LARSON WINS FOURTH LATE MODEL FEATURE FRIDAY

By Jerry O'Brien

7-20-07 Superior, WI

On a perfect night for racing 113 teams came to the Superior Speedway to do battle in six divisions. Qualifying heats were run to set the feature line ups and when that portion of the program was completed it was time for feature action on the big 4/10ths mile clay oval.

First up on the program was the Midwest Modified feature which was 15 laps in length. It soon became apparent that the combatants in that division were in for a rough night as there were three caution flags for various on track incidents in the first four laps. Loren Inman ended up starting on the outside pole and gave a good account of himself leading several laps in the early going. Eventual winner Skeeter Estey who started inside the sixth row, used a combination of savvy driving and other people's misfortune to put himself in position for the win. After the fourth stoppage for an accident Estey found himself in second place behind Inman. Estey got a good restart, shot to the inside off turn two and completed the pass off turn four. A lap later caution flag number five caused officials to cut the remaining nine laps to five as the time limit on the event loomed. Estey led Inman on the restart with first time visitor John Sertich third and Jeff Pohjonen and Cory Jorgenson in the top five. Pohjonen spun on the back stretch and did not finish after running in the top five for most of the race, but there was no caution flag. Deven VanHouse and point leader Greg Chesley who overcame causing the first caution flag, came from the back of the 23 car field to finish a strong fifth. It was Estey's second career feature win in the Midwest Modified division.

The second feature event to roll onto the speedway was the Modified event which was scheduled for a 20 lap tour. Bill Byholm got the jump from the outside of the front row and took the lead. Darrell Nelson and Dean Yrjanainen overwhelmed pole sitter Erik Bjorkland while Tyler Keyser moved into the top five. Byholm pulled five car lengths on Yrjanainen as the laps quickly reeled off without incident. Byholm was in command as the battle heated up between Yrjanainen and Nelson for the runner up spot. Yrjanainen won out in that skirmish and there was little racing going on at the head of the field. The big gaggle of cars was for eighth on back and at the ten lap mark Byholm held a considerable advantage over Yrjanainen, Nelson, Keyser and Kelly Estey who had moved into the top five from row number five. Jody Bellefeuille, Bjorkland, and Jayme Lautigar were close behind. Keyser was right on Nelson for third and took the position leaving Nelson to try and stave off Estey. Byholm cruised to a non stopped win over Yrjanainen, Keyser, Nelson and Estey.

J B Stortz and Scott Lawrence battled for the lead early on in the 20 lap Super Stock feature.  Stortz led from the pole but Lawrence wouldn't let him get away and went way upstairs in the turns and was able to draw alongside Stortz. Charging from the sixth row was Darin Meierotto who used a fast car and two caution flags in the first three laps to move into fifth place. Each restart saw Lawrence go to the high side and Stortz use the bottom. Stortz was quicker off the low side of turn two. Running third was Rick Simpson who was making his first appearance of the season and Jim Campbell having a strong run just ahead of Meierotto. Ryan Aho and Mike Bellefeuille were having a battle for position as the mid point was reached. Lawrence won the skirmish for the lead and pulled away by about 15 car lengths over Stortz. Simpson and Campbell diced for third with Meierotto closing. Simpson suddenly fell off the pace and stalled bringing out the third and final caution flag with six circuits remaining putting Stortz and Meierotto right on Lawrence's bumper. On the restart Meierotto grabbed second and began to hound Lawrence for the lead. The two clashed off turn two and Meierotto muscled his way to the lead and the win. Lawrence Aho, Bellefeuille and Stortz finished in the top five.

It was almost a flag to flag 25 laps for the Late Models but for a problem with Darrell Carlson's car which stalled at the bottom of turn three with one lap in. Pole sitter Steve Laursen held the early lead protecting the bottom from Eric Breeschoten as Joel Cryderman went to the high side in an attempt to grab the lead. For the first few circuits they ran the low side in turns one and two and then went upstairs in three and four. Cryderman used the high groove to dispose of Breeschoten and then charged to the lead past Laursen on lap six. Also charging toward the front from row number three was Brent Larson. He blasted by Breeschoten and Laursen and drew down on Cryderman for the lead but couldn't quite make it as the two combatants ran wheel to wheel. Cryderman was about a half car length faster than Larson on the high side but Larson kept chipping away as the two began to encounter traffic. Larson edged by Cryderman with eight laps remaining and went on to take his fourth win of the season. Kelly Estey in Bob Reed's number 41 was in the third spot but some distance back while Laursen and Breeschoten battled for fourth. That would be the top five finishers at the checkered flag.

Though there were only nine Street Stocks in attendance, they put on a very competitive 15 lap feature. Ron Johnson took the lead from the pole but Dan Kingsley quickly took control with point leader Shane Kisling second and Scott Herrick running third as Johnson slipped back to fourth ahead of Don Craig. Herrick overtook Kisling for second and was on the move forward chasing down Kingsley. It evolved into a two horse race as Herrick ran down Kingsley, put the pass on him and pulled away for his second straight feature win. Tim Baum came from the back of the bus to finish third ahead of Shane Kisling and Johnson.

The final feature of the evening was the 12 lap Pure stock run. Jeff Christman took over the lead form the outside of the front row with Kerri schultz, Dan Larsen and Tony Ciurleo in close attendance. Larsen hit the wall in turn one bringing out the caution flag. He was able to continue but was sent to the rear of the field. At the green flag Christman led Schultz, Ciurleo, Pat Van Ert, and Ashley Smith in the front running five. At the half way point the order was the same but Tim Carlson slipped past smith into fifth. Another caution flag appeared and was charged to Jake Morinville with seven laps remaining. At the green flag Ciurleo got the jump and he and Christman ran door handle to door handle for the top spot. Further back Schultz and Van Ert did the same. It looked as though the event would go to the end but Paul Gucinski lost contro. On the white flag lap setting up a two lap shoot out. Ciurleo held off Christman for the win with Van Ert, Rick Kesty and Schultz in the leading five.

Superior Speedway Results 7-20-07

DTRA Late Models (18 cars)

Heat 1: Brent Larson; Eric Breeschoten; Pat Doar; Darin Meierotto; Tom Nesbitt; Kevin Carlson; DNF: Caley Emerson; Mike Nutzmann; Darrell Nelson

Heat 2: Kelly Estey; Joel Cryderman; Steve Laursen; Travis Budisalovich; Ron Schreiner; Jeff Lien; Darrell Carlson; Tim McMann; Gregg Hill

Feature (25 laps) Larson; Cryderman; Estey; Laursen; Breeschoten; Doar; Schreiner; Nesbitt; Budisalovich; Meierotto; Nutzmann; Lien; McMann; K Carlson; Hill; DNF: Emerson; D Carlson; DNS: Nelson

DTRA Modified (18 cars)

Heat 1: Bill Byholm; Don Copp; Rick rivord; Nick Nelson; Tyler Keyser; Joey Jensen; Kelly Checkalski; Steve Lavasseur; DNF: Ron Schreiner

Heat 2: Kelly Estey; Scott Hudack; Dean Yrjanainen; Darrell Nelson; Erik Bjorkland; Jody Bellefeuille; Jayme Lautigar; Duane Dale; Ross Lightner

Feature (20 laps): Byholm; Yrjanainen; Keyser; Nelson; Estey; Bellefeuille; Bjorkland; Lautigar; Schreiner; Copp; Rivord; N Nelson; Jensen; Lightner; Dale; Lavasseur; DNF: Hudack; Checkalski

DTRA Super Stock (22 cars)

Heat 1: Darin Meierotto; Joe Oliver; Rick Simpson; Scott Lawrence; Andy Grymala; Alan Hartel; Robbie Cooper; DNF: dale gangl

Heat 2: Dave Flynn; J B Stortz; John Copp; Tom Treviranus; Donnie Lofdahl; Keith Kern; Trevor Wilson

Heat 3: Ryan Aho; Jim Campbell; Mike Bellefeuille; Adam Long; Steve Christman; Ronnie Malecki; Destin Lorimor

Feature (20 laps) Meierotto; Lawrence; Aho; Bellefeuille; Stortz; Campbell; Kern; Flynn; Christman; Treviranus; Gangl; Grymala; Hartel; Lorimor; Wilson; Malecki; Long; DNF: Oliver; Simpson; Lofdahl; Cooper; Copp

DTRA Midwest Modified (24 cars)

Heat 1: Adam Archer; Jeff Pohjonen; Brock McCarthy; Brad Anderson; Tom Morinville; Willy Thompson; Terry Inman; DNF: Dan Russell

Heat 2: Cory Jorgenson; Deven VanHouse; John Sertich; Jimmy Latvala; Joe Olson; Randy Vezina; Bill Brouse; DNF: Nick Lavato

Heat 3: Skeeter Estey; Greg Chesley; Loren Inman; Nick baker; Scott Herrick; Taylor Leuthner; Jesse Ogston;DNF: Dan doran

Feature (15 laps): Estey; L Inman; Sertich; VanHouse; Chesley; Jorgenson; Vezina; Ogston; Leuthner; Baker; T Inman; Olson; Morinville; Thompson; Doran; Archer; Herrick; Anderson; Russell;DNF: Pohjonen; McCarthy; Brouse; Latvala; DNS Lavato

DTRA Street Stock (9 cars)

Heat : Shane Kisling; Don Craig; Dan Kingsley; Scott Herrick; Brian Fulda; Ron Johnson; Shawn Kisling; DNF: Bobby LePage; Tim Baum

Feature (15 laps) Herrick; Kingsley; Baum; Shane Kisling; Johnson; Craig; Shawn Kisling; LePage

DTRA Pure Stock (23 cars)

Heat 1: Rick Kesty; Tony Ciurleo; Pat Van Ert; Ashley Smith; Al Rapp; Rich Dezlak' Alex Hart; DNS: Chad Carlson

Heat 2: Glen Dammer; Jeff Christman; Dan Larsen; Pete Ciurleo; Jeff Tormondson; Zene Anderson; Paul Gucinski:DQ: Matt Hammitt , short wheelbase

Heat 3: Karri Schultz; Tim Carlson; Scott Larsen; Jacob Morinville; Caroline Kresal; Dale Reynolds; Caitlyn Carlson

Feature (12 laps) T Ciurleo; Christman; Van Ert; Kesty; Schultz; Dammer; Rapp; T Carlson; Smith; P Ciurleo' S Larsen; Tormondson; D Larsen; Hammitt; Dezlak; Anderson; Reynolds;Morinville; Caitlyn Carlson; Gucinski; Hart; DNF: Kresal; Chad Carlson