By Jerry O’Brien
Superior, WI
The final regular season event at Gondik Law Speedway was Championship
Night as all six WISSOTA divisions would crown their seasons champions. Four
of six divisions championships were still in doubt. Only the Super Stocks, where
defending champion Kevin Burdick of Proctor was ahead by a whopping 105
points and Tyler Schramm was up by 45 points over Nate Rose in the Hornets, a
lead that would probably hold up.
Deven Vanhouse has blown everything up with the season he’s having as a
Late Model rookie. He held a nine point lead over Kevin Carlson. In the
Modifieds Jody Bellefeuille’s lead over Danny Vang was five points. In the
Midwest Mods Andrew Inman led Brandon Copp by seven points and Cory
Jorgensen’s lead over Jared Akervik was also seven points.
After qualifying heats, the first feature of the night was for the Super Stocks
rolling onto the speedway at 8:38 for the 20 lap event. The only thing at stake in
this feature was who would take the win as Kevin Burdick could not be caught.
At the green flag outside pole sitter Matt Deragon outran Nick Oreskovich to
the lead and stayed out from from the green to checkered flag. Behind him the
racing was intense as Oreskovich, Andy Grymala, DJ Keeler and Dave Flynn
along with Burdick battled for positions. Keeler settled into second for a dozen of
laps before Burdick got by everyone and ran him down to capture second with a
couple of laps to go. Flynn found his way to third fourth behind Keeler and
Oreskovich held on to fifth.
It was Deragon’s first feature win of the season at Gondik Law Speedway and
second career win at the speedway.
The next feature to take to the track was the twelve lap event for the WISSOTA
Pure Stocks. Aaron Bernick started from the pole but quickly faded to a DNF and
Shelton held the lead for two laps until Jeremy Cash took the point ahead of
Shelton and Jorgenson. Jorgenson took second and chased Cash for several laps.
Contenders James Vendela and Shelton dropped from competition just after
Jorgensen got by Cash for the lead which turned into his fifth feature win of the
season to go along with his eighth heat race win and captured the track
championship.
Fifteen Hornets hit the track for their 12 lap main event bu the start was marred
by a clash involving Dayna Marken who had the front bumper cover torn partially
off the #4 leaving debris on the track. Marken went to the work area for repairs
and made it onto the track just as the green flag flew. Reid Johnson took the lead
on the restart but more another caution flag for a tangle in turn one flew. The
restart saw Johnson at the front ahead of AJ House, Tyle Kachinske Paul Ripley
and Josh Rowe. House got past Johnson for a lap but Johnson raced back to the
lead which he held for three more laps until Kachinske got by House, then made
the pass on Johnson for the lead. The order remained static as Kachinske held onto
the lead and recorded the feature win. Johnson, House, Ripley and Jase Wiarda
finished in the top five. Rookie Tyler Schramm, though never winning a feature,
used consistent high finishes to become the Gondik Law Speedway Hornet track
champion.
It was a rough and tumble Midwest Modified feature with four caution flags
before half way was reached. With a single lap complete, Wyatt Boyum was spun
to the inside of turn two. The restart saw McLean Andrews retain the lead from the
pole over Ryan Savoy Gunner Peterson, Mark Kangas and Skeeter Estey. With
three laps complete the caution flag again appeared for a collision in turn three
between Boyum and Jimmy Latvala. At his point championship contenders,
Brandon Copp was in sixth and Andrew Inman was running 12th. Andrews
retained the lead at the restart with Peterson, Savoy, Kangas and Estey along with
Tyler Vernon were the top five. The third caution flag flew for a collision between
Wayne Jacques and Dalton Mains in turns one and two. The green flag reappeared
with seven laps completed. Andrews was strong out front with Peterson a close
second and Savoy third but the fourth caution flag flew when the leaders crashed
in turn two. Inman and David Simpson were caught up in it and it took a few
minutes to pry apart the two cars. Peterson was charged with the incident and sent
to the rear. This left the front five at the restart Andrews, Savoy, Estey, Kangas
and Vernon. At this point championship contenders Copp was in sixth and Inman
in 11th. Estey was on the move and got by Savoy to second and wasted little time
blowing by Andrews to the lead. Estey was on his way to his fourth feature win at
the speedway for the season while Copp and Inman got closer together until there
was only one car between them on the whit flag lap. While Estey was winning the
battle, the veteran Inman was winning the war as he was able to retain his point
lead for his first ever track championship.
In the WISSOTA Late Model main event, Deven VanHouse held a nine point
lead on Kevin Carlson. VanHouse started the 20 lap event in the fifth spot while
Carlson’s eighth place finish in his heat stuck him starting in the fifteenth and laast
starting spot.
Robbie Cooper started from the pole and quickly grabbed the lead over Terry
Lillo, Tim McMann, Mike Bellefeuille and VanHouse. Cooper gained a good lead
over McMann in second, but VanHouse was ripping through the field. McMann
grabbed the lead form Cooper and held it for two laps before VanHouse slipped
past to thre point. Eighth starting Darrell Nelson got by McMann and closed on
VanHouse. Coming up through the pack was Derek Vesel to fourth behind
McMann. Almost unnoticed, Carlson had been making his own charge forward
and was sixth behind Aaron Lillo. VanHouse was busy fending off Nelson who
wasn’t able to find a path around him getting to within a car length. The only
caution flag of the race came just as the white flag was about to be displayed for
debris in turn three. VanHouse was able to control the restart for the green white
checkered finish to take the win. Vesel got by Nelson for second, Aaron Lillo was
fourth and McMann finished fifth. Carlson dropped back to eighth on the restart
allowing VanHouse to win the feature and the track championship.
Last but not least was the 20 laps for the WISSOTA Modifieds. Posted on the
pole was newcomer Jake Hiatt alongside veteran Todd Gehl. Scott Lawrence in
Rick Rivord’s number 95 rolled onto the track, then exited and did not start. At the
green Gehl got a great jump and sailed off to a several car length lead over Hiatt
with Dan Kingsley, Johnny Broking and Danny Vang trailing. Vang and Broking
sliced through the pack to gang up on Gehl. At one point it was three wide for the
lead with Vang taking it ahead of Broking and Gehl. Darrell Nelson and jody
Bellefeuille soon joined the action up front only to have the caution flag come out
when Tyler Luger got turned around on the front stretch. Vang led the restart over
Broking and it soon became a two car battle as the two swapped the lead back and
fourth lap after lap in the most entertaining race of the night. With five laps
remaining Vang held a small lead but Broking edged past and Bellefeuille was
third as they went under the checkered flag. Broking was the winner, again, of the
battle but it was Jody Bellefeuille who took home his second track championship
in a week by five points. Behind the front three Nelson and Gehl rounded out the
top five.
2019 Gondik Law Speedway Track Champions
WISSOTA Late Model: Deven Van House Silver Bay, MN #17
WISSOTA Modified: Jody Bellefeuille Duluth, MN #11
WISSOTA Super Stock: Klevin Burdick Broctor, MN #30
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds: Andrew Inman Hermantown, MN #11Jr
WISSOTA Pure Stocks: Cory Jorgensen Duluth, MN #16
WISSOTA Hornets: Tyler Schramm, Two Harbors, MN #16
