By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake WI, August 22 – It was Season Championship night for 2009 at the Rice Lake Speedway and when the feature races were completed, the champions were Dave Cain, Shane Kisling, Matt Leer, Scott Clark and George Richards.

Along with the Championship races, there were five feature races and seven races total that were made up from last Saturday’s rain shortened evening. Kisling, Clark and Richards were double winners on the evening while the other two make up events went to Kevin Adams and Mark Gerth.

Next Saturday night marks the first end of the summer special at the Speedway. The IRA sprint cars, hugely popular in their first appearance at the track this year, will be back by popular demand as the winged cars, the fastest cars on dirt, will be putting on a full show and in a change of plans, all the divisions that normally race at the track will also be in action for a full program of racing action which starts with sprint car qualifying at 6 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m. Gates will open at 4 p.m. for both pit entrants and spectators.

Cain started on the outside pole for the Modified Championship race and powered away from the field for the win. Adams was able to stay with him for awhile but Cain eventually pulled away for his second win of the year here. Adams then faced a challenge from Keith Tourville for second and the young, second year Modified driver was able to edge the track point champ for second. Jerry Weigel and Luke Schilling completed the top five.

In the makeup Modified feature, Adams did a great job of flying up from his ninth starting spot to take the lead within a couple of laps. The Mods had a tough time keeping this race under green with five yellow flags in the first two laps before everyone settled down to racing. Adams built up a big lead but ran into trouble late in the race with lapped traffic and Cain, who started twelfth, closed up the gap considerably but Adams prevailed for his sixth feature win at Rice Lake. Scott Duval finished a strong third ahead of Brent and Larry Prochnow.

Kisling had his number one car back on the track after a wreck at another facility put that car on the sidelines for awhile while it was repaired and Shane was forced to a backup machine. The difference was noticeable as Shane swept to his seventh and eighth feature wins of the year here, including the Championship. The Championship feature was one of the best races of the night as Kisling and Jason Forehand dueled for the win, in a race that ran nonstop to its conclusion after a lap one spin. Kisling used the outside to take the early lead, which he built up until Forehand, working the low side, was able to edge past and take over the top spot. Kisling found and extra spurt though, and fought his way back into the lead with only a couple of laps to go. They raced to the finish hard, with Kisling holding off the former Rice Lake resident by less than a car length. Dan Gullikson finished a close third and was trailed by Wayne Harris Jr and Scott Zitelman.

The makeup feature was just the opposite of the Championship event, with a multitude of yellow flags slowing the action. Kisling worked his way up from the fourth row and was able to hold off a charging Gullikson for that win. Harris, Forehand and Butch Madsen completed the top five in that event.
The Midwest Modifieds saw two drivers battling for the honors all night. In the Championship run, Mark Gerth and Matt Leer started side by side in the front row and it was Gerth that took the early lead. Leer trailed him and looked for an opening, and after a yellow flag for a spin, Leer used the cushion to blast around Gerth on the high side and take the top spot. Once in front, Matt was not to falter and despite constant pressure from Gerth, Leer drove home to the Championship and his fifth win of the year here. Gerth trailed in second with Jared Loos, Ryan Viltz and Mike Anderson completing the top five.

In the makeup feature, not only were the two battling each other, but they were racing for points that would decide the track point championship. Grant Southworth led for much of this race, with Gerth and Leer working their way up from the third row. But when Southworth slid high, Gerth was right there to take the lead with Leer close behind. With the point title on the line, Gerth held on for the win, his second of the year here, and unofficially edged out Leer by the narrowest of margins, one point, for the point title. Southworth held on for third in that event with Viltz and Travis Anderson next in line.

Clark was at it again, as he won his track leading eighth and ninth feature wins of the year here as well as the Season Championship. One win was an easy one but the Championship race was a hard fought affair that could have went against him except for a well placed yellow flag. Clark started on the pole and took an immediate lead with a good battle shaping up for second. Ron Hanestad moved to the outside line and was able to take over the runnerup slot. He then began to close in on Clark and at the halfway point of the race, they were running side by side for the lead. First Hanestad, then Clark would lead as they traded the position back and forth. Clark was ahead by inches when the yellow flew on lap eleven for a spin. On the restart, Clark got off to a good start while Hanestad stumbled on the cushion and gave up precious real estate. In the last five laps, Ron wasn’t able to make up the margin as Clark drove home to yet another win. Hanestad settled for second ahead of Jay Kesan, Chanda Fjorden-Nord and Jimmy Randall.

In the makeup feature, Clark started in the fourth row but was able to move to the front of the pack quickly and checked out on the field early for the win. Kesan got second in that event ahead of rookie Adam Delfosse, Fjorden-Nord and Sam Fankhauser.
Richards was a double winner also, as the Pure Stock driver earned feature wins number six and seven. While the other classes had issues from time to time keeping their races under green, the Pure Stocks ran off two, nonstop main events. In the Championship event, Richards and Doug Wojcik ran the majority of the event side by side, as they both displayed great ability to get the most our of their cars without banging on each other. In the waning laps, Richards was able to edge ahead and did open up several car lengths on the pack as he drove on for the win. Behind Wojcik, Zach Manley raced up to third with Nick Wojcik and Joel Hinrichs also in the top five.

In the makeup feature race, Richards had it just a little easier and after working his way up from the third row, he was able to find the lead and open some distance on the pack. Darwin Brown made his own charge up into second at the finish with Hinrichs, Dusty Brown and rookie Kyle Hunter also in the top five.

Crowned as point champions at the completion of the makeup features were Adams, Forehand, Gerth, Clark and Doug Wojcik.

SUMMARY

Rice Lake Speedway
Rice Lake WI
August 22, 2009

WISSOTA Modifieds

20 lap Feature – Dave Cain, Corcoran MN; Keith Tourville, Star Prairie; Kevin Adams, Cameron; Jerry Weigel, Jim Falls; Luke Schilling, Granton; Dave Mayala, Barron; Scott Miller, Rice Lake; Dave Baxter, Eau Claire; Brandon Kallenbach, Prairie Farm; Jason Schill, Dresser; Larry Prochnow, Menomonie; John Hazelton, New Auburn; Bryce Johnson, Barron; Brent Prochnow, Colfax; Tim Shackleton, Dallas; Bryan Hessler, Chetek; Kenny Kinkaid, Trego; Buddy Mayala, Barron; Scott Duval, Bloomer; Pat Hoffman, Rice Lake; Mark Hanson, Chippewa Falls.
10 lap Heat 1 – Adams; Miller; Schill; Hoffman; Hazelton; Schilling.
Heat 2 – Cain; Tourville; Shackleton; Kinkaid; B. Prochnow.
Heat 3 – Duval; Weigel; D. Mayala; L. Prochnow; Kallenbach; B. Mayala; Baxter.
20 lap Makeup Feature – Adams; Cain; Duval; B. Prochnow; L. Prochnow; Weigel; Miller; B. Mayala; D. Mayala; Schilling; Hessler; Mike Anderson(Dallas); Shackleton; Johnson; Hoffman; Mike Anderson(Colfax); Hanson.

WISSOTA Super Stocks

20 lap Feature – Shane Kisling, Sarona; Jason Forehand, Eau Claire; Dan Gullikson, Stacy MN; Wayne Harris Jr, Bloomer; Scott Zitelman, Taylors Falls MN; Paul Erikson, Abbotsford; Aaron Wilson, Menomonie; Andy Grymala, Superior; Butch Madsen, Rice Lake; Marcel Hoaglan, Hudson; Cy Hoaglan, Ashland; Steven Tesch, Phillips; Jim Harstad, Amery; Jim Harris, Menomonie; Pat Jungerberg, Barron.
10 lap Heat 1 – Forehand; Gullikson; Erikson; C. Hoaglan; Madsen; Harstad; Wilson.
Heat 2 – Kisling; Zitelman; Harris Jr; Harris; Grymala; M. Hoaglan; Jungerberg.
20 lap Makeup Feature – Kisling; Gullikson; Harris Jr; Forehand; Madsen; Grymala; C. Hoaglan; Harris; M. Hoaglan; Harstad; Erikson; Jungerberg; Wilson; Zitelman.

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds

15 lap Feature – Matt Leer, Bruce; Mark Gerth, Menomonie; Jared Loos, Loyal; Ryan Viltz, Cameron; Mike Anderson, Colfax; Curt Myers, Cameron; Mark Thomas, Menomonie; Terry Sirek, Rice Lake; Grant Southworth, Bloomer; Jason Swan, Chippewa Falls; Randy Smeltzer, Colfax; Mark Turner, Rice Lake; Ben Johnson, E. Bethel MN; Shane Halopka, Eau Claire; Scott Erickson, Barron; Tito Viltz, Cameron; Kyle Johnson, Eau Claire; Fron Hanson, Dallas; Nick Koehler, Bloomer.
10 lap Heat 1 – Gerth; Turner; Swan; Erickson; Sirek; Hanson; Brad Hudson.
Heat 2 – Leer; R. Viltz; Southworth; Anderson; K. Johnson; Koehler
Heat 3 – Loos; Halopka; Myers; Thomas; Smeltzer; B. Johnson.
15 lap Makeup Feature – Gerth; Leer; Southworth; R. Viltz; Travis Anderson; Myers; Erickson; Sirek; B. Johnson; Hanson; Loos; Hudson; Halopka; Al Broker; Koehler; T. Viltz; Clark Swartz; Smeltzer.

WISSOTA Street Stocks

15 lap Feature – Scott Clark, Cameron; Ron Hanestad, Glenwood City; Jay Kesan, Weyerhaeuser; Chanda Fjorden-Nord, Luck; Jimmy Randall, Rice Lake; James Vought, Hudson; Marcus Simonson, Milltown; Adam Delfosse, Cumberland; Simon Wahlstrom, Cameron; Russ Chester, Chetek; Gary Jones, New Auburn; Travis Hazelton, New Auburn; Sam Fankhauser, Rice Lake.
10 lap Heat 1 – Clark; Kesan; Randall; Fjorden-Nord; Simonson; Jones; Hazelton.
Heat 2 – Fankhauser; Hanestad; Delfosse; Wahlstrom; Vought; Chester.
15 lap Makeup Feature – Clark; Kesan; Delfosse; Fjorden-Nord; Fankhauser; Hanestad; Wahlstrom; Vought; Cory Karshbaum.

Pure Stocks

12 lap Feature – George Richards, Mondovi; Doug Wojcik, Ladysmith; Zach Manley, Cameron; Nick Wojcik, Ladysmith; Joel Hinrichs, Cameron; Jordan Johnson, Augusta; Darwin Brown, Cumberland; C. J. Wagner, Hayward; Dusty Brown, Rice Lake; Tyler Wahlstrom, Eau Claire; Jamie Fisher, Rice Lake; Bob Thompson, Cameron; Randy Conner, Seeley; Kyle Hunter, Luck; Luke Plank, Eau Claire; Rick Weir, Mondovi.
8 lap Heat 1 – D. Wojcik; N. Wojcik; Manley; Da. Brown; Du. Brown; Mike Harshman; Tony Falkner; Fisher; Thompson.
Heat 2 – Richards; Hinrichs; Wagner; Wahlstrom; Johnson; Hunter; Plank; Weir; Conner.
12 lap Makeup Feature – Richards; Da. Brown; Hinrichs; Du. Brown; Hunter; D. Wojcik; Wagner; N. Wojcik; Wahlstrom; Conner; Thompson; Plank.