Menomonie WI, June 15 – Cody Kummer and Steve Thomas continued their winning ways at the Red Cedar Speedway as both drivers became repeat winners and added to their win totals that have made them among the top winners at the track so far this season. Also adding to their win totals as multiple time winners at the track this year were Cory Crapser, Matt Leer and Eric Schultz while Randy Burton won his first ever Pure Stock main event.
Thomas survived a heated battle with at least two other drivers to take his second straight Super Stock feature win and third of the season at Red Cedar. Brad Johnson jumped off the pole to become the initial leader as he set a hot pace with Rick Hallquist and Thomas chasing. Thomas swept past Hallquist into second and closed on the leader as Ben Hillman and Aaron Wilson charged up from the middle of the pack to challenge also. Thomas continued his strong run as he took over the lead but Hillman was equally impressive as he moved to the low groove and worked his way up to second.
A yellow flag bunched the field and Hillman dove again to the low side and was able to slide up under the leader in turn four. However, Thomas fought back and using the high side edged back into the lead on the following lap. Hillman continued to challenge, trying to beat Thomas into every corner while Mike Keller had picked up the pace and was challenging Wilson for third. Hillman continued to ride right on Thomas’ tail until with a sudden bang and a puff of smoke, Hillman lost power and was done. At just about the same time, Thomas hammered the wall in turn four, badly bending the rear end of his car and triggering a yellow for debris.
The two lap sprint to the finish saw Keller make a serious charge for the lead and the front runners slapped together a couple of times as they battled for the lead, the last time down the back chute on the white flag, with Keller nearly losing control. Thomas drove on for the win and Keller recovered to finish second with Wilson, Brad Edington and Tom Karis in the top five.
Kummer continued his hot streak on area ovals but his path to victory was just as difficult as that of Thomas. Cody had to fight off numerous challenges from several drivers throughout the Street Stock feature race. Ashley Husby was the early leader of the event with Mike Knudtson then taking over for her, but Sam Fankhauser, Troy Fransway, Kummer, Ron Hanestad and Adam Soltis were all challenging. Keith Tourville came from the back of the pack to a top finish placing until he lost a driveshaft and was done, triggering the yellow flag.
Fankhauser made a strong run on the green and was able to edge past Knudtson for the lead with Kummer and Hanestad also following. Cody tried several times and was finally able to edge past Fankhauser to take over the lead but Sam battled back, looking to the low side on every lap. On the final tour the leaders ran side by side with Fankhauser looking on the low side. Kummer held tough and edged out the win by a car length. Unfortunately for Fankhauser, after the race he was disqualified from the event for losing a weight on the track during the race. This moved Hanestad to second in the final running order with Knudtson, Fransway and Jared Lindner completing the top five.
Kummer’s win was his fourth at Red Cedar and ties him for the lead in wins at the track as well as being his tenth so far in 2012.
One of the other four time winners so far this year at Red Cedar is Cory Crapser, who recorded his fourth Midwest Modified win with a relentless drive to the win Friday. Crapser started ninth in the field but using the low line was soon able to move into contention. Kevin Smeltzer was the early leader but was then overtaken by Justin Supri who moved away from the field. Crapser continued his charge as he got under the Halopka brothers who were having their own battle for position. Smeltzer went up the track and Crapser then took second. He then set off after Supri who was catching up to the back of the field and trying to negotiate his way through traffic. Justin got on the outside of a slower car, who then ran him up the track and slowed him down. Crapser jumped on the opportunity and dove to the low side and blew past Supri to take over the lead.
Once in front, Crapser then pulled away in the final few laps to record the win. Supri hled on for second with Shane Halopka racing up to third ahead of Smeltzer and his brother Kerry.
Leer won his second Modified feature win of the year in a strong performance as he held off the challenges of Mike Anderson in the late going. Jay Richardson jumped off the outside pole to take the early lead, but Leer quickly moved up from the second row and drove past Richardson into the lead. Leer started to pull away up front as Anderson, Jesse Glenz and Kevin Adams were having an active battle for position as all three were also advancing toward the front. Anderson used the low groove as he drove up to second and set his aim on Leer.
The lone yellow flew at midpoint for debris and on the green, Leer again took off with Anderson trying to track him down. Adams and Richardson were having a good battle for third, with Kevin eventually prevailing and taking the position. In the last few laps, Anderson gave it his all but Leer had the field covered as he drove on for the win. Richardson had his best run of the year as he took fourth with Glenz completing the top five.
Burton won his first ever Pure Stock feature in a nonstop main event. The third year driver started on the pole and broke to an early lead which he maintained as the race continued under the green. Jeremy Dahl eventually moved into second and started to cut the lead that Burton held, gradually whittling down the distance between the leaders. Dahl pushed as hard as he could but Burton maintained his line and drove home for the memorable win. Scottie Schoettle finished third and was chased home by Bill Skoug and Dustin Doughty.
Eric Schultz started on the pole, built up a big early lead and then withstood heavy late pressure from Brent Voeltz to take the Hornet feature race. In the late going, Voeltz was beating on Schultz’s bumper on several occasions, but Eric was up to the pressure as he drove home for the win, his second in the three appearances the Hornets have made at the track in 2012. The top two were followed by Rocky Kempe, Jeremy Johnsen and William Voeltz.
Next Friday, June 22nd, a regular racing program will be presented at the speedway. The Late Models will return and it will be their final tune up before the Challenge Series special for Late Models is presented on June 29th. Race time on Friday is 7 p.m.
SUMMARY
Red Cedar Speedway
Menomonie, WI
June 15, 2012
WISSOTA Modifieds
18 lap Feature – Matt Leer(Bruce), Mike Anderson(Colfax), Kevin Adams(Cameron), Jay Richardson(Spring Valley), Jesse Glenz(Cadott), Craig Thatcher(Knapp), Ashley Anderson(Elk Mound), Cory Williams(Spring Valley), Steve Hallquist(Eau Claire), Robby Bunkelman(Abbotsford), Ross Prochnow, Jake Hartung, Paul Niznik, Chet Atkinson, Jake Miller, Robbie Johnson, Mark Gerth, Brent Prochnow, Don Brightbill, Mark Hessler
8 lap Heat 1 – Glenz, M. Anderson, Adams, B. Prochnow(Colfax), Bunkelman, Hessler, Brightbill
Heat 2 – Leer, Thatcher, A. Anderson, Miller(Somerset), Williams, Niznik, Johnson
Heat 3 – Gerth(Menomonie), Richardson, Hallquist, R. Prochnow(Boyceville), Atkinson(Hugo MN), Hartung
WISSOTA Super Stocks
18 lap Feature – Steve Thomas(Menomonie), Mike Keller(Menomonie), Aaron Wilson(Menomonie), Brad Edington(Elk Mound), Tom Karis(Menomonie), Jesse Redetzke(Eau Claire), Luke Plank(Eau Claire), Andy Grymala(Superior), Ben Hillman(Menomonie), Rick Hallquist(Eau Claire), Brad Johnson, Eric Olson, Jim Harris
8 lap Heat 1 – Keller, Hallquist, Redetzke, Olson(Ladysmith), Plank, Grymala, Karis
Heat 2 – Wilson, Hillman, Thomas, Johnson(Wilson), Edington, Harris
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
15 lap Feature – Cory Crapser(Chippewa Falls), Justin Supri(Eau Claire), Shane Halopka(Greenwood), Kevin Smeltzer(Menomonie), Kerry Halopka(Wheeler), Travis Anderson(Colfax), Jake Smeltzer(Menomonie), Jake Smith(Eau Claire), Nick Koehler(Bloomer), Mark Thomas(Menomonie), Ross Fuhrman, Mitch Anderson, Chris Huther, Luke Shackleton, Nate Spence, Dean Prochinske, Mark Clements, Clark Swartz, Levi Alton, Jeff Manor, Crystal Hanson
8 lap Heat 1 – Crapser, Supri, Swartz(Bloomer), Smith, Shackleton(Knapp), Prochinske, Hanson
Heat 2 – Koehler, K. Halopka, K. Smeltzer, Fuhrman(Ashland), Huther(Medford), Alton, Manor
Heat 3 – S. Halopka, J. Smeltzer, Clements(Bloomer), T. Anderson, Thomas, M. Anderson, Spence
WISSOTA Street Stocks
15 lap Feature – Cody Kummer(Medford), Ron Hanestad(Glenwood City), Mike Knudtson(Osseo), Troy Fransway(Elk Mound), Jared Lindner(Greenwood), Josh Wahlstrom(Menomonie), Ashley Husby(Menomonie), Ralph Stark(Withee), Adam Soltis(Ladysmith), Eric Olson(Ladysmith), Keith Tourville
8 lap Heat 1 – Kummer, Sam Fankhauser(Chetek), Soltis, Fransway, Stark, Olson
Heat 2 – Knudtson, Lindner, Husby, Wahlstrom, Hanestad, Tourville
Pure Stocks
10 lap Feature – Randy Burton(Menomonie), Jeremy Dahl(Knapp), Scottie Schoettle(Osseo), Bill Skoug(Osseo), Dustin Doughty(Ladysmith), Jesse Bryan(Menomonie), Krysta Swearingen(Little Canada MN)
6 lap Heat – Dahl, Schoettle, Doughty, Burton, Skoug, Bryan, Swearingen
Hornets
15 lap Feature – Eric Schultz(Downing), Brent Voeltz(Glenwood City), Rocky Kempe(Chippewa Falls), Jeremy Johnsen(Elmwood), William Voeltz(Glenwood City), Derek Knutson(Chippewa Falls), Brandon Uetz(Menomonie), Robert Ellsworth(Prairie Farm), Dave Clausen(Mondovi), Bob Seidler(Chippewa Falls), Haley Socwell, Derek Baskin, Dan Prissel, Darrel Hazelton, Chad Prissel, Tyler Lamm
6 lap Heat 1 – Schultz, B. Voeltz, Kempe, Ellsworth, Johnsen, Baskin, Socwell, Lamm
Heat 2 – W. Voeltz, Clausen, Uetz, Hazelton(Lake City MN), C. Prissel(Durand), Knutson, Seidler, D. Prissel