DOAR BACK IN AMSOIL SPEEDWAY VICTORY LANE
By Jerry O’Brien
6-17-16 Superior, WI
6-17-16 Superior, WI
New Richmond’s Pat Doar returned to AMSOIL Speedway’s Victory Lane Friday night as
the speedway returned to a full five WISSOTA Division program. It was Doar’s first win at the
track since July 20th 2012. It was his 37th regular season win in a Late Model.
Doar raced into the lead from the outside of the front row and never gave it up crossing under
the checkered flag in a domineering manner 25 laps later. He weathered a pair of caution flags
and one red flag incident to take the win. The event ran without incident for the first sixteen
circuits before Robbie Cooper brought out the caution flag as he stalled on the front stretch up
against the concrete. A pair of 11s dominated the entire event as veterans Tim McMann, Harry
Hanson, Terry Lillo, and Steve Laursen maintained the pace at the front of the 20 car feature. Six
laps in Doar, McMann, Lillo and Hanson put some distance on Laursen who was busy holding
back Travis Budiaslovich, Jay Kintner, John Kaanta and Darrell Nelson. Little changed for
several laps as Doar continued to pull away from McMann moving out to a huge lead. That lead
began to diminish when he began to negotiate lapped traffic. McMann and Lillo began to close
the gap and the race was about to get interesting when Cooper brought out the caution flag. The
restart saw the front group clinging to their spots except for Hanson who dropped from fourth to
eighth. The caution lights blinked back on right after the restart as Buddy Hanestad went around
in turn four. The restart saw Doar clinging to the lead while McMann dogged his tracks just
ahead of Lillo while Budiaslovich and Laursen made up the top five. Three laps later the red flag
flew when Riley Matthews jumped the cushion in turn one, rode up on the wall and flipped over
it landing between it and the wheel fence. He was uninjured in the incident. There were only a
few laps left when the accident occurred and Doar had little trouble finishing off the event for the
win. McMann, Lillo, Laursen and Budislaovich rounded out the top five.
The Modified 20 lap feature got off to a ragged start as Paul Wraxidlo rolled to a stop at the
top of turn one. The next attempt at a start saw pole sitter Kelly Estey take the lead ahead of
Brian Mikkonen, Deven VanHouse Al Uotinen and Darrell Nelson but this time it was Jody
Bellefeuille who stopped on the inside of the front stretch. Bellefeuille was out of the race early.
The next try at a start was much more successful and Estey continued to dominate leading the
rest of the way for his 39th regular season Modified feature win. Mikkonen stayed in the top five
but Nelson was on the move corralled second place and closed on Estey in a battle between two
of the Modified titans, one not seen for some time. The last few laps saw the veteran pair race
side by side with Estey securing the win over Nelson, Kevin Adams who started in ninth and
battled his way forward to finish third ahead of VanHouse and Mikkonen.
A pair of former AMSOIL Speedway track champions began the 20 lap Super Stock main
event and Nick Oreskovich grabbed the lead form the pole ahead of defending champ Scott
Lawrence. Keith Kern, Pat Heikkinen and Shane Kisling ran with them in a tight pack along with
Kevin Burdick and Tristan LaBarge. Oreskovich hels a commanding lead but Lawrence began to
close up on him. Seven laps in Lawrence made the pass for the lead and the top five began to put
some distance on Dave Flynn in sixth and Curt Myers who was a distant seventh at that point.
Lawrence then began to widen the gap over Oreskovich while Kisling annexed third over
Burdick and Kern. Lawrence led the next ten laps for his 25th regular season Super Stock feature
win. Oreskovich, Kisling, Burdick and Kern finished in that order in the top five as the race went
post to post without a caution flag.
The same could not be said for the 20 lap Midwest Modified run as six caution flags extended
the event. Brady Caul of Fort Frances, On used the high side from the front row to take the lead,
a position he would never give up despite the aforementioned plethora of yellow flags. Lance
Solem held onto the second spot pretty much all the way though Dale Soumala, Jr never made it
easy for him. The caution periods kept the pack close and Solem, Soumala, Nick Daronco, Shane
Howell, David Simpson, Deven VanHouse, Mack Estey, Denny Cutsforth and Dan Kingsley all
took a shot at a top five run. Caul was too strong for the rest and was able to hold down the point
to the checkered flag. Solem, Kingsley (from 16th) Soumala and Mack Estey (from the rear after
being charged with one of the cautions) finished in the top five. Cutsforth finished sixth from
22nd, Howell, Simpson, Daronco and Don Craig from 14th rounded out the to ten.
Tim Carlson took the lead from the pole in the 15 lap Pure Stock event for the first lap. He
was then supplanted by Dylan Shelton who held on for a lap until eighth starting Dustin Follett
got the big green and pink station wagon untracked and literally roared past Shelton into the lead.
Shelton gave way to Justin Madsen who’s attempt to track down Follett was doomed to fail as
the gap between the two widened until an Alex Smith spin in turn four closed the pack together
under caution. Follett then continued to lead Madsen, Shelton, Justin Weinberger, Tim Carlson
and Jon Hammitt until Shelton spun in turn two again closing up the pack. Jon Hammitt then
took a shot at Follett running second for two laps before Justin Madsen recaptured second a spot
he held to the checkered flag. Defending champion Ryan Savoy who had started 15th moved to
third and Jon Hammith and Tim Carlson finished top five as Follett captured his 21st career Pure
Stock feature victory.
AMSOIL Speedway Results 6-17-16 (92 cars total)
WISSOTA Late Model (20 cars)
Feature (25 Laps)
Pat Doar New Richmond, Wis; Tim McMann Duluth; Terry Lillo Duluth; Steve Laursen
Cumberland; Travis Budiaslovich Minneapolis; Harry Hanson Eveleth; Jay Kintner Hibbing;
Darrell Nelson Hermantown; John Kaanta Elk Mound; Jeff Massingill Keewatin; Aaron Lillo
Proctor; Rick Hanestad Boyceville, Wis; Todd Gehl Solon Springs; Buddy Hanestad Boyceville;
Dave Esse Cloquet; Trevor Wilson Superior DNF: Riley Matthews Murrilo, On; Kyle Peterlin
Hibbing; Robbie Cooper South Range; Tim Lillo Superior
Heat 1: Laursen; Kaanta; R, Hanestad; Massingill; Matthews; T. Lillo
Heat 2: McMann; Hanson; Doar; Esse; B. Hanestad; Peterlin; Cooper
Heat 3: Budiaslovich; Kintner; Terry Lillo; A. Lillo; Gehl; Wilson
WISSOTA Modified (19 cars)
Feature (20 laps)
Kelly Estey Kelly Lake; Darrell Nelson Hermantown; Kevin Adams Cameron; Deven VanHouse
Silver bay; Brian Mikkonen Iron River; Jake Hartung Elmwood, Wis; Al Uotinen Superior; Bill
Byholm Glidden; Neil Balduc Bessemer; Paul Wrazidlo Duluth; Cody Wolkoswski Thunder
Bay; Jeff Spacek Phillips; Mike Anderson Colfax; Destin Lorimor Superior; Rick Rivord
Superior; Peter loecken Paynesville, Minn; Scott Heikkinen Eveleth DNF: Jeffery Lien, Jr. Mora,
Minn; Jody Bellefeuille Duluth
Heat 1; VanHouse; Mikkonen; Bellefeuille; Uotinen; Adams; Balduc; Spacek; Byholm; M.
Anderson; Lorimor
Heat 2: Hartung; Nelson; Wolkowski; Estey; Lien, jr. Heikkinen; Wrazidlo; Rivord; Loecken
WISSOTA Super Stocks (14 cars)
Feature (20 laps)
Scott Lawrence Superior; Nick Oreskovich Mason; Shane Kisling Park Falls; Kevin Burdick
Proctor; Keith Kern Superior; Dave Flynn Superior; Curt Myers Cameron; Tristan LaBarge Kelly
Lake; Willie Johnsen, Jr. Superior DNF: Matt Hammitt Cloquet; D. J. Keeler Superior; Pat
Heikkinen Eveleth; Jim Campbell Two Harbors DNS: Joe Oliver
Heat 1: Burdick; Lawrence; Heikkinen; Kern; Flynn DNF: Campbell; Johnsen, jr
Heat 3: Myers; Oreskovich; Kisling; LaBarge; Keeler; Hammitt DNS: Oliver
WISSOTA Midwest Modified (23 cars)
Feature (20 laps)
Brady Caul Fort Frances, On; Lance Solem Duluth; Dan Kingsley Superior; Dale Suomala, Jr.
Hermantown; Mack Estey Hibbing; Denny Cutsforth Rice Lake, Wis; Shane Howell Buffalo,
Minn; David Simpson Thunder Bay; Nick Daronco Mountain Iron; Don Craig Thunder Bay;
Deven VanHouse Silver Bay; Craig Lofdahl Duluth; Wyatt Boyum International Falls, Minn;
Jason Williamson Fort Frances; James Kannegiesseer Hayward; Gunnar Peterson Drummond
DNF: George Dalbeck Wakefield, MI; Jason Goldfine Superior; Shane Kisling Park Falls; Dave
Flynn Superior; Jeff Forseen Mountain Iron; Tanner Byholm Glidden; Skeeter Estey Kelly Lake
Heat 1: Kisling; Howell; VanHouse; M. Estey; S. Estey; Kingsley; Flynn; Byholm
Heat 2: Suomala, Jr; Daronco; Boyum; Goldfine; Craig; Williamson; Lofdahl DNF: Forseen
Heat 3; Caul; Simpson; Solem; Dalbeck; Kannegiesser; Peterson DNF: Cutsforth
WISSOTA Pure Stocks (16 cars)
Feature (15 laps)
Dustin Follett Cloquet; Justin Madsen Foxboro; Ryan Savoy Superior; Jon Hammitt Cloquet;
Tim Carlson Superior; Annika Hammitt Cloquet; Justin Weinberger Park Falls; Allex Smith
Solen Springs; Jared Akervik Superior; Shaina Rapp Saginaw; Kyle Copp Brule; Dylan Shelton
Wrenshall; Carter Nelson Hermantown DNF: Andy Poll Two Harbors; Ryan Madsen Foxboro
DNS: Chad Carlson Superior
Heat 1: Follett; R. Madsen; Shelton; Smith; Rapp; Poll; A. Hammitt DNF: Savoy
Heat 2: J. Madsen; Weinberger; T. Carlson; J. Hammitt; Copp; Akervik; Nelson DNF C. Carlson
