KEELER ON EVEN KEEL WINS FIRST SUPER STOCK FEATURE AT HOME TRACK
By Jerry O’Brien
6-1-22
For perhaps the first time this fledgling summer Mother Nature almost gave
fans what they’d been hoping for…Almost. Friday June third dawned to bright
sunshine with nary a cloud in the sky and stayed that way the entire day.
Unfortunately that nice sunshine was not backed up with gentle breezes. Let’s call
them winds instead no matter the direction as we were bombarded here on the
Tundra with 18-20 mph steady winds mostly out of a Northwesterly direction.
Fans and racers alike saw this as a chance to see some racing in an almost
normal setting. So, it appeared this setting would be the best chance for this area
tracks to plunge ahead with opening nights for the 2022 regular season.
Apparently many of our racers decided that they would use the better weather
to congregate here on the tundra to take a shot at an opening day. For Gondik Law
Speedway the car numbers were up with a stout number of 92 cars on hand.
The numbers worked out in all divisions that all from the qualifying heats
would qualify for the features without having to go through B Features. Qualifying
heats hit the track right at seven p.m. and were quickly run through with a
minimum of caution flags. After a brief watering session, the big four tenths mile
high banks were deemed ready and the first of six feature events converged on the
track surface.
The festivities kicking off with three eight lap heats for the WISSOTA Midwest
Modifieds. James Vendela, Jake Smith and Scott Thompson won those three
events. They were followed quickly by WISSOTA Super Stocks that went ti Andy
Grymala and Scott Lawrence. Next up there were three heats for the WISSOTA
Late Models that were captured by Danny Vang, Aaron Lillo and former track
champion Travis Budiaslovich. The WISOTA Modifieds were next and rookie
sensation Jack Rivord and veteran Al Uotinen set the standard in those races. The
Pure Stocks finally hit double numbers as Tyler Kachinske returned to victory in
his first race in several seasons and Mr. Consistency Cory Jorgensen piled up
another heat win in his #16. DeJay Jarecki and Kyle House finished up qualifying
with heat race wins.
After a brief interval while track crew worked the race track again, feature
races began. Paul Ripley and newcomer Scott Thompson ed the 22 field of
MidMods to the green flag. Thompson managed to squirt out of the pack at the
initial green flag and garner himself a nice safe lead while the pack took a while to
sort itself out. Ripley who had just moved to the MidMod series the previous
season, figured out where he needed to go first amongst the rest of the field and set
off after Thompson. It should be noted here that the driver with the hottest hand
in the division was out of sight as the 20 lap feature began. Cody Carlson’s car
had given him ptoblems during the heats, ahd dropped out and was forced to start
in 21st position, in the back row. The almost inevitable first caution flag soon
appeared and when racing resumed, James Smith worked his way quickly to the
top spot and just as quickly raced away from the pack. With ten laps remaining the
#21B of Wyatt Boyum spun at the bottom of the fourth turn bringing the caution
back out. At this time it was made note of the fact that 21st starting Carlson was
just a couple of positions aft of the top five. Somehow he had tangled with another
driver and nearly all of the left hand side sheet metal was torn off. While Smith
was busy running away from the pack, Carlson drew ever closer to the front. When
the final caution flag flew with two laps remaining for debris in turn three and the
final green flag was thrown, Carlson pulled a nice restart but could only move up
to third during those few laps. Smith was able to stay in the lead to the checkered
flag.
Next up was the 20 lap main event for the WISSOTA Super Stocks with all 18
cars taking the green flag. Andrew Mackey started the event from the poke flanked
by Andy Grymala. Lurking behind were Scott Lawrence and DJ Keeler in the
second row with Nick Oreskovich and Kyle Copp filling out the third row. At the
green Mackey took the lead but Grymala was right on his deck lid. Lawrence and
Keeler were also in close proximity. Grymala quickly made the pass but couldn’t
get away from the pack by very far. However he did manage to cling to the lead
time after time and with no caution flags slowing the action he showed he might
not give up the lead without outside help. With five laps remaining Grymala’s luck
ran out and the first caution flag flew for Oreskovich in the first turn. The restart
showed the lineup to be Keeler, Mackey, Copp, Matt Deragon and Lawrence.
However, another quick caution flag scrambled the order. With Keeler clinging to
the lead over Mackey and Copp, a new driver entered the top five as Kyle Matuska
hit number four just ahead of Lawrence. Keeler looked to hold onto the lead just
ahead of Copp but the caution flag appeared again as Don Livingston slowed
bringing out another yellow flag. There was still two laps to go when racing
resumed but Keeler was able to fight off Mackey for his first ever feature win at
Gondik Law Speedway. Mackey, Copp, Lawrence and Dylan Nelson were the
final top five.
Next to start their feature run were the WISSOTA Late Models showing a nice
field of 19 cars for the 25 lap run. Jumping into the lead from the front row was
Jody Bellefeuille ahead of Canadian visitor Brad Loveday, Trent Follmer, Tim
McMann and Pat Doar. Bellefeuille held onto the lead as the players trying to take
the lead changed seemingly with the each passing lap. The seeming inevitable
caution flag flew when Follmer went around at the bottom of turn four. The restart
came with three laps complete at the restart with Bellefeuille now dueling with
Travis Budiaslovich while Deven VanHouse lagging in third. Budiaslovich drew
alongside Bellefeuille and the pair ran the fast track side by side for several laps in
a display of courage rarely displayed. Almost unnoticed VanHouse was still by
himself in third. A little further back there was a battle for positions between a pair
of 11’s (McMann and Doar), 15th starting Darrell Nelson had moved up to join as
well as Aaron Lillo and Rookie Dave Flynn. All of this action went quiet when
Chuck Olson’s #51 went quiet in turn three. The restart came with seven laps to go
and Budiaslovich right on Bellefeuille’s back bumper, this also gave VanHouse
and Nelson a chance to close in and the exciting moved up several notches. The
duel between the leaders intensified at the restart and Budiaslovich was able to
overcome for his win. Doar was third, VanHouse fourth and Nelson fifth.
The Pure Stock and Hornet races went about as expected. Cory Jorgensen won
the 12 lap feature which had the only caution flag of the two features. Jorgensen
was able to get past early leader Tyler Kachinske and no one was close after that.
In the Hornet event it looked like DeJay Jarocki was a sure winner until Mac
Johnston figured out what he needed to do to take the win. Johnston, Jarecki and
Tyler Schramm did the Late Models one better as they turned the speedway in the
closing laps three wide with Johnston taking the win.
