KELLEY ESTEY TOPS MODS ON DAY TWO OF MODIFIED NAT’LS

By Jerry O’Brien
5-22-20

     Kelley Estey of Kelly Lake MN won a hard fought battle with Dan Ebert
to win his first Minnesota Modified Nationals main event. Ebert was going
for three straight wins dating back to the second day of the 2019 edition.

     Ebert and Estey won the third and fourth heats and Ebert drew the pole
position for the 30 lap go. Estey drew the outside of the second row. Darrell
Nelson flanked Ebert on the front row while Estey had Claytom Wagemon to
his inside. Jeremy Nelson and Michael Truscott made up the third row while
former Mod Nationals winner Mike Anderson and hot shoe Johnny Broking
were the fourth row making up a potent lineup for the event.
    At the initial green Darrell Nelson got the jump on Ebert but there was a
caution flag before a lap could be completed when Anderson, Brandon Copp
and Jody Bellefuille tangled in turns one and two. The next try saw Ebert
grabbed the point ahead of Darrell Nelson, Kelley Estey, Wagemon, Truscott
and Jeremy Nelson. Another caution flag flew quickly for another tangle in
the first turn collecting several cars. Jeremy Nelson was charged with the
incident. All cars were able to continue.  The restart came with 29 circuits left
to go. Ebert maintained the lead over Nelson with Estey third, but the pattern
continued when the third caution flag flew when Adam Ayotte and Daniel
Bargender tangled in the second turn. Things were looking up when another
lap looked to be completed when Greg Chesley’s number 97 stalled on the
back stretch bringing out the flag for the fourth caution period with only two
laps recorded as complete. At the green Ebert maintained the lead but Estey
got around Nelson to second. Nelson, Wagemon, Truscott, Broking and
Anderson were all there in some close quarters racing. This allowed Ebert to
pull out a short lead. At this point Shane Sabraski arrived from his 17th
starting spot to join in the fun. While Ebert began to widen his lead over
Estey the other players were fighting for positions as the track surface
became more and more slippery. Nelson lost third to Wagemon, Truscott
found himself in fifth just ahead of Broking who was trying to hold off
Anderson. The fifth caution flag came with thirteen laps to go. With the pack
drawn closer to Ebert and the track so slick, the restart was not kind to the
leader. As the pack boiled into the first and second turns, Estey forced Ebert
up toward the wall in turn two and took the lead. Before Ebert could recover
Broking was able to follow Estey past to second and Sabraski moved around
Nelson for fourth. Ebert was able to move back to second as the laps slipped
away. With nine laps remaining Ebert got a run on Estey and snatched back
the lead. Unfortunately, Bargender spun in turn two for his second
transgression. Unfortunate for Ebert, also as the stoppage put Estey back in
front. The order going into the final laps saw Estey in the lead over Ebert
with Sabraski third, Wagemon fourth and Bellefeuille fifth. Estey and Ebert
battled until, with five laps to go Estey was able to create some distance on
Ebert. Estey went on to cose the deal with Ebert closing but was too late.
Sabraski finished third, Wagemon fourth and Johnny Broking fifth. Anderson
finished sixth. Quietly from 18th Dave Cain finished seventh, Bellefeuille
eighth, Jeremy Nelson who was able to come all the way from the back of the
pack to ninth just past Truscott who was able to hang on for tenth. Darrell
Nelson slipped back to eleventh at the checkered flag.
     It was to be another 20 lap main event for the WISSOTA Midwest
Modifieds. This time Estey won the third heat over Cody Carlson and once
again they shared the front row for the feature only this time the spots were
reversed with Carlson on the pole.
     Estey grabbed the lead but there was a caution flag on the initial lap when
Dakota Smith and Austin Chyba tangled in the fourth turn and David Pixley
spun into the infield off turn four. Estey held the lead on the restart over
Carlson. Coming down the front stretch Carlson’s ride suddenly coughed up
the drive shaft with pieces flying through the air. The restart came with one
lap in the books. The restart, true to form, did not go well as there was a four
car chain reaction in turn one. This time the restart went well and Estey
continued to hold the lead. Tyler Kintner annexed second over Mark Kangas
with McLean Andrews fourth and Jason VandeKamp in the 16v holding
fifth. Estey, Kintner and Kangas held onto their positions for several laps but
Austin Ellis moved into contention. Another caution flag flew for the number
8 of Jon Carlson in turn four. The restart came at the ten lap mark, half way
in the event. at this time the top five were Estey in the lead over Kintner with
Kangas third, VandeKamp fourth and Ellis fifth. Once again the caution flag
flew for Justin Feltus who spun his number 18 around at the bottom of turn
four. There were eight laps remaining when the green flag flew. A lap later
the caution flag again appeared as Jimmy Latvala went int the infield at the
end of the front stretch. They managed to finish the last seven laps without
further incident and Skeeter Estey maintained his perfect record having won
everything he entered over the two day show. VandeKamp clawed his way
second kicking Kintner back to third. Austin Ellis and Ryan Gierke rounded
out the top five.
     With a race where there are complete shows both days, one never knows if
cars will be added or subtracted on the second day. In the case of the
WISSOTA Super Stocks, the second day number grew to 31 cars
necessitating a B Feature. Josh Zimpel drew the pole for the 25 lap main
event with Curt Myers on the outside. At the green someone was too eager
and the start was called off. The next try worked and Myers popped into the
lead with Zimpel, Dave Mass, Shane Sabraski and Tim Johnson skirmishing
for position. Myers was ensconced in first and after a time Sabraski got by
Mass for third and went to work on Zimpel for second. Myers, Zimpel and
Sabraski were in a tight battle along with Mass and Johnson when the caution
broke up the band when a car spun in turn four. The restart came with 19 laps
to go. Myers still led but Sabraski and Zimpel were hot on his heels. Once
again the tight racing was broken up when there occurred a seven car tangle
right on the front stretch. All but one car was able to drive away from the
incident. Just after the restart Sabraski put a move on Myers and took the top
spot. Mass was third, Johnson fourth and Zimpel back to fifth. Mass worked
on Myers and was able to take second. Another caution flag slowed the
action. The restart saw Sabraski, Myers, Mass and Johnson in a clump.
Sabraski and Mass bump off turn four. Mass got through it but then Johnson
became involved and there was a tangle. Mass’car suffered damage and he
was eliminated. Two more caution periods shuffled up the running order. The
order after the first was Sabraski, Myers, Johnson, Kevin Burdick, Kyle Copp
and Scott Lawrence who had started 10th. The second shuffle showed
Sabraski in charge with Johnson in second, Myers third, Burdick fourth and
Copp fifth. Next Dexton Koch had moved ahead of Lawrence. Finally with
four laps remaining Sabraski held a big lead with Johnson second, Koch
third, Dave Flynn seemingly form nowhere (actually from 22nd) and Burdick
fifth. That was finally the finishing order.
     The only things left to finish up the two day Minnesota (in Wisconsin)
Modified Nationals would be the Street Stock feature, the Hornet feature and
the Pure Stock feature.
      In the Street Stock feature Iron River WI’s Andrew Hanson continued his
dominance as he started from the pole for the 15 lap feature and completed
the sweep with the feature win leading every lap. The Anderson brothers
traded second place with Parker in the position for half the race and Hunter in
second at the finish.
    The Hornets had a difficult time with their feature as they managed to roll
over two of their number during the fifteen lap event. Nate Servatey had little
trouble taking his new #46 to the win from the pole. Carter Rieland, AJ
House, Hunter McDougall and DeJay Jarocki finished in the top five. 
     Gondik Law Speedway and WISSOTA National Champion Cory
Jorgensen completed the sweep in the Pure Stocks winning the second heat
and defeating Thursday night’s winner Mike Schnider and first heat winner
in the 15 lap feature. Former track champion James Vendela was third ahead
of Trevor Treviranus and Dusty Caspers in the top five.