SMITH AND COPP WINNERS AT
NORTHERN NATIONALS
By Jerry O'Brien
Mike Smith of Danville Indiana added his name to the list of sprint car winners at the
Superior Speedway during the 15th Annual Northern Nationals. Mike Reinke led the 22 car field
from the pole and took the point at the green flag while Travis Whitney followed him through
from row number two into second. Smith, Terry McCarl and Ricky Logan were in hot pursuit but
it didn't last long as on lap two John Haeni tangled with Todd Hepfner and Scott Biertzer in turn
one with Haeni turned over on his side bringing out the red flag.
When racing resumed Reinke led Whitney,
Smith, Logan and McCarl in a single file restart. Whitney "bicycled" in turn one and dropped back to fifth with Don Droud, Jr and Joe Roe in
pursuit. Three laps later a tangle on the back stretch saw the red flag again as "Flyin'" Ryan Irwin
lived up to his name with a flip. Irwin was through for the night. At the green flag Reinke had a
short lived hold on the lead as Logan, Smith and McCarl overwhelmed him with
Smith taking second from Logan and then grabbing the lead from Reinke at the ten lap mark, a lead he would
not give up to the end. Tenth starting Joe Roe cracked the top five at this point as
Smith began
lapping slower cars.
At the half way mark Smith led Logan, McCarl, Roe and Don Droud. McCarl
moved to the number two spot with nineteen laps in and, with seven circuits to go closed in on
Smith as they moved through heavy traffic until the dreaded "Bicycle" struck McCarl who lost
ground to the leader. With four laps to the finish remaining the red flag again appeared as Kurt
Davis took a tumble in turn one setting up a four lap shoot out to the checkered flag.
Smith was able to maintain the lead to the checkered flag outdistancing McCarl, Logan, Droud and Roe.
John Copp was the winner of the 25 lap Super Stock portion of the Northern nationals holding
off all comers as he led all 25 circuits from the Pole position. At the green flag Copp surged away
from the 24 car field with Randy Silverness, Greg Kuklinski, Adam Hensel and Steve Hallquist
trailing. Hallquist and Kuklinski got by Hensel and battled for third with Hallquist winning out.
With five laps in a mechanical failure caused Ronnie Hmielewski to spin in turn three bringing out
the caution flag. The race did not restart when debris was spotted on the front stretch causing a
slow down.
At the green flag with the same line up, Copp led Silverness, Hensel, Hallquist and
Kuklinski who had Scott Lawrence on his tail. Lawrence and Kuklinski clashed and Lawrence
took fifth as Darin Meierotto moved to sixth. A tangle in turn two involving Rick Simpson,Kevin
Salin and Tom Karis brought out the caution flag while Kuklinski ducked into the pits to change a
flat tire. Copp still led Silverness and Hensel at there restart with Lawrence now in fourth and
Hallquist fifth. This order stood to the mid point until Hensel broughtout the caution flag again by
spinning himself out of third place at the bottom of turn four.
At the restart with Copp leading Silverness and Lawrence, Keith Kern was squeezed against the wall on the front stretch and
jumped the wheel of Don Drew. Kern spun down into the first turn and was out of the event.
With 13 laps remaining sixteen of twenty-four starters were still running. Behind leader Copp the
battle for second intensified with Lawrence taking the spot. Meierotto made his way into third as
Hallquist worked his way into the mix and grabbed third with eight laps remaining. The final
caution flag flew when debris was thrown up on the front stretch clanging off the flag stand.
The final restart saw only half of the 24 car field on the track. Copp would lead the rest of the way
while Hallquist got by Lawrence on the final turn for second. Meierotto and Silverness finished
out the top five.
Results
IRA Sprints (29 Cars)
Heat 1: Ricky Logan, Terry McCarl, Mike Reinke, Mike rich, Ryan Irwin
Heat 2: Kurt Davis, Don Droud, Jr, Travis Whitney, Joe Roe, Ty Bartz
Heat 3: Danny Smith, Scott Nietzel, Bill Waren, Mike Kertscher, Todd
Hepfner
Northern Nationals Dash/Non Qualifiers: Mike Stefka, Joe Kouba, Scott Uttech, Brian
Kristan, Jason Johnson, Wayne Modjeski
B Main: John Haeni, Steve Meyer, Biertzer, Jim Melis, S Uttech
Feature (30 Laps, 22 cars): (1-10) Smith, McCarl, Logan, Droud, Roe, Whitney,
Kertscher, Warren, Reinke, Meyer. (11-22) Rich, Biertzer, Kristan, S Uttech, Nietzel, D Uttech (DNF)
Haeni, Davis, Melis, Bartz, Irwin, Hepfner.
WISSOTA Super Stock (58 Cars)
Heat 1: Steve Hallquist, Shawn McFadden, Darin Meierotto, Joe Oliver, Dan Turcotte
Heat 2: Randy Silverness, Keith Kern, Ronnie Hmeilewski, Spike McDougall, Kevin Salin
Heat 3: John Copp, Dave Mass, Rick Simpson, Jay kuras, Jeff Forseen
Heat 4: Ryan Rivord, Scott Lawrence, Randy Spacek, Al Uotinen, Destin Lorimor
Heat 5: Greg Kuklinski, Don Drew, Tom Karis, Paul Schultz, Ronnie Malecki
Heat 6: Adam Hensel, Dale Gangl, Mike Bellefeuille, Jeff Lindsey, Kelly Anderson
B Main-1: Uotinen, Johnny Erickson, Turcotte, Rick Rivord, Jim Campbell
B Main 2: Mcdougall, Salin, Schultz, Pat Beeksma, Eric Nelson
B Main 3: Lindsey, Anderson, Jay Kuras, Kelly Checkalski, Joe Olson
Feature: (25 Laps, 24 Cars): (1-10) Coppp, Hallquist, Lawrence, Meierotto, Silverness,
McDougall, McFadden, Anderson, Uotinen, Hensel (11-24) Erickson,
Lindsey (DNF) Karis, Kuklinski, Bellefeuille, Spacek, Kern, Drew, Gangl, Salin, Simpson, Hmielewski, Ryan
Rivord, Mass.
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