KINTNER, LAWRENCE AND SAVOY NAIL DOWN SEASON’S CHAMPIONSHIPS

By Jerry O’Brien

Superior. Wisc.
8-28-15
A couple of seasons ago AMSOIL Speedway officials decided since they were
also in charge of the Head of the Lakes Fair, the season’s championships would
come during the Fair with two days of racing. First would come the Late Models
and Modifieds along with the local Pure Stocks, then wind up on Friday night with
championship races for Super Stocks, Midwest Modifieds and another race for the
Pure Stocks.

Entering the night Tyler Kintner held a 14 point lead over defending champion
Skeeter Estey in the Midwest Modifieds, Scott Lawrence was 18 points ahead of
Shane Kisling in the Super Stock race and the Pure Stock champion was already a
foregone conclusion as Ryan Savoy held a 66 point advantage over second place.
All the championship features were the distance each division was used to
running during the regular season so it was 20 laps for the Midwest Modifieds led
to the green flag by 16 year old Jeffery Lien, Jr flanked by Jake Gondik, no
grizzled veteran himself. The two racers vying for the track crown flagged off
from 8th place for Kintner and 9th for Estey.
Lien got a great jump at the green with Gondik, Dave Flynn, Mack Estey and
Dan Kingsly trailing. Estey moved to eighth early while Kintner slipped back to
12th. Lien was up on the wheel and pulled out to an eight car length lead over the
battle of 29’s, Flynn and Gondik while Mack Estey and Kingsley battled for third.
Drivers don’t usually mind a caution flag as long as they are not it, but it was bad
news for Skeeter Estey as his hope of defending his title disappeared when he
appeared to catch a marker tire in turns one and two spinning him out. Lance
Solem was also caught up in the incident. Damage to the car was severe enough to
sideline him giving Kintner the Midwest Modified title. The restart saw Lien
maintain the lead over Flynn and Gondik, Mack Estey and Kingsley. Nick
Daronco ran a distant sixth to the top five. Lien managed to stay out front to the
checkered flag with no more caution flags for his first win at the speedway. Flynn,
Gondik, Mack Estey and Kingsley finished in the top five. After the event Flynn
was apparently disqualified moving everyone up one spot.
The Super Stocks were not so lucky as five caution flags kept the field close
throughout the 20 lap distance. Curt Myers led the field off at the green from the
pole position followed closely by a paur of number 16’s, Mark Smith and Derek
Vesel. Myers drove off into the night in the first couple of laps with a half straight
away lead until Donnie Lofdahl went around in turn three. He went to the pits,
returned and then dropped out. Myers led the pack off at the green followed by
Vesel and Smith with Kevin Burdick, Flynn and D. J. Keeler close behind.
Another caution flag flew for a Keith Kern spin in turn three causing Scott
Lawrence to slow and dodge to avoid. A car ran over Lawrence’s right front and
flattened the tire. Lawrence went into the work area and returned to restart last. It
is said cautions breed cautions. The restart failed to produce another complete lap
as Willie Johnsen, Jr’s car stopped against the wall at the top of turn two. Myers,
Smith. Vesel, Burdick and Flynn ran in the top five as the field became strung out
single file as Lawrence charged into the top ten. At the half way point Myers was
still in charge over Vesel, Burdick, Flynn and Smith in the top fiveKeeler, Nick
Oreskovich, Joe Oliver, Kisling and Lawrence were the top ten. Myer kicked in
the cruise control and no one was catching him until Jim Campbell also appeared
to catch a marker tire in the same place as Skeeter Estey in turn’s one and two.
Extracting the #12 took a fair amount of time and, on the restart, Flynn stayed
close to Myers as the green flag flew. The two 16’s stayed third and fourth with
Burdick fifth. Keeler was sixth and Lawrence was seventh. The fifth and final
caution flag appeared when Campbell spun again in the same place at the bottom
of turn’s one and two bringing out the yellow flag. It was his second cause of a
caution so his race was done. Over the final four laps some position changing
would occur behind Myers who led every lap for the win. Flynn finished runner
up, Burdick third, Vesel fourth and Lawrence fifth. Kisling finished a distant 10th
and Lawrence was named the 2015 WISSOTA Super Stock AMSOIL Speedway
champion to go along with his title defense at the Proctor Speedway.
The 2015 AMSOIL Speedway regular season finished with a 15 lap Pure Stock
feature. Ryan Savoy of Superior had already locked down the 2015 track
championship with an insurmountable 66 point lead over his nearest competitor.
He did not race in the season finale, instead turned over the reins of the #16 to last
Tuesday’s winner Alex Smith. Smith found the car a handful and became one of
the eight drivers who did not finish. High attrition ruled the event with four
caution flags and a red flag slowing the action. Outside pole starter Chad Nikstad
led a number of laps before giving way to Chad Carlson who went on to win his
second feature of the season. Shaina Rapp stayed out of trouble to finish third and
Carter Nelson was fourth. Newcomer Alysha Johnson also stayed out of the way
and finished fifth in her first ever racing action.
Head of the Lakes Fair races Friday 8-28-15
Midwest Modified and Super Stock championships
Midwest Modified (24 cars)
Feature (15 laps) *Jeffery Lien, Jr. Mora; Jake Gondik Foxboro; Mack Estey Kelly
Lake; Dan Kingsley Superior; Nick Daronco Mt. Iron; Kevin Montieth Thunder
Bay; David Simpson Thunder Bay; Mark Kangas Eveleth; *Tyler Kintner
Hibbing; Scott Herrick Proctor; DevenVanHouse Silver Bay; Don Craig Thunder
Bay; Jeff Forseen Mt. Iron; Tyler Luger Iron River; Jamie Smart Kakabaka Falls;
Wayne Stricker Highbridge; Chris Bretting Washburn; junior Anderson Superior;
Cole Chernosky Thunder Bay DNF: James Kannegiesser Hayward; Jason Goldfine
Superior; Lance Solem Duluth; Skeeter Estey Kelly Lake DQ: Dave Flynn
Superior.
*2015 AMSOIL Speedway Track Champion
*Fast time: 18.636 seconds
Heat 1: Daronco; Gondik; Flynn; Luger; Kangas; Goldfine; Anderson; Bretting
Heat 2: Kintner; S. Estey; M. Estey; Montieth; Solem; Herrick; Kannegiesser
DNF: Chernosky
Heat 3: Simpson; Kingsley; Lien, Jr.; VanHouse; Craig; Forseen; Smart DNF:
Stricker
WISSOTA Super Stock (16 cars)
Feature (20 laps) *Curt Myers Cameron; Dave Flynn Superior; Kevin Burdick
Proctor; Derek Vesel Hibbing; *Scott Lawrence Superior; Mark Smith Solon
Springs; D. J. Keeler Superior; Nick Oreskovich Mason; Joe Oliver Superior;
Shane Kisling Sarona; Keith Kern Superior; Spencer Sorenson Duluth; Willie
Johnsen, Jr. Superior DNF: Jim Campbell Two Harbors; Brian Carl Duluth;
Donnie Lofdahl; Duluth
*2015 AMSOIL Speedway Track Champion
*Curt Myers Fast time: 18.555seconds
Heat 1; Burdick; Keeler; Smith; Myers; Lofdahl; Campbell; Johnsen, Jr DNF:
Oliver
Heat 2; Flynn; Kern; Lawrence; Vesel; Kisling; Oreskovich; Sorenson; Carl
Pure Stocks (14 cars)
Feature (15 laps) Chad Carlson Superior; Chad Nikstad Superior; Shaina Rapp
Saginaw; Carter Nelson Hermantown; Alysha Johnson Superior DNF: Aaron
Olson Kelly Lake; Erik Pederson Saginaw; Nick Ziegler Cloquet; Alex Smith
Solon Springs; Jon Hammitt Cloquet; Jason Simonson Superior; chris johnson
Superior; Matt Madsen Superior DNS: Andy Poll Two harbors
Heat 1: J. Hammitt; C. Johnson; Nikstad; Rapp; Smith; Simonson DNF: Olson
Heat 2: C. Carlson; Pederson; M. Madsen; Ziegler; A. Johnson Superior DQ: Poll