NELSON AND JOHNSTON CAPTURE FEATURES, WORLD of OUTLAWSLATE MODEL MAIN TO BRANDON SHEPPARD

by · July 20, 2021

By Jerry O’Brien
(7-13-21) Superior, WI

On a rare Tuesday night event, the Morton Buildings World of Outlaws Late

Model series brought their show to Gondik Law Speedway. Joining the “Fastest

Late Models on the Planet” for the midweek visit were the WISSOTA Modifieds

and Hornets.

A total of 54 cars in the three divisions came to play on the big four tenths mile

high banked oval. A good core group of WoO Late Models were joined by an

outstanding turnout of local WISSOTA Late Model racers. Amongst the WoO

racers were some like Jimmy Mars and Ricky Weiss who came from the ranks of

WISSOTA Late Models.

Qualifying for the Late Models were done two cars at a time and former

WISSOTA racer Brent Larson now WoO regular turned the quick time with a lap

of 15.84 seconds and Tyler Bruening was right behind with a lap of 15.902

seconds. No other driver managed to turn a lap under 16 seconds.

With 17 entries in the WISSOTA Modifieds, a pair of heat races determined the

lineup for the 20 lap feature. In the first heat Shane Sabraski finished ahead of

Mike Anderson and in the second Rick Rivord won over Jeffrey Wood.

There was a single heat race in the WISSOTA Hornets won by Tyler Schramm.

After timing laps in the WoO Late Models, three heat races were run to

determine who would be eligible for the redraw for positions in the first three rows

of the 40 lap main event. It was Brandon Sheppard (“Rocket Shepp”) and John

Kaanta in the first heat. Chris Madden and Tyler Bruening in the second and

Dennis Erb and Steve Laursen. A ten lap Last Chance Showdown would advance

six drivers to fill out the last three rows of the feature. Chad Mahder was the

winner and Tim McMann, Darrell Nelson, Sam Mars in his first ever WoO LM

try, Mike Bellefeuille and Boom Briggs won places in the main event.

When the redraw for the front three rows was completed, local favorite Veteran

Steve Laursen found himself on the pole. Dennis Erb,,Jr drew the outside of the

front row, Tyler Bruening drew inside the second row and John Kaanta and Chris

Madden filled out the third row.

After some track grooming during the short intermission, the first main event to

take to the track was 20 laps for the WISSOTA Modifieds. Mike Anderson was on

the pole flanked by Jeffery Wood as the green flag flew and seventeen powerful

engines propelled the field into the first turn. As is sometimes the case, trouble

lurks around the corner as drivers jockey for position. This time Wood spun and

collected the 05 of Jake Hartung. It was determined that Daniel Bargender

instigated the incident and was sent to the rear of the field while WOOD AND

Hartung were out of the event. The restart went nowhere either as Kyle Helling

and Danny Vang had a problem in turns one and two. The third time was the

charm as Darrell Nelson bolted from his third starting spot again and came out on

top followed by Anderson, Sabraski, Skeeter Estey, Brandon Copp and Jason

Gross. That order stayed static for a couple of laps, then Sabraski moved past

Anderson into second and set out after Nelson. Unfortunately, no matter how hard

he tried, Sabraski couldn’t make any headway in tracking down the fleeing

Nelson. While the same players stayed in the top ten or eleven they could only

scrap with each other as Nelson drove off into the night to take the checkered flag

3.75 seconds ahead of Sabraski. Estey clung to third fending off Copp and

Anderson as well as Jody Bellefeuille who was able to move himself from his 14th

starting spot to finish fourth. Anderson held on to round out the top five.

With the Modified feature safely ensconced in the record book, it was time for

the event that the packed house had been waiting for: World of Outlaw Late

Model racers against each other while trying to keep some strong local drivers at

bay for 40 laps. As mentioned, the popular Pole Sitter was local area driver Steve

Laursen who’s Father Russ and Brother Brent had turned hundreds if not

thousands of laps on the track over the years. On the outside of the front row was

Dennis Erb Jr, the “One Man Band”, a wilie veteran himself. At the green Erb

slung the #28Jr off the top of turn four and drove away from the pursuing Brandon

“Rocket Shepp” Sheppard the series point leader. Chris Madden started in the

sixth spot but didn’t stay there as he moved past Laursen into third. Laursen stuck

around in fourth holding off Tyler Bruening until he lost the position just a lap

before the first caution flag. The restart came with 23 circuits to go and Erb still

holding sway at the head of the pack, but now, the pack was much closer meaning

Sheppard was closer as was Madden and Bruening. Also moving in closer was

James Giossi who had found his way to fifth. Erb began to encounter traffic as he

and Sheppard began to weave their way through. With about a quarter of the way

left to go, Sheppard found a path past Erb to the lead. A couple of laps later with

11 laps to go Jimmy Mars subbing for the ill Cade Dillard in the #97 and Frank

Heckenhast, Jr tangled on the back stretch just off the bottom exit of turn two. The

restart came with eleven laps remaining and Madden made use of the restart to get

a run on Erb and move into second. Just as the event was about to reach one lap to

the white flag, Harry Hanson’s car slowed on the track bringing out the third

and final caution period. As per WoO Late Model rules, a caution inside the final

two laps lines up the field single file for the green/white/checkered finish.

Sheppard had no trouble keeping the lead to the checkered flag. Madden, Erb, Jr,

Bruening and Giossi maintained the order in the top five. Ryan Gustin, Jimmy

Mars, Kevin Eder, Ricky Weiss and Steve Laursen rounded out the top ten.

The final race of the evening was the 15 lap main event for the WISSOTA

Hornets. Mac Johnston drew the pole position and kept it to the checkered flag as

he kept Casey Fitzpatrick and Tyler Schramm in his rear view mirror the entire

distance to record his second feature win of the season at Gondik Law Speedway.

Gondik Law Speedway is not scheduled to race on Friday July 16th but will be

back on Tuesday July 20th for the Head of the Lakes Fair races featuring Late

Models, Modifieds, Super Stocks, Pure Stocks and Hornets. Then we move to

Friday July 23rd for more Head of the Lakes Fair races featuring the Northern

Renegade Sprints as well as Midwest Modifieds, Pure Stocks and Hornets.