniak
Heat 2 – Hanestad, Fankhauser, Tourville, Soltis, Knudtson, Stark
Pure Stocks
10 lap Feature – Jason Havel(Rice Lake), Jesse Bryan(Menomonie), Krysta Swearingen(Little Canada MN), Scottie Schoettle(Osseo), Jeremy Dahl(Knapp), Bill Skoug(Osseo), Randy Burton(Menomonie), Brandon Davis(Chetek), Jon Wigchers(Rice Lake), Colt Hartwich(Chippewa Falls) Andy Schmitt
10 Feature from 5/4 – Dahl, Bryan, Skoug, Schoettle, Swearingen, Havel, Wigchers, Burton, Hartwich, Schmitt(Stanley)
6 lap Heat 1 – Havel, Burton, Bryan, Davis, Wigchers, Schmitt
Het 2 – Dahl, Skoug, Schoettle, Hartwich, Swearingen, Dustin Doughty