Dale Thrills Crowd For Last Corner DTRA Win At Superior

Aho Repeats; Rick Kesty Tops Field In Barn Burner Pure Stock Opener
By: Chris Stepan

Ryan Aho Super Stocks	Duane Dale Modifieds
Pure Stocks Rick Kesty

            The second night of the 2006 racing season kicked off at the Superior Speedway on Friday night, May 19^th under warm and sunny skies with a regular season record 138 race cars on Days Inn of Superior night at Wisconsin's fastest 3/8 mile red clay oval. Pure Stocks made their first appearance of the season along with regular programs for the DTRA Late Models, Modifieds, Super Stocks and Street Stocks. Feature winners tonight included Rick Kesty in the Pure Stocks, Ryan Aho in the Super Stocks and Duane Dale in the Modifieds. The Late Model and Street Stock features were postponed until the next couple of weeks due to the lateness and track conditions.

            The Pure Stocks were up first for their first main event of the season in Superior and last year's opening night feature winner Nick Baker jumped into the lead at the drop of the green with Glenn Dammer and Steve Kresel giving chase. Baker looked as if he was going to drive off into the night, but a flat right rear tire on his #50 ride slowed his progress and ended his bid for the feature win on lap 6 of the 12-lap main event. Dammer inherited the lead after Baker's departure, but was only able to hold it for one lap until Ricky Davis flew by to the point on lap 7.

            A great battle ensured for the top spot with Dammer, Davis, defending track champion Tom Morinville and Rick Kesty, who was on the move as well. Two laps later, leader Davis erupted into a ball of smoke down the backstretch, ending his great opening night and handing the lead over to Dammer again, but Glenn succumbed to the pressure put on by Kesty over the final few circuits and relinquished the lead to Kesty's #8k with three laps to go. Kesty never looked back and raced to his first feature win of the season in Superior with Dammer and Morinville rounding out the top three finishers. Randy Visger charged from 11^th to fourth at the line and Steve Kresel came home fifth at the stripe.

            The Super Stock feature was plagued with 7 caution flags, which slowed the action each time it was about to get good. Scott Lawrence sat on the pole and jumped out into the lead early on with Tim Borgeson giving chase in second. Last week's winner, Ryan Aho, started 8^th and was moving his way into the top five to battle with third running Sam Skalsky early on in the event. The 20-lap event was cut to 15-laps after the 5^th caution flag flew for an altercation between the top 3 running cars sent Lawrence to the tail on a difficult call.

            When racing resumed Borgeson inherited the lead, but Aho was not to be denied his second straight DTRA feature win as he stormed by Borgeson into the lead, which he held on for the win. Borgeson ran second at the line with Skalsky third, Randy Silverness fourth and 15^th starting Eric Nelson fifth at the finish.

            Marc Johnson and Duane Dale lead the field of 24 DTRA Modifieds to the green flag in the main event and Dale bolted out front right away and proceeded to drive off into the night with Don Copp settling into second right away. Dean Yrjanainen moved into third with Joey Jensen and Jason Miller engaged in a battle for 5^th just behind the leaders. Dale was long gone out front as Copp and Yrjanainen continued to battle for second until a lap 6 caution flag bunched up the field for a restart.

            On the restart Copp moved in on Dale to tussle for the lead, but Duane was up to the challenge and once again pulled out to a sizeable lead over the battle for second. Meanwhile, B-feature winner Darrell Nelson and 16^th starting Jeff Lien were storming through traffic on their way toward the top five. Nelson moved in on Miller for third, while Copp was trying to stay within striking distance of Dale up front, when the second and final caution flag flew over the field on lap 18, setting up a green-white-checkered 2-lap dash to the finish for the $1,000 payday.

            On the restart, Copp drove to the inside of Dale and stole the lead, while Miller  worked to the inside of Dale for second as well in turn two. Copp lead the white flag lap at the line, but Dale was not done yet as he put his #24d onto the cushion once again and powered back along side Copp for the lead while they raced down the backstretch. Both drivers hammered the throttle as they raced out of turn four to the double checkered-flags, but Dale was able to use the outside momentum to his liking and out-dragged Copp to the line for the thrilling feature win. Copp ran second with Miller edging Nelson for third and Lien rounding out the top five at the line.

            The Late Model feature started with Joel Cryderman getting the jump on outside pole sitter Trent Follmer, but was quickly stopped after Brad Jensen took a terrible tumble into turn one, bringing out the red flag on lap 1. The event was restarted and on the restart, Rick Egersdorf launched his Terry Lanphear-owned #4L car up and over the turn one wall, bringing out the second red flag of the night, which caused track officials to cancel the remaining laps in the Late Model feature as well as the Street Stock feature until a later date.

            The Late Model feature will be made up on Friday, June 2^nd and the Street Stock feature will be made up on Friday, June 9^th along with regular programs for each division both nights. For more information regarding the Superior Speedway, please check out www.superiorspeedway.com or call 715 497 8916. The next event at Wisconsin's fastest 3/8 mile red clay oval will be on Friday, May 26^th featuring the IRA Outlaw Sprint Cars along with DTRA Modifieds and DTRA Midwest Modifieds competing in the 2^nd annual Superior SpringFest.

Event Summary:

DTRA Late Models

Feature: Postponed

Heat 1: Joey Jensen, Steve Laursen, Rick Egersdorf, Jeff Broking, Todd Gehl

Heat 2: Brent Larson, Nick Musel, Caley Emerson, Darrell Nelson, Jeff Provinzino

Heat 3: Eric Breeschoten, Terry Casey, Mike Rich, Kelly Estey, Brad Jensen
Heat 4: Joel Cryderman, Mike Nutzmann, Trent Follmer, Tom Nesbitt, Tom Waseleski

B-feature: Harry Hanson, Tim McMann, Pat Doar, Danny Young, Billy Byholm

DTRA Modifieds

Feature: Dale, Copp, Miller, Nelson, Jeff Lien, Yrjanainen, Byholm, Larson, Bjorklund, Lightner

Heat 1:  Duane Dale, Marc Johnson, Don Copp, Dean Yrjanainen, Jody Bellefieulle

Heat 2: Joey Jensen, Jason Miller, Ross Lightner, Rick Rivord, Jad Carlson

Heat 3: Al Uotinen, Tyler Hynnes, Eric Bjorklund, Brent Larson, Billy Byholm

B-feature: Darrell Nelson, Jayme Lautigar, Polonoski, Kelly Estey, Rick Friendt

DTRA Super Stocks

Feature: Aho, Borgeson, Skalsky, Silverness, Nelson, Gangl, Gullikson, Hartel, Campbell, Wilson

Heat 1: Scott Lawrence, Steve Estey, John Copp, Alan Hartel, Cy Hoaglan

Heat 2: Trevor Wilson, Jeff Lindsay, Tim Borgeson, Dave Flynn, Ryan Rivord

Heat 3: Randy Silverness, Destin Lorimor, Jay Kuras, Eric nelson, Dale Gangl
Heat 4: Sam Skalsky, Jeff Tardy, Ryan Aho, Mike Loomis, Rick Simpson

B-feature: Jim Gullikson, Jim Campbell, Chuck Metzgar, Joe Oliver, Robbie Cooper

DTRA Street Stocks

Feature: Postponed

Heat 1: Keith Tourville, Mark Froelich, Scott Herrick, Don Craig, Scott Andrews

Heat 2: Butch Madsen, Shane Kisling, Tim Baum, Randy Vezina, Marshall Andrews

Superior Pure Stocks

Feature: R. Kesty, Dammer, T. Morinville, Visger, Kresel, Tony Curleo, Jarvi, P. Curleo, E. Kesty, Tormondson

Heat 1: Nick Baker, Ricky Davis, Tom Morinville, Jeff Tormondson, Jacob Morinville

Heat 2: Randy Visger, Steve Kresel, Glenn Dammer, Pete Curleo, Brad Forseen

Heat 3: Rick Kesty, Andrew Jarvi, Steve Christman, Ashley Smith, Ed Kesty

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