MARS MASTERS WDRL SUPERIOR SHOW

By Jerry O'Brien

6-14-07 Superior, WI

Jimmy Mars of Menomonie won the 50 lap World Dirt Racing League feature Thursday night at the Superior Speedway. Mars was fresh off a $5000 win in the WDRL event held the previous night at the Red Cedar Speedway in Menomonie, WI. For the second straight night the event went off without a hitch going flag to flag without a single caution flag taking a mere 16 minutes and 22 seconds to complete. Mars lapped the field up to the 11th place man Pat Doar.

Mars, who won his first ever Late Model feature at the Superior Speedway back in the early ‘90's. Mars won the third heat and also won the six lap Dash that set the first four rows for the 50 lap feature. The dash win put him on the pole for the feature sharing the front row with two time WDRL champion Denny Eckrich and he wasted little time bolting to the lead att he green flag.  From there on everyone was chasing after him but he led every lap for the win. Darren "The Thriller" Miller quickly moved his number 32D into second place and set of in hot pursuit after Mars. Eckrich, Pat Doar, John Kaanta, Brady Smith and Scott Bloomquist trailed. By lap nine Mars was eyeing the back of the field preparing to lap the back markers. As Mars began to lap cars, Miller began to close slightly as traffic slowed the swift Mars. Denny Eckrich, Doar, Kaanta, Smith, Bloomquist and Dave Eckrich battled for position behind Miller. Miller was about 15 car lengths astern of Mars car as he chased him through the field. At the 25 lap mark Mars had Miller by several car lengths while Denny Eckrich was third and Smith who was now fourth. Kaanta led Bloomquist, Doar and Dave Eckrich while Ashley Anderson shadowed that group. Miller caught Mars and actually edged ahead off turn two but mars shot by him on the back stretch and again began to stretch his lead. Miller again caught Mars as a knot of cars in the third turn looked to be trouble for the leader. Mars swung to the high side and used the pack of cars all fighting for position as a pick temporarily trapping Miller in the low groove. With five laps remaining Mars had several car lengths on Miller with Smith now third and Kaanta fourth as he shot past Denny Eckrich for the position. Mars pulled away from Miller in the final couple of circuits for the win. Dave Eckrich was sixth, Bloomquist seventh, Anderson eigth, Tom Nesbitt ninth and Eric Pember tenth. Doar slipped back to eleventh at the finish the last car on the lead lap. Only two cars failed to finish, Laursen who dropped out on lap 28 and Pete Parker who dropped out on lap 17.

Support divisions for the WDRL show were the Midwest Modifieds and Super Stocks. In the Midwest Modified 20 lap feature Adam Archer led off from the pole and led the early laps ahead of Nick Lavato while Matt Sorenson, Willy Thompson and Jesse Ogston went three wide for third. The caution flag flew when Thompson who's car had begun smoking heavily stalled just off turn four. At the green Lavato clipped Archer spinning him out Lavato was sent to the back and was able to work his way back to tenth. At the green Archer led Ogston and Greg Chesley with Sorenson and Tom Smart in the top five. Again the caution flag appeared when dan doran and Chais eliason clashed and Eliason spun. At the green flag Chesley jumped to the lead and at the half way point Chesley led Archer, Ogston, Sorenson and Smart. Coming up through the pack was Cory Jorgenson who was now sixth from 17th. The final caution flag flew when John Sertich stalled in turn two. At the green flag Chesley drove off to his third feature win of the season at the speedway. Archer, Sorenson, Jorgenson and Dan Wheeler rounded out the top five.

Mike Bellefeuille was looking for another feature win, his second in a row at the speedway.  He took the lead from the pole but a caution flag flew when Randy Spacek and Ryan Aho clashed mid pack with Spacek spinning. Aho was sent to the back and was able to work his way back to seventh at the conclusion of the 20 lap feature. At the restart there was very close racing in the pack resulting in Mark Chamernick spinning in turn one. Bellefeuille led Keith Kern, Dale Gangl and Jim Campbell ahead of John Copp, Scott Lawrence, Tim Borgeson and Steve Estey.  Art Hyde and Joe Oliver tangled bringing out yet another caution flag. Hyde was sent to the rear and Oliver dropped out of action. At the half way point Bellefeuille led Kern by three car lengths while Spacek, Meierotto, Campbell, Gangl, Lawrence , Borgeson and Aho put on a show racing for position behind the leader. Bellefeuille led the rest of the way with no more caution flags to slow the action. Spacek race to second ahead of Kern, Meierotto and Campbell in the top five.

Results Superior Speedway Thursday June 14 WDRL Late Models

WDRL Late Models (35 cars)

Heat 1: 1. Darren Miller; 2. Brady Smith; 3. Ashley Anderson; 4. Rick Hanestad; 5. Ace Ihm; 6. Jeff Lien; 7. Tim Isenberg; 8. Andrew McKay; 9 Darrell Carlson

Heat 2: 1. Denny Eckrich; 2. Pat Doar; 3. Tom Nesbitt; 4. Pete Parker; 5. Chris Simpson; 6. Rob Moss; 7. Aaron Lillo; 8. Roger Paolo; DNS Joel Cryderman

Heat 3: 1. Jimmy Mars; 2. Scott Bloomquist; 3, Steve Laursen; 4. Eric Pember; 5. Brian Haris; 6. Justin Fegers; 7. Jeff Provinzino; 8. Jason Utter; 8. Matt Furman

Heat 4: 1. John Kaanta; 2. Dave Eckrich; 3. Marshall Fegers; 4. Nick Anvelink; 5. Bill Koons; 6. Todd Gehl; DNF 7. Darin Meierotto; 8. Gregg Hill

B Feature: 1. Provinzino; 2. Ihm; 3. Gehl; 4. J Fegers; 5. Lien; 6. Furman; 7. Utter; 8. Furman; 9. Koons; 10. Isenberg; 11. McKay; 12. Lillo; 13. D Carlson; 14. Paolo; 15. Hill; 16 Hill Pole Dash: 1. Mars; 2. Denny Eckrich; 3. Doar; 4. Miller; 5. Kaanta; 6. Smith; 7. Bloomquist; Dave Eckrich

Feature: (50 Laps, $10,000 to win) 1. Mars; 2. Miller; 3. Smith; 4.Kaanta; 5. Denny Eckrich; 6 Dave Eckrich; 7. Bloomquist; 8. Anderson; 9. Nesbitt; 10. Pember; 11. Doar; 12. Harris (49 laps); 13. Anvelink (49); 14. Hanestad (49); 15. Provinzino (49); 16. M Fegers (49); 17. Simpson 18. (49); J Fegers (49); 19. Ihm (48); 20. Isenberg (48); 21. Meierotto (48) 22. Gehl (47) 23. Moss (37); DNF 24. Laursen (28); 25. DNF Parker (17)

Super Stock (32 cars)

Heat 1: 1. Rick Przybylski; 2. Scott Lawrence; 3. Darin Meierotto; 4. Alan Hartel;5. Frank Befera; 6. Andy Grymala DNF 7, Jason Gabrielson; 8. Ronnie Malecki

Heat 2: 1. Keith Kern; 2. Tim Borgeson; 3. Jim Campbell; 4. Art Hyde; 5. D J Dondelinger; 6. Adam Long; 7. J B Stortz; 8. Wayne Striker

Heat 3. 1. John Copp; 2. Dale Gangl, 3. Mike Bellefeuille; 4. Ryan Aho; 5. Tom Treviranus; 6. Destin Lorimor; 7. Joe Oliver DNF 8. Steve christman

Heat 4.1. Steve Estey; 2. Randy Spacek; 3. Mark Chamernick; 4. Trevor Wilson; 5. Dave flynn; 6. Robbie Cooper DNF 7. Steve Rivord, Jr; 8. Rob Christman

B Feature: 1. Oliver; 2. Grymala; 3. Long; 4. Stortz; 5. Lorimor; 6. Gabrieson; 7. Striker; 8. S Christman; 9. Rivord; 10. Cooper; DNS 11. Malecki; 12 R Christman

Feature (20 laps) : 1. Bellefeuille; 2. Spacek; 3. Kern; 4. Meierotto; 5. Campbell; 6. Copp; 7. Aho; 8. Lawrence; 9. Gangl; 10. Stortz; 11. Borgeson; 12. Wilson; 13. Estey; 14. Hyde; 15. Treviranus; 16. Grymala; 17. Dondelinger; 18 Hartel; 19. Long DNF 20. Flynn; 21. Oliver; 22. Przbylski; 23. Chamernik; 24. Befera

Midwest Modified (24 cars)

Heat 1: 1. Greg Chesley; 2, Deven VanHouse; 3. Willy Thompson; 4. Nick Baker; 5. Clint Larson; 6. Joe Olson; 7. Bart Porter; DNF 8 Jeff Pohjonen

Heat 2: 1. Matt Sorenson; 2. Adam Archer; 3. Tom Smart; 4. Jesse Ogston; 5. Randy Vezina; 6. Cory Jorgenson; 7. Brock McCarthy; 8. Tyler Leuthner

Heat 3: 1. Dan Wheeler; 2. Nick Lavato; 3. Al McDougall; 4. John Sertich; 5. Dan Doran; 6. Chais Eliason; 7. Tom Morinville DNF 8. Skeeter Estey

Feature: (20 laps) : 1.Chesley; 2, Archer; 3. Sorenson; 4. Jorgenson; 5. Wheeler; 6. Ogston; 7. Baker; 8. VanHouse; 9. Olson; 10. Lavato; 11. McCarthy; 12. McDougall; 13. Pohjonen; 14. Estey; 15. Eliason; 16. Sertich; 17. Porter; 18, Doran; 19. Vezina; 20. Smart; 21. Larson; 22. Thompson; 23. Morinville; 24. Leuthner.