Redetzke Tops Season Championship Winner’s List at Red Cedar Speedway

Menomonie WI, August 15 – Season Championship titles were decided in all seven divisions that race weekly at the Red Cedar Speedway on Friday and topping the list of winners was Late Model driver Jake Redetzke, who in winning his main event won for the first time since he visited victory lane on opening night of the 2014 season. Other drivers crowned as champions were Ross Prochnow, Jason Forehand, Kerry Halopka, Cody Kummer, Hunter Van Gilder and William Voeltz.
High point drivers for the season started on the pole positions for their heat races with the finish of the heat races determining the main event lineups, but surprisingly, not a single point champion was able to double up by winning a track championship.
Mike Prochnow started on the pole for the Late Model feature race with Rick Hanestad to his outside and Redetzke, starting behind him tried to sneak under him in the early going. They slapped together briefly with Prochnow continuing to hold on to the lead. Redetzke made several runs at him but Mike continued to hold the top spot.

Hanestad then took a shot at Prochnow as he tried to pass him also but neither driver was able to get the pass completed. Just past the halfway mark, Prochnow was able to open up his biggest lead and he looked like he might survive the storm. However, at this point Redetzke then picked up the pace once again and made a determined drive back toward the front. Prochnow started to slip up in the corners and Redetzke was making clear progress. With five laps left, Jake was able to duck under Prochnow and take over the lead and with Prochnow pushing hard to try and retake the top spot, Redetzke was able to extend his advantage. Hanestad made a late race charge and was able to race under Prochnow also at the line for second. John Kaanta also made a late race move under Scott Gilberts to take fourth.
Ross Prochnow led all the way as he was able to control the Modified field and win his first feature race of the year at Red Cedar. He started on the pole, was able to beat Ashley Anderson to the cushion and once in front, he gradually pulled away from the field. The race ran nonstop and Ashley wasn’t able to stay with Prochnow who continued to ride the cushion and eventually opened nearly a straightaway lead over the pack.
The best race was for third where Brent Prochnow and Dave Baxter spent most of the race running side by side with Cory Williams making a late charge to join them and make it a three way battle. At the line, it was Baxter who took the spot with Brent settling for fourth ahead of Williams. Ross became the eighth different Modified winner at the track this season.
The Super Stock feature also ran green from start to finish and Forehand led all the way for his third Red Cedar win of the year. He started on the outside pole and got the early jump on point champion Mike Keller. Forehand was using the high side of the track and keeping his momentum up, he was able to gradually put some distance on the pack. Eric Olson made a charge working the low side and he drove under Keller for second and then started to reel in the leader.
The race got close near the end as Olson was definitely cutting into Forehand’s advantage, but Eric ran out of laps and despite a hard charge on the final tour, came up a car length short as Jason drove on for the win. Keller settled for third with Bart Steffen and Gunnar Watkins completing the top five.
The Midwest Modifieds had a terrible time getting their main event started. Polesitter Shane Halopka got turned around on the back chute on the opening lap in heavy traffic and the result was an eleven car pile up that eliminated three cars from the contest. The second attempt was no better with another grinding crash in turn four that eliminated another three cars and the third attempt saw yet another tangle that scratched a couple of more cars from the contest.
With nearly half the field gone, racing finally broke out and it was the Halopka brothers that battled for the win. Kerry found some traction on the high side of the track and shot away from brother Shane and they spent the rest of the race chasing each other. Shane would continue to work the low side of the track but Kerry had his momentum, and he rolled through the corners and kept Shane at bay.
Shane kept the pressure up but Kerry was equal to the task as he rode a smooth line to the finish and picked a great night for his first win of the season. Shane settled for second with Travis Anderson a close third. Nick Koehler came from the back after the first lap jingle to take fourth ahead of Jake Smeltzer.
A good three car battle took place in the Street Stock feature, despite a short field made even shorter due to some mechanical issues during the heat race. Cody Kummer, who sat on the pole, came on to win his third feature of the year at Red Cedar, despite falling to third place in the running order at one point. Kummer and Adam Soltis battled hard during the early laps which included a little paint swapping. In fact, they were so busy battling each other on the low side of the track that Chris Peterson used the top side to swing past both of them and take over the lead. Soltis moved into second and lap after lap he tried to maneuver past Peterson but just couldn’t complete the pass as Chris continued to ride the high side and Soltis couldn’t get enough traction to drive under him.
Kummer was able to take advantage of the situation and slip past Soltis for second and he then began to challenge Peterson for the lead. Where Soltis wasn’t able to get the necessary speed to drive under Peterson, Kummer was able to get the job done as he drove under and then past the leader in turn two. Once in front, Cody was able to stretch the margin by several car lengths as he drove on for the win. Peterson held on for second ahead of Soltis with Mike Knudtson and Travis Hazelton completing the top five.
Second year driver Van Gilder won his second feature race of the year at Red Cedar and his first championship of any kind as he was able to rally from the third position to make a late race pass and take the win.
Van Gilder started on the pole but Jesse Bryan was able to drive around him and take over the lead. While Van Gilder tried hard to retake the lead, he wasn’t able to complete the pass and when he slipped up the track, Kent Harmon passed him for second.
However, Van Gilder stabilized things and when Harmon pushed up the track himself, Hunter was right there to retake second. He then closed on leader Bryan who was having his own problems holding his car down in the corners.
With just a couple of laps left, Bryan pushed up the track again and Van Gilder was jolly on the spot to drive under him off turn four and take over the lead. Hunter very carefully guarded the low groove the last couple of laps and with Bryan and Harmon on his tail, he drove home for the win. Mike Grover and Cody Tisdale completed the top five.
Starting on the pole, five time winner Buddy Hanestad seemed to be the overwhelming favorite to win the Hornet feature race, but someone forgot to tell William Voeltz. After Hanestad took the early lead, Voeltz tracked him down and made a strong pass on the low side after Buddy started having trouble getting through the corners. Once in front, Voeltz navigated skillfully through the heavy lapped traffic and stretched his margin. Hanestad couldn’t fight back for the lead as he was receiving heavy pressure from Jeremy Johnson as they battled for second.
Voeltz continued to drive on and without a serious challenge, he took his second win of the year at the track and claimed the championship. Hanestad did fight off the serious challenges of Johnson for second with Dan Prissel and Brad York next in line.
The speedway will complete the regular season with a full racing program next Friday, August 22nd. All seven divisions will be in action with racing scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
After next Friday, the Red Cedar Speedway will then be in preparation mode for the thirty fifth annual Punky Manor Challenge of Champions which is scheduled for Friday, September 19th and Saturday, September 20th.

SUMMARY

Red Cedar Speedway
Menomonie WI
August 15, 2014

WISSOTA Late Models

20 lap Feature – Jake Redetzke(Eau Claire), Rick Hanestad(Boyceville), Mike Prochnow(Menomonie), John Kaanta(Elk Mound) ,Scott Gilberts(Menomonie), Duane Mahder(Eau Claire), Todd Green(Eau Claire), Mark Rose(Elcho), Dave Fieber(Chippewa Falls)
8 lap Heat – Prochnow, Hanestad, Redetzke, Kaanta, Fieber, Gilberts, Mahder, Rose, Green

WISSOTA Modifieds

18 lap Feature – Ross Prochnow(Boyceville), Ashley Anderson(Elk Mound), Dave Baxter(Eau Claire), Brent Prochnow(Colfax), Cory Williams(Spring Valley), Mike Anderson(Colfax), Steve Hallquist(Eau Claire), Jake Hartung(Elmwood), Jordan Hessler(Beldenville), Neil Balduc(Bessemer MI), Kevin Eder
8 lap Heat 1 – R. Prochnow, B. Prochnow, Hallquist, Hartung, Hessler, Eder
Heat 2 – A. Anderson, Baxter, Williams, M. Anderson, Balduc, Matt Leer

WISSOTA Super Stocks

18 lap Feature – Jason Forehand(Eau Claire), Eric Olson(Ladysmith), Mike Keller(Menomonie), Bart Steffen(Eau Claire), Gunnar Watkins(Elk Mound), Aaron Wilson(Eau Claire), Kenny Davis(Eau Claire), Jim Harris(Menomonie), Andy Grymala(Superior), Jesse Redetzke(Eau Claire), Brad Johnson, Chad Gullixson, Eric Schultz, Derek Baskin, Karl Dicks, Rick Hallquist, Ben Hillman
8 lap Heat 1 – Keller, Hillman(Menomonie), Redetzke, Tom Karis(Menomonie), Grymala, Schultz, Gullixson
Heat 2 – Forehand, Watkins, Harris, Davis, Baskin(Menomonie), Hallquist
Heat 3 – Olson, Steffen, Wilson, Johnson(Wilson), Dicks(Menomonie)

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds

15 lap Feature – Kerry Halopka(Wheeler), Shane Halopka(Greenwood), Travis Anderson(Colfax), Nick Koehler(Bloomer), Jake Smeltzer(Menomonie), Jake Smith(Eau Claire), Tyler Vernon(Ashland), Charlie Wihren(Stillwater MN), Nate Spence(Spring Valley), Shawn Wihren(Oakdale MN), Josh Wahlstrom, Brent Voeltz, Luke Shackleton, Chris Huther, Grant Southworth, Justin Supri, Austin Ellis, Karl Kolek, Tony Schill, Jason Richardson, Mark Thomas, Robbie Johnson, Colin Hazelton
8 lap Heat 1 – S. Halopka, Southworth(Bloomer), Smith, Shackleton(Knapp), Supri(Eau Claire), Wahlstrom, Hazelton, Voeltz
Heat 2 – K. Halopka, Anderson, Richardson(Spring Valley), Schill(Oakdale MN), Vernon, Spence, Huther, S. Wihren
Heat 3 – Koehler, Smeltzer, Kolek(Menomonie), Ellis(Rice Lake), Thomas(Menomonie), Johnson, C. Wihren

WISSOTA Street Stocks

15 lap Feature – Cody Kummer(Medford), Chris Peterson(Amery), Adam Soltis(Ladysmith), Mike Knudtson(Osseo), Travis Hazelton(Chippewa Falls), Jake Hanson(Downing), Jamey Fisher(Cameron)
8 lap Heat – Kummer, Soltis, Hazelton, Fisher, Hanson, Sam Fankhauser, Peterson, Knudtson

Pure Stocks

12 lap Feature – Hunter Van Gilder(Rice Lake), Jesse Bryan(Menomonie), Kent Harmon(Arkansas), Mike Grover(Chetek), Cody Tisdale(Eau Claire), Krysta Swearingen(Little Canada MN)
8 lap Heat – Van Gilder, Bryan, Harmon, Swearingen, Grover, Tisdale

Hornets

10 lap Feature – William Voeltz(Glenwood City), Buddy Hanestad(Boyceville), Jeremy Johnson(Elmwood), Dan Prissel(Mondovi), Brad York(Colfax), Dillon Pronschinske(Eau Claire), George Clausen(Mondovi), Matthew Schaar(Hastings MN), James Kurschner(Menomonie), Brad Hoffman(Ridgeland), Darrell Komro, Jordan Langer, Alex Waldera, Rick Hoffman, Chad Waldera
6 lap Heat 1 – Hanestad, Voeltz, York, B. Hoffman, Kayla Lallier(South St. Paul MN), Komro, R. Hoffman, Langer
Heat 2 – Johnson, Prissel, Pronschinske, Schaar, Clausen, A. Waldera, Kurschner, C. Waldera

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