Brady Smith of Solon Springs, WI won the 30 lap Late Model feature Monday night at the Superior Speedway as part of the second annual Russ Laursen Classic. The Classic, named for local racing legend Russ Laursen also featured WISSOTA Championship Sprints and WISSOTA Modifieds as Laursen drove in those three classes in the ‘50's, 60's and ‘70's before losing his life in a Sprint Car accident.  Winning the 25 lap Sprint feature was defending WISSOTA Sprint Champion Loren Langerud of Harwood SD.  Kelly Estey of Kelly Lake, MN was the modified feature winner.

The Late Model main event got off to a shaky start as Jeff Provinzino spun in the first turn of the first lap. At the green pole sitter Justin Fegers took the lead over Lance Mathees, Brady Smith, Bill Byholm and John Kaanta. Smith, who had started sixth quickly moved to the high side of the track and moved to second. On lap four Smith got a good run off turn two, pulled alongside Fegers and completed the pass for the lead down the front stretch and took command on the fifth circuit. Fegers and Mathees maintained third and fourth until Mitch Johnson got by Byholm for fifth then took over the third spot. Smith and Fegers put some distance on Mathees while sitting just outside the top five was tenth starting Trent Follmer in sixth at the ten lap mark.

Shortly thereafter the fast moving Follmer had cracked the top five. The 15 lap half way mark was quickly reached with Smith leading Fegers, Mathees, Johnson and Follmer.  Two laps later the leaders were catching the back of the pack and began to weave their way through.  Fegers was right on Smith's back bumper in traffic and both were able to clear the lapped cars.  Follmer was gaining speed in the high groove and got by Johnson then Mathees and was in third and closing on the leaders.  Smith looked to have everything in hand as the white flag was displayed but the stalled car of Steve Laursen in turn one brought out the only caution flag since the aborted start putting all the lapped traffic behind the leaders.  This caution flag set up a two lap shootout for the $2500 first place cash.  Smith was able to stay ahead of Fegers to the checkered flag though Fegers was able to get the nose of his car up to Smith's door on the restart.  Fegers was close but seemed to get loose off turn four and lost a little ground enabling Smith to pull off the win.  Fegers, Follmer, Mathees and Johnson finished in the top five.

Loren Langerud was the winner in the 25 lap WISSOTA Modifed main event which had four caution flags and a red flag to slow the action.  Things started out badly when Jerry Richert, Jr spun in turn one on the first lap collecting Leigh Thomas. At the green flag Langerud took the point with pole sitter Allen Gilbertson second, Roger Rager third, Dustin Lindquist fourth and Sye Anderson fifth. Anderson and Donovan Peterson took to the high side and Anderson moved steadily forward and slipped into the lead on lap eight.  Langerud, Gilbertson and Peterson trailed.  Action was again slowed a lap later when Thomas spun in turn one. At the green flag Langerud took back the lead but the start was called off.  Again the green flag appeared and Anderson this time, got the jump on Langerud.  A lap later Gilbertson and Lindquist tangled putting both on the sidelines. Another caution flag appeared when Richert again spun this time in turn two. At the restart Anderson and Langerud traded the lead back and fourth ahead of Rager,  Joe Kouba up from 12th to fourth, Peterson and Scott Winters who had started 10th.  Anderson crashed into the fourth turn wall bringing out the red flag and finishing his night.  After a delay to refuel the cars it was a two lap shootout which Langerud won over Rager.

Kelly Estey topped the 20 lap Modified feature in a tight battle with Craig Thatcher. Joey Jensen took the early lead over Jeff Wood with Estey, Jayme Lautigar and Thatcher in close attendance.  Don Copp brought out the only caution flag of the event early on when he got crossed up in turn four collecting Dean Yrjanainen.  Jensen led Estey, Lautigar, Wood and Thatcher to the green flag with Thatcher grabbing fourth. On lap six Estey overtook Jensen for the top spot, but by the ten lap half way mark, Thatcher had worked his way to second.  Thatcher worked to the high side and took the lead at the line but jumped the cushion in turn two losing the lead back to Estey.  Estey and Thatcher traded the lead back and fourth to the checkered flag with Estey prevailing for the $800 win. Jensen, Wood and Lautigar finished in the top five.

Results

WISSOTA Late Model (37 cars)
Heat 1: Justin fegers, Brady Smith, Curt Myers, Brad Seng, Steve Laursen
Heat 2: Trent Follmer, Bill Byholm, Luke Roffers, Joel Cryderman, Tim McMann
Heat 3: Mitch Johnson, John Kaanta, Tom Nesbitt, Kelly Estey, Darin Meierotto
Heat 4: Lance Mathees, Darrell Nelson, Jeff Hinkemeyer, Pat Doar, Harry Hanson
Heat 5: Jeff Provinzino, Eric Pember, Rick Hanestad, Ashley Anderson, M J Hintz
B Main: (Two advance) Laursen, Meierotto, Steve Roseen, Paul Brust, Nick Nelson
B Main: (Two advance) McMann, Hanson, Kevin Carlson, Steve Vesel, Leon Plank
Feature: (30 laps, 24 cars start) (1-10) Smith, Fegers, Follmer, Mathees, Johnson, Byholm, Pember, Hanestad, Anderson, Meierotto (11-19) Kaanta, Doar, Myers, Brad Seng, Darrell Nelson, Cryderman, Hanson, Estey, Nesbitt. 
(DNF): Hinkemeyer, Laursen, McMann, Roffers, Provinzino

WISSOTA Championship Sprints (19 cars)
Heat 1: Jerry Richert, Jr, Chuck Swenson, Roger Rager, Alan Gilbertson, Ken Melanson 
Heat 2: Loren langerud, Dustin Lindquist, Donovan Peterson, John Franzen, Leith Thomas
Heat 3: Sye Anderson, Scott Winters, Matt Folstad, Joe Kouba, John Nelson
Feature: (18 cars) (1-10) Langerud, Rager, Swenson, Peterson, Winters, Joe Kouba, Melanson, Franzen, Thomas, Eric Steinkraus. (11-13) Nelson, Joseph Kouba, John Wykoff 
(DNF): Anderson, Richert, Lindquist, Gilbertson, Folstad (DNS) Wade Nygaard

WISSOTA Modified (30 cars)
Heat 1: Joey Jensen, Dennis Checkalski, Kelly Estey, Jeff Lien, Dann Olson
Heat 2: Craig Thatcher, Don Copp, Steve Arpin, Al Uotinen, Mark Johnson
Heat 3: Darrell Nelson, Eric Pember, Dave Mass, Jeff Hinkemeyer, Erik Bjorkland
Heat 4: Jeff Wood, Jayme Lautigar, Jason Miller, Dean Yrjanainen, Kevin Montieth
B Main: Darrell Carlson, Bill Byholm, Clint Larson, Ed Wakefield, Cory Jorgenson
Feature: (20 laps, 24 cars) (1-10) Estey, Thatcher, Jensen, Wood, Lautigar, Arpin, Lien, Nelson, Miller, Olson (11-24) Pember, Yrjanainen, Uotinen, Mass, Larson, Bjorkland, Copp, Byholm, Hinkemeyer, Checkalski, Montieth, Carlson, Mark Johnson 
(DNF) Wakefield

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