Season Champions Crowned at Red Cedar Speedway

By Ed Reichert

     Photos by Chris Burback

Menomonie WI, August 15 – Mike Goodremote, Mike Anderson, Shawn Huse, Mark Gerth and Nick Field were all crowned as Season Champions at the Red Cedar Speedway Friday as championships were held in all five classes. Among the race highlights tonight were one photo finish, one last lap pass and two first time feature winners. While the champions were determined tonight, one more bonus week of racing will be held next Friday night at the Dunn County Rec Park, in part because of the very short racing season due to weather issues throughout the summer.

The photo finish came in the Super Stock feature where Huse held off a late charge by Ben Hillman for the win. Huse had started on the pole and battled with Mike Keller in the early going as two yellow flags before a lap could be completed slowed the action. After swapping the lead with Keller, Huse settled in and established a nice cushion over the field while the battle for second heated up. Keller found himself challenged by Hillman on the high side and Steve Thomas down low with Hillman using the cushion to drive into second. Ben then gradually pulled away from Keller and slowly started to close on Huse who was battling lapped traffic.

Shawn found himself in very heavy traffic and as he got slowed, Hillman closed up even more.  A battle for the lead developed but just then a spin in turn four by George Balcaen slowed the action once more and set up a three lap sprint to the finish. Huse took off on the low side and Hillman continued to ride along the wall and they remained side by side. As they took the white flag their running order was unchanged. Hillman climbed the banking in turn four while Huse hustled on the inside and as they crossed the line, Huse was scored the winner by about two feet for the title. Keller remained in third while Curt Myers came from back in the pack to pass Thomas for fourth. It was Huse’s second win of the year here.

Gerth made a last lap pass on Shane Halopka to win what was a very fine Midwest Modified feature race as Mark earned his second win of the year here. Halopka and Gerth started side by side in row one and they jockeyed back and forth during the early laps with at least four lead changes in the early going. As they swapped the lead back and forth, they were suddenly joined by Mark Thomas as the race became a three car duel for the lead. Thomas was able to get under Gerth for second and he pulled up beside Halopka for the lead. They then imitated the earlier action as they swapped the top spot back and forth , all the time without a single yellow to slow the field. While their duel continued, the battle for fourth was much the same as Mike Truscott, Jim Bourn and Dan Svee fought for that spot.

As the laps ran down, the action stayed just as heavy with Thomas and Halopka side by side. Then Shane was able to gain a car length on Thomas but then Gerth picked up the pace again and dove under Thomas down the front chute, taking over second on the squeeze play. Gerth then kept up his charge and closed on Halopka. As they took the white flag, Gerth dived low and got under Halopka to take over the lead. Shane tried to come back on the back chute but Gerth had him covered and despite Halopka’s last lap attempt, Mark was able to bring home the win by a car length with Thomas right on Shane’s bumper for third. After fading slightly, Bourn regained his stride and raced back up to fourth at the finish ahead of Svee.

There were two first time winners for the season Friday and one of them was Late Model point titlist Goodremote. He started on the pole for the Late Model headliner and spent the first few laps battling with Mike Prochnow for the lead. Goodremote was scored the leader for all laps but Prochnow was challenging him hard in the early going. Three yellow flags for minor spins kept the field bunched in the early going but once all out racing took place, Goodremote gradually began to pull away from the field. The battle shifted to second where Jesse Redetzke closed in to challenge Prochnow for the spot. Working the low side, Redetzke was able to drive under Prochnow to take that spot. With the last thirteen laps run nonstop, Goodremote was able to maintain his cushion over Redetzke and take the win. The rest of the challengers got strung out with Redetzke coming across the line ahead of Prochnow, Scott Gilberts and Chris Oertel.

The other first time winner was Anderson, who drove a whale of a race to ride the cushion home ahead of a tough field of Modifieds. Anderson and Brent Prochnow, who looked extremely sharp in preliminaries, started beside each other in the feature event and it was Anderson who rode the cushion into the early lead with Prochnow close behind. Ross Prochnow accelerated up to the third spot where he was being challenged by Craig Thatcher and Jake Hartung.

Hartung was looking very good on the cushion also and he drove past Ross Prochnow on the high side to take third, only to get too high in turn four and crush the concrete wall , tearing of his right front wheel assembly and ending his evening.

Anderson again went to the top on the green and maintained his lead as Brent Prochnow continued to challenge him. Thatcher moved past Ross Prochnow for third and closed on Brent as a race for second began. The top three leaders continued to maintain their spread between each other with Anderson continuing to be very smooth as he worked the top of the track. Thatcher was pushing hard but he couldn’t cut the gap on Brent Prochnow. Anderson continued to show the way and with his smooth drive to the line, the win was his over Brent Prochnow and Thatcher. Ross maintained fourth with Scott Duval moving up to fifth place.

The Pure Stock feature got off to a rocky start when Chris Wert spun and slapped the wall in turn one. The second try was more successful as Chaz Ducommun moved into the early lead over Ashley Husby with Field quickly moving up from the second row to challenge. Nick got to the low side and drove under Ducommon to take over the top spot. Dusty Brown was on the move but then he got too high in turn four and gave up several positions as Jordan Johnson and Luke  Plank moved up. Field continued to show the way but Ducummon started to close back up on the leader when Mike Knudtson stalled on the back chute and the yellow flew again.

Field got a good restart and opened up some distance on Ducommun for the sprint to the finish and Nick held on for his second win here in 2008. Ducommun finished second while Plank had a good run for third and won a trophy with Johnson and Mike Liphardt completing the top five.

All classes that normally compete will be in action next Friday following the cancellation of the IRA Sprint car event that was originally booked for next Friday. WISSOTA sanctioned Late Models, Modifieds, Super Stocks, Midwest Modifieds and Red Cedar Pure Stocks will all be in action. Regular admission prices will be in effect.

SUMMARY

Red Cedar Speedway

Menomonie WI

August 15, 2008

WISSOTA Late Models

20 lap Feature – Mike Goodremote, Sand Creek; Jesse Redetzke, Altoona; Mike Prochnow, Menomonie; Scott Gilberts, Menomonie; Chris Oertel, Marshfield; Shawn Mahder, Eau Claire; Duane Mahder, Eau Claire; Cory Mahder, Elk Mound; Chad Mahder, Eau Claire; Randy Gullixson, Baldwin; Kerry Hansen, Spencer; Bob Slater, Thunder Bay Ont; Mike Hesselink, Deer Park; Kerry Hanson, Baldwin; Kelly Anderson, Hager City; Doug Herrick, West Concord Mn.

10 lap Heat 1 – Goodremote; Redetzke; Gilberts; Anderson; Hanson; Hesselink; Slater; C. Mahder.

Heat 2 – Prochnow; D. Mahder; Oertel; Gullixson; S. Mahder; Hansen; Herrick; Co. Mahder.

WISSOTA Modifieds

18 lap Feature – Mike Anderson, Colfax; Brent Prochnow, Menomonie; Craig Thatcher, Knapp; Ross Prochnow, Knapp; Scott Duval, Bloomer; Robby Bunkelman, Abbotsford; Mike Goodremote, Sand Creek; Rich Lofthus, Bloomer; Jay Richardson, Spring Valley; Luke Schilling, Granton; Mark Hessler, Menomonie; Mark Hanson, Chippewa Falls; Don Brightbill, Hudson; Jerry Weigel, Jim Falls; Bill Stettner, Inver Grove Heights Mn; Dana Lerum, Pepin; Cory Williams, Spring Valley; Bryan Nayes, Chippewa Falls; Jake Hartung, Elmwood.

10 lap Heat 1 – B. Prochnow; R. Prochnow; Thatcher; Lofthus; Duval; Williams; Richardson; Weigel; Hessler; Stettner.

Heat 2 – Anderson; Hartung; Bunkelman; Hanson; Goodremote; Schilling; Brightbill; Nayes; Lerum.

WISSOTA Super Stocks

18 lap Feature – Shawn Huse, Bloomer; Ben Hillman, Menomonie; Mike Keller, Menomonie; Curt Myers, Cameron; Steve Thomas, Menomonie; Rod Dregney, Mondovi; Aaron Wilson, Menomonie; Tim Borgeson, New Richmond; Tom Karis, Menomonie; Greg Nippoldt, Roberts; Charley Obermueller, Menomonie; Joe Rhead, Menomonie; Scotty Brown, Winnipeg Mb; Bernie Christianson, Menomonie; Chad Johnson, Colfax; Brian Lick; Afton Mn; George Balcaen, Winnipeg Mb; Rick Hallquist, Eau Claire; Steve Hallquist, Eau Claire; Brad Johnson, Wilson.

10 lap Heat 1 – Huse; Hillman; Wilson; R. Hallquist; Balcaen; B. Johnson.

Heat 2 – Keller; Dregney; Obermueller; Rhead; C. Johnson; S. Johnson; Nippoldt.

Heat 3 – Thomas; Borgeson; Myers; Karis; Christianson; Lick.

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds

15 lap Feature – Mark Gerth, Menomonie; Shane Halopka, Medford; Mark Thomas, Menomonie; Jim Bourn, Menomonie; Dan Svee, Colfax; Mike Truscott, Chippewa Falls; Bryan Bisonette, Rice Lake; Randy Smeltzer, Colfax; Justin Supri, Eau Claire; Jason Swan, Chippewa Falls; Randy Smeltzer, Menomonie; Grant Southworth, Bloomer; Scott Erickson, Barron; Robbie Johnson, Wilson; Brandon Larson, Nelson; Nate Szymoniak, Eau Claire; Shawn Wihren, Oakdale Mn; Brad Hudson, Chippewa Falls; Bob Sorensen, Eau Claire.

10 lap Heat 1 – Halopka; Thomas; Hudson; Larson; Johnson; K.  Smeltzer; Erickson.

Heat 2 – Gerth; Truscott;  R. Smeltzer; Bisonette; A.J. Roschen; Sorensen; Wihren.

Heat 3 – Bourn; Svee; Supri; Swan; Southworth; Szymoniak.

Pure Stocks

10 lap Feature – Nick Field, Elmwood; Chaz Ducommun, Chetek; Luke Plank, Eau Claire; Jordan Johnson, Augusta; Mike Liphardt, Menomonie; Dusty Brown, Rice Lake; Ashley Husby, Menomonie; Josh Rud, Osseo; Brent Szymoniak, Eau Claire; Chris Wert, Roberts; Amy Jo Hughes, Knapp; Mike Harshman, Eau Claire; Rob Lawrence, Eau Claire; Ron Hoffman, Ridgeland; Mike Knudtson, Osseo; Nick Spence, Spring Valley; Pat Smith, Eau Claire.

6 lap Heat 1 – Ducommun; Field; Brown; Plank; Szymoniak; Liphardt; Lawrence; Eric Burton; Knudtson.

Heat 2 – Husby; Johnson; Wert; Hoffman; Hughes; Rud; Harshman; Spence; Smith.