MADDEN WINS LATE MODE FEATURE ON DAY TWO OF XR SUPERIOR SHOWCASE
By Jerry O’Brien
8-9-22
Gondik Law Speedway Superior. WI
On day two of the XR Superior Showcase featuring XR Dirt Super Late
Models, the finish of the 40 lap Main Event featured the same three drivers, just in
a different order. The car count for the Late Models was a bit smaller with 34 cars
on hand.
Also on the card for day two were three WISSOTA divisions different from
day one. The Midwest Modifieds also produced 34 cars. Along with the Pure
Stocks and Hornets, the total car count topped out at 91competitors.
There were four qualifying heat races and a pair of B Features to set the field in
the Dirt Super Late Models. Heat winners included Brandon Overton, Kyle
Strickler, Chris Madden and Garrett Smith. Overton set fast time in Qualifying
Group A with a lap of 15.710 seconds around the four tenths mile speedway while
Madden was the fastest in Qualifying Group at 16.034 seconds.
In the WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds Qualifying heats were won by Brady
Larson, Brennan Gave, James Vendela and Zach Benson. McLean Andrews was
the B Feature winner.
After a short intermission, the first division to hit the track was the WISSOTA
Midwest Modifieds led to the green flad by Jimmy Latvala and Zach Benson. At
the green flag Latvala took the lead with Benson, Brennan Gave and Andrew
Inman following. Benson took over the lead with Gave going to second, then, the
first caution flag few when Tanner Gehl spun in turn four. A lap had been
completed, and when the green flag again flew Benson led Latvala, Gave, Inman
and James Vendela. Benson quickly moved away from the skirmish between
Inman and Vendela. Moving up was Cole Chernoske closely followed by Brady
Uotinen. The front of the field settled down with Benson enjoying a strong lead.
Inman was trying to track him doown in second, Gave settled into third, Vendela
fourth and Uotinen up to fifth. A bit further back were Chernosky, Mike Schnider
up from his 18th starting spot and Cody Carlson who had started 20th.
The event went the rest of the way without another caution flag and little
changed up front as Benson won his second feature event of the season at the
speedway. Former track champion Inman finished second, Uotinen third, Gave
was fourthand Chernosky fifth. Vendela, Larson, Schnider, Carlson and Ashton
Schulte rounded out the top ten.
Next on the docket was what the large crowd was waiting for…the 40 lap XR
Dirt Super Late Models with the winner grabbing the $20,000 first place check.
Twenty-four cars lined up two by two in quest of the “Big Check”. At the green
flag outside pole sitter Madden took the lead over Overton, Strickler, the previous
night’s winner Shane Clanton and Joseph Joiner. Overton got past Madden to the
lead but only for a lap as Madden was determined to regain the lead which he did.
Madden proved to be uncatchable and led the next 39 laps for the 20 grand win.
Overton was kept busy trying to fend off Clanton as Jonathan Davenport was up to
fourth from the fourth row. Further back Strickler was battling to keep Ricky
Weiss behind him. While Madden pulled away, Clanton managed the pass on
Overton and set out, in vain as it turned out, to track down Madden. At the mid-
point, Madden held the lead over Clanton, Overton, Davenport, Strickler (“the
high side tickler”), Weiss, Ryan Gustin, Joiner, Marler and Shannon Babb in tenth.
The race finished up that way as Madden took “The Big Check” from Clanton. As
it turned out the first and second finshers took home a cool $40,000 between the
two of them.
The Pure Stocks took their feature all 15 laps without a caution flag and Dylan
Shelton was the runaway winner from the outside of the front row. It was
Shelton’s second feature win of the season at Gondik Law Speedway. Aaron
Bernick, Tom Treviranus, Tyler Kachinske and Cory Jorgensen finished in the top
five.
The final feature of Night Two was 15 laps for the WISSOTA Hornets. After
an early caution flag, the event finished up with former winner Mac Johnston the
winner. Unfortunately, the win only lasted until Teching where a violation was
discovered giving the win and a sweep to Ashland’s DeJay Jarecki. Carson
Gotelaere, Justin Barness, Tyler Schramm and Kristy Marken finished in the top
five.