NEW OLD WINNERS FIND VICTORY LANE AT AMSOIL SEEDWAY

by · Published June 3, 2017 · Updated June 6, 2017

By Jerry O’Brien

6-2-17 Superior. WI

No real strangers to the speedway won features as the second race of the 2017 season was

finally run at AMSOIL Speedway Friday night. With the exception of the WISSOTA Pure

Stocks, every main event winner had won here previously, just not recently.

A nice field of 95 cars including 26 Midwest Modifieds and 23 WISSOTA Modifieds, came

to the big four tenths mile track to compete before a nice crowd of hardy race fans. A wind

switch off Lake Superior dropped the temperature at race time into the mid fifties while

surrounding communities basked in 80 degree weather.

Qualifying heats were completed in record time and, after a short break, main event racing

began with 20 laps for the Midwest Modifieds. The event got underway with all 26 cars

answering the call to battle. It was a rough start as front row starters Shane Howell and Alex

Smith got together in turn two resulting in Howell spinning in front of the pack. To the

wonderment of all, everyone missed the spinning car. The realignment put Howell back on the

pole and sent Smith to spot number 26 which moved Cole Chernosky to the front row. Howell

held the top spot at the green, but Chernosky got a great run off turn four and seized the lead.

Howell then had Deven VanHouse and Andrew Inman along with Skeeter Estey to contend with.

Chernosky opened up a wide lead which evaporated when rookie Mclean Andrews spun in turn

four. A pair of circuits had been completed and, on the restart, Chernosky again took off to a nice

lead only to have the yellow lights blink on when Smith and Craig Lofdahl tangled at the back of

the pack in turn one. Smith was done for the night after causing two caution flags. The green flag

saw Chernosky continue his hot run while Howell got by VanHouse for second. Nick Daronco

joined the fun getting past Skeeter Estey fourth as Mack Estey and Cody Carlson also moved into

contention. While Chernosky widened his lead, the racing was hot and heavy for second traded

places lap after lap. Howell began to slip back and VanHouse began to cut into Chernosky’s lead.

Meanwhile Chernosky was beginning to encounter back markers which slowed him up and let

VanHouse and others close up. Chernosky got hung up behind the lapped car of Jeff Hanninen

exiting turn two and the error opened the flood gates and VanHouse, Skeeter Estey and Daronco

slipped past leaving Chernosky in fourth. Shortly thereafter caution flag number five appeared

when Andrews had problems exiting turn two. It was his second caution flag which sent him pit

side. The restart came with seven laps remaining. VanHouse maintained his lead over Daronco

who was being harassed by the Estey brothers. As VanHouse pulled away, Skeeter Estey got by

Daronco to second and set out after the leader. Almost unnoticed, Dan Kingsley appeared in the

top ten form his 22nd starting spot and got by Mack Estey for a forth place finish easily the best

drive of the race. The feature win was VanHouse’s first win here in two years.

The WISSOTA Super Stock count is slowly increasing as fifteen cars were on hand. Veteran

driver Jim Campbell brought his pristine number 12 down the north shore of Lake Superior from

two Harbors, MN and, after heat action, found himself presented with the outside of the front

row for the 20 lap go. He took advantage of that spot as the Mopar powered racer powered him

into the lead at the outset with pole sitter Keith Kern falling to second. Nick Oreskovich soon

captured second and set out after Campbell. Kern began a slow slide backward as Andy

Gryamala moved to third. Lurking close by were Kevin Burdick and Scott Lawrence. Lawrence

encountered some sort of problem that saw the left front come high off the track under

acceleration. After a few laps losing spots, he too the car to the pits. Up front Campbell had

company in Oreskovich and Burdick as the three opened up a wide gap back to fourth place

Grymala. A little further back was Dave Flynn, Willie Johnsen and Kern. A caution flag for

debris flew with nine of the 20 complete. On the restart, Campbell was able to pull away a bit

from Oreskovich while Burdick got past Grymala into third. Johnsen picked up the pace and

made his way into fifth and soon got by into fourth. Though Campbell was able to stay out front,

as the laps went by, his lead began to slowly diminish. Woth four laps remaining, Adam Shinn’s

car erupted in a cloud of steam bringing out the final caution flag. The restart saw shuffling of

positions behind Campbell as Burdick and then Johnsen got past Oreskovich as the checkered

flag flew. Grymala rounded out the top five. It was Campbell’s first win at the speedway since

2014.

Next was a 20 lap feature for the WISSOTA Late Models with 13 cars starting led by veteran

Tim McMann. The caution flag flew immediately after the green as Canadian visitor John

Toppozini rode up on the first turn wall bringing out the red flag. He was apparently uninjured

but the car rode off on the rollback truck after a lengthy delay for removal. When racing resumed,

McMann clung to the lead followed by Terry Lillo, Kyle Peterlin, Darrell Nelsonand Roger

Paolo. The battle for the lead heated up in the early going as McMann and Lillo traded the point

back and forth. Peterlin made his way to second for a couple of laps before Nelson took the spot.

Peterlin got back by Nelson, closed on McMann and swept by to the lead. Nelson followed to

second while Pat Doar also got past McMann and Zach Wohlers also got into the top five. Just

before the midpoint, Nelson made a rare mistake and slid sideways in turn one. He was able to

save it, but the caution flag was already out and he was sent to the back. Peterlin had no trouble

keeping the lead as Doar took second and McMann was in third. Former track champion Travis

Budiaslovich was in fourth from tenth and Wohlers was fifth from ninth. Peterlin raced out to a

big lead on Doar and went on to take the win, his first since 2015. The top five remained the

same to the checkered flag.

Then it was Modified time, 20 laps the distance and 23 cars was the number starting with

Steve Stuart on the pole. Stuart jumped out to the lead at the green shadowed by Paul Wrazidlo

and Pat Cook. Rick Rivord and Jody Bellefeuille came next in the top five. Stuart was perfect in

front and was never really challenged throughout the nonstopped event. Wrazidlo clung to the

second spot despite challenges from Bellefeuille until Bellefeuille made the pass with four to go.

Johnny Broking worked his way from the seventh starting spot into fourth and stayed there to the

checkered flag. Darrell Nelson could do no better than fifth after starting eighth. As the final laps

wore down, Bellefeuille closed on Stuart who was able to stave off his advances to secure the

win. It was Sturat’s first win in four years at the speedway.

The WISSOTA Pure Stocks finished up the show with 15 laps of feature madness. Ryan

Savoy and Mike Blevins traded the lead back and forth in a tense battle for the win while Tim

Carlson ran a distant third once things settled down. Early on Kevin Getchell spun in turn four

with one lap down. The restart saw Savoy to the lead but Blevins got back by and controlled the

point though Savoy grabbed it back three laps later. Blevins then went back by for two laps, the

Savoy held sway for a couple more. Meanwhile Carlson was alone in third while Al Rapp, Jared

Akervik, Kyle Copp, Dylan Shelton and Andrew Hanson waged a fierce battle for position. With

three laps remaining, the second caution flag of the event flew for Akervik who had tried an

outside pass on the lapped car of Aaron Bernick on the front stretch and got squeezed into the

concrete wall which bent up his hood. On the restart Blevins was able to pull away from Savoy to

a commanding lead. Savoy hung onto second over Carlson with Copp and Hanson finishing

fourth and fifth. Blevins recorded the sweep and became the only two time feature winner this

season at the speedway.

Next up is the second leg of the Advantage RV Modified tour “Race to the Hill” swing starting

Thursday at the Grand Rapids Speedway, then to AMSOIL Speedway on Friday, ABC Raceway

on Saturday culminating at the Proctor Speedway for the second annual King On The Hill

Modified event.