ESTEY CAPTURES THIRD COMO MODIFIED SERIES EVENT

By Jerry O'Brien for the Daily Telegram

7-24-07 Superior, WI

Kelly Estey of Kelly Lake won his third Como Oil & Propane Modified Series feature of the season Tuesday night at the Superior Speedway. The event heralded the mid point of the eight race series that boasts a $30,000 plus point fund with the winner taking home $7500.  Estey put on a driving clinic as he won every race he entered including the first of four heats, the Pole Dash that set the first four rows for the 30 lap feature. Winning the dash put the number 37e on the pole for the $1000 to win feature flanked by Jody Bellefeuille. At the green flag Bellefeuille got the hole shot and led the first circuit by a whisker. Close behind was Pat Doar in Bill Byholm's back up car and Dave Cain while Jayme Lautigar and Scott Hudack skirmished for fifth. Estey stayed on Bellefeuille and it was a great battle for the lead that came to a halt when the red flag flew stopping the cars on the speedway due to a multi-car pileup in the first turn which resulted in Darrell Nelson's number 44 turning wheels up. Also involved was Rick Cannata, Dean Yrjanainen and Ross Lightner. All drivers were ok and Nelson, after hasty repairs, rejoined the fray at the back of the pack. The Como Modified Series uses the so called Delaware restart putting the leader in front by himself with the second place car having the choice of starting inside or outside. With five laps in the books and, as fog began to creep in, Bellefeuille maintained the lead but Estey got a good run and got by as Doar, Lautigar and Cain were close behind. Estey and Bellefeuille began to put some distance on the rest of the field but another incident in turn one involving Shaun Kreyer and Don Copp again allowed the pack to catch up.  At the green flag with 23 circuits remaining Doar got a run on Bellefeuile and suddenly the battle for the lead was between Estey and Doar. Cain slipped by Bellefeuille but the leaders had moved out to a ten car length lead on third place. Again the pack benefitted from the yellow flag caused by a tangle between Travis Zollar and Ross Lightner. Lightner was given the ticket for the incident. With one third of the laps complete Doar tried for the pass on Estey at he green flag but couldn't quite get there as it continued to be a two horse race. At the 15 lap mark Estey led Doar with Cain several car lengths back. Joey Jensen moved into fourth after starting in the fifth row and Bellefeuille held on to fifth. With ten laps remaining Cain and Jensen began to close up on the lead duo while Estey and Doar now ran wheel to wheel. With six laps remaining Doar finally edged past Estey as Cain began to lose touch with the leaders. Estey returned the favor and regained the point and held on for win number three in the Como Series. Doar, Cain, Jensen and Bellefeuille finished in the top five. Nelson was able to get his battered racer as far as 13th in the final rundown.

Earlier in the evening the DTRA Late Models ran their 25 lap feature event and, with nine laps complete, the lights on the front stretch went out. Reported problems with a fuseable link in a transformer on the fairgrounds cut power the lights as well as some concessions on the grounds.  Around 60 minutes later the lights came on and Steve Laursen who had led the first nine circuits resumed the lead. Still hounding him were Pat Doar and Brent Larson but Laursen was equal to the task. Despite one more caution flag when pole sitter Mike Nutzmann's ride failed him on the back stretch, Laursen kept the rest behind him to the checkered flag. Doar, Larson, Darrell Nelson and Kelly Estey rounded out the top five.

Following the Late Model feature the Pure stocks took to the track for their 12 lap event. The 26 car field took the green flag with Pete Ciurleo out to a slim lead over Rick Kesty but a bumper was ripped off someone's car bringing the field to a hlt. At the restart Ciurleo had the lead over Kesty by a nose at the stripe with Tristan LaBarge, Jeff Christman and Glen Dammer close behind. There was a huge pack of cars from sixth on back in the early going and the whole thing was soon brought to a halt when Rich Dezlak stalled on the front stretch and was narrowly missed by the oncoming thundering herd. At the restart Ciurleo and Kesty again battled for the lead as Ciurleo had the point on the front stretch but Kesty had the advantage on the back stretch and completed the pass. At the six lap mark it was kesty leadin Ciurleo, LaBarge, Christman and Pat Van Ert. The caution flag flew a lap later when Tim Carlson stopped on the front stretch with a flat tire. Kesty got a good restart as the front runners shuffled behind him. Van Ert jumped up to fourth and the battle for second heated up as LaBarge took the position and closed on Kesty and, on the final circuit, nipped him at the line with a great move off turn four. Van Ert finished third and Tony Ciurleo nipped Christman for fourth.

Como Oil & Propane Modified Series race #4 (29 cars) (top five in heats to feature, top two to Pole Dash)

Heat 1: Kelly Estey; Jeff Spacek; Scott Hudack; Jeff Hart; Duane Dale; Dean Yrjanainen; Jeff Wood; Ricky Roche

Heat 2: Jeff Bellefeuille; Kelly Checkalski; Joey Jensen; Don Copp; Rick Rivord; Darrell Nelson; Al Uotinen

Heat 3: Dave Cain; Nick Nelson; Shaun Kreyer; Travis Zollar; Marc Damjanovich; Mike Sauvola; Paul Schultz

Heat 4: Pat Doar; Jayme Lautigar; Erik Bjorkland; Bill Byholm; Rick Cannata; Jon Carpenter B Feature: (Top four to the feature) D Nelson; Yrjanainen; Uotinen; Lightner; Wood; Roche; Carpenter; Sauvola; DNS: Schultz

Pole Dash: (sets first four rows of 30 lap feature) Estey; Bellefeuille; Cain; Doar; Lautigar; N Nelson; Spacek; Checkalski

Feature: (30 laps) (1-10) Estey; Doar; Cain; Jensen; Bellefeuille; Byholm; N Nelson; Lautigar; Rivord; Spacek (11-19) Yrjanainen; Uotinen; D Nelson; Copp; Hart; Dale; Wood (provisional starter); Lightner; Checkalski; DNF: Zollar; Damjanovich; Hudack; Kreyer; Bjorkland; Cannata

DTRA Late Model (19 cars)

Heat 1: Brent Larson; Tom Nesbitt; Tim McMann; Joey Ogston; Darrell Carlson; Aaron Lillo; DNF: Caley Emerson

Heat 2: Eric Breeschoten; Steve Laursen; Darrell nelson; Nick Musel; Don Copp; Kevin Carlson

Heat 3: Pat Doar; Kelly estey; Mike Nutzmann; Darin Meierotto; Ron Schreiner; Jeff Lien

Feature (25 laps) (1-10) Laursen; Doar; Larson; Nelson; Estey; Nesbitt; Breeschoten; Musel; Schreiner; D Carlson (11-19) McMann; Emerson; K Carlson; Lien; Ogston; DNF: Nutzmann; Lillo; Copp; Meierotto

Pure Stock (27 cars)

Heat 1: Dan Larsen; Tony Ciurleo; Paul Gucinski; Zene Anderson; LeRae Ralidak; Matt Hammitt; Ashley Smith; Dale Reynolds; DNF: Al Rapp

Heat 2: Pete Ciurleo; Rick kesty; Pat Van Ert; Tristan LaBarge; Karri schultze; Rich Dezlak; Jake Morinville; Chris Johnson; Caitlyn carlson

Heat 3: Glen Dammer; Scott Larsen; Jeff Christman; Jeff Tormondson; Caroline Kresal; DNF Tim Carlson; Chad carlson; Cory Lonetto: DQ: Tim Ayers

Feature (12 laps) (1-10): LaBarge; Kesty; Van Ert; T Ciurleo; Christman; D Larsen; P Ciurleo; Schultz; Ralidak; Anderson (11-19) Tormondson; Rapp; Hammitt; Dammer; Smith; Morinville; Reynolds; Kresal, Caitlyn Carlson; DNF: S Larsen; Chad Carlson; Tim Carlson; Johnson; Ayers; Gucinski; Dezlak:DNS: Cory Lonetto