Doar Tops Lates In Red Cedar Speedway Opener

By Ed Reichert

Menomonie WI, May 9 – Pat Doar made a late race pass on Jake Redetzke to win the Late Model feature and highlight the racing program on opening night for 2008 at the Red Cedar Speedway. Other winners on opening night included Craig Thatcher, Joe Rhead, Shane Halopka and Mike Knudtsen.

It was the fifth attempt to start the racing season at the Dunn Co. Rec Park and with the weather finally cooperating, a large crowd was on hand to eyeball all the new racers and welcome back many familiar faces.

Redetzke controlled most of the Late Model headliner until Doar made his late race move that proved to be the winner. Redetzke had started on the pole and pulled away from Steve Laursen, John Kaanta and Doar in the early going. A lap four spin by Kelly Anderson slowed the action and on the green, Redetzke again opened up a sizeable lead on the field. A.J. Diemel and Rick Hanestad joined the battle for second as there was considerable shuffling back and forth for the position.

Redetzke moved out by nearly a straightaway over the field with Doar moving to the cushion and securing second. Keith Foss was on the move after starting tenth and he pulled in to be a part of the battling pack. Redetzke was running the low side and Doar started to make up ground on him, first slowly and then with much greater speed. As Redetzke closed on lapped traffic, Doar moved in to challenge him. Jake found himself trapped on the low side and coming out of turn four, Doar flew by him on the high side to take over the lead.

In the few laps that remained, Doar extended his lead and pulled away for a comfortable win. Diemel maintained third at the line with Foss continuing his charge as he nipped Laursen for fourth.

Defending national champion Thatcher made easy work of the Modified field as he quickly came from sixth starting position to move into second and challenge leader Mike Anderson. Thatcher looked over Anderson and made a move on the inside to take over the lead, but a yellow flag slowed the field and Thatcher had to make the move again.

This time Thatcher made it stick as he drove under Anderson in turn one and powered into the lead. Once in front, he checked out on the field for what proved to be an easy win. While Anderson ran securely in second, the battle was for third as Brent Prochnow and Rich Lofthus raced for the position. They were soon joined by Dave Cain in what turned out to be a three car battle. Cain got past Prochnow for fourth and on the last lap slid under Lofthus to take the third finishing position.

Rhead won his first ever Super Stock victory in what was a caution filled, time limit shortened event. Rhead beat Charley Obermueller into the first corner to take the early lead and Obermueller got turned by contact and lost several spots early. As Rhead continued to show the way, there was a heavy battle going on for second as Kevin Eder, Steve Hallquist, Mike Keller and Curt Myers were all jockeying for position. Keller moved up on the inside as he and Myers raced hard for position.

A multi car spin slowed the action on lap four and another collision one lap later again slowed the pace. On each green, Rhead would move to the high side with Keller looking under him while Myers looked for an opening. The two lap sprint to the finish saw Keller again look under Rhead as they raced down the back chute. Both cars drove hard into turn four and Rhead was able to get a good run off the cushion as he nipped Keller by less than a car length with Myers right in their shadow. Hallquist fought his way back up to fourth after slipping back in the field and Shawn Huse made a late charge to round out the top five.

The Midwest Modified feature saw a three car battle to the wire that had the crowd on their feet. The early going saw Halopka dominate as he pulled away from the pack but the yellow waved twice in the first lap which precipitated this race being shortened also. The second yellow was the most serious as Mark Thomas got turned into the back stretch wall as saw his fine looking new car badly turned up.

Halopka continued to lead on the restart with a good battle for second developing .Mark Gerth moved into second spot but Mike Truscott moved to the cushion and was able to drive past Gerth to take second.

As the laps ran down, the battle for second continued with those drivers able to reel in Halopka. As they charged down the back chute on the final lap, Gerth dove to the low side and was able to pull ahead of Truscott and got a great run at Halopka. As they raced to the line, Halopka was just able to nip the surging Gerth and hold on for the win. Jim Bourn finished fourth ahead  of Brad Hudson.

The Pure Stocks rounded out the evening and this race also saw a late race change of leadership. Ashley Husby took the early lead and was able to pull away from the field in what turned out to be a nonstop main event. As she continued to maintain a three car length lead on the field. Dusty Brown moved into contention and began to close on the leader. However, his hold on that position was short lived as Mike Knudtson was on the move after starting seventh. He drove under Brown for second and quickly closed on Husby.

With only a couple of laps left, Knudtson dove to the inside in turn one and the leaders rubbed on each other with Knudtson taking over the top spot. He pulled away in the final three circuits to take with win with Husby holding off Brown for second. Nick Field and Chris Wert completed the top five.

Racing action will continue next Friday night at 6:30 p.m. with DKS Construction and Menomonie Rental Center being the presenting sponsors. Log on to the speedway website for more information at www.redcedarracing.com

SUMMARY

Red Cedar Speedway

Menomonie WI

WISSOTA Late Models

20 lap Feature – Pat Doar, New Richmond; Jake Redetzke, Eau Claire; A.J. Diemel, Navarino; Keith Foss, Winona Mn; Steve Laursen, Cumberland; Rick Hanestad, Boyceville; Chad Mahder, Eau Claire; John Kaanta, Elk Mound; Kyle Peterlin, Hibbing Mn; Lance Matthees, Winona Mn; Mike Prochnow, Menomonie; Jesse Redetzke, Altoona; Mike Goodremote, Sand Creek; Brent Larson, Lake Elmo Mn; Chris Oertel, Marshfield; Kelly Anderson, Hager City; Steve Isenberg, Marshfield; Bob Richardson, Eagle River; Kerry Hansen, Spencer; Tom Nesbitt, Thunder Bay On.

8 lap B Feature – Anderson, C. Mahder, Richardson,B. Larson, Nesbitt, Scott Meeds, Davin Larson, Cory Jorgensen, Shawn Mahder, Cory Mahder.

10 lap Heat: First – J. Redetzke, Diemel, Goodremote, Matthees, Richardson, D. Larson, Meeds, S. Mahder.

Heat 2 – Laursen, Hanestad, Foss, Oertel, Anderson, C. Mahder, Ron Schreiner.

Heat 3 – Kaanta, Prochnow, Hansen, Je. Redetzke, Jorgensen, B. Larson, Co. Mahder.

Heat 4 – Doar, Peterlin, Isenberg, Scott Gilberts, Nesbitt, Lucas Peterson, Joel Cryderman.

WISSOTA Modifieds

15 lap Feature – Craig Thatcher, Knapp; Mike Anderson, Colfax, Dave Cain, Corcoran Mn; Rich Lofthus, Bloomer, Brent Prochnow, Menomonie; Luke Schilling, Granton; Ross Prochnow, Knapp; Jake Hartung, Elmwood; Don Brightbill, Hudson; Bryan Nayes, Chippewa Falls; Cory Williams, Spring Valley; Rod Richardson, Spring Valley.

10 lap Heat – Hartung, R. Prochnow, B. Prochnow, Cain, Richardson, Dean Yrjanainen, Darrel Hazelton.

Heat 2 – Anderson, Lofthus, Thatcher, Schilling, Brightbill, Williams, Nayes.

WISSOTA Super Stocks

7 lap Feature – Joe Rhead, Menomonie; Mike Keller, Menomonie; Curt Myers, Cameron; Steve Hallquist, Eau Claire; Shawn Huse, Bloomer; Kevin Eder, Ashland; Jason Forehand, Eau Claire; Tim Borgeson, New Richmond; Charley Obermueller, Menomonie; Aaron Wilson, Menomonie; Rick Hallquist, Eau Claire; Rod Dregney, Mondovi; Tom Karis, Menomonie; Dan Arneson, Eleva; Bernie Christianson, Menomonie; Bill Hughes, Menomonie; Jeff Bush, Altoona; Steve Thomas, Menomonie; Dan Preston, Baldwin.

10 lap Heat – Obermueller, Eder, Karis, Borgeson, R. Hallquist.

Heat 2 – Rhead, Keller, Forehand, Thomas, Preston, Hughes.

Heat 3 – S. Hallquist, Myers, Wilson, Huse, Bush, Dregney.

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds

10 lap Feature – Shane Halopka, Medford; Mark Gerth, Menomonie; Mike Truscott, Chippewa Falls; Jim Bourn, Menomonie; Brad Hudson, Chippewa Falls; Ronnie Rihn, Bloomer; Mark Clements, Bloomer; Scott Erickson, Barron; Justin Supri, Eau Claire; Bryan Bisonette, Rice Lake; Bryan Hessler, Chetek; Cooper Dohms, Menomonie; Josh Smith, Eau Claire; A.J. Roschen, Hudson; Jeremy Houle, Forest Lake Mn; Randy Smeltzer, Colfax; Robbie Johnson, Wilson; Mark Thomas, Menomonie; Dave Morgan, Rice Lake; Nate Szymoniak, Eau Claire.

6 lap B Feature – Smith, Hessler, Dan Svee, Corey White, Jason Swan, Nick Koehler.

10 lap Heat – Halopka, Gerth, Hudson, Roschen, Johnson, Dohms, Smith, Svee.

Heat 2 – Truscott, Thomas, Clements, Erickson, Bisonette, Szymoniak, Hessler.

Heat 3 – Morgan, Bourn, Rihn, Supri, Houle, Smeltzer, White, Koehler.

Pure Stock

10 lap Feature – Mike Knudtson, Osseo; Ashley Husby, Menomonie; Dusty Brown, Rice Lake; Nick Field, Elmwood; Chris Wert, Roberts; Chaz Ducommun, Chetek; Luke Plank, Eau Claire; Ron Hoffman, Ridgeland; Willy Hughes, Arkansas; Adam Berg, Chippewa Falls; Amy Jo Hughes, Knapp.

6 lap Heat- Bud Richards, Wert, Berg, Brown, Ducommun, A. Hughes.

Heat 2 – Husby, Field, Plank, Knudtson, W. Hughes, Hoffman.