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Thursday, August 8
On a personal note to begin the column, I recently received notification from the heart center at Essentia Health in Duluth, MN that they finally have the right size of the “Watchman” device I have been waiting for. I understand that once this device is implanted, it will lessen my chances for strokes and I will be able to go off blood thinners. It’s all a good thing, and last I read there are 496,000 folks who have the device and are doing better, which is all I can ask at my age!
Now, onto the first night of what was set to be a four-day trek to three different tracks. On Thursday, August 8 we drove up Thompson Hill to Proctor Speedway for the first of three WISSOTA Structural Buildings Late Model Challenge Series events. The second was to be held at Gondik Law Speedway, and the third was set for ABC Raceway in Ashland, WI, in conjunction with the Tanner Byholm 444 Memorial race.
For those who don’t know, Tanner Byholm was the son of longtime Late Model racer Bill (Billy) Byholm from Ashland, who lost his life in a plane crash. The No. 444 is the number Tanner used when he raced to honor his father, who raced the No. 4 for years.
But back to Thursday at Proctor. As far as the turnout is concerned, the WISSOTA Late Models had 38 cars, the WISSOTA Modifieds had 35 cars, and the WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds brought a nice field of 40 cars.
With all the heat races and B features recorded in the books, the short intermission that had been scheduled went down the drain, as a light mist decided to make the track unraceable. They got cars out on the track, and the mist stopped. After some track packing we were ready to go.
In the 25-lap Midwest Modified feature, Joey Jensen pulled off the win from the pole. Moving from the third starting spot to second was Garrett Paull. Third went to Zach Benson, while Blake Adams moved up one from his fifth starting spot to finish fourth. Ryan Savoy was fifth. Our driver Cody Carlson started 11th, moved forward, moved back, and ultimately finished right where he started – in 11th. Jensen completed the sweep of the MidMods for the night with his earlier heat race.
Next up was the 40-lap Structural Buildings feature for the Late Models. Once again there was mist in the air and a track that was left with no traction. Officials brought the track prep equipment once again, which help recover the track surface. I liked it when the flagman decided to black flag the grader, and from there on, it quickly moved on to the start of that feature.
In the Late Model feature Tyler Peterson completed a sweep of the program with the victory. Cole Searing was second and Jeff Massingill moved from his eighth starting slot to finish third. Sam Mars finished fourth and Kyle Peterlin came from 13th to round out the top five. There were 17 of the original starting 26 cars running at the end.
In the WISSOTA Modifieds, Bob Broking drove from his fourth starting spot to take the win over Brandon Copp, completing a sweep of the class. Joseph Thomas, Darrell Nelson and Ryan Gierke finished in the top five.
It is really neat to watch the blue drone from the TV people running right with the pack of cars, and even up with the leaders. The little bugger is really fast!
We actually got done just before midnight, after another partial mist-out slowed the action. At least it didn’t become a “two-day event.”
Friday, August 9
We have just returned home from Gondik Law Speedway. There were 113 total cars, with it breaking down into 36 LM, 39 Modifieds and 38 Midwest Modifieds. There were different drivers from the previous night, both coming and going!
On Friday, even though it was cold and windy, we didn’t have any mist or rain as we did Thursday in Proctor, so, there were no delays.
I felt we had a very good crowd of fans at the speedway on Friday night, and they seemed to be glad that the race program was efficient and done before 11.
Deven VanHouse was the 25-lap feature winner in the WISSOTA Midwest Mods. The top four behind VanHouse included Jason VandeKamp, Zach Benson, Cole Boston and Ryan Savoy, who was up from his ninth starting spot to finish fifth.
As was done at Proctor Speedway on Thursday, WISSOTA Late Models were then trotted out first for their 40-lap feature. Those 40 laps in Superior were run off without even a sniff of a caution flag. Cole Searing, Ashley Anderson, Pat Doar, James Giossi and Johnny Broking – a Late Model rookie – finished in the top five.
Then came the 30-lap feature for the WISSOTA Modifieds. It was said by the announcers that feature polesitter Dave Cain had never won a feature at the speedway, even though he has raced here many times. He responded by taking a strong lead at the drop of the green flag and looked to be well on his way toward that first feature win here. It became apparent, however, that local racer Brandon Copp was gaining on Cain as the laps rolled by. Sure enough he took the lead from Cain and won only his second feature of the season here. Young Kaden Blaeser, Shane Sabraski and Kennedy Swan made up the rest of the top five. As an aside here, I’m still waiting for Kennedy Swan to win her first feature at GLS. Time’s running out on the season!
In other race notes, after some work on the track by the crew later in the evening, the groove began to widen out in the turns. It became dangerous to run too high in the top groove in the turns. I believe it was Gunnar Frank who came too close to the wall in turns one and two and struck the outside wall firmly, you might say, destroying the right rear quarter panel. He was forced to leave the event, but was reportedly uninjured.
Before I wrap up this portion of the column, I must mention the Late Model qualifying. The Challenge Series has been using group qualifying for the Late Models, and it takes a shorter time than one or two cars qualifying at a time, and is worth it.
It was again cold last night; in fact I asked our friend John Kimmes if it was actually November 10 today! He laughed!
Saturday, August 10
On Saturday, August 10 we took in the 444 Memorial races at ABC Raceway. There were 30 WISSOTA Late Models, 38 WISSOTA Modifieds and 38 WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds.
Winners were set to go home with $10,444 to win in the Mid Mods, $15,444 to win the Mods and $20,444 to win the Late Models. Unprecedented jumps, I might say!
There was also a dash in each division for the top point getters in the previous races that occurred earlier in the week. They were each an eight-lap affair and the results in each set the top rows in each feature event.
Following heat race and B feature action, the dash for the Late Models was won by Tyler Peterson, with Cole Searing second.
In the Midwest Modifieds, Jason VandeKamp took advantage of his pole position to take the lead of the 30-lap event. He was chased all the way by Joey Jensen. Zach Benson was third, ninth-starter Marcus Dunbar was fourth and Ryan Savoy finished fifth. Our friend Cody Carlson started in the 18th spot and was able to advance to just outside the top 10 with an 11th-place finish.
Next up they rolled out the big guns, the 50-lap Late Model Feature. Once again it was “Superman” Shane Sabraski who worked his third place starting slot into the $20,444 victory! Following him to the checkered flag was second-starter Cole Searing. The rest of the top five included Ashley Anderson in third, Kevin Burdick fourth, and fifth went to Tyler Peterson.
By this time it was getting quite late due to some incidents in the previous races, including a big wreck down in turn one in the Late Model feature. No one was reported injured and a number of the cars were able to drive away from the incident. Only two left on the hook, including Travis Budisalovich.
Running the 30-lap Modified feature last ensured there were plenty of fans in the seats yet, even give the late hour.
In that event “Superman” Sabraski had to work just a bit harder for his victory. In the early going Clayton Wagamon held the point for a number of circuits but it was soon the Shane Sabraski show. His win in the memorial was No. 915 or 916 overall I believe. As far as I know, most of these feature wins came in Mods, Supers and likely the Mid Mods, but he has shown that he has the “right stuff” to win in the Late Models also.
Darrell Nelson finished third behind Wagamon. Brandon Copp finished in fourth, and Ryan Gierke was fifth.