Prochnow and Gerth Red Cedar Speedway Open Wheel Aces

 

By Ed Reichert

 

Menomonie WI, July 17 – On a night marked by close finishes, the two open wheel divisions that race at the Red Cedar Speedway stole the show as Brent Prochnow and Mark Gerth both scored come from behind victories to highlight the Friday night racing program on a blustery July night. Other winners included Scott Gilberts, Bernie Christianson and Luke Plank.

The Midwest Modifieds set the tone early as Gerth and Robbie Johnson battled it out for the win with Gerth not finalizing things until the final few feet of the race. Jason Swan took the early lead but it was Clark Swartz who powered up from the inside to take over the top spot. Swartz, a rookie in the division and looking for his first feature win, acted like Friday might be the night as he held off some still challenges from Jim Bourn, Shane Halopka and Gerth in the early going. As the leaders diced back and forth with Swartz continuing to hold off the pack, Johnson suddenly materialized on the scene and using the cushion, powered past Swartz to take over the top spot. Everyone was now chasing Robbie, but he was very fast on the high side, and despite the fact that he was running a high risk line, he continued to show the way.

A late yellow flag for a spin set up a three lap sprint to the finish, and in the scramble Gerth managed to find an opening on the low side and pull up beside Johnson for the lead. They ran the last two laps side by side but Mark got an extra burst off the final corner, and the leaders rubbed as they raced to the line with Gerth taking his second win of the year here by half a car length. Following runner up Johnson were Halopka, Swartz and Ronnie Rihn.

The full Modified feature was just as good as their limited counterparts’ event was. Cory Williams took the early lead as he chose to use the cushion and was able to put some distance on the field early. The battle for second was a wild one as Larry and Brent Prochnow, along with Mike Anderson, Craig Thatcher and Ron Schreiner were slicing and dicing for positions. While this battle took place, Williams was able to put some distance on the field. However, the pack started to catch up with him and it was Thatcher who made the moves to work into second and close on Williams. Craig tried the low side on a couple of occasions but wasn’t quite able to pull off the pass for the lead. A spin bunched the field and on the green Brent Prochnow jumped the cushion and fell back several spots. Thatcher again tried the bottom but Anderson took advantage of this to hammer the cushion and take over second. He then began to close on Williams, and with a slide job in turn four, was able to edge into the lead. While there wasn’t contact between the top two, Anderson’s slide caused him to lose momentum and Williams had to hit the brakes to avoid him which caused him to lose control and spin. The yellow came out, and the official call was to send Anderson to the back and restore Williams to the lead.

It was a three lap sprint to the finish when suddenly Brent Prochnow, given up on earlier, made a huge charge on the low groove. While others hadn’t been able to make it work, Prochnow was fast there and he pulled up beside Williams in a battle for the lead. Brent edged in front as the white flag waved, and he extended his lead on the final lap for his second win of the year here. Williams ended his great run in second with Thatcher, Schreiner and Rich Lofthus completing the top five.

The nonstop Late Model feature was a two car battle all the way, with some moves in lapped traffic near the end deciding the outcome. Gilberts started on the outside pole and using the cushion, he was lightning fast as he took the early lead. Only Ashley Anderson could stay with him, and after a few laps of trailing , Anderson began to gradually close in on the leader and make it a two car event. Meanwhile, Cory Mahder and Jake Hartung were having a good battle for third also.

Gilberts continued to show the way, but Anderson gradually closed in so that as the final few laps dawned, Anderson was very much a factor. Gilberts came up on two backmarkers running together and he had to make a decision as Anderson was pressuring his every move. Scott tried to pass the slower cars on the low side, but he wasn’t able to do so and had to quickly get back to the top before Ashley beat him to that position.

As the white flag waved, Gilberts again tried to pass on the low side. Going down the back chute, it looked like he might not be able to complete the move on the slower car as Anderson pulled up beside him. Going into turn three, Gilberts held the throttle open even longer and he was able to slip up past the lapped car while Anderson got slowed as one of the slower cars moved to the high groove and blocked his line. Scott took advantage of the situation to pull out a little extra margin as he took his second win of the year here. Duane Mahder’s first appearance of the year turned into a good one as he raced from sixth to third ahead of Hartung and Cory Mahder.

Bernie Christianson drove a flawless race as he led all the way to record his first Super Stock feature win of the year and only the second of his career. He got up on the cushion early , and he was extremely fast on that line. Several drivers took shots at his early but no one was able to stay with him as he was very fast through the corners especially. There were four yellow flags during the event so the other drivers had ample opportunity to get runs at him, but each time Christianson would power away from them on the top groove.

Jason Forehand probably provided the stiffe

 

st competition as he tried to low side, but Bernie simply refused to yield the front spot. As Christianson remained safely in front, a wild scramble for second broke out on the final lap with cars spinning in the fourth turn which provided a scrambled finish. After things were sorted out, Forehand retained the second spot ahead of Shawn Huse, Charley Obermueller and Joe Rhead.

Plank started on the pole and built up a huge lead in the Pure Stock finale. As the race gradually wore on, Ashley Husby and Nick Field took the second and third spots and began to slowly close on the race leader. While they were able to narrow the winning margin to a few car lengths, Plank was never in serious jeopardy as he took his third win of the year here. Husby and Field settled in behind him with rookies Kory Hathaway and Tony Falkner completing the top five.

Next Friday night is Fan Appreciation Night with it being Jam The Stands night. All adult admission tickets will be only $5. A huge crowd is expected and fans are advised to arrive early to ensure a seat. Race time is 7 p.m.

 

SUMMARY

 

Red Cedar Speedway

Menomonie WI

July 17, 2009

 

WISSOTA Late Models

 

20 lap Feature – Scott Gilberts, Menomonie; Ashley Anderson, Elk Mound; Duane Mahder, Eau Claire; Jake Hartung, Elmwood; Cory Mahder, Elk Mound; John Kaanta, Elk Mound; Jake Redetzke, Eau Claire; Mike Prochnow, Menomonie; Randy Gullixson, Baldwin; Jesse Redetzke, Altoona; Chris Oertel, Marshfield; Ronnie Rihn, Bloomer; Dustin Reeh, Rochester MN.

8 lap Heat 1 – Kaanta; Anderson; Hartung; Gilberts; Gullixson; Rihn; Reeh.

Heat 2 – C. Mahder; J. Redetzke; D. Mahder; Prochnow; Oertel; Je. Redetzke.

 

WISSOTA Modifieds

 

15 lap Feature – Brent Prochnow, Colfax; Cory Williams, Spring Valley; Craig Thatcher, Knapp; Ron Schreiner, Hudson; Rich Lofthus, Bloomer; Mark Hessler, Menomonie; Bryan Nayes, Chippewa Falls; Mark Hanson, Chippewa Falls; Aric Lindberg, Dallas; Larry Prochnow, Menomonie; Bill Stettner, Inver Grove Heights MN; Steve Hallquist, Eau Claire; Mike Anderson, Colfax; Jay Richardson, Spring Valley; Don Brightbill, Hudson.

8 lap Heat 1 – Schreiner; Lindberg; Anderson; Hessler; Hallquist; Hanson; Stettner; Brightbill.

Heat 2 – Thatcher; B. Prochnow; L. Prochnow; Williams; Lofthus; Richardson; Nayes.

 

WISSOTA Super Stocks

 

15 lap Feature – Bernie Christianson, Menomonie; Jason Forehand, Eau Claire; Shawn Huse, Bloomer; Charley Obermueller, Menomonie; Joe Rhead, Menomonie; Mike Keller, Menomonie; Lance Leu, Medford; Rick Hallquist, Eau Claire; Ajay Christianson, Menomonie; Aaron Wilson, Menomonie; Jim Harris, Menomonie; Darrel Hazelton, Chippewa Falls; Brad Johnson, Wilson; Tom Karis, Menomonie; Chad Marson, Durand; Butch Madsen, Rice Lake; Steve Thomas, Menomonie.

8 lap Heat 1 – Huse; Hallquist; Forehand; Karis; Keller; Leu; Marson; Madsen; A. Christianson.

Heat 2 – Hazelton; Wilson; B. Christianson; Rhead; Obermueller; Thomas; Harris; Johnson.

 

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds

 

15 lap Feature – Mark Gerth, Menomonie; Robbie Johnson, Wilson; Shane Halopka, Eau Claire; Clark Swartz, Bloomer; Ronnie Rihn, Bloomer; Jim Bourn, Menomonie; Mark Thomas, Menomonie; Travis Anderson, Colfax; A.J. Roschen, Hudson; Mark Hessler, Menomonie; Jake Smith, Eau Claire; Mike Knudtson, Osseo; Jason Swan, Chippewa Falls; Tony Schill, Oakdale MN; Scott Naset, Welcome NC; Bob Wood, Chippewa Falls; Cooper Dohms, Menomonie; Randy Smeltzer, Colfax; Kevin Smeltzer, Menomonie; Justin Supri, Eau Claire.

6 lap B Feature – Wood; Schill; Thomas; Dohms; Naset; Wayne Bignell; Shawn Wihren; Barry Johnson.

8 lap Heat 1 – Swan; Rihn; Supri; Anderson; Hessler; Schill; Wihren; Bignell.

Heat 2 – Swartz; R. Johnson; K. Smeltzer; R. Smeltzer; Roschen; Wood; B. Johnson.

Heat 3 – Bourn; Halopka; Gerth; Knudtson; Smith; Dohms; Naset.

 

Pure Stocks

 

10 lap Feature – Luke Plank, Eau Claire; Ashley Husby, Menomonie; Nick Field, Knapp; Kory Hathaway, Elmwood; Tony Falkner, Menomonie; Chris Wert, Roberts; Nate Spence, Spring Valley; Eric Burton, Menomonie; Ron Hoffman, Ridgeland; Bill Skoug, Osseo; Rob Lawrence, Eau Claire; Willy Hughes, Arkansas; Chad Tarvis, Chetek; Steven Johnson, Hugo MN; Jason Williams, Baldwin; Mike Liphardt, Elk Mound.

6 lap Heat 1 – Skoug; Hathaway; Falkner; Plank; Johnson; Liphardt; Lawrence; Williams.

Heat 2 – Field; Spence; Husby; Wert; Burton ;Hughes; Tarvis; Hoffman.