Hot action on the track warms up cold fans at Viking
By Ray Beste
Alexandria, Mn (May 17th, 2009)- In his first appearance of the season at the speedway, 10-time Viking Speedway track champion Scot Danzeisen bested a very strong field of WISSOTA Modifieds doing so in impressive fashion. Jeff Wildung made it three for three on the season scoring the win in the WISSOTA Late Model division while Dusty Bitzan reigned victorious in the WISSOTA Midwest Modified finale. Don Shaw (WISSOTA Super Stocks) and Travis Berends (WISSOTA Street Stocks) also collected impressive feature wins Saturday night at Viking. Fans and drivers alike convened at the big 1/2 mile located on the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Alexandria, Mn for some great Amsoil Dirt Track Series Racing.
After a short intermission the WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds took to the speedway for their 15-lap A-main. Dusty Bitzan and Brett Hoium shared the front starting duties as head flagman Mike Commerford dropped the green. Bitzan was able to beat Hoium to turn one and took the lead as the field filed out of turn two. Bitzan seized control and was scored the leader at the conclusion of the first lap. A couple yellows halted action before Bitzan once again brought the field around to the green flag. On the restart, it was apparent that two cars were really on the move. Eighth row starter Brandon Davis wheeled his machine around the bottom of the speedway picking off six cars in the first four laps. Davis moved into ninth on lap six and continued his spirited march toward the front in the process. Twelfth starter Travis Saurer too was on the move as he cracked the top five near the midway point of the race. Hoium closed in on Bitzan with five laps remaining pulling even with him entering turn three. The two made contact sending Hoium over the turn four banking. Hoium's machine suffered no damages and He and Bitzan continued as the two front runners out front. The final yellow of the event waved with four laps remaining. Davis had no worked his way up into the fifth spot while Saurer began to battle with Hoium for second. Jason Hoffman, per usual, had a steady run in the fourth position as He and Davis battled for the spot. Hoffman went to the bottom of the speedway in turn one in an attempt to overtake Saurer for the third spot. Davis then headed for the top shelf and overtook Hoffman for the fourth spot off of turn two. In the end it was Bitzan taking his first feature win of the season. Hoium had a great run in the second spot followed by Saurer, Davis and Hoffman. The 34 Midwest Modifieds in attendance were divided into four heat races with Hoffman, Bitzan, Hoium and Josh Thoennes garnering victories. Brendan Blascyk was victorious in the division's lone B-main.
The WISSOTA Street Stocks were next on the agenda with Andrew Bangsund taking the opening lap advantage. The action was hot and heavy behind him with a four cars racing for the second position. Henry Peters, Scott Horn, Travis Berends and Jason Babcock battled for the second spot while Bangsund led the field out front. While most cars ran the very top of the speedway, Berends was able to make the bottom of the speedway work in turns three and four. With the cross flags showing the yellow flag waved for an incident in turn four between Jim Williams and James Wall. Williams car ended up on it's hood but Williams was okay. On the restart, Berends seized the second spot from Peters and immediately began to pressure the backside of Bangsund. With five to go, Berends took a look to the inside of Bangsund in turn one. Berends was able to carry enough momentum off of turn two to take the lead. Peters was able to sneak by Bangsund as well as moved into second with three laps remaining. Peters closed up on the backside of Berends as the flag waved over the field. On the final trip around Berends made no mistakes and went on to score his first ever Viking Speedway victory. Peters, the Winnipeg, MB driver settled for a hard fought second spot ahead of Babcock, Horn and Bangsund. Babcock and Peters were victorious in heat race action earlier in the program.
Dominic Baker took the lead on lap one of the 20-lap, 24-car WISSOTA Super Stock main event. Baker continued on out front and was scored the leader at the conclusion of the first circuit. Fourth starter JB Stortz quickly moved into second on lap three and pressured the backside of Baker on lap four. Stortz would dispose of Baker for the lead on lap five while the action heated up throughout the pack. Ninth starter Don Shaw cracked the top five on lap six using the bottom of the speedway to do so. Stortz remained out front early on while Shaw made a very impressive moved on the bottom of turn four propelling himself from fifth to third. Shaw quickly moved into second on lap eight and quickly began to catch Stortz. Stortz worked the top shelf with Shaw glued to the bottom near the inside tire barrier. While Stortz and Shaw battled out front there was a great battle going on for the third position between Jon Stepan and Larry Lund. Stepan worked the middle groove with Lund up top. The two battled side by side for the better part of four laps before Lund seized the spot. With 11 laps still up on the board Shaw took the lead from Stortz via the bottom groove in turn four. Shaw quickly began to stretch his lead while Lund started the long process of running down Stortz for second. Lund would catch Stortz on the remaining lap but was unable overtake him for the second spot. Out front it was all Shaw scoring his third win in as many nights. Stortz had a killer run in the second spot followed by Lund, Stepan and Lisbon, ND driver Todd Carter.
Morris' Kyle Koehntop and Hutchinson's Jamie Lemke manned the front row for the 20-lap WISSOTA Modified finale. Koehntop grabbed the lead on the opening lap before a yellow flag halted action. Lemke retired pitside with a breakdown which gave the outside front row starting position to Dave Storck. On the restart, Koehntop was able to seized the advantage once again. Koehntop railed his J-Car around the high side and led lap one. Storck held the second spot while Danzeisen quickly moved into fourth. Storck closed up on the backside of Koehntop on lap four and the two dueled side by side for the lead. Koehntop, however, was unfased as he continued to lead the hotly contested affair. On lap seven, the yellow flag waved when Dave Storck's machine stalled in turn four. As a result that put Danzeisen on the rear bumper of Koehntop for the restart. When the green waved once again Danzeisen quickly worked to the inside of Koehntop off of turn two. The two drag raced down the backstretch with Danzeisen taking the lead on lap nine. Eighteenth starter Jason Thoennes cracked the top five with six laps remaining using the middle groove to dispose of his competitors. Ninth starter Dennis Bitzan steadily worked his way to the front moving by Koehntop for the second spot on lap fourteen. Thoennes moved into third on the next lap as He and Bitzan battled tooth and nail for the second spot. Thoennes took the position momentarily on lap seventeen before Bitzan battled back on the next lap. Thoennes and Bitzan waged a great battle in the remaining laps with Bitzan ultimately gaining the position. Danzeisen stretch his lead in the remaining laps and went on to score the victory. Bitzan had another steady run in the second spot with Thoennes, Koehntop and twelfth starter Danny Bayer rounding the top five finishing order.
Winnipeg, MB driver Scott Greer brought the 19-car field of WISSOTA Late Models around and was scored the leader at the conclusion of the first lap. Greer dueled door to door with Rick Nelson before seizing the lead on lap four. Fourth row starter Jeff Wildung quickly moved into the top five early on while Zach Johnson battled Nelson for second. Greer continued to lead out front as the laps clicked off. The first yellow of the event waved on lap nine when Nelson popped over the banking in turn one. On the restart Wildung moved into third behind Johnson. Greer was impressive out front while Johnson and Wildung did their best to run him down. The field remained in tact till lap fourteen when the final yellow would bunch up the field behind Greer. Wildung quickly stole second from Johnson on the restart and then worked to the inside of Greer. Wildung would seize the lead through turns three and four shuffling Greer back to 2nd. Jeff Hinkememeyer made some nice moves in the remaining laps ending a nice run in third. In the end it was Wildung picking up his third win in as many weeks. Greer, who had a very impressive run finished second with Hinkemeyer third, Ricky Weiss fourth and Johnson the final member of the top five. Hinkemeyer and Greer were victorious in heat race action earlier in the event.
Join us once again this coming Saturday night at Viking Speedway for some fast paced 1/2 mile Amsoil Dirt Track Series Racing. The track will be holding a double header this weekend with races taking place on Sunday night as well. The Northern Late Model Racing Association (NLRA) will be in town each night so look for some extra Late Models to be in attendance. For more information regarding Viking Speedway log onto the track's website at: vikingspeedway.net
SUMMARY:
WISSOTA Late Models:
Feature- Jeff Wildung, Scott Greer, Jeff Hinkemeyer, Ricky Weiss, Zach Johnson, Jeff Provinzino, Shawn Peterson, Corey Nelson, Bobby Carlson, Tim Jodsaas, Jeremy Keller, Paul Mueller, Cody Skytland, Kyle Peterlin, Norm Olson, Leo Feeleus, Rick Nelson, Mike Johnson, Myron Tschakert
Heat 1- Hinkemeyer, Johnson, Provinzino, Weiss, Peterson, Carlson, Keller, Jodsaas, Olson, Skytland
Heat 2- Greer, Wildung, Nelson, Mike Johnson, Mueller, Feeleus, Nelson, Peterlin, Tschakert
WISSOTA Modifieds:
Feature- Scot Danzeisen, Dennis Bitzan, Jason Thoennes, Kyle Koehntop, Danny Bayer, Travis Saurer, Jay McDonald, Dave Schroeder, Jake Wildman, Provinzino, Smith, Mike Storck, Jason Blascyk, Dallas Gulbrandson, Terry Engebretson, Jim Nystrom, Andy Gordon, Jamie Thorstad, Dave Storck, Kyle Wieberdink, Alan Olafson, Dale Mathison, Jamie Lemke, Craig Christiansen
Heat 1- Provinzino, Bitzan, Wildman, Saurer, Dallas Gulbrandson, Schroeder, Nystrom, M. Storck
Heat 2- Mathison, McDonald, Lemke, Olafson, Thorstad, Wieberdink, Blascyk, Engebretson
Heat 3- Danzeisen, D. Storck, Koehntop, Bayer, Gordon, Thoennes, Christiansen, Smith
WISSOTA Super Stocks:
Feature- Don Shaw, JB Stortz, Larry Lund, Jon Stepan, Todd Carter, Dominic Baker, Jeff Crouse, Dave Shipley, Jeff Flaten, Alan Johnson, Matt Miller, Jeff Kluver, Mike Peterson, Cody Lee, Derrick Lemke, Aaron Leininger, Cory Tammen, Irvin Cook, Joe Pellman, Al Cleveland, Bryan Hellerman, Mark Blom, Rocky Yeats, Jeff Hapala
Heat 1- Lund, Carter, Stortz, Flaten, Yeats, Pellman, Cleveland, Leininger
Heat 2- Stepan, Baker, Shaw, Crouse, Lemke, Lee, Cook, Tammen
Heat 3- Kluver, Hellerman, Shipley, Hapala, Johnson, Blom, Miller, Peterson
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds:
Feature- Dustin Bitzan, Brett Hoium, Travis Saurer, Brandon Davis, Jason Hoffman, Troy Berends, Terry Merten, William Lund, Brendan Blascyk, Ron Saurer, Ryan Restad, Jamie Thorstad, Brandon Nelson, Don Barber, Dan Greeley, Austin Arneson, Derek Bernstein, Jarrett Carter, Steve Johnson, Josh Thoennes, Josh Muzik, Jeremy Kerzman, Cale Arneson, Brian Haben
Heat 1- Hoffman, Kerzman, Muzik, A. Arneson, Greeley, L. Arneson, Quinn, Brenny, Vanderby
Heat 2- Bitzan, C. Arneson, Nelson, Johnson, Merten, Berg, Barber, Utsch, Haben
Heat 3- Hoium, Bernstein, Lund, Berends, Carter, Tomford, Braaten, Saurer, Olson
Heat 4- Thoennes, Restad, Saurer, Davis, Thorstad, Blascyk, Kuhnau, Hellerman
B-main- Blascyk, Saurer, Haben, Barber, Olson
WISSOTA Street Stocks:
Feature- Travis Berends, Henry Peters, Jason Babcock, Scott Horn, Andy Bangsund, Justin Vogel, Justin Tammen, Randy Laage, Roger Christiansen, Rick Sahli, Chris Winter, James Wall, Jim Williams, Chris Ritter
Heat 1- Babcock, Bangsund, Williams, Vogel, Tammen, Laage, Sahli
Heat 2- Peters, Berends, Horn, Wall, Ritter, Christiansen, Winter
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