ADAM ARCHER WINS FIRST CAREER MIDWEST MODIFIED FEATURE

Mike Bellefeuille Wins Third Super Stock Feature Of Season

By Jerry O'Brien

7-6-07 Superior, WI

Summer apparently has finally arrived here on the Tundra with some great sunshine and warm temperatures for the crowds at the Superior Speedway. All six divisions were on hand for a regular weekly racing program totaling 121 cars.

Twenty-five Super Stocks took Jeff Elliott's green flag at the start of their 20 lap feature.  Darin Meierotto started on the pole and grabbed the early lead as Mike Bellefeuille took second from row two ahead of Wayne Stricker, J B Stortz, Joe Oliver and Ryan Aho. Stricker, Stortz, Oliver and Aho jockeyed for position. Meierotto and Bellefeuille went wheel to wheel for the point and Bellefeuille had first by a nose at the line. Next time by he completed the pass on Meierotto. The battle for the lead heated up and Meierotto and Bellefeuille clashed in the fourth turn. Bellefeuille spun into the infield but the ticket went to Mierotto who was sent to the rear.  Bellefeuille was restored to the lead with the dangerous Aho on his bumper. Oliver was third over Stortz and fourth was contested by Dale Gangl, Scott Lawrence and Jim Campbell. Bellefeuille pulled away from Aho but the caution flag flew whe Donnie Lofdahl turned around in turn two which put Aho right on Bellefeuille's tail. Bellefeuille stuck to the low groove on the restart forcing Aho high. That let Bellefeuille again pull away from Aho, and in turn, Gangl who had won out in the battle for third. Bellefeuille went on to take his third feature win of the season over Aho, Gangl, Tim Johnson from deep in the field and Stortz in fifth.

Next up was the Modified main event with Jayme Lautigar sharing the front row with point leader Joey Jensen. For the first few circuits of the 20 lap feature Lautigar and Jensen flew around the speedway in formation with neither driver able to gain an advantage. Don Copp, Kelly Estey, Darrell nelson and Jody Bellefeuille trailed. Nelson was moving froward after starting in the fifth row. Lautigar finally bested Jensen for the lead and the two drove away from the third place battle which Nelson won and closed in on Jensen. Nelson was able to wrest second from Jensen and set out after Lautigar. At the ten lap mark the top five was Lautigar, Nelson, Jensen, Copp and Estey. Nelson caught Lautigar and pulled off the pass for the lead while Bellefeuille mounted a charge toward the front blowing past several cars into third. Nelson pulled off to a ten car length lead which he kept to the checkered flag as there were no caution flags to slow the action. Lautigar, Bellefeuille, Copp and Jensen rounded out the top five.

Twenty-three Midwest Modifieds were next to pull onto the big 4/10ths mile speedway for their 15 lap main event. Veteran Cory Jorgenson brought the field to the green flag and he and outside front row mate Jimmy Latvala battled for the lead which Latvala finally took over. On the move from the third row was 15 year old Midwest Modified rookie Adam Archer battling with Jorgenson and point leader Greg Chesley. Archer took second and then battled with Latvala before taking over the lead. At the half way point archer led Jorgenson, Latvala, Chesley and Clint Larson. Archer was pulling away from the pack but a caution flag for the stalled car of Dan Doran spoiled the stellar run and brought Chesley who was now second right to his back bumper. At the green Chesley got the jump and it looked as though the youngster was going to have to settle for second. However, and there is always a however, the start was waved off when Dan Russell slowed and stalled on the front stretch. Archer learned from the previous restart and did not let Chesley use the same maneuver and was able to retain the lead over the last five laps to take his first career win in a Midwest Modified. Chesley finished second ahead of another young driver as Jesse Ogston came from the seventh row to finish third. Jorgenson and Latvala finished off the top five.

It was 25 laps for the "Big Dog" Late Models with Darin Meierotto grabbing the lead over Ron Schreiner at the initial green flag. It was another side by side battle in the early going with Meierotto gaining the lead by a nose with Pat Doar putting the number 11 into third as Brent Larson, Jeff Broking and Tim McMann went three wide for fourth. Doar got by Schreiner and Larson followed him through and soon took over the second spot. As the laps wore on without a caution flag, Larson began to close slightly on Meierotto, then closed quickly until he was able to make the pass for the lead. Doar also got by Meierotto in the late stages and began to close on Larson who was in heavy traffic. Larson was able to clear the traffic putting four cars between him and Doar who ran out of laps. Larson got another feature win ove Doar, Meierotto, Steve Laursen and Schreiner.

Fourteen Street Stocks showed up to race Friday night, the largest contingent of this division this season. All fourteen started the 12 lap feature. At the green flag Scott Herrick got a great shot off turn two and split the front running duo to take the lead but Don Craig and Dan Kingsley tangled on the back stretch with Craig spining into the infield. It was a complete restart as no laps had been completed. Herrick again got a good start and took the lead form Scott Andrews and pulled away from the pack. Behind him Rob Weber and Andrews battled just ahead of a battle between Kingsley and Craig. At the half way point of the 15 lap feature it was Herrick with a sizeable lead over Kingsley, Weber, Craig and Shane Kisling. The caution flag flew when a pair of 21's tangled, Trisha Nuyren and Brian Fulda. Another caution flag appeared shortly after the restart when Jared Akervik spun alone in turn one. The time limit was reached and it was a two lap shootout which Herrick won handily. Kingsley, Weber, Kisling and Tim Baum rounded out he top five after Craig was disqualified when his car was found to have too short a wheel base.

The final feature of the evening was the Pure Stocks which fielded 22 cars. Ashley Smith raced away from the pole to the lead over Tony Ciurleo and Rick Kesty. Ciurleo tried the high groove and Kesty the low but could not shake smith who drove a perfect line in every corner. A caution flag for a several car tangle on the East end of the speedway put Smith's lead in jeopardy but she was equal to the task and maintained her line not letting either driver chase her off it. At the six lap mark of the 12 lap feature Smith led Dan Larsen, Rick Kesty, Glen Dammer, Al Rapp and Ciurleo. It looked as though we would see the first female feature winner but a black flagged car caused her the race. The driver pulled straight across the track toward the pit entrance directly into her line. By the time Smith checked up and found a way around, Rapp and Ciurleo had gotten by leaving her with a third place finish. Rapp was the winner over Ciurleo while Kesty and Dammer finished in the top five.

Superior Speedway Results 7-6-07 (121 cars)

Late Models (18 cars)

Heat 1: Darin Meieroot; Tim McMann; Kelly estey; Ron Schreiner; Tom Nesbitt; Jeff Lien; Eric Breeschoten; Darrell Carlson; DNF Gregg Hill

Heat 2: Steve Laursen; Pat Doar; Brent Larson; Jeff Broking; Darrell Nelson; Travis Budisalovich; Mike Nutzmann; BobSlater; Kelly Anderson

Feature (25 laps) (1-10) Larson; Doar; Meierotto; Laursen; Schreiner; Estey; Breeschoten; Nutzmann; Nelson; Nesbitt; (11-18) Broking; Lien; Budisalovich; Anderson; Carlson; Slater; DNF: McMann

Modified (18 cars)

Heat 1: Jody Bellefeuille; Darrell Nelson; Duane Dale; Don Copp; Joey Jensen; Bill Byholm; Al Uotinen; Kelly Checkalski; Chris Magistad

Heat 2: Ron Schreiner; Kelly Estey; Steve Lavasseur; Jyame Lautigar; Jason Gross; Nick Nelson; Rick Rivord; Marc Johnson; Ross Lightner

Feature (20 laps): (1-10) D Nelson; Lautigar; Bellefeuille; Copp; Jensen; Uotinen; Byholm; Schreiner; Rivord; Dale; (11-18) Lavasseur; Lightner; N Nelson; Magistad; Estey; Johnson; DNF Gross; Checkalski

Super Stock (25 cars)

Heat 1: Darin Meierotto; Donnie Lofdahl; Dave Flynn; Eric nelson; Adam Long; Steve Estey; Frank Befera; Andy Grymala; Trevor Wilson

Heat 2: Mike Bellefeuille; Jim Campbell; Wayne Stricker; Dale Gangl; Destin Lorimor; Joel Colins; Steve Rivord, Jr. Tom Treviranus

Heat 3: Ryan Aho; Keith Kern; Joe Oliver; J B Stortz; Scott Lawrence; Tim Johnson; Ronnie Malecki; Steve Christman

Feature: (20 laps) (1-10) Bellefeuille; Aho; Gangl; Johnson; Stortz; Lawrence; Oliver; Stricker; Campbell; Lorimor;(11-25) Flynn; Estey; Meierotto; Long; Treviranus; Befera; Wilson; Collins; Malecki; Rivord; Christman; DNF: Lofdahl; Grymala; Kern

Midwest Modified (23 cars)

Heat 1: Cory Jorgenson;Joe Olson; Nick Lavato; Dan Russell; Deven VanHouse; Jason Gross; Tom Morinville; Zak McClellan

Heat 2: Adam Archer; Clint Larson; Jimmy Latvala; Greg chesley; Jeff Pohjonen; Brock McCarthy; Nick Baker; Dan Doran

Heat 3: Jesse Ogstom; Skeeter Estey; Terry Inman; Willy Thompson; Brad Anderson; Taylor Leuthner; Bart Porter

Feature ( 15 Laps) (1-10) Archer; Chesley; Ogston; Jorgenson; Latvala; Leuthner; Larson; Thompson; Lavato; Pohjonen (11-23) VanHouse; Olson; McCArthy; Inman; Baker; Gross; Porter; Anderson; Estey; DNF: Russell; Doran; Morinville; McClellan

Pure Stock (23 cars)

Heat 1: Rick Kesty; Jeff Christman; Dan Larsen; Dale Reynolds; Tim Carlson; Zene Anderson; Mark Korte; Richard Dezlak

Heat 2: Glen Dammer; Al Rapp; Tony Ciurleo; Pete ciurleo; Paul Gucinski; Jacob Morinville; David Androsky; Alex Hart

Heat 3: Chad Carlson; Jeff Tormondson; Ashley Smith; Matt Johnson; Karri Schultze; Steve Kresal; DQ: Short wheelbase

Feature: (12 laps) (1-10) Rapp; T ciurleo; Smith; Kesty; Dammer; Larsen; Schultze; P Ciurleo; T Carlson; Hammitt (11-23) Johnson; Dezlak; Reynolds; Tormondson; Hart; DNF: Anderson; Androsky; C Carlson; Kresal; Korte; Christman; Gucinski

Street Stock (14 cars)

heat 1: Dan Kingsley; Shane Kisling; Rob Weber; Ron Johnson; Wes Howland DNF Trisha Nyren; Shawn Kammerud

Heat 2: Scott Herrick; Tim Baum; Don Craig; Scott Andrews; Brian Fulda; Bobby LePage; DNF: Jared Akervik

Feature(12 laps) (1-14) Herrick; Kingsley; Weber; Kisling; Baum; Kammerud; Howland; LePage; Johnson; Andrews; DNF Akervik; Fulda; Nyrun