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Travis Whitney made it a sweep of
the Interstate Racing Association's (IRA) first visit of the
season to the Superior Speedway
Friday night June 24th as he grabbed the lead on the first
circuit and survived four caution flags to take home the $2500
first place money. Nine time IRA Champion Joe Roe charged from
12th to nip John Sernett at the line for the runner up spot.
It was Mike Kertscher who got the jump at the start of the 30
lap feature but Whitney was moving very quickly on a track he
knew well and blasted to the lead off turn four. John Sernett,
Scotty Nietzel, Scott Young and Scott Biertzer were top five
runners in the early going. Bietzer got turned around in one
bringing out the caution flag. At the green Whitney again shot
to a strong lead while Sernett, Young, Nietzel and Billy Balog
ran just ahead of Kertscher. Whitney widened his lead as he
sailed around the high groove as Young annexed second from
Sernett with Neitzel and Kertscher trailing.
The second caution flag
occurred when Kim Mock spun in turn one with seven of 30
complete. At the restart Whitney again showed his dominance
over the front runners as other drivers began making inroads
on those trailing Whitney. Amongst those drivers was Mike
Reinke who had started tenth and was picking them off one by
one as he grabbed third. Joe Roe was also moving forward and
was just outside the top ten in sixth from 12th. At the half
way point it was Whitney with a huge lead over Sernett, Reinke,
Young and Kertscher. It usually follows that when you need a
caution flag, you most likely will cause it and this was the
case with Reinke as he suddenly fell off the pace and stopped
at the top of the first turn with a flat right rear tire
bringing out caution flag number three. Reinke was able to
change the tire and tag onto the rear of the field as the
green flag flew.
With a dozen laps remaining
Whitney again bolted to a long lead with Sernett, Young, Kertscher,
and Roe, who had inherited fifth with the temporary demise of
Reinke. Whitney had started lapping cars early on so each time
there was a caution flag there were several cars between him,
second place Young and Sernett, but Sernett and Young made
quick work of the traffic but were unable to gain ground on
the fleeing Whitney. The two were brought closer to Whitney
when the final caution flag appeared when Andy Hunt and Ty
Bartz tangled in turn two. At the green with five laps
remaining, Whitney yet again drove away from the field and on
to the win. Roe finished off his charge from 12th by skimming
past Young and Sernett to take second. Sernett and Kertscher
rounded out the top five while almost unnoticed Steve Meyer
worked his way from 22nd to sixth.
It is perhaps a rarity in
Modified racing, a 20 lap feature event that goes flag to flag
without a caution, but the 25 car field pulled it off Friday
night as part of the IRA Sprint show. Eric Bjorkland drew the
pole for the event flanked by Tyler Keyser and, at the green
it was Keyaer that made the move to the lead followed by Byll
Byholm from the second row, Bjorkland, Jeff Lien and Kelly
Estey who bolted to fifth from the inside of the fifth row.
Byholm and Keyser battled high and low with Byholm skittering
to the lead by a car length. Lien took third and estey moved
to fourth, all this in the space of the first four laps. Dean
yrjanainen also moved into contention raking fifth from his
fourth row starting spot. Don Copp was also making his way
forward and was eighth from 12th and closing quickly on the
front runners. Keyser came back to challenge Byholm for the
lead with Lien and Estey in close proximity with a dozen
circuits remaining. Estey was able to nip Keyser and take
second as Darrell Nelson made his presence known and slipped
into the top three. Estey took second and challenged Byholm,
who was able to hang on to the lead by his finger nails, with
were six laps left.
The battle between Byholm and
Estey was an intense one as Estey was better off the high side
of turn two and down the back stretch while Byholm was
stronger where it counted, off turn four. Byholm took the win
over Estey, Keyser, Nelson and Yrjanainen with Copp's charge
stalling in a sixth place finish.
There was high hopes that the
Super stock feature could also go flag to flag but those hopes
were dashed when it took six tries to get in the first lap
forcing officials to cut five laps from the scheduled 15. Jay
Kuras took the lead from the pole over Adam Long, rookie Dave
Reynolds, Rick Simpson but that didn't last long as Steve
Estey got turned around in turn fourapparently by Tom
Treviranus and collected Donnie Lofdahl. Kuras tried again as
Simpson was second and Kyle Peterlin third. Ryan Aho appeared
to slid up turn two and into Long which set off a mele that
eventually led to the retirement of four competitors. Luckily,
over in turn three Lofdahl was involved in a spin which the
caution flag was thrown for. Of the cars caught up in the turn
two incident, only Scott Lawrence who was pinned up against
the wall by four cars,was able to drive away and
continue.
This incident apparently set
the tone for the event as four more incidents were recorded
before a complete lap was in the books. Kuras led that one
over Simpson, Peterlin, Lawrence and Aho. Simpson challenged
Kuras for the point and edged ahead at the line by a nose.
Kuras attempted to rebound but Simpson was in front to stay.
Lawrence worked the high side to perfection and got around
Peterlin for third as eighth starting Dale Gangl took fourth
ahead of Peterlin finishing in that order.
The Pure Stock feature was
postponed to the next time they are scheduled to compete at
the speedway due to time constraints.
Results

IRA Sprints (25 cars)
Fast Time Scotty Neitzel 16.574 (track record Donny Goeden
12.958 set September 1999)
Heat 1: travis Whitney, Scotty Neitzel, Scott Uttech,
Mike Stefka, Jim Melius, Ty Bartz, Steve Meyer, DNF Leigh
Thomas, DNS Fred Ebler
Heat 2: John Sernett, Scott Biertzer, Joe Roe, Mike Kertscher,
Kim Mock, Tim Sernett, Wayne Modjeski DNS Dave Uttech
Heat 3: Scott Young, Mike Reinke, Andy Hunt, Billy
Balog, Jerry Richert, Jr, Ryan Irwin, Matt Folstad, Billy
Warren
Feature: 30 Laps, $2500 to win Whitney, Roe, J Sernett,
Young, Kertscher, Meyer, Richert, Neitzel, Irwin, Mock, Melius,
Balog, Bartz, Hunt, Suttech, Thomas, Modjeski, Folstad, T
Sernett, Reinke, S Biertzer, Warren, D Uttech

WISSOTA Modifeds(25 cars)
Heat 1: Kelly Estey, Tyler Keyser, Don Copp, Bill
Byholm, Al Uotinen, Jeff Pohjonen, Jad Carlson DNF Kevin
Montieth, Jamie Davis
Heat 2: Shawn Polonoski, Jeff Lien, Eric Bjorkland,
Darrell Nelson, Marc Johnson, Jodi Olson, Kelly Checkalski,
Scott Hudak
Heat 3: Dean Yrjanainen, Tim Danielson, Jody
Bellefeuille, Dann Olson, Tyler Hynnes, Darrell Carlson, Shaun
Kreyer, Ross Lightner
Feature: Byholm, Estey, Keyser, Nelson, Yrjanainen,
Copp, Uotinen, Lien, Bellefeuille, Bjorkland, Hynnes,
Polonoski, Danielson, D Olson, Johnson, J Olson, Kreyer,
Pohjonen, Carlson, Hudack, Montieth, J Carlson DNF Lightner,
Checkalski, Davis

Super Stock (32 cars)
Heat 1: Al Uotinen, Kyle Peterlin, Ryan Aho, Randy
Silverness, Dave Flynn, Donnie Lofdahl, Gordy Maki DNF Robbie
Cooper
Heat 2: Rick Rivord, Rick Simpson, Dale Gangl,
Keith Kern, Shawn McFadden, Ronnie Malecki, Destin Lorimor,
Mike Bellefeuille
Heat 3: Scott Lawrence, Eric Nelson, Jay Kuras, Ryan
Rivord, Steve Estey, Chuck Metzgar DNF Jim Campbell, Kyle
Leuthner
Heat 4: Tom Treviranus, Adam Long, Dave Reynolds, Joe
Olson, Doug Woodhull, Todd Bonney, Alan Hartel DNF Dan
Yrjanson
B Main: Lofdhal, Bellefeuille, Metzgar, Bonney, Lorimor,
Malecki, Campbell, Cooper, Yrjanson, Luethner, Maki DNF:
Hartel
Feature: Simpson, Kuras, Lawrence, Gangl, Peterlin,
Ryan Rivord, Aho, Bonney, Silverness, Flynn, Bellefeuille,
Uotinen, Kern, Estey, Metzgar, Lofdahl, Reynolds, McFadden,
Woodhull DNF Treviranus, Long, Rick Rivord, Nelson,
Olson
Pure Stocks (22 cars)
Heat 1: Tony Ciurleo, Jason Ziells, Rick Wilhelm, Dale
Reynolds, Glen Dammer, Pete Ciurleo, Ed Kesty, Dan Doran,
Steve Christman, Steve Kresal DNF Chad Carlson
Heat 2: Cory Casari, Jesse Ogston, Al Rapp, Tom
Morinville, Richard Dezlak, Mike Lambert, Jason Rockwell,
Kelly Moen, Nick Baker DNF Randy Visgar DQ Rick Kesty
Due to time constraints the Pure Stock Feature will be run
as a double feature on July 1.
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