Goodremote Stops Thatcher’s Red Cedar Winning Streak at Four

By Ed Reichert

                                Photos by Chris Burback

Menomonie WI, June 13 – Mike Goodremote stopped the winning streak of Craig Thatcher at four as the Sand Creek driver won the Modified feature event to highlight a curfew shortened night of racing at the Red Cedar Speedway. Thatcher had won the first four feature events of the season at Red Cedar but Goodremote started on the pole and led all the way for the win Friday while Thatcher could only muster a third place finish. Goodremote was among four first time winners this season as also finding victory lane were Brent Larson, Brandon Jensen and Mark Thomas while the Pure Stock feature had to be held over until next Friday.

Goodremote and Jake Hartung started on the front row of the Modified finale and they battled hard on the opening lap before Goodremote was able to claim the top spot. Once in front, Mike was able to stretch his lead to six car lengths as Mark Hanson moved into second but was heavily pressured by Rich Lofthus and Mike Anderson.

Thatcher started eighth on the grid and was quickly advancing through the field, aided by a lap two yellow for a stalled Mark Hessler. Goodremote continued to lead on the green as Thatcher continued to advance, getting by Anderson and then Hanson as Lofthus had moved into the runner up slot. Thatcher put the pressure on Lofthus in the late going for second while Goodremote continued to motor on unchecked up front. With the feature shortened to ten laps, Thatcher ran out of time in his battle with Lofthus for second while Goodremote rode home unchallenged for the win. Anderson and Paul Knauf completed the top five.

After a first lap spin that slowed the action, Chris Oertel powered past Jesse Redetzke to lead the opening laps of the Late Model feature. Larson quickly moved up from the third row to move into contention with Keith Foss following his tire tracks to the front. Larson made a power move on the high side as he sliced between Redetzke and Oertel to take over the lead, after which he started to pull away from the field. Foss had other ideas however, and using the low side of the track he was able to run up into second and he began to close on the leader.

Things got dicey for the top two as they ran into heavy traffic and Foss was nearly able to get under Larson at one point, with Brent just barely holding off the Winona MN resident. However, this situation suddenly changed when Lucas Peterson lost power and slowed suddenly on the front chute. He attempted to get out of the way but there was too much traffic and he was rearended at high speed by T.J. Adams. The race was red flagged to attend to Adams and he was later hospitalized with hand and torso injuries. No further word on his condition was available at press time.

On the restart, Larson put his foot down and stretched his lead again as he led the final six laps for the win over Foss, Oertel, Redetzke and Mike Goodremote, pulling double duty tonight.

Jensen took the early lead in the Super Stock feature over Joe Rhead and Tim Borgeson as the field was packed together tight with three and four wide racing in the opening laps until a collision between Wyatt Wolfe Jr and Ryan Olson slowed the action. Jensen continued to lead on the green but last week’s winner, Shawn Huse, was clearly the fastest car on the track and he came flying up to the front, cutting through the heavy traffic with some spectacular moves. Huse moved into the second spot and closed on the leader. Huse tried to get a run off turn two several times and he was able to get up beside Jensen but Brandon held his line and Huse wasn’t quite able to edge past for the lead. Huse continued to press the issue, but Jensen was smooth on the high side and being robbed of his fast line, Huse just wasn’t able to work the bottom to cleanly make a pass. Huse took one last shot on the final lap but the yellow flew for another spin and the race was scored complete on the white flag lap with Huse having to settle for second behind Jensen with Borgeson, Mike Keller and Rhead trailing.

Thomas was perhaps the most dominant driver of the night as he ran away with the Midwest Modified feature after finally clearing the traffic in front of him. Randy Smeltzer held the pole position but Justin Supri was able to get under him and take the lead as the yellow flew three times in the first two laps for a series of spinners. Thomas started sixth and using the high side was able to fly past Ronnie Rihn and Mike Hernke and take over second. Thomas made a great move off turn two to move into the lead , but the yellow flag negated the move and he had to surrender the lead. However, turn two remained good for him and he again raced off the banking and rocketed past Supri to take over the lead. Once in front, his only danger was if he over drove the track and he marched away from the field without a challenge. Supri put together a strong run as he held off all challenges to remain second and a last lap scramble saw Shane Halopka edge past Rihn for third with Hernke next in line.

The Pure Stock feature was postponed until next week as that division will run double feature events.

Next week GB Sales Northwest will present the Midseason Championships. Drivers will line up by the points that they have earned through the first five events of the 2008 racing season and they will qualify for the main events based on their heat race finishes. Check the speedway website, www.redcedarracing.com for the updated point standings. Race time will be 7 p.m.

SUMMARY

Red Cedar Speedway

Menomonie WI

June 13, 2008

WISSOTA Late Models

20 lap Feature – Brent Larson, Lake Elmo MN; Keith Foss, Winona MN; Chris Oertel, Marshfield; Jesse Redetzke, Altoona; Mike Goodremote, Sand Creek; Mike Prochnow, Menomonie; Kelly Anderson, Hager City; Shawn Mahder, Eau Claire; Keane Laakson, Stone Lake; Tony Bloom, Rochester MN; Bob Slater, Thunder Bay Ont; Davin Larson, Trego; Lucas Peterson, Stockholm; T.J. Adams, Hayward; Justin Sass, Rochester MN; Scott Meeds, Siren.

10 lap Heat 1 – B. Larson; Foss; Oertel; Prochnow; S. Mahder; Peterson; Bloom; D. Larson;  Cory Mahder.

Heat 2 – Goodremote; Anderson; Redetzke; Laakson; Slater; Adams; Sass; Meeds.

WISSOTA Modifieds

12 lap Feature – Mike Goodremote, Sand Creek; Rich Lofthus, Bloomer; Craig Thatcher, Knapp; Mike Anderson, Colfax; Paul Knauf, Marshfield; Mark Hanson, Chippewa Falls; Brent Prochnow, Menomonie; Jake Hartung, Elmwood; Robby Bunkelman, Abbotsford; Luke Schilling, Granton; Dave Cain, Corcoran MN; Jay Richardson, Spring Valley; Don Brightbill, Hudson; Dan Wolf, Greenwood; Keith Tourville, Star Prairie; Cory Williams, Spring Valley; Cory Crapser, Eau Claire; Mark Hessler, Menomonie; Bryan Nayes, Chippewa Falls.

10 lap Heat 1 – Hanson; Anderson; Thatcher; Prochnow; Hessler; Crapser; Bunkelman; Schilling; Richardson; Wolf.

Heat 2 – Lofthus; Hartung; Goodremote; Knauf; Brightbill; Nayes; Cain; Tourville; Williams.

WISSOTA Super Stocks

9 lap Feature – Brandon Jensen, Hammond; Shawn Huse, Bloomer; Tim Borgeson, New Richmond; Mike Keller, Menomonie; Joe Rhead, Menomonie; Aaron Wilson, Menomonie; Curt Myers, Cameron; Steve Thomas, Menomonie; Steve Hallquist, Eau Claire; Ben Hillman, Menomonie; Cole Queensland, Grand Meadow MN; Charley Obermueller, Menomonie; Paul Erikson, Abbotsford; Jason Forehand, Eau Claire; Rod Dregney, Mondovi; Greg Nippoldt, Roberts; Bernie Christianson, Menomonie; Rick Hallquist, Eau Claire; Wyatt Wolfe Jr, Lacrosse; Ryan Olson, Chippewa Falls.

6 lap B Feature – Forehand; Nippoldt; Christianson; Dregney; Tom Karis; Gary Wiersgalla; Dan Arneson; Brad Johnson; Bill Hughes; Eric Thill; Jon Duffy; Jim Harris.

10 lap Heat 1 – Myers; Keller; S. Hallquist; Hillman; Forehand; Wiersgalla; Dregney; Thill.

Heat 2 – Borgeson; Jensen; Queensland; Erikson; Christianson; Nippoldt; Duffy.

Heat 3 – Thomas; Wilson; Obermueller; Olson; Harris; Hughes; Johnson.

Heat 4 – Huse; Rhead; R. Hallquist; Wolfe; Arneson; Karis; Bob Fort.

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds

8 lap Feature – Mark Thomas, Menomonie; Justin Supri, Eau Claire; Shane Halopka, Medford; Ronnie Rihn, Bloomer; Mike Hernke, Cannon Falls MN; Mark Gerth, Menomonie; Randy Smeltzer, Colfax; Bryan Hessler, Chetek; Jim Bourn, Menomonie; Nate Szymoniak, Eau Claire; Wayne Dean, Fall Creek; Eric Herbison, New Richmond; Jason Swan, Chippewa Falls; Nick Johnson, Elko MN; Josh Smith, Eau Claire; Leigh Volkman, Rushford MN; Jeremy Houle, Forest Lake MN; Mark Clements, Bloomer; Jesse Glenz, Cadott; Dan Svee, Colfax.

8 lap B Feature – Smith; Swan; N. Johnson; Glenz; A.J. Roschen; Cooper Dohms; Kevin Smeltzer; Scott Erickson; Gary Sorenson; Chad Marson; Brandon Larson; Mike Truscott; Robbie Johnson.

8 lap Heat 1 – Supri; Rihn; Volkman; Clements; N. Johnson; Swan; B. Larson; Marson.

Heat 2 -  R. Smeltzer; Hernke; Szymoniak; Dean; Glenz; Sorenson; Roschen; Erickson.

Heat 3 – Bourn; Hessler; Houle; Herbison; Truscott; Smith; R. Johnson.

Heat 4 – Thomas; Halopka; Gerth; Svee; Bob Wood; Dohms; K. Smeltzer.

Pure Stocks

10 lap Feature – Postponed to June 20

6 lap Heat 1 – Dusty Brown; Nick Field; Tommy Richards; Luke Plank; Jordan Johnson; Jay Folz; Ashley Husby; Adam Berg; Ron Hoffman.

Heat 2 – Willy Hughes; Mike Knudtson; Chris Wert; Chaz Ducummon; Any Jo Hughes; Rob Lawrence; Nate Spence; Pat Kirby.