JENSEN, MEIEROTTO WIN BUD SHOOTOUT
First Night of Head of the Lakes Fair Races Feature WISSOTA Modified and
Super Stocks
By Jerry O'Brien
7-23-03
Superior, Wisconsin- Two days of stock car racing kicked off Wednesday night at the Head of the Lakes Fair. On
the card were WISSOTA sanctioned Super Stocks and Modifieds. Thirty-three Super Stocks and
thirty modifieds were in competition on the first night of the Budweiser sponsored "Bud
Shootout".
After qualifying heats were completed, the first feature event rolled onto the feature with 20
Super Stocks set to run 15 laps. John Copp redrew the pole position with Randy Silverness to the
outside. At the green flag Copp moved into the lead over Silveness who was being challenged by
Randy Thomas. Point leader Dale Gangl was quickly up from 8th to move and was into the top
five working on Jeff Lindsey for fourth. Four laps in the first caution flag flew for a tangle in the
first turn involving Dan Turcotte, Joe Oliver, Curt Myers and Ryan Rivord.
Myers was the only one to drop out due to damage from the incident.
At the green flag Copp continued to lead Silverness , Thomas, Gangl and Lindsey. Darin Meierotto, Kelly Checkalski and Scott Lawrence
were closing in on the lead pack. Gangl got by Thomas and challenged Silverness for the second
spot as Meierotto moved into the top five. At the half way point it was Copp, Gangl, Thomas,
Silverness and Meierotto. With five laps to go Copp enjoyed a big lead as Lawrence moved past
Silverness who's car began to trail smoke and sparks. Silverness tried to get off the track but
stalled in the pit exit bringing out the caution flag with three laps
remaining. The caution brought the field back to Copp's bumper but
Copp's Number 26 began to leak coolant.
Green flag racing resumed but lasted only for a lap as Checkalski stalled in turn one and Copp retired to the pits.
Lawrence had also stopped at the opposite end of the track and was hauled off on the hook.
John Hunker cracked the top five in fifth form 15th while Kevin Adams was fourth from 14th.
With Copp's departure Gangl was left with the lead followed by Meierotto, and Thomas.
The green flag again appeared but didn't stay out for long as Destin Lorimor spun while running
7th collecting Jim Campbell in turn one. Another try for a full green flag was aborted when
Lorimor and Thomas clashed with both headed to the pits. Eleven of twenty starters were running with
two laps remaining. Meierotto went on to take the win over Gamgl, Al Uotinen, Lindsey and Dan
Turcotte in the top five.
A pair of sevens comprised the front row for the WISSOTA Modified feature with Jodi
Olson's #7x flanked by Wayne Engen's #7e. At the green Engen slipped into the lead followed by
Olson, Kevin Montieth, Darrell Nelson and Cory Jorgenson. With a single circuit completed Rod
Heitala got turned around in turn one with Jason Miller charged with the incident. Things went
from bad to worse as they piled them up in turn one causing a red flag condition
as Scott Hudack ended up upside down. "When everything stopped" he said later "all I could see was tires, bars
and dirt." He was not injured in what was described as a gentle roll over.
Also involved were Eric
Pember and Darrell Nelson who retired to the pits. The extended red flag period enabled Nelson's
crew to make repairs and he rejoined the field. At this point Dann Olson also dropped from
competition. At the green it was Engen leading Olson, Montieth, Joey Jensen and Jeff Spacek.
In the front five with Pember and Al Uotinen close behind. Those seven opened a gap to 8th place
Jeff Hart who was fending off a pack of cars. Another caution flag flew when Heitala and Jayme
Lautigar got together in turn four closing up the pack. The restart was with eight laps remaining
and Jensen tried the low groove in an effort to wrest the lead away from
Engen. A little further back it was a dog fight for fourth with Spacek having the position and Pember, Jodi Olson, and
Uotinen wanting it. Jensen finally made the car stick on the bottom and took the lead at the flag
stand but another caution flag for a Matt Sorenson spin in the third turn put him back in second at
the restart with four laps remaining. Jensen was able to again dig down in the low groove to pass
Engen who sort of got overwhelmed by the pack during the final circuits.
Jensen held the lead to the checkered flag with Pember, Spacek, Uotinen and Jodi Olson rounding out the top five.
Engen held on for 6th.
Results
WISSOTA Modified (head of the Lakes Fair Bud Shootout) (30 cars)
Heat 1: Scott Hudack, Kevin Montieth, Jeff Hart, Bob Root, Tommy Turcotte (4 cars to the
feature, 3 to the redraw)
Heat 2: Jeff Aspacek, Darrell Nelson, Dann Olson, Matt Sorenson, Dennis
Checkalski
Heat 3: Eric pember, Al uotinen, Wayne engen, Jason Miller, Bill Byholm
Heat 4: Joey jensen, Cory Jorjenson, Jodi Olson, Rod Heitala, Shaun Kreyer
B Main: (4 to feature): Kelly Estey, Dean yrjanainen, Jayme Lautigar, John Massingill
Feature: (1-10) Jensen, Pember, Spacek, Uotinen, Olson, Engen, Estey, Yrjanainen, Hart, Bob
Root (11-20) Nelson, Lautigar, Miller, Massingill, Sorenson, Montieth, Heitala, Jorgenson,
Hudack, D Olson
WISSOTA Super Stock (33 cars) (4 to feature, 3 to redraw)
Heat 1: Randy Silverness, Destin Lorimor, Dale Gangl, Derrick Vesel, Rob Cooper
Heat 2: Darin Meierotto, John Copp, Kevin Adams, Kyle Peterlin
Heat 3: Kelly Checkalski, Jim Campbell, Randy Thomas, John Hunker
Heat 4: Al uotinen, Jeff Lindsey, Ryan Rivord, Dan Turcotte, Mike Bellefeuille
B Feature: 1 (2 to feature) Curt Myers, Joe Oliver, Kenny Davis, Bruce
Tourville, Rick Rivord
B Feature 2: Mike Bellefeuille, Kyle Peterlin, Steve Tuura, Adam Long, Steve Van House (DNF)
Feature: (1-11) Meierotto, Gangl, Uotinen, Lindsey, Turcotte, Adams, Vesel, Oliver, Ryan
Rivord, Peterlin, Campbell. (12-20) DNF Lorimor, Thomas, Copp, Hunker, Lawrence, Checkalski,
Bellefeuille, Silverness, Myers.
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