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  .: July 3, 2018 :.

Adams Doubles at Rice Lake Speedway “Firecracker”

By Ed Reichert

Rice Lake WI, July 3 – Kevin Adams scored an easy victory in the Midwest Modified feature and then came back to out duel current national point leader Dave Cain in a hard fought Modified feature and score a rare double victory night as the Firecracker/Relay for Life holiday special was held Tuesday night at the Rice Lake Speedway.

Other feature winners on a hot and steamy July night were Kevin Burdick in the Super Stocks, Jay Kesan in the Street Stocks and George Richards in the Pure Stocks. A season high one hundred and twenty nine drivers signed in to race on Tuesday night and after early day threatening skies gradually began to clear, a huge holiday crowd was on hand to witness the special midweek racing program.

Adams and Cain put on a driving exhibition in the Modified feature race as their two car battle was not settled until the late going of the twenty lap finale that saw the pair of veteran and highly decorated competitors use every trip in the book to try and beat their rivals.

Grant Southworth was the early leader of the Modified feature as the class rookie continues to improve every time he gets behind the wheel. Cain drove past Kyle Helling to take over second and then closed on the leader after the race was slowed a couple of times for early spins.

Meanwhile, Adams was on the move after starting seventh and after getting past Matt Leer and Mike Anderson, Adams found himself in third and challenging to move up even farther.

Cain followed Southworth for a few laps and then jumped to the outside lane of the track and drove past the Bloomer driver to take over the top spot. Just a few laps later Adams was able to execute the same move and take over the runner up slot.

The battle was then on, as both Cain and Adams used the whole race track, swapping lanes on each end of the track as they sought the quick way that would allow them to pick up the pace. One laps short of the halfway point, the final spin of the race triggered one last yellow and when the race resumed, it would be a war between Cain and Adams while at the same time Southworth and Anderson would battle for third and Leer and Steve Hallquist would also be side by side for fifth.

Cain opted to stay the low groove all the way around the track and this gave Adams the opportunity to get a run on the top side of the track if he could make it work. After experimenting for several laps, Adams found a lane that worked for him and he was gradually able to edge by Cain a few feet each lap until he could claim the lead.

The last few laps saw Cain try his hardest to gain back the ground he lost but he couldn't quite do it as Adams continued to work the track hard and at the line it was Adams by two car lengths for the win, his third of the season here. Anderson got past Southworth but Grant fought back to claim the third spot and Hallquist edged past Leer to round out the top five.

While Adams was able to claim a double win with a victory in the Midwest Modified feature too, that race was a frustrating one with far too many yellow flags and in fact, the time limit ran out and the race was checkered with only twelve laps completed.

Adams started on the outside pole and took the lead early, a lead that would never be challenged. The race for second was a good one with Cody Borgeson, Ross Fuhrman and Travis Anderson battling for position. On the move were both Austin Ellis and Joe Chaplin Jr as they gradually moved to the front.

The race moved on in small increments with the yellow flag flying far too often as a variety of spins slowed the action time after time.

While each time Adams would pull away when the green came back out, the battle behind him continued to be intense. Ellis and Chaplin Jr both made the best progress as they moved into second and third. Chaplin Jr then was able to get past Ellis and take over second near the end.

When the yellow waved again for a spin with twelve laps completed, the time limit ran out and the race was called complete and scored back to the white flag lap. Adams won his third Midwest Modified feature and is now the only driver to have won three features at the track in 2018 and he has done so with both of his cars. Chaplin Jr was saved by the yellow as he had surrendered second again to Ellis but was saved when the race was called complete. Josh Smith, in his first run at Rice Lake this year, finished a strong fourth with Borgeson grabbing another top five finish.

The Super Stocks produced an incredible field of cars with thirty seven drivers signing in to race in the class. But it was Kevin Burdick, in his first appearance of the year here, who blew the field away to get the feature win. Simon Wahlstrom and Mike Loomis shared the front row and it was Wahlstrom who took the early lead.

One one lap was able to be completed before a grinding collision between Shane Kisling and Cody Kummer eliminated both cars. On the green, Wahlstrom continued to lead with Eric Olson moving in to challenge Loomis for second. They rubbed together and Loomis got a flat tire, triggering the second and final slow down of the race with five laps completed.

Wahlstrom now had heavy pressure for the lead as Olson moved to his outside and Burdick, who started in the third row, suddenly burst on to the scene to challenge for the lead. Burdick was able to make the low side work and he took over the top spot, leaving Wahlstrom and Olson to battle for second.

Curt Myers and Nick Oreskovich were also charging and they broke into the top five and were looking for more. But with the race staying under the green for the final fifteen laps, Burdick just pulled away from the field and stretched his margin to nearly a full straightaway in a dominating performance. Wahlstrom showed plenty of fight himself as after losing second to Olson, he adjusted his line on the track and was able to repass Olson for second late in the contest. Myers and Oreskovich completed the top five. Burdick becomes the seventh different winner in the Super Stocks already this season.

Another dominating performance was turned in by Jay Kesan as he won his second Street Stock feature of the year at Rice Lake. He started on the outside of the front row and got the jump on Danny Richards twice to grab the lead. The first time saw Richards get spun by another car in turn two and while everyone managed to avoid him, the race was called back and a second attempt was made to get it going.

This time everything worked and again it was Kesan who got the jump and grabbed the lead. Richards was having trouble holding his car on the bottom and Kevin Bogdanovic moved in and took over the position. The final thirteen laps of this race went nonstop and Kesan just continued to build on his lead, opening up a comfortable margin at the finish. Rookie driver Dustin Doughty had a fine run of his own as he came from the fourth row to finish fourth with Kummer coming from one row farther back to complete the top five.

A very good Pure Stock feature saw Richards come from the second row to fight off several competitors and win his first feature race of the year here. Cory Jorgensen was the early leader and it looked like he might maintain the lead from start to finish of the event. While he was pressured by Mike Grover, Richards and C.J. Wagner, he continued to hold the top spot until the yellow waved at the half way point.

This slow down proved to be the undoing of Jorgensen as he got high on the restart and while he tried to fight off the competition, Richards and Wagner were both able to get past him. The battle wasn't over yet as Jason Havel, Andrew Hanson Tucker Quinn made it a big wad of drivers all battling for the same real estate.

While Richards remained smooth up front, Hanson made some strong moved and raced up to the second place and Havel also put Wagner back a spot too. Jorgensen managed to fight his way back into the top five at the finish. With Richards' win, the Pure Stocks have now crowned eight different winners in eight nights of racing.

The speedway will return to racing action next on Saturday night, July 7th. The next two Saturday nights will feature full five division programs with the track next taking the night off on July 2st with the Barron County Fair in progress that week. The next special event at the track will be the Wollak Construction WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series race on Saturday night, July 28th.

SUMMARY

Rice Lake Speedway

Rice lake WI

July 3, 2018

WISSOTA Modifieds

20 lap Feature – Kevin Adams(Cameron), Dave Cain(Corcoran MN), Grant Southworth(Bloomer), Mike Anderson(Jim Falls), Steve Hallquist(Eau Claire), Matt Leer(Bruce), Mark Hanson(Chippewa Falls), Paul Niznik(Medford), Kyle Helling(Rice Lake), Ryan Viltz(Chetek), Jeff Spacek, Pat Hoffman, Sam Fankhauser, Rick Rivord, Mike Knopps, Bryan Hessler, Buddy Mayala, Jake Hessler, Cooper Berlin, Wayne Poteet

8 lap Heat 1 – Anderson, Southworth, Cain, Hanson, Viltz, Knopps, Spacek
Heat 2 – Fankhauser(Rice Lake), Hallquist, Hoffman(Rice Lake), B. Hessler(Chetek), Poteet(Spooner), Mayala, J. Hessler
Heat 3 – Adams, Leer, Helling, Niznik, Rivord(Superior), Berlin

WISSOTA Super Stocks

20 lap Feature – Kevin Burdick(Proctor MN), Simon Wahlstrom(Rice Lake), Eric Olson(Ladysmith), Curt Myers(Cameron), Nick Oreskovich(Mason), Aaron Wilson(Eau Claire), Jesse Redetzke(Eau Claire), Bart Steffen(Eau Claire), Terran Spacek(Phillips), Jeff Klopstein Jr(Tomahawk), Mike Loomis, Scott Lawrence, D.J. Keeler, Denny Schouveller, Ryan Kostreba, Jim Cimfl, Hunter VanGilder, Matt Koski, Rich Bishop, Adam Soltis, Matt Deragon, Kyle Oman, Cody Kummer, Shane Kisling

10 lap B Feature 1 – Soltis(Ladysmith), Koski(New Richmond), Marcus Simonson(Luck), Cory Davis(Turtle Lake), Scott Pittman(Turtle Lake), Luke Schultz, Rob Holmstrom Jr, Jesse Young

B Feature 2 – Keeler(Superior), Oman(Chisholm MN), Donna Jo Schmidt(Annandale MN), Steve Davidson(Richland Center), Andy Cimfl(Rice Lake), Andy Ladd, Noah Richter

8 lap Heat 1 – Burdick, Kummer(Medford), Oreskovich, Redetzke, Soltis, Oman, Morgan Crotteau, Holmstrom
Heat 2 – Kisling(Park Falls), Wilson, Schouveller(Hugo MN), Steffen, Schmidt, Simonson, Davidson, Richter
Heat 3 – Loomis(Columbus MN), Myers, Spacek, J. Cimfl,(Turtle Lake), Davis, Ladd, Pittman
Heat 4 – Wahlstrom, Klopstein Jr, Deragon(Ashland), Bishop(New Richmond), Keeler, Koski, Austin Workman
Heat 5 – Olson, Lawrence(Superior), Kostreba(Elk River MN), VanGilder(Rice Lake), Schultz(Cameron), A. Cimfl, Young

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds

15 lap Feature – Kevin Adams(Cameron), Joe Chaplin Jr(Cameron), Austin Ellis(Rice Lake), Josh Smith(Chippewa Falls), Cody Borgeson(New Richmond), Tyler Vernon(Ashland), Travis Anderson(Colfax), Paul Suzik(Ironwood MI), Josh Wahlstrom(Rice Lake), Aric Lindberg(Dallas), Fran Hanson, Mike Blevins, Jack Rivord, Dalton Mains, James Kannegiesser, Patrick Kelley, Mark Rose, Doug Toepper, Pete Paulus, Shane Kisling, Calvin Iverson, Ross Fuhrman, McLean Andrews, Mark Thomas

10 lap B Feature – Toepper(Forest Lake MN), Kisling(Park Falls), Paulus(Phillips), Kannegiesser(Hayward), Justin Claussen(Eau Claire), Jon Marsh, Nate Erickson

8 lap Heat 1 – Ellis, Vernon, Lindberg, Suzik, Andrews(Duluth MN), Toepper, Erickson
Heat 2 – Borgeson, Anderson, Rivord(Superior), Rose(Dorchester), Iverson(Eleva), Paulus, Claussen
Heat 3 – Chaplin Jr, Smith, Wahlstrom, Hanson(Almena), Kelley(Columbus MN), Kannegiesser
Heat 4 – Adams, Fuhrman(Ashland), Blevins(Hibbing MN), Thomas(Menomonie), Mains(Foxboro), Kisling

WISSOTA Street Stocks

15 lap Feature – Jay Kesan(Weyerhaeuser), Kevin Bogdanovic(Wausau), Danny Richards(Mondovi), Dustin Doughty(Oakdale MN), Cody Kummer(Medford), Hunter VanGilder(Rice Lake), Bob Wahlstrom(Chetek), Kolby Kiehl(Barron), Kirk Bogdanovic(Phillips), Parker Anderson(Phillips), Mike Knudtson, Jamey Fisher, Don Cook, Jason Havel, Zach Manley, Rob Grabon, Hunter Anderson, Russ Kostreba, Travis Loew, Ashley Wahlstrom

8 lap Heat 1 – Fisher(Chetek), Doughty, Cook(Barron), Kummer, Kiehl, A.Wahlstrom, VanGilder
Heat 2 – Kostreba(Zimmerman MN), Kirk Bogdanovic, Kevin Bogdanovic, B. Wahlstrom, P. Anderson, Manley, H. Anderson
Heat 3 – Richards, Loew(Barron), Kesan, Grabon(Bruce), Havel(Rice Lake), Knudtson

WISSOTA Pure Stocks

12 lap Feature – George Richards(Mondovi), Andrew Hanson(Iron River), Jason Havel(Rice Lake), C.J. Wagner(Rice Lake), Cory Jorgensen(Hermantown MN), Tucker Quinn(Ladysmith), Zach Beaulieu(Chetek), Tyler Wahlstrom(Chetek), Randy Graham(Trego), Bob Thompson(Cameron), Jeremy Cash, Aaron Bernick, Ryan Lindenfelser, Mike Blevins, Scotty VanGilder, David Holub, Mike Huebner, Austin Fencl, Will Fisher, Mike Holmstrom, John Eastman

8 lap Heat 1 – Blevins(Hibbing MN), Richards, Wagner, Quinn, Graham, Holub, Fencl, Eastman
Heat 2 – Hanson, Havel, Beaulieu, Wahlstrom, Bernick(Duluth MN), VanGilder, Fisher, Ryan Clausen
Heat 3 – Jorgensen, Cash(Duluth MN), Lindenfelser(Trego), Huebner(Cumberland), Holmstrom(Rice Lake), Thompson