WOHLERS EDER VANHOUSE AND LAWRENCE TOP AMSOIL SPEEDWAY

By Jerry O’Brien
Superior, Wisc. 8-21-15

It was the final weekly race of the 2015 season at AMSOIL Speedway Friday
night August 21st. Championship week is completed at the Head of the Lakes Fair
beginning on Tuesday August 25th with final points for Late Models and
Modifieds along with Pure Stocks. Friday August 28th it is final points for Super
Stocks and Midwest Modifieds along with the Pure Stocks.
A nice field of 93 cars in the five weekly divisions were on hand for the last
weekly show before Championship Week. On a cool August evening surprise first
time winners mingled with stellar and gutsy performance by veteran drivers to
make an exciting evening of racing.
After qualifying was finished the first division to make an appearance for their
main event was the Midwest Modifieds for their 15 laps. It’s never good to start
with a red flag but that is what occurred as six cars tangled in the first turn and
Skeeter Estey rolled the 37x. No one was injured and, amazingly enough, after
Estey’s car was checked over in the work area, he returned to the field restarting
19th. The start saw Jake Gondik to the lead followed by Dale Soumala, Deven
VanHouse, Brady Caul and Dave Flynn. A caution flag flew for James
Kannegiesser’s spin in turn four. The race resumed with a complete restart and no
laps scored. Gondik held onto the point but VanHouse sailed past Soumala and
Gondik to grab the top spot. Dan Kingsley moved up to battle with Caul for
fourth. Caution flag number two flew when Lance Solem’s car stopped against the
wall at the exit of turn two. With three in the books Skeeter Estey had already
cracked the top ten. VanHouse led Gondik, Soumala, Flynn, Caul and Kingsley as
Gondik and Soumala squabbled over second and Flynn and Kingsly did the same
over third. Caul was fifth and Estey had made it to sixth. At the mid point
VanHouse was firmly in control with Soumala second. Flynn was third, Gondik
fourth and Kingsley was fifth just ahead of Estey. VanHouse had a big lead with
five laps remaining but Gondik had slipped back and Estey was now fifth.
VanHouse’s lead vanished when newcomer Greg Arnt spun in turn two with four
laps remaining. The final caution flag flew on the restart when Kannegiesser spun
again this time in turn two. He was sent to the pits for causing his second caution
flag. The restart saw VanHouse determined to not let his first feature at the
speedway slip away as he sailed off to a big lead. VanHouse secured his first
feature win at AMSOIL Speedway, a sweep, as Flynn was second, Kingsley third,
Estey fourth and Soumala back to fifth docked two spots for jumping the final
restart. Flynn turned the fastest lap at 18.542 seconds.
Next up it was 20 laps for the WISSOTA Super Stocks with a pair of 12’s
sharing the front row. Jim Campbell and D. J. Keeler led the 13 car field to the
green with Campbell leading the way. A pattern seemed to be developing as the
caution flag flew for Spencer Sorenson’s mount that died on the front stretch. The
restart came with no laps in and Campbell stayed out front with Donnie Lofdahl
and Scott Lawrence in his tire tracks. Nick Oreskovich and Willie Johnsen, jr ran
in the top five, but another caution flag appeared for the spin by Mike Bellefeuille
driving Brian Carl’s #32f. The restart came with a single lap recorded and
Campbell clinging to the lead ahead of Lawrence, Lofdahl, Oreskovich, Keith
Kern and Keeler. Yet another caution flag flew almost immediately as Oreskovich
and Bellefeuille had a meeting in the fourth turn with Oreskovich tagged for the
incident. This restart shuffled the order with 17 to go. Campbell was still out front
of Lawrence, Lofdahl, Kern and Shane Kisling. Campbell had trouble with turn
two blocking Lawrence and letting Lofdahl into second but caution period number
four occurred when Kern was spun in turn four and Oreskovich was charged with
his second caution and sent to the pits. With fourteen laps to go the field lined up
for the dash to the finish all except Campbell. His car refused to fire and he was
pushed to the pits leaving Lawrence who had regained second due to the caution
flag, to inherit the lead. With Lawrence out front, Lofdahl, Kern, Flynn and Keeler
were top five. As Flynn slipped into third, Lawrence maintained an eight car
length lead over Lofdahl to the checkered flag. Keeler finished fourth and Kisling
fifth. It was a sweep for Lawrence and his second win of the season at the
speedway. He had gained a slight point lead over Kisling after the heat races and
the feaature win gave him an 18 point lead going into the Championship Week. He
also turned a lap of 18.447 seconds for the fastest of the event.
All eighteen cars started the 20 lap WISSOTA Modified main event and pole
sitter Cody Wolkowski led the first lap with Destin Lorimor following him
through from the second row. Kelly Estey, Kevin Eder and Jody Bellefeuille
followed with Al Uotinen and Darrell Nelson breathing down their necks. Eder
made his way to the lead chased by Estey as Bellefeuille was third and Nelson
fourth and Uotinen gained the fifth spot. Eder held the lead over Estey as Nelson
closed on Bellefeuille for third. With no caution flags to slow the action the half
way point was quickly reached with Eder cruising along ahead of Estey while
Nelson continued to reel in Bellefeuille and Uotinen stayed ahead of the pack in
fifth. Nelson finally disposed of Bellefeuille and set out after Estey. With five laps
to go Nelson got around Estey but ran out of time as Eder won his second feature
on back to back Fridays in a race that ran uninterrupted from green to checkers.
The 25 lap WISSOTA Late Model main event did not emulate the Modified
one as the first five laps saw six caution flags. Pole sitter Zach Wohlers who was
looking for his second feature win in as many days was able to stay out in front
despite the carnage behind him and with 20 laps to go there would be no more
caution periods and the racing turned intense as Wohlers was joined by fourth
starting Kyle Peterlin and a very determined Darrell Nelson who had come from
ninth into the top three. Those three put on a show as Wohlers tried everything to
stay ahead of Peterlin and Nelson as they flew around the speedway sometimes
three wide in the turns. With no slow downs for the final 20 circuits Wohlers also
had to turn his attention to lapped cars. Veteran Harry Hanson who had started
next to Nelson put in some work and arrived in fifth behind Aaron Lillo, then got
past to fourth. Wohlers pulled away cutting through traffic but Peterlin and Nelson
were never far behind. Pdeterlin closed to within two car lengths with four laps to
go and Nelson was just as close but Wohlers was not to be denied. Wohlers led the
entire 25 laps setting fast time along the way with a lap of 17.069 seconds.
The finale for the night was 15 laps for the 19 Pure Stocks on hand. Eighteen
cars started the event as Shaina Rapp drove Josh Clark’s #83 as she had blown the
motor in her own car during hot laps. Josh Loucks led Jon Hmmitt early ahead of
Chris Johnson, Tim Carlson and 14 year old Alex Smith. Smith was charging up
through the field and challenged Loucks for the lead but Rapp’s troubles
continued as her borrowed ride gave up with apparent front suspension troubles
bringing out the caution flag. The restart saw Chad Carlson get by Smith but
Smith wouldn’t go away and fought back as the two traded the lead back and forth
by inches until Smith cleared Carlson just in time for a caution flag for Nick
Ziegler to give the lead back to Carlson. The restart came with two laps remaining
but things got ugly resulting in a red flag when Justin Weinberger, a rookie who
has already a couple of feature wins this season, was squeezed into the front
stretch wall and ended up barrel rolling down the front stretch a reported seven
times. He was reported to not be injured and climbed out of the car quickly. When
racing resumed Smith was able to hold on for the win. Aaron Olson, Annika
Hammitt, Chad Carlson and Ryan Savoy finished in the top five. Chad carlson was
docked two spots for jumping the restart. Tim Carlson and Chris Johnson were
also docked two spots for jumping restarts.
Results AMSOIL Speedway 8-21-15 (93 cars)
WISSOTA Late Model (21 cars)
Feature (25 laps) Zach Wohlwes Kelly Lake; Kyle Peterlin Hibbing; Darrell
Nelson Hermantown; Harry hanson Eveleth; Aaron Lillo Proctor; Jeff Provinzino
Hibbing; Jeff Massingill Keewatin; Dave Esse Cloquet; Tim McMann Duluth;
Terry Lillo Duluth; T. J. Adams Hayward; Kevin Carlson Hermantown; John
Meeds Spooner; Trevor Wilson Superior; Robbie Cooper South Range; Tim Lillo
Duluth DNF: Cory Jorgenson Hermantown; Steve Laursen Cumberland; John
Toppozini Thunder Bay; Gregg Hill Eveleth; Riley Matthews Murillo, ONT.
Heat 1: Peterlin; Hill; Hanson; Meeda; T. Lillo DNFL Esse
Heat 2: McMann; A. Lillo; Laursen; Jorgenson; Matthews; Carlson; Cooper
Heat 3: Nelson; Wohlers; Terry Lillo; Adams DNF: Massingill; Toppozini;
Wilson
WISSOTA Modified (18 cars)
Feature (20 lap) Kevin Eder Ashland; Darrell Nelson Hermantown; Kelly Estey
Kelly Lake; Jody Bellefeuille Duluth; Al Uotinen Superior; Jeffery Lien, Jr. Mora;
Destin Lorimor Superior; Neil Baldic Bessemer; Deven VanHouse Silver Bay;
Rick Rivord Superior; Joey Jensen Harris; Cody Wolkowski Thunder Bay; Brian
Mikkonen Iron River; Nick Musel Duluth; Nikki Wrazidlo Duluth; Jared Loos
Loyal; Pat Hoffman Rice Lake DNF: Bobby Houston Siren
Heat 1: Estey; Balduc; Lorimor; Nelson; Loos; Rivord; DNF: Houston; Jensen;
Musel
Heat 2; Bellefeuille; Eder; Wolkowski; Uotinen; Lien, Jr.; VanHouse;Mikkonen;
Hoffman; Wrazidlo
WISSOTA Super Stock (13 cars)
Feature (20 laps) Scott Lawrence Superior; Donnie Lofdahl Duluth; Dave Flynn
Superior; D. J. Keeler Superior; Shane Kisling Sarona; Tristan LaBarge Kelly
Lake; Willie Johnsen, Jr. Superior; Mike Bellefeuille Duluth DNF: Keith kern
Superior; Jim Campbell Two harbors; Nick Oreskovich Mason; Don Muzzy
Ironwood; Spencer Sorenson Duluth
Heat 1: Lawrence; Oreskovich; Keeler; Kern; LaBarge; Bellefeuille; Kisling
Heat 2: Johnsen, Jr. Flynn; Campbell; Lofdahl; Sorenson; Muzzy
WISSOTA Midwest Modified (21cars)
Feature (15 laps) Deven VanHouse Silver Bay; Dave Flynn Superior; Dan
Kingsley Superior; Skeeter Estey Kelly Lake; Dale Soumala Hermantown; Shane
Howell Buffalo; Nick Daronco Mtn. Iron; Tyler Luger Iron River; Jake Gondik
Foxboro; Ricky Davis Bruno; Mike Jacques Thunder Bay; Eric Gadach Deer Park;
David Simpson Thunder Bay; Greg Arnt North Branch; Don Craig Thunder Bay
DNF: Brady Caul Fort Francis; James Kannegiesser Hayward; Lance Solem
Duluth; Tyler Kintner Hibbing DNS: Scott Herrick Proctor; Chris Bretting
Washburn
Heat 1; Flynn; Caul; Howell; Kintner; jacques; Kannegiesseer; Davis
Heat 2; VanHouse; Daronco; Estey; Solem; Craig; Arnt DNF: Herrick
Heat 3: Gondik; Kingsley; Suomala; Luger; Simpson DNF: Gadach; Bretting
Pure Stock (19 cars)
Feature (15 laps) Alex Smith Solon Springs (14 years old); Aaron Olson Kelly
Lake; Annika Hammitt Cloquet; Chad Carlson Superior; Ryan Savoy Superior;
Tim Carlson Superior; Chris Johnson Superior; Carter Nelson Hermantown; Jason
Simonson Superior; Andy Poll Two harbors; Chad Nikstad Superior DNF: Josh
Loucks Carlton; Justin Weinberger Park Falls; Nick Ziegler Cloquet; Cole
Provinzino Hibbing; Jon Hammitt Cloquet; Shaina Rapp Saginaw; Justin Madsen
Foxboro DNS: Josh Clark Zim
Heat 1: Loucks; J. Hammitt; Olson; T. Carlson; Nikstad; Poll; Ziegler; Simonson;
Nelson DNF: A. Hammitt
Heat 2: Weinberger; C. Carlson; Smith; Johnson; Madsen; Savoy; Porvinzino
DNF: Rapp DNS: Clark