Midseason masters - Anderson tops Friday’s titlists at Red Cedar
By Ed Reichert, Special to the News
Wednesday, June 28, 2006 11:19 AM CDT
Midseason Championships were held Friday night at the Red Cedar Speedway, and Ashley Anderson was the only first-time winner, as he picked a good night to win his first late model feature of the season. The other winners Friday continued to dominate the feature win totals in their respective divisions. They included Craig Thatcher, Cory Mahder, Kevin Adams, Chris Peterson and Tommy Richards.
Anderson led start-to-finish in the late model headliner and was never really challenged during the course of the event. The race went nonstop and Anderson jumped into the early lead from the pole and winning the first heat. John Kaanta moved into the second position and tried to track down Anderson. Jimmy Mars and Duane Mahder battled for third before Mars secured the spot and tried to track down the top two.
Anderson continued to hold a solid eight-car-length lead which Kaanta seemed unable to cut into. Mars was experimenting with different lines around the track, and he was able to close in on Kaanta for second, but not substantially. Chad Mahder was making some progress, as he started in the fourth row, and began to close in on his father for the fourth position.
Late in the event, Anderson had to deal with some lapped traffic, and as he carefully passed the tail enders, Kaanta was able to cut the lead somewhat. However, he was never able to muster a serious challenge as Anderson drove on for the win. Kaanta and Mars trailed with the younger Mahder making a pass for the fourth position late in the event. Anderson became the eighth different winner in nine nights of late model racing.
Once Thatcher gained control of the modified field, the only question was, how big was his lead going to be at the finish? Todd Siddons made things difficult for Thatcher on the opening lap, racing Craig wheel-to-wheel down the back chute until Thatcher drove deep into turn three and came out of the corner with a lead he would never relinquish.
Once Thatcher pulled away, it was up to Siddons to try and protect the second spot. While he maintained that position early, there was a big battle for third as Kevin Adams, Mark Hessler and Ron Mahder intently fought for the spot. Mahder would eventually move to the cushion and secure the third spot and then set off after Siddons.
After two early race yellows for minor spins, the race stayed under the green, and Thatcher stretched his lead to nearly a straightaway over the field. Mahder was having a strong run, and he swept past Siddons for second. Also looking good was Hessler who closed on Siddons as well. At the finish, Thatcher cruised home for his seventh win of the year at Red Cedar. Mahder was followed in third by Hessler, who made a late race pass of Siddons and Robby Bunkelman who rounded out the top five.
Cory Mahder continued his hot streak in the super stocks, as he took his sixth feature win of the year at Red Cedar, but it was a tough battle tonight, as Mahder came from deeper in the pack than any of the other winners tonight.
Mike Keller had the pole position and moved into the lead over Aaron Wilson while a good battle for third saw Jesse Redetzke, Randy Johnson, Cory Davis and Brad Banitt battle for the third spot. They were swapping positions and lanes on the track in a heavy argument for position.
The yellow flew with five laps complete for a spin and on the green, Keller again pulled away from the field. Mahder now began to make his move after starting in the fifth row. Using the high side, he was able to race up and join the big battle for third as Keller continued to hold a big lead. Working both the high side, and now also moving under cars on the low side, Mahder was able to work his way past Wilson and take over the second spot. Then, with ten laps complete, the yellow waved for debris on the track and Keller lost his big lead as well as having Mahder on his tail for the restart.
Keller continued to hold the lead on the green, but Mahder went to the top side to build his momentum up, and he pulled up beside Keller. With a strong run off turn four, Mahder blasted past Keller to take over the lead. Mike pushed as hard as he could on the bottom, but Mahder now had the point and he drove home for the win. Wilson held on for third with Redetzke and Johnson next in line.
Shane Halopka gave Adams a tough battle in the early going of the Midwest Modified main event, but once Adams found his best line on the track, he was able to pull away. Adams started on the pole but Halopka, from the second row, was scored the leader on the opening round when debris on the track brought out the yellow.
Halopka held off Adams on the restart with Jim Bourn a close third. Adams moved up the track to gain momentum and he picked up his speed in that way and was able to drive around Halopka down the front chute and take over the lead. As Halopka tried to stay with Adams, Bourn was under the gun from a charging Mark Hanson who was able to get under Bourn for third.
One more yellow for a spinner set up a three lap dash to the finish, and while Halopka stayed with Adams closely he wasn’t able to muster a passing move as Kevin drove on for his fourth win here this season. Hanson finished a strong third with Mark Thomas also able to pass Bourn in the late going.
The street stock feature provided the closest finish and while the field was slim, the cars on hand made things interesting. Chris Peterson jumped into the lead from the pole position with Troy Fransway and Joe Rhead trailing. Rhead moved to the outside and was able to take the runner up slot and he began to close on Peterson. Two yellows in the first two laps kept things bunched, but each time Peterson would continue to maintain the lead. Peterson seemed to be in good shape until about the midpoint of the contest when Rhead suddenly caught fire and pulled up beside Peterson in a battle for the lead.
The last few laps, the battle raged side by side and neither Peterson nor Rhead was able to get an edge as they raced side by side around the third mile oval. On the last corner, Peterson was able to gain a slight edge and they raced across the line with Peterson winning by half a car length and taking his third win here this season. Ajay Christianson finished third ahead of Clark Swartz while Derek Borchardt lost fifth when he failed to report to the scales after the event.
Mike Knudtson led the majority of the pure stock feature but a late race move by Tommy Richards allowed him to take his second win of the year at Red Cedar and tie Bobby Kaufman Jr as tops in the winner category. Knudtson jumped off the pole position and maintained the early lead with Danny and Tommy Richards battling with Kaufman Jr. for position. Curtis Anderson, Cooper Dohms and Wade Aspen were also in the lead group as much jockeying of position took place.
Knudtson continued to hold sway, but Danny Richards was pressuring him hard while Tommy Richards and Kaufman Jr battled for third. A spin with six laps completed bunched the field, and on the green, Tommy Richards made the outside work as he drove past his brother and closed on Knudtson for the lead. Farther back, Dohms took a wild spin in turn two and scrambled the field, but everyone kept going and the race stayed under the green. Tommy Richards drove hard into the turns and pulled up beside Knudtson. They were wheel to wheel on the last lap but Richards got a great run off turn four, and edged out Knudtson at the line for the exciting win. Danny Richards held off Kaufman Jr for third with Aspen dodging spinning cars and coming home fifth.
Racing action will continue next Friday, June 30, at 6:45 p.m. on Armed Forces Night at the speedway with Art Golden’s Dirt Track Specialties being the event sponsor. All six classes will be in racing action as usual.
WISSOTA late models
20-lap feature n Ashley Anderson, John Kaanta, Jimmy Mars, Chad Mahder, Duane Mahder, Jake Redetzke, A.J. Diemel, Scott Gilberts, Kerry Hanson, Mike Prochnow.
10-lap heat 1 n Anderson, Mars, Gilberts, C. Mahder.
Heat 2 n Kaanta, D. Mahder, Redetzke, Prochnow.
WISSOTA modifieds
15-lap feature n Craig Thatcher, Ron Mahder, Mark Hessler, Todd Siddons, Robby Bunkelman, Mike Anderson, Kevin Adams, Steve Arpin, Ron Schreiner, Luke Schilling.
10-lap heat 1 n Thatcher, Adams, Mahder, Hessler,
Heat 2 n Siddons, Anderson, Bunkelman, Schreiner.
WISSOTA super stocks
15-lap feature n Cory Mahder, Mike Keller, Aaron Wilson, Jesse Redetzke, Randy Johnson, Cory Davis, Greg Nippoldt, Chad Gullixson, Leon Plank, Mark Stender.
10-lap heat 1 n Keller, R. Johnson, Steve Hallquist, Gullixson.
Heat 2 n Wilson, Davis, Steve Burns, Ryan Olson.
Heat 3 n Redetzke, Brad Banitt, Mahder, Brad Johnson.
WISSOTA Midwest modifieds
12-lap feature n Kevin Adams, Shane Halopka, Mark Hanson, Mark Thomas, Jim Bourn, Frank Soucek, Mark Gerth, Dan Svee, Kyle Johnson, Kevin Smeltzer.
Eight-lap heat 1 n Adams, Halopka, Travis Hallquist, Thomas.
Heat 2 n Bourn, Hanson, Justin Supri, Brandon Bowe.
WISSOTA street stocks
12-lap feature n Chris Peterson, Joe Rhead, Ajay Christianson, Clark Swartz, Troy Fransway ,Dan Gallaway, Chris Endle.
Eight-lap heat 1 n Peterson, Fransway, Rhead, Christianson.
Pure stocks
10-lap feature - Tommy Richards, Mike Knudtson, Danny Richards, Bobby Kaufman Jr, Wade Aspen, Curtis Anderson, Jake Campbell, Ron Hoffman, Mike Harshman, Nick Field.
Eight-lap Heat 1 n Knutdson, Anderson, Cooper Dohms, Hoffman.
Heat 2 n D. Richards, Kaufman Jr, T. Richards, Aspen. |
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