STEVE LAURSEN TOPS SUPERIOR SPEEDWAY AMSOIL FEATURE

Veteran Tom Nesbitt Atop The AMSOIL Point Standings

By Jerry O'Brien

8-17-08 Superior, WI

It was a return to the top for three time AMSOIL Series Champion Steve Laursen (1999-2000-2003) as he all thirty feature laps Friday night at the Superior Speedway. Laursen's first two outings of 2007 were extremely disappointing to Laursen as he recorded a 26th place finish with a DNF at the first event at the Hibbing (MN) Raceway and a 23rd place finish in race number two at the ABC Raceway in Ashland, WI. Laursen came back with a vengeance on the track he called one of his favorites with a dominating sweep of the 30 car field.

After winning the first of four heats Laursen started the main event on the outside of the front row and shot out to the lead over the surprising Travis Budisalovich who started on the pole. The event had a brief hiccup on the first lap when Donnie Lofdahl apparently collected Mike Rich at the back of the field and Rich spun off into the infield. It was a complete restart and again Laursen beat Budisalovich to the punch and quickly extended his lead as Darrell Nelson, Harry Hanson and Pat Doar battled for third. Hanson won that skirmish with Doar fourth and Nelson fifth. Several cars that started deep in the field were headed forward including Rick Hanestad who cracked the top ten from row seven in the first five laps. By the one third mark the field had settled in and was strung out around the speedway. At this point Laursen had a comfortable lead over the smooth running Budisalovich while Hanson cruised alone in third. Lurking outside the top five was veteran campaigner Tom Nesbitt while up front, Laursen was sizing up the traffic in front of him. Doar was on the move and closed on Hanson for third and Nesbitt made a successful bid for fifth. The fast moving Hanestad arrived in sixth and with ten laps remaining the order stood at Laursen with the lead over Budisalovich, Doar, Hanson and Nesbitt in the top five while Hanestad, John Kaanta, Joel Cryderman, Eric Pember and Nelson made up the back half of the top ten. A lap later Doar got by Budisalovich for second and the caution flag made it's first appearance since the first lap incident when Caley Emerson was turned around in turn one.  The restart gave Laursen a clear track but also put the always dangerous Doar right on his bumper. At the green flag Doar jumped all over laursen but Laursen was equal to the task. The two raced side by side for a couple of circuits but Laursen was too strong and was not to be deigned pulling away by a couple of car lengths. As Laursen settled into a rhythm, Nesbitt got by Budisalovich into third and Hanestad also went by into fourth dropping Budisalovich to fifth.

Kannta, Hanson, Cryderman, Pember and Kyle Peterlin ran six through tenth. The only change in the top ten at the checkered flag was Budisalovich losing another spot as Kaanta moved into the top five in the waning laps. Danny Young had the best run of those qualifying through the B feature as he ran from row eleven to an eleventh place finish. Laursen went on to take the convincing win and became the third winner in three 2007 events.

Results: AMSOIL Late Model Series Race Number 3 of 6. (30 cars)

Heat 1: (12 laps) Steve Laursen, Cumberland, WI; Darrell Nelson, Hermantown, MN; Jeff Provinzino, Hibbing; Rich Hanestad, Boyceville, WI; Kelly Estey, Kelly Lake, MN; Danny Young, Thunder Bay; Jeff Broking, Grand Rapids; John Massingill, Keewatin, MN

Heat 2L (12 laps) Pat Doar, New Richmond, WI; Harry Hanson, Eveleth, MN; Gregg Hill, Hibbing; Tim McMAnn, Duluth; Dave Esse, Duluth; Jeff Massingill, Keewatin; Mike Rich, Duluth

Heat 3: (12 Laps) John Kaanta, Elk Mound, WI; Tom Nesbitt, Thunder Bay Ontario; Caley Emerson, Grand Rapids; Kyle Peterlin, Hibbiing; Ron Schreiner, Hudson, WI; Todd Gehl, Solon Springs; DNF Steve Vesel, Hibbing

Heat 4: (12 laps) Tom Waseleski, Sr; Pengilly, MN; Travis Budisalovich, Cottage Grove, MN; Joel Cryderman, Thunder Bay; Eric Pember, Pittsville, WI; Jodi Olson, Hibbing; Donnie Lofdahl, Duluth DNS Darin Meierotto

B Feature: (Top four transfer) Young; Rich; Lofdahl; Gehl; John Massingill; Broking; Jeff Massingill; DNS Brian Taylor, Steve Vesel

FEATURE (30 laps, $2000 to win) (1-10) Laursen; Doar; Nesbitt; Hanestad; Kaanta; Budisalovich; Cryderman; Hanson; Pember; Peterlin (11-19) Nelson; Young; Provinzino; Waseleski; Hill; Schreiner; Gehl; Olson; Lofdahl DNF (20-25) Esse; Emerson; Vesel; Estey; McMann; Rich.

Willy Thompson grabbed the early lead in the 15 lap DTRA Midwest Modified feature but there were four cars battling to take it away including Cory Jorgenson, Deven VanHouse, Randy Vezina and newcomer Andy Jones but Thompson kept the edge in the early going. Moving up from row five was Jeff Pohjonen and he made a hard charge past the then leader Jorgenson for the lead and eventual win. Jones moved up to second with five to go but Pohjonen held him off for the win in the non stopped event. Jorgenson, Thompson and Skeeter Estey who came from row nine to finish fifth.

Darin Meierotto led in the early going in the 20 lap DTRA Super Stock feature but it was Ryan Aho who quickly moved up from row four to challenge Dave Flynn, Scott Lawrence and Keith Kern for position. Two caution periods slowed the action but in the end it was Aho who prevailed over Kern, Meierotto, Joe Oliver and Scott Lawrence in the top five.

Rick Rivord started from the outside of the front row in the 20 lap DTRA Modified main event and got away from the field as Bill Byholm popped out of the pack to run second. Joey Jensen, Duane Dale, pole starter Erik Bjorkland, Scott Hudack and Dave Cain battled for third.  Jensen broke free and tracked down and passed Byholm for second. He then set out after Rivord and made the pass for the lead. With four laps remaining Cain reached second but ran out of laps as Jensen took the checkered flag first ahead of Cain; Byholm, Rivord and Darrell Nelson.

Point leader Shane Kisling and Scott Herrick battled in a two car race for the DTRA Street Stock feature win. Kisling extended his point lead with the win over Herrick, Tim Baum, Dan Kingsley and Scott Andrews in the top five. Only eight cars were on hand and five finished the feature. Brian Fulda and Budnick did not finish while Akervik did not start the 12 lap event.

Glen Dammer won the 12 lap DTRA Pure Stock feature in a good battle with Rick Kesty.  Tony Ciurleo, Al Rapp and Jeff Tormondson finished in the top five. Matt Johnson and Jeff Christman finished sixth and seventh respectively while brothers Dan and Scott Larsen were eighth and ninth and Jacob Morinville rounded out the to ten. 16 of 25 scheduled starters were running at the end of 12 laps.

DTRA Modified; (19 cars)

Heat 1: (8 laps) Dave cain, Corcoran, MN; Erik Bjorkland, Sandstone, MN; Jody Bellefeuille, Duluth; Scott Hudack, Ashland; Jayme Lautigar, Superior; Ross Lightner, Washburn; DNF: Don Copp, Brule

Heat 2: Bill Byholm, Glidden, WI; Tyler Keyser, Baldwin,WI; Jason Miller Osceols, WI: Rick

Heat 3: Al Uotinen, Superior; Joey Jensen, Forest Lake, MN; WI; Darrell Nelson, Hermantown; Duane Dale, Aurora; Kelly Checkalski, Duluth; DNF Nick Nelson, Duluth; Rivord, Superior; Ron Schreiner, Hudson; DNF: Kelly Estey

Feature: (20 laps) (1-10) Jensen; Cain; Byholm; Rivord; D Nelson; Dale; Keyser; Estey; Miller; Lautigar; (11-19) Bjorkland; Copp; Bellefeuille; Schreiner; Hudack; Lightner; N Nelson; Checkalski; DNS Uotinen

DTRA Super Stock

Heat 1: Ryan Aho, Chisholm; Keith Kern, Superior; Dale Gangl East bethel, MN; Scott Lawrence, Superior; Jim Campbell, Two Harbors; Andy Grymala, Superior DNF Steve rivord, Jr

Heat 2: Darin Meierotto, Superior; Dave Flynn, Superior; Jeff Lien, Zimmerman, MN; Tom Treviranus, Hawthorne, WI; Adam Long, Superior; DNF: Brian Youderin; Frank Befera

Heat 3: Trevor Wilson, Superior; J B Stortz; Steve Christman; Pattison Park; Joe Oliver, Superior; Mike Bellefeuille, Duluth; DNF Ronnie Malecki

Feature (20 laps) (1-10) Aho; Kern; Meierotto; Oliver; Lawrence; Stortz; Gangl; Bellefeuille; Christman; Flynn (11-20) Campbell; Treviranus; Wilson; Lien; Grymala; Malecki; Befera; Long; Rivord; Youderin

DTRA Midwest Modified (23 cars)

Heat 1: Nick Lavato, Proctor; Willy Thompson; Dave Flynn; Randy Vezina; Greg Chesley, Duluth; Taylor Leuthner; Shane Kisling; DNF: Terry Inman

Heat 2: Andy Jones, Princeton, MN; Deven VanHouse; Two Harbors, Jeff Pohjonen, Duluth; Adam Archer, Duluth; Wayne Engen, Shell Lake, WI; Skeeter Estey, Kelly Lake, MN; DNF Joe Olson, Superior

Heat 3: Cory Jorgenson, Hermantown; Jesse Ogston, Duluth; Brock McCarthy, Duluth; Scott Herrick, Proctor; Brad Anderson, Duluth; Nick Baker, Duluth; DNF Dan Russell, Superior

Feature: (15 laps) (1-10) Pohjonen; Jones; Jorgenson; Thompson; Estey; Engen; Lavato; Archer; Chesley; Vezina (11-22) Herrick; VanHouse; McCArthy; Flynn; Leuthner; Baker; Anderson; T Inman; Morinville; Russell; Ogston DNF Kisling

DTRA Street Stock (8 cars)

Heat: Shane Kisling, Rice Lake, WI; Scott Herrick, Proctor; Dan Kingsley, Superior; Tim Baum, Superior; Scott Andrews, Duluth; Brian Fulda, Superior; Budnick, Superior; Akervik, Duluth

Feature (12 laps) Kisling; Herrick; Baum; Kingsley; Andrews; DNF: Fulda; Budnick; DNS: Akervik

DTRA Pure Stock (25 cars)

Heat 1: Pete Ciurleo; Matt Hammitt; Richard Dzelak; Dale Reynolds; Tim Carlson Heat 2: Glen Dammer; Tony Ciurleo; Dan Larsen; Jacob Morinville; D J Soumala

Heat 3: Al Rapp; Rick Kesty; Jeff Tormondson; Jeff Christman; Scott Larsen

Feature (12 laps) Dammer; Kesty; T Ciurleo; Rapp; Tormondson; Johnson; Christman; D Larsen; S Larsen; Morinville

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