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Fifty-three WISSOTA Modifieds and twenty-eight WISSOTA Super Stocks
signed in for the first annual WISSOTA Open Wheel (WOW) $4000 to win
event.
Dean Yrjanainen, who started eighth, battled with third started
Craig Christianson until, with three laps remaining, they clashed
exiting turn two and continued down the straight until the contact
appeared to spin Yrjanainen into the infield. The sixth caution flag
of the event was thrown, Yrjanainen was restored to the lead and
Christianson was sent to the back, a decision that had the fans
choosing up sides in the grandstands. Yrjanainen went on to take the
win while Christianson had to settle for 13th.
The whole 30 lap event got off to a rocky start when outside pole
starter Nolan Omstad spun in turn four necessitating a complete
restart. At the green flag Eric Pember who had moved to the
outside of the front row replacing Omstad, shot into the lead
followed by Christianson, Steve Arpin, Bill Byholm and Yrjanainen.
Christianson and Pember dueled for the lead while Byholm bested
Arpin for third.
While the leaders pulled away from the pack the real movement was
further back in the field most notably Joel Cryderman who was
driving a Craig Christianson back up car. Cryderman appeared in
fifth from his fourteenth starting spot with only six circuits down.
With eight laps in the first caution flag flew when Byholm and Bob
Root clashed. Byholm was charged with the stoppage and sent to the
rear. The first try at a restart went for naught as leader Pember
pulled to the high side in turn three and was out. The second try
fared no better as Mark Iverson slowed and dropped out. When a green
flag lap was finally completed it was Christianson, Cryderman,
Yrjanainen, fifteenth starting Jeff Hart and seventeenth starting
Craig Thatcher in the top five.
Caution flag number two appeared when Cryderman looped the number
4j in the fourth turn which put Yrjanainen right on Christianson's
bumper. On the restart Arpin moved into third, battling to
keep Thatcher behind him as Yrjanainen pulled away with nineteen to
go. Action did not last too long as the third caution flag
flew for a stalled Rick Friendt in the fourth turn.
At the half way point the order stood at Yrjanainen with the lead
over Christianson, Hart, Arpin, Thatcher and a closing Les Duellman
who had started tenth. Six more laps would be reeled off with
Duellman moving to fourth as Arpin faded back. Yrjanainen battled
back and fourth with Christianson until the action slowed for debris
in turn three.
When racing resumed with five laps remaining the leaders
continued their skirmish exchanging the lead sometimes twice in a
single lap. With the action for the win heating up something
had to give leading to the sixth an final caution when the leaders
clashed on the back stretch. While all this had been going on,
almost unnoticed Jeff Spacek had gone to the high side and had moved
to the third position. Yrjanainen went on to take the win over a
very steady Hart, Spacek, Thatcher and Dave Cain.
The WISSOTA Super Stock fifteen lap feature was won by Scott
Lawrence from the third row. This one also took a couple of tries to
get started as, at the initial green flag Kevin Salin spun in turn
two. The second time went better as outside front row starter Curt
Myer grabbed the lead over Erick Thiesse, Lawrence, Darin Meierotto
and Rick Simpson. Myers pulled away while Meierotto slipped into
third. The initial caution flag appeared when John Hunker was spun
in turn one and was T-boned by Kelly Checkalski. Neither man was
injured but both were done for the evening.
At the restart Lawrence jumped into second but no laps were
recorded when a pile up occurred in turn three involving Ryan
Rivord, Rick Rivord, Randy Silverness and Bruce Tourville.
Rick Rivord was charged with the yellow flag and sent to the
rear.
The third time was the charm and the race resumed with Myers
leading Lawrence and Meierotto. Lawrence shot by Myers on the
front straight into a lead he would not give up taking the checkered
flag for the win though he had to contend with one more caution
flag. Lawrence would stave off Meierotto who finished ahead of
Al Uotinen Myers and Kelly Anderson in the top five.
Results
WISSOTA Modified (53 cars) (30 Lap
Feature, 10 lap heats)
Heat 1: Eric Pember, Scott
Hudak, Jeff Spacek, Mark Iverson, Tom Smart Heat
2: Bill Byholm, Dennis Jones, Rick Friendt, Erik
Bjorkland, Jason Nordhagen
Heat 3: Nolan Olmstad, Al
Uotinen, Jeff Hart, Dann (correct sp) Olson, Kevin Montieth
Heat 4: Craig Christianson, Dean
Yrjanainen, Joel Cryderman, Darrell Carlson, Shawn Nolan
Heat 5: Ron Schreiner, Dave
Cain, Craig Thatcher, Bob Root, Darrell Nelson Heat
6: Steve Arpin, Les Duellaman, Todd Blaeser, Kelly Estey,
Rod Heitala B Main 1: (Two advance)
Nolan, Iverson, Dennis Checkalski, Carlson, Shawn Kreyer
B Main 2: Root, Nelson, Jim
Chyba, Scott Duval, Jayme Lautigar B Main 3: Dann Olson, Brad
Hanson, Kevin Montieth, Jody Olson, Danny Thomas Feature
(1-10)Yrjanainen, Hart, Spacek, Thatcher, Cain, Duellman,
Root, Nelson, Cryderman, Arpin.
(11-13) Nolan, Bjorkland, Christianson
(14-24 all DNF) Byholm. Olmstad,
Olson, Friendt, Hanson, Iverson, Pember, Uotinen, Hudak, Jones,
Schreiner
WISSOTA Super Stock (28 cars 15 lap
feature, 20 start)
Heat 1: Mike Bellefeuille, Joe
Oliver, Erick Thiesse, Kevin Salin, Bruce Tourville
Heat 2: Curt Myers, Randy
Silverness, Rick Simpson, Kelly Anderson, Ryan Rivord
Heat 3: Dale Gangl, Darin
Meierotto, John hunker, Rick Rivord, Austin Swenson
Heat 4: John Copp, Scott
Lawrence, AL Uotinen, Kelly Checkalski, Paul Berg B
Main: Tourville, Keith Kern, Ryan Rivord, Berg, Keane
Laakson
Feature (15 Laps) (1-11):
Lawrence, Meierotto, Uotinen, Myers, Anderson, Copp, Thiesse,
Tourville, Berg, Kern
(12-20 DNF) Oliver, Rick Rivord,
Gangl, Ryan Rivord, Bellefeuille, Silverness, Simpson, Checkalski,
Hunker
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