Hallquist and Hanson New Red Cedar Winners In Season Finale

By Ed Reichert

     Photos by Chris Burback

Menomonie WI, August 22 – The regular season finale was contested Friday night at the Red Cedar Speedway with Steve Hallquist and rookie driver Mark Hanson topping the list of new winners for the season in a rain delayed program. A rain storm hit just at the conclusion of the Midwest Modified feature which produced a ninety minute delay. After repacking the track, all but the Pure Stock feature was able to be completed before the curfew with the Pure Stock drivers splitting the purse for their event. Other winners tonight included Jimmy Mars and Mark Gerth.

The Super Stocks were the first cars on the track after the rains and the track was blistering fast with the groove a bit on the narrow side. Steve Hallquist started on the outside pole and got the jump on Chad Johnson to take the early lead with the yellow waving after two laps for debris on the track.

Hallquist continued to lead on the green with his brother Rick moving up to challenge Johnson for second as a pack that included Jason Forehand, Bernie Christianson, Ben Hillman, Steve Thomas and Curt Myers battled for position farther back on the track. Steve Hallquist continued to stretch his lead with Rick getting under Johnson to take over second. Rick started to cut the lead on his brother as they separated themselves from the pack.

Thomas spun in heavy traffic with Forehand getting into him and that triggered the second yellow of the event. The Hallquist brothers didn’t let that faze them as when the green reappeared, they once more checked out on the field. While Rick stayed relatively close, Steve continued to control the field as he drove home for the win and became the ninth different Super Stock driver to taste victory lane here this year. Rick finished second with Hillman driving up to third at the end ahead of Christianson and Johnson.

The Modified feature started out on a rocky note as a grinding crash on the front chute eliminated five cars before a lap could be completed. Hanson started on the outside pole and used Hallquist’s strategy as he went to the cushion on the moist track and blew away the field in a race that went nonstop after the first lap difficulties. As Hanson stretched his lead, Robby Bunkelman and Rich Lofthus moved in to challenge Jay Richardson for second. Bunkelman was able to get to the bottom and take over second with Lofthus following that strategy. Soon, Mike Anderson was also in the mix after he moved up from his eighth starting position.

Hanson, meanwhile, was gone as he built his lead to nearly a straightaway over the field and with no yellow flag opportunities for the rest of the field to catch up, the race was his to lose. Anderson continued to advance as he got past both Lofthus and Richardson and closed on Bunkelman for the top spot. Hanson continued to ride the berm smoothly, and drove home for his initial Modified win with room to spare over Bunkelman, Anderson, Richardson and Lofthus.

The Late Model feature started out with some wild action too, as the green flag had no more than been dropped when a group of cars got together on the front chute. Many suffered body damage but only the car of Scott Gilberts was eliminated.

The restart saw Jake Redetzke and Dave Cain battling for the lead on the opening lap as they tore around the oval at high speed with Redetzke eventually edging into the lead. As Jake continued to hold the lead, Mars was on the move after starting seventh on the grid. He dispatched Mike Prochnow and John Kaanta and continued his charge to the front by tearing past Chris Oertel and Cory Mahder. He then got by runner up Cain but found himself nearly a straightaway behind Redetzke.

However, Mars was flying and he quickly closed the gap and within a few laps was knocking on Jake’s rear bumper. Jimmy experimented with a couple of different lines, and when Jake came up on a lapped car, Mars moved to the high side in turn two and squeezed past both cars to take over the lead.

The yellow came out when fifth running Chad Mahder rode the wall all the way through the third and fourth corner which tightened up the field for a five lap sprint to the finish.

Mars accelerated away from the pack but the battle turned to second place where Cory Mahder dropped to the inside of Redetzke as they battled for runner up honors. Mahder nearly got by but Redetzke adjusted his cornering strategy and was able to hold off Cory for the second spot. They were trailed at the line by Kaanta and Cain.

The Midwest Modifieds were racing the rain and each other as they were the first feature on the track with the impending weather bearing down on them and they drove as if their hair were on fire, climaxing their event with a wild finish that needed to be sorted out by track officials.

Randy Smeltzer had the outside pole and he took the early lead over Eric Herbison. Coach Mark Thomas, with the U.W. Stout Football team on hand to help cheer him on, came charging up from the second row to challenge Smeltzer for the lead. As they battled, Shane Halopka, Mark Gerth and Dan Svee were also on the move and charging to the front. Thomas tried both high and low before he got a great run off turn two and ducked under Smeltzer for the lead as the crowd came out of their seats. Halopka, Svee and Gerth were also tearing forward as they lined up behind Thomas.

The yellow flew at the halfway point when Nate Szymoniak and Tom Steuding got together in turn four and the restart was a ragged, scrambled affair with the running order being juggled.

Thomas got into turn one too hot and slid up the track, opening the door to Halopka who took over the lead. Svee was flying on the outside as he pulled up beside Halopka and Gerth was also able to pass Thomas.

The white flag came out and the lead pack was still a snarling beast. Svee got a  great run on the top side and he edged into the lead in the final corner. Halopka came storming off the bottom of the track and as they exited turn four, they came together in a hard collision. Svee went flying into the infield, Thomas was launched over a wheel on Halopka’s car and the entire pack went wildly sliding across the finish line. Halopka crossed the line first , but the official ruling was that he had jumped on the previous restart and he was docked two positions to third in the final order. Gerth, who had somehow missed the last lap antics found himself declared the winner on his third feature race here this year. Thomas was awarded second ahead of Halopka with Jim Bourn and Mike Truscott completing the top five.

The next action at the Red Cedar Speedway will be on Friday, September 19^th and Saturday, September 20^th when one of the premier events in the Midwest, the 29^th annual Punky Manor Challenge of Champions will be held. Presented by Budweiser and Tim’s Automotive Machine, racing action will be at 7 p.m. on Friday and 6 p.m. on Saturday. Check the speedway website, www.redcedarracing.com or the trade papers for specifics on classes racing, purse structure etc.

SUMMARY

Red Cedar Speedway

Menomonie WI

August 22, 2008

WISSOTA Late Models

20 lap Feature – Jimmy Mars, Menomonie; Jake Redetzke, Eau Claire; Cory Mahder, Elk Mound; John Kaanta, Elk Mound; Dave Cain, Corcoran MN; Mike Prochnow, Menomonie; Duane Mahder, Eau Claire; Randy Gullixson, Baldwin; Mike Goodremote, Sand Creek; Jake Redetzke, Altoona; Chad Mahder, Eau Claire; Chuckie DeSmith, Glenwood City; Pat Hoffman, Rick Lake; Chris Oertel, Marshfield; Dennis Larson, Lake Elmo MN; Shawn Mahder, Eau Claire; Brent Larson, Lake Elmo MN; Scott Gilberts, Menomonie.

10 Lap Heat 1 – Cain; Oertel; B. Larson; Prochnow; Rick Hanestad; D. Mahder; Je. Redetzke; C. Mahder; Goodremote; Gullixson.

Heat 2 – Kaanta; J. Redetzke; Mars; Co. Mahder; S. Mahder; Gilberts; Hoffman; D. Larson; DeSmith.

WISSOTA Modifieds

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

10 lap Heat 1 – Thatcher; Duval; Hanson; B. Prochnow; Hartung; Weigel; Cain; Williams; Hessler; Nayes.

Heat 2 – Bunkelman; Richardson; Anderson; Lofthus; Stettner; Brightbill; R. Prochnow; Keith Tourville; Lerum.

WISSOTA Super Stocks

Steve Hallquist, Eau Claire; Rick Hallquist, Eau Claire; Ben Hillman, Menomonie; Bernie Christianson, Menomonie; Chad Johnson, Colfax; Charley Obermueller, Menomonie; Jason Forehand, Eau Claire; Cory Davis, Turtle Lake; Mike Keller, Menomonie; Rod Dregney, Mondovi; Aaron Wilson, Menomonie; Joe Rhead, Menomonie; Greg Nippoldt, Roberts; Dan Preston, Baldwin; Tom Karis, Menomonie; Steve Thomas, Menomonie; Brad Johnson, Wilson; Curt Myers, Cameron; Shawn Huse, Bloomer; Jesse Redetzke, Altoona.

10 lap Heat 1 – Christianson; Thomas; Forehand; Hillman; Obermueller; Keller; Preston; Huse; Nippoldt; Redetzke.

Heat 2 –C. Johnson; R. Hallquist; S. Hallquist; Myers; Dregney; Davis; Wilson;  B. Johnson; Rhead; Karis.

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds

10 lap Feature – Mark Gerth, Menomonie; Mark Thomas, Menomonie; Shane Halopka, Medford; Jim Bourn, Menomonie; Mike Truscott, Chippewa Falls; Randy Smeltzer, Colfax; Scott Erickson, Barron; Grant Southworth, Bloomer; Jesse Glenz, Cadott; Andy Hoch, Alma; Randy Smeltzer, Menomonie; Cooper Dohms, Menomonie; Shawn Wihren, Oakdale MN; Dan Svee, Colfax; Eric Herbison, New Richmond; Tom Steuding, Altoona; Nick Koehler, Bloomer; Nate Szymoniak, Eau Claire.

10 Lap Heat 1 – Halopka; Gerth; R. Smeltzer; Truscott; Glenz; Szymoniak; K. Smeltzer; Dohms; Hoch; Casey Manor.

Heat 2 – Thomas; Bourn; Svee; Herbison; Southworth; Erickson; Johnson; Steuding; Wihren; Koehler.

Pure Stock

10 lap Feature – Cancelled

6 lap Heat – Nick Field, Elmwood; Chaz Ducommun, Chetek; Ashley Husby, Menomonie; Ron Hoffman, Ridgeland; Nate Spence, Spring Valley; Mike Liphardt, Menomonie; Luke Plank, Eau Claire; Brad Spence, Spring Valley.