Cory Mahder Tops Rice Lake Speedway Late Model Run

By Ed Reichert

RICE LAKE, WI (May 14) - Despite less than ideal weather conditions, the Rice Lake Speedway was able to get their Saturday night show in, and Cory Mahder was more than pleased that the race was run. He led all the way for the Late Model win as the Late Models made their first appearance of the year at Rice Lake. There were five new winners in the regular classes that compete at the speedway with Paul Brust, Ben Hillman, Shane Halopka, Jay Kesan and Bob Wahlstrom all visiting victory lane for the first time in 2011.

Mahder’s run was a relatively easy one in the nonstop Late Model finale as he out raced Paul Brust into the first corner and then steadily pulled away from the field. Soon he had nearly a straightaway advantage over Brust who had his hands full with an attacking Chad Mahder. John Kaanta was also on the move after starting in the fourth row as he got past T.J. Adams after a tough battle and then after the top three.

Cory Mahder’s toughest part of the race was after he caught the back of the pack and he had to carefully work his way through the traffic. However, he successfully negotiated through the traffic and came home in the clear to take the $1,000 top prize. Brust was able to successfully hold of Chad Mahder for second with Kaanta and Lance Matthees completing the top five. For Cory, it was his first ever Late Model feature win at Rice Lake.

Brust had a most successful night as along with a runner up finish in the Late Models, he won his first Modified feature at Rice Lake since the 1998 racing season. Mike Anderson took the early lead in the Modified main event which was slowed multiple times for a series of spin outs.

Anderson led the majority of the race with Scott Miller holding the second spot until Brust finally worked past him. Rick Rivord was also having a strong run as the three car battle for second raged for a number of laps.

The last nine laps of the race ran nonstop and Brust gradually closed in on Anderson until he was in a challenging position. With only four laps remaining , Anderson got too high in turn one and Brust was right there to power under him and take over the lead. Once in front, Brust proved that he was the faster car as he quickly pulled away and put distance on the field to the checkered. Miller had a strong run as he maintained third, with Rivord and Tim McMann completing the top five finishers.

In contrast to the multiple slowdowns in the Modifieds, the Super Stocks ran a nonstop twenty lap finale and it was Hillman who dominated to get his first ever Super Stock feature win at Rice Lake. Ben started on the pole and took the immediate lead with Shane Kisling and Eric Olson his challengers. Hillman found his top position challenged as Kisling tried several times to get by on the high side but couldn’t quite pull off the maneuver. Soon Olson caught Kisling and drove past him for second but Hillman had stretched his lead by this time.

In the last going Hillman ran into traffic and his pace slowed with Olson reeling him in. Eric got close on the final lap but Hillman had enough cushion to drive home for the win. Scott Clark had a strong run as he moved up from the third row to take the show position with Tommy Richards and Jason Forehand trailing.

The Midwest Modified feature saw the lead traded back and forth on a couple of occasions before Halopka finally nailed down the win. Brad Hudson was the early leader with Scott Duval, Matt Leer, Bryce Johnson and Halopka all moving into the lead pack. Leer used the high side to move into contention with Halopka right behind him. Matt continued his charge and took over the lead but then he pushed up the track and Halopka dove under him for the lead.

A couple of yellow flags bunched the field and the top two continued to battle and trade the top spot. A two car tangle forced a two lap sprint to the finish and Halopka was able to fight off the challenge of Leer and take the win. Hudson had a solid run for third with Tito Viltz and Zach Manley, up from the twentieth starting spot, completing the top five.

Kesan dominated the Street Stock run Saturday, starting in the second row but quickly making it a three wide battle on the opening lap with Joel Hinrichs and Ashley Husby. Kesan found an opening on the low side of the track and by the completion of lap one, he was the leader. He quickly moved away from the field as Adam Soltis and Doug Wojcik moved into contention.

A yellow flag on mid race bunched the field again, but Kesan moved away from the pack on the green again. Soltis found racing room and took over the second spot with Wojcik charging into third and closing on Soltis. Kesan motored on unchallenged as it was a Rusk County sweep with Soltis and Wojcik running in order behind him. Sam Fankhauser and Nick Wojcik ran next in line at the finish.

Wahlstrom sat on the pole for the Pure Stock feature but it was Jay Folz who came charging up from the second row to take the early lead. Folz was challenged by Wahlstrom and Mike Schnider in the early going until developments happened in rapid order at the halfway point of the event. Battling for second, Wahlstrom was turned around in turn four and the yellow flew, with Schnider sent to the tail of the pack.

When the green returned, the leaders went at for the top spot and there was a collision between Folz and Wahlstrom leaving turn four that saw Folz spin. Another yellow ensued with Folz forced to pit with a flat tire.

Wahlstrom had the lead for the restart but on the charge was Clay Potazcek. He came from the third row and was challenging Wahlstrom hard on the last few laps. Clay threw everything he had at Wahlstrom and tried to slide under him on the final lap, but his move was unsuccessful as Bob held on for the win. Bob Thompson came from deep in the pack to finish third with the reshuffled top five including C. J. Wagner and Nick Traynor after top five finisher John Erickson was disqualified after he weighed in light.

Coming up at the speedway on May 21st is Boy & Girl Scout night sponsored by Adams Automotive where all scouts in uniform will be admitted free of charge. On May 28th, the UMSS Sprint Cars make their first appearance of the year at the track when it will also be Veteran’s night with all Veteran’s admitted free of charge thanks to Mix Crete. The next appearance of the Late Models is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday night, June 14th for a Late Model special with other classes yet to be announced. Full details on this event should be made known shortly. Check the speedway website, www.ricelakespeedway.net for announcements.

SUMMARY

WISSOTA Late Models
25 lap Feature – Cory Mahder, Elk Mound; Paul Brust, Rice Lake; Chad Mahder, Eau Claire; John Kaanta, Elk Mound; Lance Matthees, Winona MN; Steve Laursen, Cumberland; Jake Redetzke, Eau Claire; Adam Hensel, Barron; Scott Duval, Bloomer; Todd Frank, Seymour; T.J. Adams, Hayward; Scott Meeds, Spooner; Joey Ogston, Duluth MN
10 lap Heat 1 – Adams; Kaanta; Ch. Mahder; Co. Mahder; Matthees; Hensel; Duval
Heat 2 – Brust; Redetzke; Ogston; Frank; Meeds.
 
WISSOTA Modifieds
20 lap Feature – Paul Brust, Rice Lake; Mike Anderson, Colfax; Scott Miller, Rice Lake; Rick Rivord, Superior; Tim McMann, Duluth MN; Kevin Adams, Cameron; Dave Mayala, Barron; Pat Hoffman, Rice Lake; Kent Baxter, Elk Mound; Steve Lavasseur, River Falls; Shaun Kreyer, Hayward; Robby Bunkelman, Abbotsford; Wayne Stricker, Highbridge; Jason Swan, Chippewa Falls; Jason Miller, Osceola; Mark Hanson, Chippewa Falls; Mike Anderson, Dallas
10 lap Heat 1 – J. Miller; Anderson(Colfax); Brust; McMann; Swan; Baxter; Stricker; Bunkelman
Heat 2 – Adams; Rivord; S. Miller; Mayala; Anderson(Dallas); Hanson; Hoffman; Kreyer
 
WISSOTA Super Stocks
20 lap Feature – Ben Hillman, Menomonie; Eric Olson, Ladysmith; Scott Clark, Cameron; Tommy Richards, Mondovi; Jason Forehand, Eau Claire; Aaron Wilson, Menomonie; Andy Grymala, Superior; Scott Lawrence, Superior; Allen Amborn, Rice Lake; Shawn Rivord, Superior; Marcus Simonson, Milltown; Cody Carlson, Superior; Donnie Talmage, Amery; Donnie Lofdahl, Duluth MN; Shane Kisling, Sarona; Tad Schoonover, Eagle River; Brad Kisling, Rice Lake.
10 lap Heat 1 – Clark; Lawrence; Schoonover; S. Kisling; Forehand; Wilson; Simonson; Talmage
Heat 2 – Hillman; Olson; Lofdahl; Richards; Grymala; Amborn; Rivord; Carlson
 
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
15 lap Feature – Shane Halopka, Greenwood; Matt Leer, Bruce; Brad Hudson, Chippewa Falls; Tito Viltz, Rice Lake; Zach Manley, Cameron; Ryan Viltz, Chetek; Dusty Brown, Rice Lake; Darren LaBlonde, Baldwin; Travis Anderson, Colfax; Cory Crapser, Chippewa Falls; Joe Eckland, Springbrook; Douglas Toepper, Wyoming MN; Dave Flynn, Superior; Scott Duval, Bloomer; Mike Truscott, Chippewa Falls; John Moravec, Ladysmith; Josh Smith, Eau Claire; Bryce Johnson, Barron; Neil Balduc, Bessemer MI; Dave Dishaw, Ontonagon MI
10 lap Heat 1 – Halopka; Hudson; Leer; Crapser; Smith; LaBlonde; R. Viltz
Heat 2 – Johnson; Anderson; Moravec; Eckland; Flynn
Heat 3 – T. Viltz; Duval; Truscott; Dishaw; Balduc; Brown; Toepper
 
WISSOTA Street Stocks
15 lap Feature – Jay Kesan, Weyerhaeuser; Adam Soltis, Ladysmith; Doug Wojcik, Ladysmith; Sam Fankhauser, Cameron; Nick Wojcik, Ladysmith; Ashley Husby, Menomonie; Simon Wahlstrom, Rice Lake; Jared Lindner, Greenwood; Cody Kummer, Medford; Joel Hinrichs, Chetek; Mike Knudtson, Osseo; John Kallas, Hurley; Danny Richards, Mondovi; Josh Wahlstrom, Cameron
10 lap Heat 1 – Soltis; Fankhauser; S. Wahlstrom; Kummer; Richards; N. Wojcik; Knudtson
Heat 2 – D. Wojcik; Husby; Kesan; Hinrichs; J. Wahlstrom; Kallas; Lindner
 
Pure Stocks
12 lap Feature – Bob Wahlstrom, Chetek; Clay Potaczek, Boyd; Bob Thompson, Cameron; C.J. Wagner, Hayward; Nick Traynor, Barron; Jamey Fisher, Rice Lake; Chad Eastman, Rice Lake; Jay Folz, Rice Lake; Chad Carlson, Superior; Brandon Davis, Chetek; Kolby Kiehl, Cameron; Dustin Doughty, Ladysmith; Jon Wigchers, Rice Lake; Mike Schnider, Rice Lake; Josh Bach, Rice Lake
8 lap Heat 1 – Folz; Schnider; Doughty; Eastman; Thompson; Wigchers; Davis; Traynor
Heat 2 – Potaczek; Wahlstrom; Fisher; Wagner; Carlson; Kiehl; Eastman; John Erickson