NELSON, YRJANAINEN, GANGL, TOURVILLE SUPERIOR
SPEEDWAY CHAMPS
Doar, Miller, Ryan Rivord, Paulson Win Features
By Jerry O'Brien
The 2003 Superior Speedway track champions were
decided in some hot racing action Friday night August 22nd.
Darrell Nelson's fifth place finish in the Late
Model main event cemented his season's track championship. Pole
sitter Pat Doar led all 20 laps of the feature but was never out of
reach of WISSOTA national point leader John Kaanta. Kaanta was able
to edge ahead across the back stretch on each of the four restarts
but Doar was a bit stronger off the fourth turn and was able to
maintain the lead. A stout battle between Joel Cryderman, Brady
Smith and Nelson highlighted the event.
Doar grabbed the lead from the pole at the
green with Kaanta, Cryderamn, Keith Foss in contention but, before a
lap could be completed Ron Berna and Randy Hoff tangled at the back
of the pack in turn three. At the green Kaanta tried to dive inside
Doar for the lead but was unable to pull off the pass. Each of the
four restarts would see Kaanta try the same maneuver but to no
avail. Brady Smith was quickly up to fifth from eighth to hound Foss
for fourth as Doar was out to a near straight away lead. Just when
it looked as though it would be a run away for Doar, Berna and Jeff
Broking again brought out the caution flag again in turn three. Doar
went to his favored high side as a black streak in the center of the
track began to appear. Doar pulled up to the rear of the field and
began to lap the back markers but caution flag number three appeared
debris on the track. With ten laps to go. At the green Kaanta tried
the inside move and was actually able to nose ahead of Doar across
the back stretch. Doar proved too strong off turn four and regained
the point while Smith nipped at Cryderman's heels for third. The
final caution flag flew for Steve Laursen who lost the drive shaft
from his number 19. For the final sprint to the checkered flags
Kaanta valiantly tried the inside shot again and again pulled ahead
by half a car length but Doar again shot to the lead off turn four
and led the final laps for the win. Kaanta, Cryderman, Smith and
Nelson finished in the top five.
Jason Miller tried all season to win a WISSOTA
Modified feature but had to wait until the final regular season race
to pull it off. Even then it was in doubt until the final corner as
Miller put a strong move on race long leader Eric Pember. The two
touched and Pember went sideways enough for Miller to squeeze
between him and the wall for the win at the checkered flag. A strong
running Jeff Hart came from 10th to finish third ahead of Dean
Yrjanainen who had come from 16th to finish fourth and assure his
2003 track championship. Tommy Turcotte rounded out the top five
with a run from 11th to finish fifth.
Five caution flags slowed the action in the 15
lap 24 car WISSOTA Super Stock feature. When everything settled down
it was Ryan Rivord in victory lane along with 2003 track point
champion Dale Gangl. Gangl's great run from 14th to third gave him
the title. Keith Kern was second ahead of Gangl while Ryan Aho raced
forward from 17th to take fourth while
Mike
Bellefeuille shook off the effects of a heat race crash to finish
fifth after winning the B Main.
The closest point race of the season came down
to the final feature of the year with 16 year old Keith Tourville
leading Marshall Andrews by 2 points. Each finished 9th in their
respective heats but Tourville was able to finish 6th to Andrews'
9th giving him the crown by 5 points. Scott Paulson the National
Point leader in the Street Stocks bested Scott Lawrence in Scott
Herrick's car, Dan Gullickson, Trevor Wilson and Randy Vezina in the
top five. There was a
fierce battle up front between Lawrence, Paulson and Butch Madsen
but Madsen spun going for the win after contact and finished a
disappointing 16th before he could get pointed the right way.
Results
WISSOTA Late Model (29 cars)
Heat 1: Kelly Estey, Steve Laursen, Joel
Cryderman
Heat 2: Todd Gehl, Pat Doar, Brady Smith
Heat 3: John Kaanta, Darrell nelson, Eric Breeschoten
Heat 4: Keith Foss, Roger Paolo, Tom Nesbitt
B
Main
: Rick Hanestad, Ron Berna, Jeff Broking
Feature: Doar, Kaanta, Cryderman, Smith, Nelson
WISSOTA Modified (20cars)
Heat 1: Duqane Dale, Scott Hudack, Jeff Spacek
Heat 2: Eric Pember, Jason Miller, Darrell Nelson
Feature: Miller, Pember, Jeff Hart, Yrjanainen, Tommy Turcotte
WISSOTA Super Stock (29 cars)
Heat 1: Keith Kern, Joe Oliver, Rick Rivord
Heat 2: Kelly Checkalski, Al Uotinen, Jim Campbell
Heat 4: Ryan Rivord, John Hunker, Rick Simpson
Heat 4: John Copp, Randy Silverness, Dan Turcotte
B
Main
:
Mike
Bellefeuille, Steve Tuura, Donnie Lofdahl
Feature: Ryan Rivord, Kern, Dale Gangl, Ryan Aho, Bellefeuille
WISSOTA Street Stock (20 cars)
Heat 1: Scott Paulson, Steve Karshbaum, Butch
Madsen
Heat 2: Scott Lawrence, Dan Dullickson,
Mike
Kalskbrenner
Feature: Paulson, Lawrence, Gullickson, Trevor Wilson, Randy Vezina.
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