GONDIK LAW SPEEDWAY CROWNS 2020 WISSOTA TRACK CHAMPIONS

by · Published August 31, 2020 · Updated August 31, 2020

By Jerry O’Brien
8-28-20 (superior, WI

The truncated 2020 weekly racing season at the Gondik Law Speedway ended

with Championship Night on August 28th. A total of 102 cars were on hand to

settle who would be 2020 track champion in the six WISSOTA divisions.

Mother Nature could have produced a much nicer evening for a important

event, but, true to form, with the program advancing nicely and the first of two

qualifying heats for the WISSOTA Modifieds, a brief but heavy shower brought

the festivities to a halt about ten minutes to eight. The heavy rain lasted for only a

few minutes but did not stop until around twenty minutes past the hour. Shortly

thereafter the track crew went to work on the racing surface in an attempt to

reclaim the track and continue the program. With the help of nearly all the racers

on the grounds, the first heat of Modifieds took to the track at around a quarter to

ten o’clock.

Qualifying heats were finished up in the Modifieds, Pure Stocks and Hornets

and the first feature of the night for the Midwest Modifieds rolled onto the very

fast and tacky track for their 20 lap main event.

Second heat winner Cody Carlson was on the pole flanked by sophomore racer

Jack Rivord. First heat winner Wyatt Boyum started third to the inside of Ryan

Savoy who was making his third start behind the wheel of his new (to him) MB

Custom. Rivord got the jump with Carlson and Savoy right behind. The first of

three caution flags flew for the #69 car of Justin Bassa in the first turn. Carlson got

the jump on the restart as sixth starting Shane Howell slipped into second ahead of

Savoy and Boyum. Defending track champ Andrew Inman was fifth. Jimmy

Latvala quickly moved to sixth just ahead of McLean Andrews the other driver

besides Carlson who was involved in the chase for the championship. Savoy got

past Howell to second and the order didn’t change until just past half way when

Savoy got a run on Carlson and took over the point. Everything came to a

screeching halt when Howell and Savoy clashed in turn four causing Savoy to

spin. Savoy led Boyum and Carlson on the restart with two laps to go, but caution

flag number three when Inman was turned in turn four. Savoy led at the restart

over Boyum, Carlson, and Latvala. Carlson got by Boyun on the final circuit to

finish second and lock up his first championship. Andrews’ sixth place finish was

not enough to overtake Carlson who won by a scant seven points.

Next up it was 20 laps for the WISSOTA Super Stocks with Willlie Johnsen on

the pole and Andrew Mackay on his outside. At the green Mackay shot into the

lead tracked by Jim Campbell from the third starting spot. Johnsen was followed

by defending champ Burdick and Shane Sabraski wth Dexton Koch and Keith

Kern next. As everyone chased Mackay, Koch began to make moves through the

pack as there were no caution flags to bunch the pack. Koch pulled free of the

pack in second and began to track down Mackey. Koch was able to pull up on

Mackey and make the pass for the lead. Campbell continued to run a strong third,

Kern’s charge brought him to fourth behind Campbell and Burdick hung onto

fifth. With five laps remaining, the caution flag flew for car parts deposited in turn

four. The green light again flashed on with five laps to go and Koch in command.

Mackay continued in second while Burdick and Campbell battled for third. Koch

went on to take the win ove Mackey, Burdick, Campbell and Kern in the top five.

Burdick captured his fifth straight Super Stock track championship at GLS.

WISSOTA Late Models were up next for 25 laps and the championship. Buddy

Hanestad jumped to the lead from the outside pole followed by Jody Bellefeuille

and Kyle Peterlin but there was a caution on the start involving Bellefeuille, Derek

Vesel and Darrell Nelson in turn two. It was the end of the line for Bellefeuille and

Nelson hustled to the work area and was able to rejoin the field as the green flag

flew. Defending track champ Deven VanHouse then surged to the lead with

Hanestad second and Travis Budiaslovich third. Budiaslovich got by Hanestad to

second and ninth starting Mike Prochnow blasted up to fourth followed by Steve

Laursen in fifth. VanHouse held a clear lead over Budiaslovich, Laursen got by

Prochnow into third and Rick Hanstad joined the top five from way back in 15th.

With fourteen laps to go the third caution flag flew resulting in the departure of

Joe Kinzlie, Jr and Laursen. At the restart VanHouse still held sway, but now

Prochnow was in second as the laps unwound, Budiaslovich got the best of

VanHouse taking the lead. Vesel was third, Prochnow back to fourth and father

and son Rick and Buddy Hanestad battled for fifth. Prochnow gathered it up and

ran back to second passing Vesel and VanHouse to sit on Budiaslovich’s tail with

eight laps to go Prochnow blew by Budiaslovich and ran off to take the win.

Budiaslovich was second, VanHouse third, Vesel fourth and, almost unnoticed,

Nelson took fifth after starting at the back of the pack.

VanHouse defended his track championship and Prochnow notched his second

win of the season. Prochnow set a new track record set in a feature event with a

lap of 15.867 seconds on the four tenths mile oval.

It was 20 laps for the WISSOTA Modifieds. Donnie Lofdahl led the initial lap

form the pole with Clayton Wagemon, Danny Vang, Jody Bellefeuille and darrell

nelson in hot pursuit. The caution flag flew almost immediately for a Shane

Howell spin in turn two. With two laps in, Wagemon was in control chased by

Lofdahl and Vang. There was another caution flag that slowed the action at the

green Wagemon was stil out front but Bellefeuille closed to second for a couple of

laps before Shane Sabraski and Nelson moved to third and fourth. Sabraski then

moved to second but just before halfway, Bellefeuille’s #11 suddenly slowed on

the front stretch bringing out caution flag number four just before the ten lap mark.

Wagemon still led Nelson who got a jump on Sabraski, Vang and Johnny Broking

who was making a charge toward the championship, now fifth. The fifth caution

flag flew when Deven VanHouse and Dan Kingsley tangled in turn two. There

were nine laps remaining at the restart and they clicked off without a caution to the

checkered flag. Wagemon was steady out front and took his first win of the season

at the speedway. Nelson, Sabraski, Vang and Brandon Copp finished in the top

five. Broking’s sixth place finish was good enough to win the 2020 track Modified

championship.

The Pure Stocks ran a dozen laps without a caution flag. Trevor Treviranus

won his fourth feature of the season with James Vendela second, Aaron Bernick

third, Margo Butcher fourth and Tanner Gehl fifth. Defending track champion

Cory Jorgensen had trouble and did not finish. For the last several laps, Vendela

and Treviranus battled side by side. Treviranus won the event by the slimmest of

margins.

The Hornets also ran a 12 lap feature slowed by three caution flags. Casey

Fitzpatrick led almost all the way but the only female driver in the field was on a

mission. Kristy Marken has been knocking on the door of her first feature win all

season, seldom finishing outside the top five or top ten. Championship night her

dream came true as she got past Fitzpatrick with a couple of circuits remaining for

her first ever feature win. DeJay Jarecki put on a fantastic charge from his 18th

starting spot and squeezed past Fitzpatrick for a second place finish. AJ House’s

seventh place finish was enough for him to become the 2020 Gondik Law

Speedway Hornet Track Champion.