Glenz Dominates Rice Lake Speedway Trackside 40

By Ed Reichert

Rice Lake WI, May 11 – Jesse Glenz took the lead from A.J. Diemel exiting turn two on the ninth lap of the Trackside Collectibles 40 Saturday night at the Rice Lake Speedway and he led the rest of the race to earn his first ever Late Model win at this track in the WISSOTA sanctioned event. Glenz dominated the second half of the race, opening up nearly a full straightaway lead over the field until he came upon lapped traffic late in the race but he successfully navigated that to maintain a comfortable lead to the finish.

Twenty four cars took the green flag from starter Troy Holder with Diemel, who redrew the pole position following heat race action, edging ahead of John Kaanta. However, Diemel pushed up the track in turn four on the opening lap and Jimmy Mars dove to the low side while Kaanta rode the middle lane as they raced three wide down the front chute.

Diemel was able to keep his momentum though and continued to hold a tenuous lead. Glenz started fourth and quickly put Kaanta behind to move into third when the first yellow flew for a Sam Motzer spin with six laps complete.

The double file restart saw Glenz drive inside Mars on the green to take over second but only one more lap was able to be run before Marshall Fegers slowed with a flat tire and he would retire from the event.

Diemel continued to lead back on green but Glenz was putting heavy pressure on the leader as Mars and Kaanta jockeyed back and forth for the third spot. Glenz looked to the low side of Diemel and through turn one on lap nine he got a great run and shot past Diemel to take over the lead. He quickly put several car lengths on the field as Mars moved in to challenge Diemel for second.

Consecutive yellows for another Motzer spin and a two car tangle between Terry Lillo and Mark Hessler slowed the action with fourteen laps completed but then the last twenty six laps went clean to the checkered. Glenz really picked up the pace at this point as he started to stretch his lead and at the halfway point he led by a comfortable margin over Diemel, Mars, Kaanta and Darrell Nelson, who had started tenth. Jake Redetzke was one of the biggest movers at this point as after starting fourteenth, he had worked his way up to sixth and continued to move forward.

Glenz was in a class of his own during the second half of the race as he opened up nearly a full straightaway lead on the field while Mars continued to test Diemel for second. Jimmy made several attempts to get under A.J, but was not quite able to make the move. Meanwhile, Redetzke had caught Nelson for a position and was trying to make a pass there also.

As the laps ran down, Glenz was starting to fight his way through traffic but he smoothly handled the challenge, putting five cars a lap down by the end of the race. While his lead was narrowed up some as he drove through traffic, he was still comfortably in front. However, two of the slower cars, riding side by side, played a part in the battle for second. Diemel and Mars came upon these two cars and it was a jockeying match to see where the opening would be. Mars found room on the inside of the front chute and he slipped past the slower cars and edged past Diemel into second.

The last few laps found Glenz continuing to dominate as he rolled to the finish line with a full corner over the field to earn the $2,000 top prize for the Trackside Collectibles 40. Mars held off all late attempts of a pass by Diemel to earn second while Kaanta drove home a steady fourth. Redetzke continued his charge as he got under Nelson in turn four late in the race to earn the a top five finish.

The second fine consisted of Nelson, James Giossi, Rick Hanestad, Pat Doar and Ben Hanke.

The win was the first of Glenz' Late Model career at Rice Lake with his last win at this track being a 2010 Midwest Modified victory. The Late Models return to Rice Lake on July 27th as a part of the Wollak Construction WISSOTA Challenge Series.

SUMMARY

Rice Lake Speedway

Rice Lake Wi.

May 11, 2019

WISSOTA Late Models

Trackside Collectibles 40 Feature – Jesse Glenz(Altoona), Jimmy Mars(Menomonie), A.J. Diemel(Elk Mound), John Kaanta(Elk Mound), Jake Redetzke(Eau Claire), Darrell Nelson(Hermantown MN), James Giossi(New Richmond), Rick Hanestad(Boyceville), Pat Doar(New Richmond), Ben Hanke(Hudson), Buddy Hanestad, Ron Prochnow, Lance Matthees, Jim Carlson, Scott Meeds, Ron Berna, Don Shaw, Greg Nippoldt, Mark Hessler, Terry Lillo, Sam Motzer, Steve Laursen, Jeff Massingill, Marshall Fegers

10 lap Heat 1 – Mars, Matthees, Diemel, Nelson, Nippoldt, Hessler, Hanke, Meeds
Heat 2 – Glenz, Fegers, Doar, Laursen, Redetzke, Shaw, Lillo, Berna
Heat 3 – Kaanta, Prochnow, Giossi, R. Hanestad, Massingill, Carlson, B. Hanestad, Motzer