AUSTRALIAN RACER WINS NORTHERN
NATIONALS IRA SPRINT SHOW
Sydney Native Doubles Up At Speedway
In 2004
By Jerry O'Brien
Brooke Tatnell of Sydney Australia has raced in the IRA Sprints
twice in 2004 at the Superior Speedway and the hired gun has won
both times, each in a different car. Tatnell started the 30 lap main
event from the inside of the fourth row and survived a red flag and
caution filled event to take the win. Former event winner Travis
Whitney's hopes of another victory went out the window when his
mount failed to fire and he was unable to start the feature.
At the green flag Scott Uttech fired into the lead from the pole
with Ricky Logan, Mike Kertscher, Jason Solwald and Joe Row
trailing. With one lap in the books Uttech turned sideways off turn
one and caught some serious air in a nasty looking flip on the back
stretch. Uttech was uninjured but the car was unable to continue. At
the restart Logan had the lead with Kertscher ahead of Solwold and
Roe and Jeff Mitrisin in the top five. Tatnell lurked just outside
the front runners with Terry McCarl there also. Another red flag
appeared when a tangle in the fourth turn saw McCarl tip over.
McCarl was not hurt and the crew hustled in the work area to replace
the crumpled wing and he was able to restart
at the rear of the field in 20th. Logan retained the lead on the
restart with Kertscher following. Fast movers included Mitrisin to
third and Tatnell to fourth. Still another stoppage occurred when
John Sernett spun in turn two and Mike Stefka clipped his front end.
Both Sernett and Stefka were finished and there were still 27 laps
remaining.
This time the race went green for several circuits
and Tatnell swept into the lead ahead of Logan, Kertscher, Mitrisin
and Solwold. At the 15 lap mark Tatnell had run away from the rest
of the remaining pack but had that lead erased when Kurt Davis
stalled on the front stretch. The next stretch of green flag racing
lasted two laps when Kertscher became entangled with another car and
flipped. Tatnell, Logan, Mitrisin and Roe took off to settle the
issue with seven laps remaining but two circuits later John Haeni
spun in the second turn bringing out the final caution flag. Tatnell
blasted away from the rest at the green flag and took the runaway
win over Mitrisin, Logan, Roe and a determined McCarl who rebounded
from his flip to finish fifth.
Newcomer Tim Johnson of Brainerd, MN started the
25 lap WISSOTA Super Stock feature from the outside of the front row
and led every lap to take the $1000 winner's share on the first
night of the 16th annual Northern Nationals. Darin Meierotto was
quickly up from row two but could not gain much ground on the fleet
Johnson. A few lengths back of Meierotto pole sitter Rick Simpson,
Scott Lawrence and Ryan Rivord battled for third. They were soon
joined Dale Gangl and Randy Silverness as the event went 16 circuits
before the one and only caution flag flew when Mike Meger spun in
turn one. The caution flag brought Meierotto and the rest of the
field to Johnson's rear bumper but to no avail as he was able to
pull out an advantage again when racing resumed. Johnson held off
Meirotto, Simpson, Ryan Rivord and Lawrence for the win.
The WISSOTA Street Stocks raced their heat races
and the top four in each heat raced a ten lap "dash" to
determine their starting spots for Saturday's feature. Tom O'Brien
of Webster, WI beat Butch Madsen of Rice Lake, WI and chose to start
the feature from the outside of the front row.
Results
IRA Sprints (35 Cars)
(fast time Terry McCarl 13.051 seconds, 0.0101 off the
track record of 12.950 set by Donny Goeden) (four advance from heats
to A Main)
Heat 1: Scott Uttech, Matt Folstad, Joe Roe, Terry McCarl, John
Haeni, Mike Stefka, Rusty Egan, Jason Johnson DNF: Fred Ebler
Heat 2: Scott Neitzel, Travis Whitney, Ty Bartz, Kim Mock, Jimmy
Kouba, Joe Kouba DNF: Kurt Davis, Mike Reinke DNS Howie
Gleason
Heat 3: Mike Kertscher, Jeff Mitrisin, Jason Solwold, John Sernett,
Ryan Irwin, Andy Hunt, Bill Wirth, Dan Owings DNF: Bill Warren
Heat 4: Ricky Logan, Brooke Tatnell, Dave Enders, Steve Meyer, Leigh
Thomas, Wayne Modjeski, Scott Biertzer DNF: Dave Uttech
B Main: D Uttech, Jimmy Kouba, Haeni, Davis, J Johnson, Irwin,
Stefka, Thomas, Joe Kouba, Modjeski, Egan, Owings, Hunt, Warren,
DNF: Gleason, Wirth, Biertzer
Feature: (22 cars start, 30 laps) (1-10) Tatnell, Mitrisin, Logan,
Roe, McCarl, Solwold, Neitzel, Bartz, D Uttech, Haeni (11-22) Mock,
Enders, Jimmy Kouba, Folstad, Irwin, Kertscher, Davis, J Johnson,
Stefka, Sernett, S Uttech, Meyer.
WISSOTA Super Stock (46 cars, four advance to feature from
heat)
Heat 1: Scott lawrence, Rick Simpson,Dale Gangl, Keith Kern, Jay
Kuras, Steve Hucovski, Kevin Salin, Adam long, Doug Woodhull DNF:
Cory Davis
Heat 2: Tim Johnson, Ryan Rivord, Jim Campbell, Mike Bellefeuille,
Bob D'antonio, Destin Lorimor, Dave Flynn, Rob Cooper DNF Donnie
Lofdahl
Heat 3: Randy Silverness, Kyle Peterlin, Joe Oliver, Al Uotinen,
Bruce Tourville, Paul Berg, Brian Youdrin DNF: John Hunker, Gordy
Maki
Heat 4: Rick Rivord, Marshall Fegers, Mick Musel, Jeff
Lindsey, Steve Thomas, Mike Vajdl, Ron Malecki, Norm Stahl DNF Bruce
Johnson
Heat 5: September 11, 2004arin Meierotto, Paul Schultz, Keane
Laakson, Jeff Tardy, Mike Meger, Eric Nelson, Danny lane, Todd
Bonny, Jean Fortin
B Main (two advance): Meger, Lorimor, Vadjl, Salin, B Johnson,
Cooper, Kuras, Fortin, lane, Youderin DNF: B Tourville, Bonny,
Lofdahl
B Main: P Berg, S Thomas, Flynn, E Nelson, Davis, Hunker, Hucovski,
makecki, Woodhull, Maki, Long, Stahl, DNS: D'Antonio
Feature (25 laps, 24 cars start) (1-10): T Johnson, Meierotto,
Simpson, Ryan Rivord, Lawrence, Rick Rivord, Gangl, Silverness,
Meger (11-16) Musel, Lorimor, Kern, Lindsey, Tardy, Berg DNF:
Peterlin, Fegers, Bellefeuille, Oliver, Schultz, Laakason, Thomas,
Campbell
WISSOTA Street Stock (24 cars)
Heat 1: Trevor Wilson, Kevin Baron, Shane Kisling, Lou Andrews,
Drew Sauer, Rich Dennhardt, Jamie Olson DNF: George Korich
Heat 2: Tom O'Brien, Mike kalkbrenner, Steve Anderson, Riley
Matthews, Angelo Simone DNF: Tim Baum, Paul Carlson, Scott
Herrick
Heat 3: Butch Madsen, Marshall Andrews, Randy vezina, Mark Froelich,
Jon Zastrow, Ron Johnson DNF: Keith Tourville, Cory Casari
Dash: (Determined Saturday's feature alignment) O'Brien, Madsen, M
Andrews, Wilson, Matthews, Baron, L Andrews, Vezina, Kalkbrenner,
Froelich.
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