DOAR TOPS LATE MODEL FIELD AT RUSS LAURSEN CLASSIC

2007 Superior Speedway Hall of Fame Members Inducted

By Jerry O'Brien

8-10-07 Superior, WI

Pat Doar of new Richmond, WI won the 25 lap DTRA Late Model feature Friday night at the Superior Speedway, the third of the season for the defending track champion. At the green flag Pole Sitter Darrell Nelson and Harry Hanson waged a fierce duel through turns one and two.  Some contact allowed Doar, who started outside the second row.  The swing to the high side and blast by the duo to the lead. From that moment the race was over as Doar drove off to a three quarter straight lead very quickly. Current track point leader Brent Larson jumped up from the third row and grabbed the second spot and set out to track down Doar while Nelson and Hanson squabbled for third. Steve Laursen got around Nelson and Hanson into third and from there on the front five cars were single file while sixth place was hotly contested for at time between Hanson, Nelson, Eric Breeschoten abd Kelly Estey. At the half way point Larson had begun to make up some ground on Doar who was lapping cars and always seemed to keep at least one between he and the closing Larson. Doar had little trouble winning his second feature of the season over Larson Laursen, Breeschoten and Eatey.

The 20 lap DTRA feature was plagued by yellow fever as five caution periods caused the time limit to be reached and officials cut the event by five laps. At the outset outside pole starter Scott Hudack played hare to the hounds as he jumped in to the lead and fended off all comers through three first half caution periods. Hudack's Ford engine was able to keep Joey Jensen, Jody Bellefeuille, Nick Nelson and Rick Rivord at bay. Darrell Nelson was on the move and charged from the fifth row to third in the early going. At the half way point Nelson had disposed of the rest and was second and hounding Hudack for the lead. Twice Nelson wrested the point away from Hudack and twice lost the advantage due to the final two caution periods. After the fifth caution period the laps were cut to five remaining and Nelson was finally able to make the pass on Hudack and raced off to the win over Hudack; Bellefeuille, Jensen and Ross Lightner who made a great charge from the eighth row to finish fifth.

Shane Kisling the current DTRA Street Stock track point leader appeared headed for another feature win but Scott Herrick had a different idea. Kisling took the lead in the 15 lap feature from the outside of the front row and was holding off Tim Baum and Butch Madsen with apparent ease. Herrick was on the move from the third row and began picking them off one by one until he was in the second spot. Kisling looked to be able to hold off Herrick but on the final circuit a flat left rear tire let Herrick by to the checkered flag and his third feature win of the season. Kisling was able to hold onto fourth ahead of Don Craig in fifth while Baum and Madsen finished second and third.

Ryan Aho expanded his DTRA Super Stock track point lead with another win. Mike Bellefeuille ran in the lead in the early going after starting out on the front row. Bellefeuille battled with Joe Oliver for a few circuits before Aho got going and shot by both of them for the lead by lap five of the 20 lap event. With only a single caution flag slowing the action in the first half, Aho led Bellefeuille, Oliver, Scott Lawrence and Steve Christman in the top five. Aho's advantage grew to at least ten car lengths over Bellefeuille but the pack was brought to his back bumper with two quick caution flags in the final five laps. Aho was able to hold off Bellefeuille for the win while Lawrence and Darin Meierotto got around Oliver for third and fourth at the checkered flag.

Skeeter Estey won his second career DTRA Midwest Modified feature leading all 15 laps from the pole. With only a single caution flag in the first seven laps, Estey maintained an easy lead over Nick Lavato and Greg Chesley. Dan Russell was having his best run of the season in fourth position with a snarling pack snapping at this heels that included Jesse Ogston, Deven VanHouse, Cory Jorgenson, Jeff Pohjonen and Tom Smart. The second of two caution flags flew with two circuits to go and Lavato had a run on Estey at the green flag but Estey proved too strong and held him off for the win. Lavato, Chesley, Russell and VanHouse rounded out the top five.

The Northern Vintage Stock Car club brought 16 cars in two classes to the speedway and in the full bodied cars Tom Stettner from Newport, MN won the feature in a pristine 1967 Chevelle. In the Open Wheel division it was Greg Manor of Chippewa Falls, WI taking the12 lap feature in a 1946 Ford Coupe.

Results: Russ Laursen Classic and Hall of Fame race, Superior Speedway 8-10-07

DTRA Late Models (13 cars)

Heat 1: Brent Larson; Eric Breeschoten; Kelly Estey; Steve Laursen; Donnie Lofdahl; Tim McMann; DNS: Gregg Hill

Heat 2; Pat Doar; Darrell Nelson; Tom Nesbitt; Harry Hanson; Caley Emerson; Travis Budisalavich

Feature (25 laps) Doar; Larson; Laursen; Breeschoten; Estey; Nesbitt; Lofdahl; Hanson; McMann; Budisalovich; DNF Nelson; DNS: Emerson; Hill

DTRA Modified (22 cars)

Heat 1: Tyler Keyser; Erik Bjorkland; Jason Miller; Jody Bellefeuille; Bill Byholm; Kelly Estey; Duane Dale; DNS Jayme Lautigar

Heat 2: Kelly Checkalski; Joey Jensen; Rick Rivord; Nick Nelson; Steve Lavasseur; Bill Stettner; Chris Magistad

Heat 3: Dave Cain; Darrell Nelson; Scott Hudack; Ross Lightner; Don Copp; Al Uotinen; Kevin Viebrock

Feature (20 laps): (1-10) D Nelson; Hudack; Bellefeuille; Jensen; Lightner; Rivord; Cain; N Nelson; Estey; Byholm (1-22) Copp; Checkalski; Lautigar; Uotinen; Miller; Dale; Bjorkland; Lavasseur; Magistad; Stettner; Viebrock; DNF: Keyser

DTRA Midwest Modified (22 cars)

Heat 1: Brad Anderson; Nick Lavato; Brock McCarthy; Cory jorgenson; Joe Olson; Scott Herrick; Adam Archer;DNF Bill Brouse

Heat 2: Greg Chesley; Jesse Ogston; Deven VanHouse; Dan Russell; Nick Baker; Dan Doran; DNF Randy vezibna

Heat 3: Jeff Pohjonen; Matt Sorenson; Skeeter Estey; Tom Smart; Willy Thompson; Shane Kisling; Tom Morinville

Feature (15 laps) (1-10) Estey; Lavato; Chesley; Russell; VanHouse; Ogston; Pohjonen; Jorgenson; Smart; McCarthy (11-22) Thompson; Olson; Anderson; Herrick; Baker; Archer; Morinville; Brouse: DNF: Kisling; Doran; Vezina; Sorenson

DTRA Super Stock (20 cars)

Heat 1: Joe Oliver; Mike Bellefeuille; Wayne Stricker; Steve christman; Jeff Lien; Tom Treviranus; DNF Jim V}Campbell

Heat 2: Darin Meierotto; D J Dondelinger; Dave Flynn; Keith Kern; Dale Gangl; Trevor Wilson; Andy Grymala

Heat 3: Ryan Aho; Scott Lawrence; Steve Rivord; Adam Long; Alan Hartel; Brian Youderin

Feature (20 laps) (1-10) Aho; Bellefeuille; Lawrence; Mmeierotto; Oliver; Gangl; Flynn; Christman; Kern; Treviranus (11-20) Stricker; Dondelinger; Grymala; Lien; Wilson; Rivord; Youderin; Long; Hartel

DTRA Street Stock (10 cars)

Heat: Shane Kisling; Butch Madsen; Don Craig; Tim baum; Dan Kingsley; Scott Herrick; Marshall Andrews; Scott Andrews; Matt Budnick; DNF: Brian Fulda

Feature: (15 laps) Herrick; Baum; Madsen; Kisling; Craig; M Andrews; S Andrews; Budnick;DNF: Fulda; Kingsley

Vintage Cars (16)

Full Bodied Cars: Feature Winner Tom Stettner.

Open Wheel Cars: Feature Winner Greg Manor