Eagle Valley Speedway Opener

Jim Falls, Wisconsin (April 26, 2015) Race fans of all ages were greeted by spectacular springtime weather and terrific racing action as the Eagle Valley Speedway opened its 2015 racing season. Eagle Valley, the best kept secret in racing and local entertainment, announced its presence with a roar in front of a modest crowd, displaying its newly designed configuration and racing surface. Gordy’s County Market and JP Mechanical sponsored all six classes of cars taking to the track with the EVS Hornets, EVS Pure Stocks, and the WISSOTA Poly Dome Dirt Track Series sanctioned Street Stocks, Midwest Modifieds, Super Stocks, and Modifieds. Feature winners included Tim Johnson, Michael Truscott, Curt Myers, Jesse Glenz, and Jeremy Johnson.

The Street Stock feature included heat one winner, Adam Soltis on the pole and heat two winner, Danny Richards mired deeper in the field on the outside of row three. Soltis and outside pole sitter, Tyler Wahlstrom led the field to the green. Immediately, Soltis drove to the lead and Wahlstrom settled into the runner up position. However, soon Tim Johnson moved past Wahlstrom on the low side and took command of second.
A spinning Mitch Kesan tightened the field under caution as Richards drove to the pits with damage and Kesan regained his position on the restart. Soon, the cars were three wide near the front and a spinning Wahlstrom went across the track in front of the entire closing field of cars. Cody Kummer was the only car in the crash which was not able to continue.
At the drop of the green, Soltis controlled the lead but Johnson searched high and low before battling to the lead on lap 12 and never looked back, cruising to the win. Wahlstrom won the battle for second with two laps remaining as Soltis’ last lap charge to regain the position came up just short. Mike Knudtson and Nathan Hauge filled out the top five.
The Midwest Modified feature included early heat winners Jake Smith on the inside of row two and Kent Baxter on the outside of the front row. The starting field was paced by Michael Truscott on the pole who took the early lead; leading long and often he scored the opening night feature win. Initially, Colin Hazelton broke on the pace lap and wasn’t able to make the call as the field drove quickly into the first turns. Grant Southworth found himself spinning after hitting a rough spot in the track. The complete restart found Smith coming around in turns three and four, collecting Southworth and an angry Antonio Pintaro. Smith and Pintaro were unable to continue and the start was attempted for the third time.
Truscott controlled the start and the race as Baxter and Nick Koehler battled intensely for second. Eventually Koehler gained the position on a power slide job as Baxter’s nice attempt at a cross over pass fell short. The embattled 35 of Southworth was chased to the line by Shane Halopka to round out the top five.
The Super Stock feature included heat winners Curt Myers and Mike Anderson from previous in the night as the field followed the front row of Curt Hazelton and Mark Stender to the start. Immediately, Tim Johnson parlayed his third starting position to the lead; however, it was short lived as Tommy Richards came from a row deeper in the field to take the lead on the low side. Sixth starting Curt Myers raced to second and at the halfway point, was closing on Richards as Jesse Redetzke battled into fourth.

The filed was brought back together after Darrel Hazelton rolled to a halt in turn two. On the restart, Tony Faulkner and Curt Hazelton found themselves spun around in turns three and four. The Delaware style restart pitted Richards on the point, followed by Johnson and Myers. On the green, Myers took advantage and drove to the lead as Redetzke secured third from a row deeper. They continued on to the finish with Myers, Richards, Redetzke, Johnson, and Mike Anderson scoring top five finishes.
The Modified feature had heat winner Jay Richardson on the outside of the front row, and the remainder of the field in tow led by pole sitter Mike Anderson. On the initial start as Andersen tried to move to the high side from his inside starting position, Kevin Adams struck and in a bold move, took the lead on the inside from row two. Anderson settled into second as Matt Leer set chase. Richardson had mechanical issues and rolled to a stop in turns one and two, resetting the field. Anderson found himself turned around on the restart as Matt Leer was relegated to the rear of the field. Another restart attempt was aborted as Neal Balduc spun on his own.
Adams looked to be cruising to his third consecutive feature win on various tracks; but the stumble of his race motor spelled doom for him as the car significantly slowed. In the process of slowing, Jesse Glenz shot into the lead and Anderson let up to avoid a collision with Adams and Matt Leer took advantage of the situation. They finished in the same order. Mike Stearns and Neil Balduc rounded out the top five.
The Pure Stock feature, like all other classes this night were lined up by blind draw and redraw including heat winners Mike Knopps and Jesse Bryan. George Richards and Bryan owned the front row for the start as Richards initially took the lead but was soon passed by Bryan. Knopps hounded Richards and passed for the position on the low side and a spinning Steve Cross reset the field.
After a few attempts to get started, Roshell passed Richards and with two laps remaining, Knopps worked past Bryan. A yellow flew for a spinning Cody Stead and Bryan was relegated back to the lead. On the restart, Knopps and Roshell battled intensely as Richard retook the lead. It was short lived though as Knopps slowed on the tack. He went to the work area and reentered the feature as the last car, but with very aggressive driving, he moved from ninth to fourth during a green white checkered restart. Richards himself made an aggressive pass for the lead and regained the position followed by Roshell, Jesse Bryan, Knopps, and Kent Harmen in the top five.
The Hornets took to action with heat winners Kasey Gross and Jeremy Johnson in the front leading the way to green. Action was very fast as the Hornets definitely showed new found speed on the refigured oval. Johnson found the lead early and Dan Prissel blasted into second. The entire class drove at very high speeds with little change in running order as Kasey Gross, Sean Svee, and Scott Westaby filled out the top five.
Racing action returns Sunday, May 03, 2015 as River Country COOP brings you the WISSOTA Poly Dome Dirt Track Series sanctioned Street Stocks, Midwest Modifieds, Super Stocks, and Modifieds along with the EVS Hornets and EVS Pure Stocks. Once again, Oium Blacktop and Kelly Oium Well Drilling and Pump Service will give away a bicycle to one lucky boy and girl!
Street Stock Feature – Tim Johnson, Tyler Wahlstrom, Adam Soltis, Mike Knudtson, Nathan Hauge, Mitch Kesan, Jason Lang, Andrew Ausman, Heidi Karshbaum DNF, Cody Kummer DNF, Danny Richards DNF, Jay Kesan DNF, and Sam Fankhauser DNF
Heat One – Soltis, Kummer, Wahlstrom, Kesan, Knudtson, Hauge, Ausman,
Heat Two – Richards, Johnson, Kesan, Lang, Karshbaum, Fankhauser DNF
Midwest Modified Feature – Mike Truscott, Nick Koehler, Kent Baxter, Grant Southworth, Shane Halopka, Austin Ellis, Brad Seavers, John Feirn, Bob Wood, Tad Schoonover, Antonio Pintaro DNF, Jake Smith DNF, Collin Hazelton DNF
Heat One – Smith, Koehler, Southworth, Halopka, Seavers, Wood, Schoonover
Heat Two – Baxter, Truscott, Ellis, Feirn, Hazelton, Pintaro
Super Stock Feature – Curt Myers, Tommy Richards, Jesse Redetzke, Tim Johnson, Mike Anderson, Mark Stender, Curt Hazelton, Tony Falkner DNF, Darrel Hazelton DNF, Matt McEathron DNF
Heat One – Myers, Richards, Darrel Hazelton, Curt Hazelton, Falkner
Heat Two – Anderson, Johnson, Redetzke, Stender, McEathron
Modified Feature – Jesse Glenz, Matt Leer, Mike Anderson, Mike Stearns, Neil Balduc, Kevin Adams DNF, Jay Richardson DNF, Tim Johnson DNF
Heat One – Richardson, Anderson, Glenz, Adams, Leer, Johnson, Stearns, Balduc
Pure Stock Feature – George Richards, Todd Roshell, Jesse Bryan, Mike Knopps, Kent Harman, Trent Barnhardt, Cody Stead, Stefan Hogue, Nicholas Hazelton, Steve Cross DNF
Heat One – Knopps, Harmon, Hogue, Stead, Hazelton
Heat Two – Bryant, Roshell, Richards, Barnhardt, Steve Cross DNF
Hornet Feature – Jeremy Johnson, Dan Prissel, Kasey Gross, Sean Svee, Scott Westaby, Austin Berger, Travis Hoff, Darrell Komro, Dillon Pronschinske. Ashley Seidler, Shane Lindseth, Chuck Wald, Brent Hauge
Heat One – Gross, Berger, Komro, Hoff, Pronschinske, Lindseth, Wald
Heat Two – Johnson, Prissel, Svee, Westaby, Ashley Seidler, Brent Hauge

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