Anderson Brothers Top Rice Lake Speedway Winners

By Ed Reichert

Rice Lake WI, Sept. 3 – Colfax racing brothers Mike and Travis Anderson both earned trips to victory lane as the Rice Lake Speedway concluded its sixty sixth year of consecutive racing action on Sunday night. The holiday race was run after the first half of the weekend doubleheader was rained out on Saturday by severe storms. Joining the Anderson brothers in victory lane were Andrew Hanson, Jeff Brauer and Eric Olson.

A season high one hundred and forty two racers from three states were on hand to compete in a twenty seven event program that saw two first time winners for the 2017 racing season.

Mike Anderson had to pass a very strong Michael Truscott to take the win in the Modified feature race. After two early yellows for minor spins and stalls, Truscott got the jump and continued to lead after starting on the outside pole. Anderson pulled in quickly and started to challenge while Ryan Viltz and Kevin Adams fought for the third spot. Anderson was able to make a low side pass and slide up in turn four and take over the lead while Adams did the same to Viltz to grab third.

Anderson then started to stretch his lead as Adams closed on Truscott but Michael proved a tough competitor to pass as Adams had to work very hard before he finally was forced to adjust his line to the high side of the track and he then drove around Truscott in turn four to take second.

Anderson was sailing along comfortably in the lead while Adams tried to cut into the margin as the laps ran down. Adams many have narrowed the margin slightly but Anderson still had a comfortable lead as the laps ran down and he drove home for his third Rice Lake Speedway Modified victory of 2017. Adams settled for second while Truscott finished an impressive third. Viltz also had a good run with Steve Hallquist completing the top five.

Brother Travis led all the way in the Midwest Modified feature but he had his hands full from start to finish as he was challenged by several different drivers. As Anderson took the early lead, his first challenger was Paul Suzik who started on the outside pole. However, Suzik was soon overtaken for that spot by Truscott, who was doing double duty racing both open wheel divisions on this night.

Truscott put some heavy pressure on Anderson as they raced hard for the lead between yellow flags which flew four times in the first six laps.

Shane Halopka was on the move after starting in the fourth row and he drove up to second and began to challenge Truscott for that position. Following a yellow, Halopka was able to drive around Truscott to take second and then he set off after the leader.

However, another yellow flag slowed the action and this time it was Truscott who got the jump and he returned to second. Halopka was not done however, and he raced his way back past Truscott and set off after Anderson who still continued to hold several car lengths on the field. Halopka really picked up the pace and by the time the white flag waved, he was within a car length of the leader.

Anderson was very careful on the final tour and while Halopka pulled to his rear bumper, Travis was careful not to give Halopka an opening and he drove on to his first feature win of the year at Rice Lake. Truscott finished several car lengths back in third while the drive of the race was accomplished by Tommy Richards. Normally a standout Super Stock racer, Richards was driving a new car that was a second entry from the Iverson Racing Team and he moved all the way from twelfth to fourth at the finish with Aric Lindberg completing the top five.

A big field of Pure Stocks was on hand but Andrew Hanson, the point champion at the ABC Raceway in Ashland, was game to take on all comers as he started on the outside pole and led all the way for the win. In the early going he was battling with Cole Hill but then C.J. Wagner, Kyle Copp and Jay Folz all moved in to provide a challenge. After a stall triggered a yellow with five laps complete, Hanson continued to lead but Wagner and Folz were both putting on heavy pressure. Hanson maintained his line however, and started to put some small distance on the field as the race for second continued to be hotly contested.

Hanson, with few starts at this track for experience, didn't let that phase him as he continued to drive a strong and smooth race and as the laps ran down, he was able to maintain his margin as he drove home for the win. Not only was it his first win of the season at Rice Lake, it was also the first career win at the track for the high school student from Iron River.

Folz, who was making his first start in two years driving the car that he owns that Jason Havel has raced with so much success in recent years, finished a remarkable second. Before the race, the Pure Stock drivers did a four wide procession to honor Havel, who was in the pace truck and waving to fans as he continues to battle serious health issues.

Wagner finished a strong third driving for the first time the #16 car normally run by Rob Grabon who moved up to the Street Stocks Sunday. Mike Blevins, current national point leader in the Pure Stocks, started seventh and finished fourth with a late rush while Dustin Doughty, currently second in the national points, finished right behind Blevins racing his wife's car on this night.

The closest feature race of the night was in the Super Stocks where Brauer made a turn four pass on the last lap to beat Nick Oreskovich by a nose to win the main event.

The Super Stocks had a terrible time getting their main event going with five yellow flags in the first two laps as everyone was more than a little anxious to get racing. Finally, after everyone settled down, the last eighteen laps of the race clicked off nonstop.

Oreskovich and Brauer shared the front row and they battled mightily in the opening laps as the traded the lead back and forth. Finally, Oreskovich was able to secure the top spot and he moved out by about two car lengths on the field. Brauer was under the gun for second as Terran Spacek moved up to challenge him and in fact did take over the second spot at the midpoint of the race.

Brauer looked like he was stuck in third but he then made an adjustment on the track as he moved up higher with his racing line and it quickly paid off dividends. He drove around Spacek to regain second and then started to close up on Nick O as the laps ran down.

With only a couple laps to go, Brauer was on the rear bumper of Oreskovich with two lapped cars directly in front of them. While those cars caused no problems, trying to decide which line to take on the final lap was dicey. As they entered the final corner, Oreskovich had Brauer right on his bumper and Nick opted to go wide exiting the corner to race to the line. Brauer cut his car tight to the inside and got a great run while Oreskovich seemed bogged down and Brauer moved in and edged past and as they raced to the line, it was Brauer in front by the narrowest of margins as the crowd was stunned.
Spacek completed his strong run with a third place finish as he had Shane Kisling close behind while Nick Traynor completed the top five after starting twentieth.

It was the second win of the year at Rice Lake for the Minnesota driver.

Eric Olson drew the pole for the Street Stock feature and that was bad news for the rest of the field as he led from start to finish to record his fourth victory in that car despite the fact that it didn't hit the track until August. Olson pulled away at the beginning with Hunter VanGilder sticking close behind for several laps until Olson began to stretch his margin. Ron Hanestad moved into third but Danny Richards overtook him and tried to reel in the top two runners.

The lone yellow of the event set up a three lap dash to the finish but it caused no problem for Olson who pulled away and ran home uncontested for the win. VanGilder, Richards and Hanestad were next in line with rookie driver Travis Loew having a fine run to complete the top five as he held off another rookie in Braden Brauer.

The 2017 racing season at the Rice Lake Speedway is now complete. Check the speedway website and face book page for announcements relative to the 2018 racing season and also the speedway banquet date and site.

SUMMARY

Rice Lake Speedway
Rice Lake WI
Sept. 3, 2017

WISSOTA Modified

20 lap Feature – Mike Anderson(Colfax), Kevin Adams(Cameron), Michael Truscott(Chippewa Falls), Ryan Viltz(Chetek), Steve Hallquist(Eau Claire), Scott Duval(Bloomer), Ashley Anderson (Elk Mound), Steve Lavasseur(River Falls), Dave Baxter(Eau Claire), Ross Prochnow(Boyceville), Jake Miller, Dave Mayala, Buddy Mayala, Jake Hanson, Mark Hessler, Todd Gehl, Jason Schill, Darrel Hazelton, Gary Baxter

8 lap Heat 1 – Hallquist, Lavasseur, Hessler(Menomonie), Hazelton(Chippewa Falls), Duval, Wayne Poteet
Heat 2 – Viltz, Adams, D. Baxter, Gehl(Solon Springs), Schill(Centuria), Hanson, B. Mayala
Heat 3 – M. Anderson, Truscott, Prochnow, G. Baxter(Eau Claire), D. Mayala(Barron), A. Anderson

WISSOTA Super Stocks

20 lap Feature – Jeff Brauer(Eyota MN), Nick Oreskovich(Mason), Terran Spacek(Phillips), Shane Kisling(Park Falls), Nick Traynor(Barron), Aaron Wilson(Eau Claire), Eric Olson(Ladysmith), Matt Deragon(Ashland), Adam Soltis(Ladysmith), Terry Kroening(Colby), Cory Davis, Cooper Berlin, Andy Grymala, John Remington, Matt Koski, Jamie Fisher, Steve Davidson, Noah Richter, Steve Thomas, Mike Siewert, Wayne Dean, Simon Wahlstrom, Tommy Richards, Rick Hallquist

10 lap B Feature – Kroening, Siewert(Cameron), Fisher(Rice Lake), Richter(St. Croix Falls), Thomas Martin(Farmington MN), Steve Martin, Josh Cappo, A.J. Morrissette, Jesse Young

8 lap Heat 1 – Brauer, Thomas(Menomonie), Grymala(Superior), Deragon, Berlin(Rice Lake), S. Martin, Sam Fankhauser, Cappo
Heat 2 – Spacek, Dean(Eau Claire), Remington(Scandia MN), Davidson(Richland Center), Koski(New Richmond), Fisher, Morrissette, T. Martin
Heat 3 – Oreskovich, Wahlstrom(Rice Lake), Richards(Mondovi), Davis(Turtle Lake), Hallquist(Eau Claire), Siewert, Rick Randall, Richter
Heat 4 – Wilson, Soltis, Kisling, Olson, Traynor, Young, Kroening

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds

15 lap Feature – Travis Anderson(Colfax), Shane Halopka(Greenwood), Michael Truscott(Chippewa Falls), Tommy Richards(Mondovi), Aric Lindberg(Dallas), Jamie Bisonette(Dallas), Tyler Vernon(Ashland), Joe Chaplin Jr(Cameron), Paul Sizik(Ironwood MI), Gary Baxter(Eau Claire), Cody Borgeson, Tanner Hicks, Calvin Iverson, Fran Hanson, Nick Lindquist, Kent Baxter, Clark Swartz, Kenny Kinkaid, Tyler Hudack, Jason Vokovan, Mark Thomas, Austin Ellis, Jason Schill, Tony Bahr

10 lap B Feature 1 – Chaplin Jr, Vokovan(Eau Claire), Brady Larson(Amery), Cy Hoaglan(Ashland), John Remington(Scandia MN), Tyler Werner, Scott Meeds, John Mueller, Jason Olson, Reid Tiegs, Chase Friendt, Clay Passuello

B Feature 2 – Thomas(Menomonie), Swartz(Bloomer), George Dalbeck(Wakefield MI), Tyler Luger(Oxford), James Kannegiesser(Hayward), Dan Larson Jr, Chris Johnson, Denny Cutsforth, Derek Haas, Dan Roatch, Steve Haas

8 lap Heat 1 – Schill(Centuria), Lindberg, G. Baxter, Hudack(Ashland), Vokovan, Luger, Friendt, Johnson, Mueller
Heat 2 – Truscott, Halopka, Richards, Iverson(Eleva), Thomas, Larson, D. Haas, Remington, S. Haas
Heat 3 – Bisonette, Hicks(Ashland), Bahr(Haugen), K. Baxter(Colfax), Chaplin Jr, Swartz, Passuello, Kannegiesser, Meeds
Heat 4 – Suzik, Borgeson(New Richmond), Kinkaid(Shell Lake), Lindquist(Prescott), Dalbeck, Tiegs, Roatch, Olson
Heat 5 – Anderson, Vernon, Ellis(Rice Lake), Hanson(Almena), Hoaglan, Larson Jr, Werner, Cutsforth

WISSOTA Street Stocks

15 lap Feature – Eric Olson(Ladysmith), Hunter VanGilder(Rice Lake), Danny Richards(Mondovi), Ron Hanestad(Glenwood City), Travis Loew(Barron), Braden Brauer(Eyota MN), Rob Grabon(Bruce), Travis Hazelton(Chippewa Falls), Kolby Kiehl(Barron), Bob Seidler(Chippewa Falls), Parker Anderson, Dale Holte, Mike Blevins, Hunter Anderson, Josh Bach, Don Cook

8 lap Heat 1 – Richards, Cook(Barron), Olson, VanGilder, Brauer, P. Anderson, Bach, H. Anderson, Kiehl
Heat 2 – Hanestad, Loew, Grabon, Seidler, Holte(Elk Mound), Hazelton, James Clausen, Blevins

WISSOTA Pure Stocks

12 lap Feature – Andrew Hanson(Iron River), Jay Folz(Rice Lake), C.J. Wagner(Rice Lake), Mike Blevins(Hibbing MN), Dustin Doughty(Oakdale MN), Kyle Copp(Brule), Cole Hill(Colfax), James Vendela(South Range), Cory Jorgensen(Hermantown MN), Shane Kisling(Park Falls), Zach Beaulieu, Leslie Leu, Mike Grover, Dusten Holub, Andrew Conklin, Scotty VanGilder, Andy Ladd, Kent Deutsch, Joe Pajtash, Jimmy Holden, Will Fisher, Austin Workman
10 lap B Feature – D. Holub(Chetek), Grover(Chetek), VanGilder(Birchwood), Deutsch(Colfax), Lou Puzio(Eau Claire), Dave Holub, Kaylee Remington, Rob Holmstrom Jr, Mike Holmstrom, Ken Larson

8 lap Heat 1 – Blevins, Folz, Vendela, Jorgensen, John Eastman, D. Holub, VanGilder, Puzio
Heat 2 – Holden(Rice Lake), Wagner, Fisher(Shell Lake), Ladd(Cumberland), Doughty, Grover, Deutsch, Larson
Heat 3 – Hanson, Hill, George Richards(Mondovi), Kisling, Pajtash(Lake Nebagamon), Remington, D. Holub, Tucker Quinn
Heat 4 – Copp, Leu(Stetsonville), Beaulieu(Chetek), Workman(Barron), Conklin(Ladysmith), R. Holmstrom