Wi Dirt Racin

Racers from all over Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula raced at the Cab Construction Micro Sprint 600 Special on Friday Night at Eagle River Speedway. The excitement in the class of methanol-burning, duo-winged, motorcycle-engine propelled sprinters actually started before the races even began.

During the Hot Laps, Waupon’s Tyler Brabant hit the wall on the near stretch. As officials were working on getting the car turned back over and getting to Brabant, others were going all over the track picking up the pieces of the car. Brabant was not injured but it appeared his car was severely damaged.

With officials and fans in awe, Brabant was able to re-build his car to get it ready for the Heat Race! It was the 2 Heat races that set the stage for the Twin-15 lap features. Southern Wisconsin’s Will Gerrits won the first Heat and Eagle River Speedway ‘regular’ Jake Reif won the second Heat.

In the 2 Features all 11 drivers would take on the challenging Tri-Oval at speeds over 90 MPH, and racing inches a part! The first feature was won by Escanaba, Michigan’s Matt Peterson. His Yamaha powered Sprinter held off a hard charge from Eagle River’s Ty Springer, Rhinelander’s Jered Cech and Waupon’s Gerrits.

With 2 different winners in the 2 races, this set the stage for an exciting second feature. In that high speed race on a very dry surface, all the drivers were trying every different ‘line’ to find the ‘tack’ they needed. The one that didn’t have a problem handling the dry slick on the tight hairpin third turn was Deerbrook’s Jake Reif. While Reif ran away from the pack, the excitement was the battle for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.

It would be the combined score of the Twin Features that would determine the final standings.

With Gerrits taking a second in the 2nd Feature, Cech took a 3rd, and Peterson a 4th. In the end, Peterson won the Micro Sprint 600 Final, with Ty Springer getting a second and Cech ending with a 3rd.

When asked if he was nervous going over 90 MPH on a dry track, with cars all around him, Jered Cech simply replied, “No, this was fun! All I was doing was concentrating on my own driving. While no oe wants to damage their own car or someone else’s, you still just concentrate on getting by the one in front of you.”

One of the biggest upsets of the year took place in the WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature. Three-time defending Class Champion, Jesse Aho of Toivola, Michigan started in the back of the pack, behind the very experienced Duane Dunbar, Bruce Belland, Tadd Schoonover, and track new-comer, George Dalbeck. The question in the mind of the fans was could Aho get around Dunbar, Belland, and Schoonover.

The answer is yes, however the one driver Aho could not pass was Wakefield, Michigan’s George Dalbeck. Aho tried every move in the book to pass Dalbeck, and nothing worked. Dalbeck ran a flawless race to get his first Feature win at Eagle River Speedway. His excitement showed in the Auto Value Victory Lane by pumping his arms in the air. Aho congratulated Dalbeck on the win.

Eagle River’s Ryan Valeria appeared to be on his way to his first WISSOTA Street Stock Feature win. The former Pure Stock Champion held the lead for most of the race. As the race was winding down, defending class Champion Jordan Kurtti worked his way to get around Tomahawk’s Nate Langberg. Then Kurtti patiently waited for Valeria to drift wide in the button-hook third turn.

As the track was turning black, it made it more difficult for Valeria to keep Kurtti in check and to hold a low line. Valeria did push to the outside of the 3rd turn, Kurtti passed him on the inside and went on for the win.

Numerous cautions brought the Pure Stock Feature from 14 cars to start to 9 at the finish. When the checkered flag flew it was CJ Hedges, Junior, of Tomahawk making the familiar trip to Victory Lane. Herb Dettman of Pelican Lake ran one of his best races of the year by pushing Hedges right to the finish and taking a second. Racing in both the WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds and the Pure Stock was Hurley’s John Kallas. Kallas lost a cylinder early in the Pure Stock Feature, but even running on only 7 cyclinder’s, was still able to take a 3rd.

Tommi-Jo Springer continues to follow in the footsteps of her brother Ty, as she continues to win in the Junior Sprints. 3 years ago Ty Springer took the Junior Sprint points championship. Going into the night, Ty was leading in the Micro Sprint 600 points, while Tommi Jo was leading in the Junior Sprint points. Ty defeated up and coming Dayton Rein of Conover in the Junior Sprint Feature.

This coming Friday Night, Eagle River Speedway will host the Auto Value WISSOTA Midwest Modified Special. In addition to Auto Value of Rhinelander and EagleRiver’s $750 to win the Midwest Modified Shoot-out, Harry’s Fireworks will have a huge Fireworks show starting at 10:00 pm CT. Hot Laps will begin at 7:00 pm CT, with Racing to start at 7:30 pm CT.

Eagle River Speedway Results, 6/26/15 (All hometowns are Wisconsin, unless identified of Michigan)

WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature:

1) George Dalbeck, Wakefield, MI
2) Jesse Aho, Toivola, MI
3) Guy Carley, Eagle River
4) John Kallas, Hurley
5) Bruce Belland, Eagle River
6) Duane Dunbar, Marenisco, MI
7) Clay Passuello, Ironwood, MI
8) Jonathon Miller, Eagle River
9) Tad Schoonover, Eagle River
10) Dennis Mikkelson, Rhinelander

WISSOTA Midwest Modified Heat 1:

1) Aho
2) Mikkelson
3) Dunbar
4) Dalbeck
5) Passuello

WISSOTA Midwest Mod Heat 2:

1) Belland
2) Schoonover
3) Carley
4) Miller
5) Kallas

WISSOTA Street Stock Feature:

1) Jordan Kurtti, Bruce Crossing, MI
2) Nathan Langberg, Tomahawk
3) Ryan Valeria, Eagle River
4) Ryan Glembin, Eagle River
5) Jason Jenson, Eagle River
6) Jay Wilberding, Rhinelander
7) Britt Broman, Eagle River
8) Ron VanDusen, Eagle River

WISSOTA Street Stock Heat:

1) Kurtti
2) Glembin
3) Valeria
4) Jenson
5) Wilberding
6) Broman
7) VanDusen
8) Laqngberg

Micro Sprint Final Standings (Points after 2 Features)

1) Matt Peterson, Escanaba, MI
2) Will Gerrits, Waupon
3) Jered Cech, Rhinelander
4) Jake Reif, Deerbrook
5) Ty Springer, Eagle River
6) Tyler Brabant, Waupon
7) Andy Rein, West Bend
8) Jerry Reif, Deerbrook
9) Greg Brayak
10) Denver Larson, Shiocton
11) Dylan Larson, Shiocton

Micro Sprint 600 Feature 1:

1) Peterson
2) Springer
3) Cech
4) Gerritts
5) Jake Reif
6) Brabant
7) Denver Larson
8) Rein
9) Brayak
10) Dylan Larson
11) Jerry Reif

Micro Sprint 600 Feature 2:

1) Jake Reif
2) Gerritts
3) Cech
4) Peterson
5) Springer
6) Brabant
7) Jerry Reif
8) Rein
9) Brayak
10) Dylan Larson
11) Denver Larson

Micro Sprint 600 Heat 1:

1) Gerrits
2) Springer
3) Rein
4) Jerry Reif
5) Brayak
6) Dylan Larson

Micro Sprint 600 Heat 2:

1) Jake Reif
2) Cech
3) Brabant
4) Denver Larson
5) Peterson

Pure Stock Feature:

1) CJ Hedges, Jr., Tomahawk
2) Herb Dettman, Pelican Lake
3) John Kallas, Hurley
4) David Blackberg Eagle River
5) Don Scharf, Eagle River
6) Fred Feger, Pelican Lake
7) Justin Dean, Tomahawk
8) Isabelle Valeria, Eagle River
9) Jason Eisel, Rhinelander
10) Gunner Orcutt, Tomahawk
11) Dennis LaCrosse, Jr., Eagle River
12) Louis Malluegge, Merrill
13) Frank Gasperini, Eagle River
14) Jake Ison, Eagle River

Pure Stock Heat 1:

1) Kallas
2) Malluegge
3) Valeria
4) Blackberg
5) Orcutt
6) Gasperini

Pure Stock Heat 2:

1) Hedges, Jr.,
2) Scharf
3) Dettman
4) LaCrosse
5) Feger
6) Eisel
7) Dean

Junior Sprint Feature:

1) Tommi Jo Springer, Eagle River
2) Dayton Rein, Conover
3) Hunter Tingley, Lake Tomahawk

Junior Sprint Heat:

1) Springer
2) Rein
3) Tingley

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