NELSON, EBERT, ESTEY CASH IN ON DAY ONE OF BORDER BATTLE

By Jerry O’Brien
6-29-19
   

 Fans for the first night of the Border Battle were greeted with 80 plus degree
weather and weak sunshine though later in the evening it became sweatshirt
weather as a light breeze began to waif from Lake Superior.
     Five WISSOTA divisions were on tap with a total of 165 cars set to do battle
including 28 Late Models, 59 Modifieds, 42 Midwest Modifieds, 13 Pure Stocks
and 23 Hornets.
     Qualifying heats as well as B Features or Last Chance Qualifiers (LCQ)
whittled down the large fields to manageable numbers for the main events in three
of the five divisions. 
     The 13 Pure Stocks lined up for their 15 lap main event led by Dylan Shelton
and Jared Akervik. Akervik jumped to the lead with Trevor Treviranus slipping
into second with Shelton slipping to third. Michael Roth and Cory Jorgensen
battled for fourth. Akervik led the first couple of circuits but treviranus showed
considerable strength battling back past Akervik to the lead where he stayed
throughout the most of the remaining laps. Akervik tried everything to regain the
lead but Treviranus held stubbornly to the lead. Meanwhile behind them Roth,
Shelton, Jorgensen and Randy Graham skirmished for position. Five laps in the
number 56 of Stephen Erickson spun in turn two and was sent to the back. At the
restart Treviranus held onto the lead getting away from Akervik as Shelton
rebounded to take third from him. Jorgensen put a move on Roth for fourth. The
top four settled down for a few laps as James Vendela got by Roth to fifth. A last
lap surge by Akervik saw him get past Treviranus and then become the first of
those two to win his first career feature. Jorgensen, Shelton and vendela rounded
out the top five.
     Next officials rolled out the two dozen Midwest Modified drivers whittled
down to that manageable through five heats and a pair of LCQ’s. 
     Skeeter Estey in his first night in a brand new car secured the ople position with
the always dangerous Jason VandKamp along side. At the green estey got a good
jump but Brandon Copp got by VandeKamp into second. Justin Froemming got by
VandeKamp while Andrew Inman and Tyler Kintner battled just behind. With
three laps in the books, caution flag number one appeared when Wyatt Boyum
spun in turn two. The restart faltered when McLean Andrews slowed to pull into
the pits causing another caution flag. At the restart with three laps in, Estey easily
held the lead over Copp as Froemming and Copp battled back and forth and were
joined by Landon Atkinson. A quick third caution flag flew when Ryan Savoy
spun in turn two. With five laps in, the green flew and Estey was strong at the
point with Copp maintaining second over Froemming, Atkinson and Inman. Estey
was the only constant as several drivers worked hard on each other while trying to
track down Estey. This situation lasted for several more circuits until Zach Benson
brought out caution number four as he stalled in turn three. At the green Estey was
uncatchable and the main players up front were static as no one was able to make a
move until George Dalbeck began to make a move and was suddenly fourth and a
player after driving forward form tenth. Dalbeck made it all the way to second but
lost it again to Froemming. With two left, Mark Kangas was spun on the back
stretch bringing out a combination red flag followed quickly the caution. On the
white flag lap Froemming and Dalbeck tangled in turn two and were struck a
glancing  blow buy Tommy Richards. The final restart was a single lap to the
checkered by and Estey was able to make the dash first over VandeKamp and
Copp. Dalbeck hung onto fourth and Richards survived for fifth.
     All 28 Late Models answered the call for their 30 lap main event. Buddy
Hanestad held the pole alongside veteran JohnKaanta with Jimmy Mars and Jake
Redetzke starting right behind them at the start, Mars blasted to the lead ahead of
Redetzke, Kaanta, Deven VanHouse, Jesse Glenz and Darrell Nelson. Hanestad
dropped out of the lead bunch in a few laps. Mars extended his lead as Kaanta
tried to track him down. VanH spent the early part of the race trying to catch
Kaanta while trying to hold off several other drivers. No one was holding back
Darrell Nelson who was marching from his eighth starting spot picking then off by
one by one until he had placed himself in second to Mars. All Nelson needed was
a caution flag which obliged him by flying with 12 laps to go. When racing
resumed and the green flag waved, Nelson had his finger on the trigger and blew
by Mars into the lead. Mars tried to rally back but Nelson was having none of that
and proceeded to pull steadily away. Meanwhile, almost unnoticed, Pat Doar had
gotten to third past VanHouse and Kaanta had fallen off the pace somewhat back
to seventh. On the charge was Rick Hanestad up to fifth from 13th. Nelson slowly
pulled away form Mars to take the win.  
     The purpose of the Border Battle has always, in the event’s short history, been
the actual headliner, the Modifieds with the biggest “chunk of change” headed
their way after the 30 lap feature. Twenty-seven cars took the green flag as Al
Uotinen took the provisional starting spot. Danny Vang lined up on the outside of
the front row looking to get the jump on the always tough Dan Ebert and it worked
for about three laps before Ebert gathered up the #60 and raced by into the lead,
one he would never give up. As Ebert pulled away form the field, Vang became
busy trying to hold off a very fast Mike Anderson as swell as Don Eischens and
Dave Cain. Vang was able to hold onto second for six more laps until Anderson
got by and set out after Ebert. Cain was fourth and 15th starting Johnny Broking
was hustling through the field arriving in fifth. Cain got by Vang to third and
Broking also made the pass to fourth. A couple of laps later Broking muscled past
Cain to third. At this point the front runners were strung out with no one running
close enough to challenge for position. Aboard another late race rocket ship was
Shane Sabraski who worked his way through, made a late race pass and ended up
fourth from 16th. The event went flag to flag with no caution periods and Ebert
found himself with the pocket full of cash. 
     Night one of the Border Battle ended with a 12 lap feature for the WISSOTA
Hornets and it ended up the way a number of features have here in the north land,
Jake Smith of St. Joseph’s, MN winning heat and feature. The current WISSOTA
Hornet point leader has already won a bunch of features in this area. Nate Servaty,
Grayson Pratt, Paul Ripley and Tyler Schramm finished in the top five. Twenty-
two of twenty-three cars started the 15 lap event.