BUDIASLOVICH NELSON SABRASKI AKERVIK AND JARECKI TOPNIGHT ONE OF HEAD OF THE LAKES FAIR RACES

by · July 23, 2021

By Jerry O’Brien
7-20-21 Superior, WI

Cool weather covered the Northland as the Head of the Lakes Fair opened a six

day run with a “Sneak a peak” night featuring free admission to the Fair.

The featured event for opening night was a five division of stockcar racing in

five of six WISSOTA Weekly classes. Only the WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds

were on a night off as they would take center stage on Friday the 23rd on the

second day of racing at the fair.

A nice field of 74 cars were in competition with a nice total of 23 WISSOTA

Late Models including several drivers perhaps checking out the speedway for the

coming WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series visit coming up soon.

Qualifying heat races started the event off as drivers vied for starting sparts in

their respective main events.

Late Model heats were won by Jody Bellefeuille, Darrell Nelson and Dave

Mass. A single heat of WISSOTA Modifieds saw Jody Bellefeuille take the win.

Kevin Burdick and Shane sabraski captured Super Stock heats while Dylan

Shelton and Cory Jorgensen topped the Pure Stock heats. Newcomer Jacob Aarhus

and DeJay Jarecki won the Hornet heats.

The first division to take to the track was the Super Stocks with 16 of the 17

cars on hand lined up to take the green flag for their 20 lap main. Superior’s Dave

Flynn was on the outside of the front row as Andy Grymala also of Superior had

the pole. Flynn took the lead at the green flag ahead of Grymala with Darin

Meierotto, Kevin Burdick and Scott Lawrence who had made a quick move from

the tenth starting spot to the front five. With one lap in the #6 of Dan Peterson

spun in turn two bringing out the caution flag. The front three remained the same

at the restart but Lawrence moved to fourth past Burdick. Shane Sabraski, Kyle

Copp and DJ Keeler joined the pack. Next time by, Lawrence was third and Brian

Carl had moved up to the ninth spot. Caution flag number two appeared when the

#07 of Paul Lease from Deer Lodge, MT spun at the bottom of turn three. The

restart came with 17 laps remaining. Flynn held sway at the point and Grymala

stayed right with him as the rest of the pack continued to battle amongst

themselves. Sabraski began to move forward as the race continued without further

interruption for the next several laps finally landing in third. By this time Flynn

had moved away from the second place runner out to a huge lead and looked to be

unbeatable. But, with five laps remaining, what proved to the third and final

caution flag flew. At the green flag Flynn moved away, but this time Sabraski was

able to hang with him, find an opening and take the lead. Behind the lead duo very

close racing ensued for position. Sabraski was able to hold off Flynn for his third

win of the season here. Flynn finished a disappointed second while Burdick, Copp

and Grymala finished in the top five.

Next the 25 lap feature for the WISSOTA Late Models rolled out with Travis

Budiaslovich holding the pole position flanked by Deven VanHouse. At the green

Budiaslovich held the lead for the first circuit but VanHouse slipped past the next

time by to the lead which he held for a number of laps while Budiaslovich and

Mike Bellefeuille were the top three. Pat Doar ran fourth and Canadian racer

Shane Edington held the fifth spot and battled with Steve Laursen and Darrell

Nelson. Budiaslovich Ramped up the pressure on VanHouse and took the lead

while Doar took second. The caution flag, the only one of the event, flew when

Clint Larson driving the #87 had an encounter with the first turn wall and was

through for the night. Budiaslovich held sway on the restart but Doar applied the

pressure the rest of the way. Budiaslovich, a former track champion, was able to

resist and went on to take the win. VanHouse finished a strong third while veteran

racer Steve Laursen finished fourth. Don Shaw was fifth after starting 12th and Jeff

Massingill was sixth from 14th.

The WISSOTA Modifieds were scheduled for a 20 lap main event. A pair of

familiar racers were on the front row as speedway Hall of Fame members Darrell

Nelson and Al Uotinen. At the green Nelson bolted from the pole position to the

lead and proceeded to pull away from the rest to a huge lead. Second place was up

for grabs as Uotinen, Jody Bellefeuille, Brandon Copp, Shane Sabraski, Nick

Koehler and Skeeter Estey skirmished for positions. As the five laps to go mark

passed, rookie Modified racer Mike Klippenstein (#212) went around in turn two.

The restart came with three laps remaining bunching up the field and destroying

Nelson’s huge advantage setting up a free for all for the finish. Nelson was able to

keep ahead of the pack but there were changes as the field took the white flaf for

the final lap. When the dust settled, Nelson was on the winner’s circle with his

second win of the season at the speedway. He had pitched a shutout leading every

lap and turning the fastest of the race at 18.658 seconds for a 77+MPH lap

average. Jody Bellefeuille, Brandon Copp, Shane Sabraski and Skeeter Estey

finished in the top five. Uotinen, Rick Rivord, Klippenstein were next in the order.

Devin Fouquette did not finish and Nick Koehler was disqualified.

In Pure Stock action, Dylan Shelton was looking to extend a winning streak he

had just started but veteran driver Jared Akervik foiled that try. Shelton started on

the pole after winning the first heat and took over the lead right from the

beginning. Three caution flags at various points in the 12 lap event prevented

anyone from opening a wide lead. Akervik was on a mission after starting seventh,

managed to work his way forward with a combination of a fast car and caution

flags that kept everyone close. The final caution came very late in the race when

Trevor Treviranus spun out on the back stretch. The restart came down to a

green/white/checkered situation that enabled Akervik to get around Shelton to

steal the win by 49 thousands of a second at the finish line. The win was the fifth

of the season at Gondik Law Speedway. Cory Jorgensen, Michael Roth and Margo

Butcher finished in the top five.

Ashland Wisconsin’s DeJay Jarecki piled up another Hornet feature win at the

speedway as he bested Mac Johnston, newcomer Jacob Aarhus, Tyler Schramm

and Casey Fitzpatrick in the 12 lap main event. Jarecki got the lead from the get go

and lead every circuit for the win.