Myers Repeats at Rice Lake Speedway

By Ed Reichert

Rice Lake WI, May 11 – The second week of the 2019 racing season took place Saturday night at the Rice Lake Speedway and the five classes that routinely run at the track also raced as a part of the Trackside Collectibles 40 WISSOTA Late Model race that was won by Jesse Glenz. Of the five winners, the only repeat winner was Curt Myers in the Super Stocks as the Cameron driver dominated for the second straight week in the class. First time winners included Mike Anderson, George Dalbeck, Hunter VanGilder and following a disqualification of the apparent Pure Stock winner, Randy Graham was declared the winner of the Pure Stock feature.

Avoiding the pop up showers that skipped across parts of northwestern Wisconsin on Saturday night, the Rice Lake Speedway remained high and dry for a change and the pit area was full as one hundred and thirty cars signed in to race for a big Saturday night show.

Myers started ninth in the Super Stock feature but that did not deter him as he charged to the front early and was quickly up to challenge the leaders. Tucker Quinn and Adam Soltis battled for the early lead in the race with Soltis three wheeling his way to the front before he was passed on the high side by Matt Deragon for the top spot.

The Super Stock feature was the one rocky main event of the night with the yellow waving early and often as drivers had a tough time making consecutive laps before some kind of carnage slowed the action. In fact, the yellow waved four times in the first three laps for various spins and other slow downs and this helped Myers work his way to the front. However, once some steady racing broke out, Myers was quickly moving in to challenge Deragon, who had maintained the lead for several laps. With Myers and Nick Oreskovich challenging, Deragon fought hard before Myers was finally able to blast around him on the high side and take the top spot.

Once in front, Myers then began to pull away from the field as the final half of the race was able to go green to checkered and Curt then drove away from the field. Deragon was still having a fine race as he continued to fight off pressure by Oreskovich and Eric Olson, who had charged up from the sixth row. Finally Oreskovich was able to get around Deragon for second and he set off after Myers, who was on cruise control by this point. Nick O. was able to close the gap slightly by the end but Myers was comfortably in front as he drove home for the win. Olson also got around Deragon in the late going for third with Randy Spacek completing the top five.

The Modified feature also saw quite a charge through the field by Anderson as he started in the fourth row and had to work hard to make a pass on Pat Hoffman to take the win. Kevin Adams started on the pole and took the early lead with Hoffman running a close second and both Michael Truscott and Anderson quickly charging to the front.

This race also had a tough time getting going with four yellows in the first three laps, after which they settled down and raced to the finish. Adams remained the leader through the first couple of yellows until disaster over took him. On the green following one of the restarts, he took off, only to trail a plume of blue smoke and he was out of power as he slowed and cruised to the pits, done for the evening.

Hoffman inherited the lead and he fought hard to maintain the top spot as he had Truscott battling low and the Anderson jumped to the top groove and coming off turn four, blew past to take over the lead. Once in front, he slowly started to pull away as Truscott continued to try and get past Hoffman for second. Eventually he was able to accomplish that but by that time Anderson had built up a comfortable lead and was safely in front.

He flashed across the line with a clear advantage as he took his first win of the year here with Truscott and Hoffman, both with solid runs, next in line. Darrell Nelson came from the sixth row to finish fourth and his sixth row running mate, Jason Gross, followed him across the line.

Hunter VanGilder started on the outside pole and after a short battle with Hunter Anderson, took the lead in the Street Stock feature and led all the way for the win in a race that was stopped only once after Colton Klueckman hit the back stretch wall.

As VanGilder continued to lead, there was a great battle right behind him as Kolby Kiehl, Parker Anderson and Kyle Genett fought for position. They were soon joined by Cody Kummer and Jay Kesan and great battle ensued with drivers swapping positions and lanes on the track frequently which made for a very entertaining event.

Kiehl closed to the rear bumper of VanGilder as the battle for the lead intensified while Kummer moved up the track and found success there as he also challenged for the top spot. Kummer then challenged Kiehl for second as they raced side by side while at the same time hoping for a VanGilder mistake.

Following the one slow down, VanGilder got away strong at the start and controlled the lead with Kiehl fighting off Kummer who slipped up the track slightly. Those three crossed the finish line in that order as Kesan continued his charge, eventually working his way up to fourth. Anderson lost power on the final lap and lost a couple of spots with C.J. Wagner cracking the top five at the finish.

Michigan invader George Dalbeck led from start to finish in the Midwest Modified feature to take his second win ever at the track, following his first last season. At the start he took off away from the field and built up a nice advantage as the battle in the pack behind him was wild and woolly. Jamie Bisonette and David Simpson were fighting hard for second until Shane Halopka was able to pass then both and take the position. Meanwhile, opening night winner Kevin Adams was charging up from the fourth row using the low side of the track and he quickly became a part of the mix.

Adams continued to move forward and after he was able to get under Halopka and take second, he set off after his team mate Dalbeck, who owns both his car and that of Adams. As the laps ran down to a precious few, Adams was able to make up most of the spread that Dalbeck had built up and he made a couple of strong charges to George's low side, but each time George would hold his line and maintain momentum and hold off Adams.

The last couple of laps saw Dalbeck pick up the pace and he was able to fight off all charges, extend his lead and cross the line an elated winner for the racing logger from the U.P. Adams finished a strong second with Halopka trailing. Calvin Iverson made his own impressive charge as he came from the sixth row to finish fourth while Austin Ellis came from the seventh row to complete the top five.

The Pure Stocks wrapped up the evening with a hard fought feature race that saw a very close finish and then post race adjustments to the running order that saw apparent winner Cody Cimfl disqualified for a technical violation giving the win to Randy Graham.

Rookie Cole Richards took the initial lead but he was then passed by Ryan Clausen for the top spot. Clausen was then pressured by Graham for the lead with Cimfl moving in to make it a three car battle for the lead. They continued to fight for the top spot with Graham moving past Clausen for the lead but Cimfl putting pressure on both of them.

Near the end of the race, Cimfl picked up the pace and with just a couple of laps left he slid inside Graham in turn one to take the top spot. Both Graham and Clausen fought back though and it was a three car battle to the finish. Off the last corner Cimfl slid up the track and Graham dove to his inside and they both raced for the line with Cimfl holding on by half a car length for the win. It would have been Cody's first ever at the speedway but things weren't quite settled just yet.

In post race inspection, the Cimfl car was found to have an improper rear end and he was disqualified from the race with the win then going to Graham. Completing the top five then were Clausen, James Vendela, George Richards and Scott Meeds.

A full five class program of racing is on tap for next Saturday night, May 18th with warm ups slated for 6:30 pm. Then, in two weeks, on May 25th, the Sprint Cars will make their only appearance of the 2019 racing season. The Upper Midwest Sprint Series(UMSS) will have both Winged and Traditional non winged Sprint Cars running. The Modifieds and Midwest Modifieds will have that night off.

Rice Lake Speedway

Rice Lake WI

May 11, 2019

WISSOTA Modifieds

20 lap Feature – Mike Anderson(Jim Falls), Michael Truscott(Chippewa Falls), Pat Hoffman(Rice Lake), Darrell Nelson(Hermantown MN), Jason Gross(Osceola), Paul Suzik(Ironwood MI), Kyle Helling(Rice Lake), Sam Fankhauser(Rice Lake), Dan Kingsley(Superior), Cole Varsho(Stratford), Carey LePage, Steve Stuart, Kevin Eder, Kevin Adams, Donnie Lofdahl

8 lap Heat 1 – Kingsley, Hoffman, Varsho, Lofdahl(Duluth MN), Neil Balduc(Bessemer MI), Eder, Wayne Poteet, Nelson, Suzik
Heat 2 – Adams(Cameron), Truscott, Fankhauser, Anderson, Stuart(Ashland), Gross, Helling, LePage

WISSOTA Super Stocks

20 lap Feature – Curt Myers(Cameron), Nick Oreskovich(Mason), Eric Olson(Ladysmith), Matt Deragon(Ashland), Randy Spacek(Phillips), Adam Soltis(Ladysmith), Matt Koski(New Richmond), Brian Carl(Duluth MN), Matt Roux(Rice Lake), Josh Bach(Barron), Terran Spacek, Nick Traynor, Luke Schultz, Mickey Anderson, Scott Lawrence, Tucker Quinn, Dan Lonsky, Willie Johnsen Jr, Austin Workman, Lukas Koski

8 lap Heat 1 – Johnsen Jr(Superior), R. Spacek, Myers, T. Spacek(Phillips), M Koski, Kyle Copp, Workman
Heat 2 – L. Koski(New Richmond), Traynor(Barron), Soltis, Lawrence(Superior), Carl, Lonsky, Anderson
Heat 3 – Oreskovich, Quinn(Ladysmith), Deragon, Olson, Schultz(Cameron), Bach, Roux

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds

15 lap Feature – George Dalbeck(Wakefield MI), Kevin Adams(Cameron), Shane Halopka(Greenwood), Calvin Iverson(Eleva), Austin Ellis(Rice Lake), Jamie Bisonette(Dallas), David Simpson(Thunder Bay ONT), Travis Anderson(Colfax), Scott Duval(Bloomer), Jack Rivord(Superior), Denny Cutsforth, Cody Borgeson, Aric Lindberg, Kenny Kinkaid, Justin Weinberger, Justin Claussen, McLean Andrews, Karl Kolek, J.D. Ford, Cole Chernosky

10 lap B Feature – Borgeson(New Richmond), Kolek(Menomonie), Claussen(Eau Claire), Weinberger(Park Falls), Steve Altman(Mercer), Jonny Marsh, John Meeds, Duane Halverson, Michael McKay, Gavin Olson

8 lap Heat 1 – Andrews(Duluth MN), Duval, Rivord, Ellis, Marsh(Rice Lake), Meeds, McKay
Heat 2 – Bisonette, Simpson, Anderson, Cutsforth(Rice Lake), Weinberger, Halverson, Tony Bahr
Heat 3 – Cernosky(Thunder Bay ONT), Dalbeck, Ford(Somerset), Kinkaid(Shell Lake), Kolek, Borgeson, Olson
Heat 4 – Adams, Halopka, Iverson, Lindberg(Dallas), Claussen, Altman

WISSOTA Street Stocks

15 lap Feature – Hunter VanGilder(Rice Lake), Kolby Kiehl(Barron), Cody Kummer(Medford), Jay Kesan(Weyerhaeuser), C.J. Wagner(Rice Lake), Kyle Genett(Auburndale), Parker Anderson(Phillips), Andrew Hanson(Iron River), Jason Havel(Rice Lake), Ron Hanestad(Glenwood City), Travis Loew, Zach Beaulieu, Hunter Anderson, Michael Tuma, Will Fisher, Ty Agen, Colton Klueckman

8 lap Heat 1 – VanGilder, Kiehl, Genett, Hanestad, Havel, Mike Chaplin, Rob Grabon
Heat 2 – Kesan, P. Anderson, Hanson, Wagner, Loew(Barron), Klueckman
Heat 3 – Kummer, H. Anderson(Phillips), Fisher(Shell Lake), Tuma(Weyerhaeuser), Beaulieu(Chetek), Agen

WISSOTA Pure Stocks

12 lap Feature – Randy Graham(Trego), Ryan Clausen(Barron), James Vendela(South Range), George Richards(Mondovi), Scott Meeds(Shell Lake), Bob Thompson(Cameron), Aaron Bernick(Duluth MN), Dylan Shelton(Wrenshall MN), Mike Grover(Chetek), Allen Metz(Rice Lake), Austin Fencl, Devin Fries, Cole Richards, Mike Huebner Sr, Ken Oftedahl, Mike Huebner, Jeremy Cash, David Holub, Cory Jorgensen, Cody Cimfl

8 lap Heat 1 – Cody Cimfl(Chetek), Jorgensen(Duluth MN), Clausen, Shelton, Holub(Rice Lake), Fries, Steve Martin, Bernick
Heat 2 – Meeds, Cash(Duluth MN), C. Richards(Mondovi), Metz, Huebner Sr(Cumberland), Huebner, Mike Holmstrom
Heat 3 – Thompson, Vendela, Graham, Grover, G. Richards, Oftedahl, Fencl