LAURSEN TOPS SUPERIOR SPEEDWAY LATE MODEL FEATURE

Chesley Wins Third Straight Midwest Modified Feature

By Jerry O'Brien 6-22-07

Superior, WI

Steve Laursen of Cumberland, WI won the 25 lap Late Model feature at the superior Speedway Friday June 22. Joel Cryderman's early lead died on the vine when before a lap could be completed Darrell Carlson spun in turn four. The next time pole sitter Darrell Nelson was ready for Cryderman and got the jump at the green flag. Cryderman was second with Steve Laursen third ahead of Mike Nutzmann and Pat Doar. Nelson Cryderman and Laursen put some distance on fourth place. Laursen got by Cryderman and pressured Nelson for the lead as the two flew around the speedway Nelson high in the momentum groove and Laursen working down low.  Laursen sqeezed past Nelson for the lead but the second caution flag appeared for Chuckie DeSmith's spin. Going back to the previous lap gave nelson back the top spot. At the green flag Nelson led Laursen, Cryderman, Doar and Harry Hanson with 19 of 25 laps still remaining.  Cryderman began to slip back while up front all eyes were on the duel between Nelson and Laursen. Laursen made the bottom groove work and each time by the start/finish line was able to inch ahead of Nelson who promptly took it back off turn two and down the back stretch. After several laps of trading the lead Laursen was finally able to clear Nelson on the front stretch. The event went under the green flag the rest of the way and, though Nelson was able to catch Laursen as they lapped cars, he could not find a way through and settled for the runner up position. Doar, Cryderman, and Brent Larson finished in the top five.

Al Uotinen captured his second Modified feature of the season as he raced his way form the inside of the sixth row to make a last lap pass for the win. The 20 lap feature saw Darrell Nelson and Bill Byholm share the front row and at the green flag the two took off with Byholm edging out Nelson for the lead. Jody Bellefeuille ran third with Don Copp fourth and Kelly Checkalski fifth in the early going. The first and only full fledged caution flag occurred when a pair of number 37's clashed. Ross Lightner and Kelly Estey made contact and Estey was tagged with the incident. On the restart with seven laps in, Nelson went to the top groove and took the lead from Byholm only to have Byholm come right back and retake the lead at the half way mark with Bellefeuille following him through to second. Nelson fell off the pace and retired with mechanical problems breaking a consecutive feature laps completed string at 620. Meanwhile Uotinen had been steadily working his way forward and ran third in the closing laps.he found some traction and blew by both Bellefeuille and Byholm for the win on the last lap. Byholm, Bellefeuille, Copp and Lightner finished in the top five.

It looked like it was going to be one of those nights once more for the Super Stock feature run.  The 15 lap feature got off to a poor start as Steve Christman got turned around in turn two on the first lap necessitating a complete restart. Pole sitter Joe Oliver jumped into the lead over Dave Flynn, Keith Kern and Dale Gangl with a wad of cars battling for fifth. In that battle was Scott Lawrence and Ryan Aho. Aho apparently got into Lawrence spinning him out which earned him a trip to the back of the pack. At the same time Darin Meierotto dropped out of contention.  Caution flag number three of five in the 20 lap event flew for Flynn's spin and on the restart the order was Oliver, Gangl, and Lawrence who soon grabbed second from Gangl. Caution flag number four soon appeared when a clash left the second turn strewn with debris from the number 15 of Christman. The time limit was nearing and officials dropped two laps to make it 10 to go with Oliver leading Lawrence, Gangl, J B Stortz and Kern. Following Kern was Mikkonen, Destin Lorimor, Jim Campbell, Trevor Wilson and Aho who had cracked the top ten. Lawrence passed Oliver for the lead bringing Gangl with him. Oliver finished third ahead of Stortz and Kern.

Jeff Marshall grabbed the early lead in the 15 lap Midwest Modified feature from the pole and led through the half way mark with Adam Archer, Jesse Ogston, Greg Chesley, Taylor Leuthner and Nick Lavato close behind. Two caution flags in the first half kept the field close, the first for a tangle in turn one that saw the yellow flag fly and all cars drive away. The second caution period was for a wreck apparently charged to Bart Porter that eliminated the cars of Chais Eliason and Dan Doran. At the half way point Marshall led Archer, Leuthner, Chesley, Ogston, Clint Larson and Lavato. Chesley was on the move and took second but Ogston's stalled car off turn two brought out the yellow flag once again. At the green flag Chesley put pressure on Marshall getting a wheel out ahead at the line and completing the pass into turn one. Marshall came right back and the two went wheel to wheel for the lead ahead of Archer, Larson, Lavato and Leuthner. The fifth and final caution flag flew when Tom Morinville spun with help from Dan Russell's bumper. The starting order went back a lap to lap 11and again the time limit was nearing causing officials to call a two lap shootout which was won by Chesley for his third feature win of the season at the speedway. Marshall, Lavato, Archer and Larson finished in the top five.

Butch Madsen recorded the sweep in the Street Stock division winning the heat and the 15 lap feature. It was Madsen's second feature win of the season at the speedway. Madsen wasted little time blasting by early leader Dan Kingsley. Charging up from the last row was point leader Shane Kisling roaring past Rob Weber and Don Craig into third at the checkered flag, a run which helped him maintain that points lead. Madsen ran away from Kingsley for the win with Kisling third, Craig fourth and Scott Herrick fifth.

Rick Kesty battled with Al Rapp and Paul Gusinski in the early going of the 12 lap Pure Stock feature. Tony Ciurleo and Dan Larsen battled fourth ahead of Pete ciurleo and Zene Anderson. The caution flag flew when Jeff Christman's car stalled against the back stretch wall.  At the green flag the order remained the same up front but making an appearance in the top ten was Pat Van Ert who was now ninth after starting in row six. Caution flag number two waved when the battle between Dan Larsen and Gusinski became too close and they hooked bumpers.  Larsen was able to continue but Gusinski dropped out with a flat right front tire. At the half way point Kestey led Rapp, Tim Carlson, Pete Ciurleo, Tony Ciurleo who was dropping back with mechanical troubles, Van Ert, Anderson and Chad Carlson. The final caution flag appeared when Chad Carlson's car died on the back stretch. It was a two lap shootout to the finish with Kesty holding on for his first win of the season. Rapp, Tim Carlson, Van Ert and Pete Ciurleo finished in the top five.

Results DTRA Late Models (22 cars)

Heat 1: Mike Nutzmann; Tim McMann; Brent Larson; Chuckie DeSmith; Eric Breeschoten; Ron Schreiner; Aaron Lillo; Bob Slater

Heat 2: Joel Cryderman; Darrell Nelson; Caley Emerson; Jeff Lien; Darrell Carlson; Gregg Hill; DNF Kelly Estey

Heat 3: Pat Doar; Darin meierotto; Steve Laursen; Harry Hanson; Tom Nesbitt; Nick Musel; Travis Budisalavich

Feature (25 laps) Laursen; Nelson; Doar; Cryderman; Larson; Nutzmann; Hanson; Meierotto; Estey; Schreiner; Nesbitt; McMann; Emerson; Lillo; Lien; Musel; DeSmith; Hill DNF: Breeschoten; Budisalavich; Slater; Carlson

DTRA Modified: (19 cars)

Heat 1: Duane Dale; Jason Miller; Darrell Nelson; Bill Byholm; Kelly Checkalski; Al Uotinen; Kelly Estey; Erik Bjorkland, Rick Rivord; DNF Jad Carlson

Heat 2: Jody Bellefeuille; Ross Lightner; Scott Hudack; Jayme Lautigar; Don Copp; Joey Jensen; Nick Nelson; Ron Schreiner; Steve Lavaseur

Feature (20 laps) Uotinen; Byholm. Bellefeuille; Copp; Lightner; Jensen; Schreiner; Hudack; N Nelson; Estey; Checkalski; Rivord; Dale; Bjorkland; Lavasseur; DNF: D Nelson; Carlson; Miller

DTRA Super Stock (22 cars)

Heat 1: J B Stortz; Tom Treviranus; Scott Lawrence; Keith Kern; Alan Hartel; Destin Lorimor; Jim Campbell; Ronnie Malecki

Heat 2: Ryan Aho; Darin meierotto; Joe Oliver; Trevor Wilson; Andy Grymala; Adam Long; DNF: Steve christman

Heat 3: Brian Mikkonen; Dale Gangl; Dave Flynn; Frank Befera; John Copp; Steve Rivord, jr; DNF: Mike Bellefeuille

Feature: (20 laps) Lawrence; Gangl; Oliver; Stortz; Kern; Aho; Mikkonen; Campbell; Wilson; Copp; Treviranus; Lorimor; Grymala; Befera; Long; Christman; DNF Rivord, Jr; Fkynn; Malecki; Bellefeuille; Hartel. Disqualified Meierotto

DTRA Midwest Modified (24 cars)

Heat 1: Adam Archer; Nick Lavato; Clint Larson; Deven VanHouse; Cory Jorgenson; Shawn Van Guilder; Dan Doran; DNF: Dan Russell

Heat 2: Skeeter Estey; Jeff Pohjonen; Nick Baker; Randy Vezina; Willy Thompson; Joe Olson; Chais Eliason; DNF Al McDougall

Heat 3: Taylor Leuthner; Jeff Marshall; Greg Chesley; Jesse Ogston; Brock McCarthy; Bart Porter; Tom treviranus; DNF Terry Inman

Feature(15 laps) Chesley; Marshall; Lavato; Archer; Larson; Leuthner; Vezina; Olson; Pohjonen; Jorgenson; McCarthy; VanHouse; McDougall; Porter; Morinville; Russell; Van Guilder; DNF: T Inman; Thompson; Estey; Ogston; Doran; Eliason; Baker

DTRA Street Stock (10 cars)

Heat : Butch Madsen; Tim Baum; Scott Herrick; Dan Kingsley; Don Craig; Rob Weber; Scott Andrews; Bobby LePage; DNF: Shane Kisling

DTRA Pure Stock (27 cars)

Heat 1: Jeff Christman; Rick Kesty; Paul Gucinski; Chad Carlson; Mark Korte; Jacob Morinville; Glen Dammer; DNF: Matt Hammitt; Tim Ayers

Heat 2: Pat Van Ert; Pete Ciurleo; Dan Larsen; Rich Dezlak; Karri Schultze; Dale Reynolds; Caitlyn Carlson; Cory lonetto; DNF:John Engelbrecht

Heat 3: Tony Ciurleo; Tim Carlson; Al Rapp; Zene Anderson; Jeff Tormondson; Scott Larsen; Matt Johnson; Carolinr Kresal; Ashley Smith

Feature: (12 laps): Kesty; Rapp; T Carlson; Van Ert; P Ciurleo; Anderson; Johnson; Dammer; D Larsen; S Larsen; Schultze; Tormondson; Dezlak; Reynolds; Hammitt; Caitlyn Carlson; Smith; Lonetto; Reynolds; DNF: Chad Carlson; T Ciurleo; Morinville; Gucinski; Korte; Ayers; Christman; Engelbrecht; Kresal

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