Thrilling Finishes at TNT!

It’s not unusual for Stock Car Racing fans to see a couple thrilling finishes on any given night at any race track. However it is highly unlikely that fans will see race after race come down to any one of 3 to 5 racers that could win a race coming out of the final turn. That was the case Saturday Night at TNT Motor Speedway.

“I have been announcing Racing for close to 3 decades, and have never seen it where so many races went from start to finish with so many cars having a shot at taking the checkered,” replied TNT Announcer, Skip Schulz. That is if you could even understand the announcer that lost his voice by the end of the night,

It was in the Features that the track developed 3 different ‘grooves.’ Dry on the inside, an asphalt-like grip of black clay in the middle, and a mild amount of moisture to have some tack up on the high bank. This created a situation where the racers had a difficult time setting their car up during intermission. This also created excitement for the fans!

In the WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature it looked like Rhinelander’s Dennis Mikkelson had a comfortable lead for most of the race. Even after 2 caution’s, Mikkelson was holding off the pack. The fight was for 2nd between Tadd Schoonover, Dan Melton, John Kallas, and Duane Dunbar. That is until the 3rd Caution, when Marenisco, Michigan’s Duane Dunbar finally got out of the battle for second and set his sights on Mikkelson.

It was on the exit of the 4th turn that Dunbar got around Mikkelson. Then Kallas snuck by Mikkelson for the 2nd spot, In the end it was 3 of the 5 drivers that had a shot for the win, ending up in a disappointing 3rd thru 5th positions. The winner was the driver that for most of the race was running in the 4th and 5th spot that ended up taking the checkered. That being Dunbar.

Same scenario in the WISSOTA Street Stock Feature. 5 cars were bunched up, bumper-to-bumper for most of the race. It was Tomahawk’s Derek Eberl that ran a real tight line on the inside of the track and held a lead for much of the race. Right behind Eberl was Chetek’s Steve Karschbaum, Bruce Crossing, Michigan’s Jordan Kurtti, and Tomahawk’s Nate Langberg.

Steve Karshbaum spun out coming out of Corner2 which moved him to the back, taking his place in the pack of drivers in the front was his wife, Heidi. This also moved Kurtt up to the 2nd spot, with Langberg, and Heidi Karschbaum all focused on going around Eberl.

In the 4th corner, Kurtti and Eberl bumped each other, and Langberg snuck on the inside while Eberl and Kurtti were working on keeping control of their cars. Langberg moved up from running 4th to the lead in a matter of seconds and went on for the win!

“Who needs Fireworks in the sky on the 4th of July when you have racing like that?” questioned TNT Co-Promoter, Jamie Pooch.

As hard as it is to imagine topping the WISSOTA Sanctioned racing, then you had the 12-car field in the Pure Stock Feature. Once again, same scenario. 5 cars all bunched up racing for the lead.

Early on it looked like it was going to be Tyler Lundberg of Rhinelander that would cruise to the NAPA Victory lane. While Lundberg was choosing his own line, Herb Dettman, Jason Melton, David Blackberg, and first time TNT racer Thaddeus Brown all fighting for position amongst themselves.

With a Caution out it was a mad scramble for the lead when the green flag dropped. Blackberg went way up on the high bank, Melton was in the middle, Lundberg was on the bottom, Dettman and Brown were trying every line they could to get through the traffic jam.

Then coming out like a shot out of a Roman Candle, Blackberg passed everyone for the lead, with Melton right next to him on the inside. Brown moved up to 3rd, and Dettman and Lundberg were caught off-guard in a battle for 4th. Blackberg went on to hold off Melton for the win. Lundberg went from leading most of the race to ending up in 5th place.

If you thought that was it in exciting races for the night…think again. If you thought you needed 12 cars to make an exciting race, once again…think again,

While the Micro Sprint 600 Feature only had 3 cars, that didn’t mean the fans could relax. After dominating in the Heat Race, the class point leader, Denver Larson o Shiocton looked to have a lock on the Feature. Problem for the 14 year old sensation was Rhinelander’ Jake Schilleman. Schilleman jumped out to an early lead, with Denver (Larson) getting around his younger brother Dylan and quickly moving right up to the back of Shilleman’s Sprinter.

Schilleman focused on running his line, and forcing Denver to try to go on the high side to get around Jake. Denver did his best but in the end, Schilleman got his first Feature win of the year.

The TNT Pro Truck Feature had it’s own excitement from start to finish. Like the other features, it was a battle of 5 trucks fighting over position. In the end Rhinelander’s Cory Allen held off the pack for the win.

To top off the night was an exciting race between Merrill’s Louis Malluegge and Tomahawk’s Paul Winkler. While Malluegge is running away with the Point Championship in the class, that didn’t stop Winkler from pushing Malluegge right to the checkered flag, Malluegge did get the win, but Winkler let him know that Malluegge better stay at the top of his game for the rest of the year.

Phelps Dustin Kangas beat Elliot Brownrigg-Johnson in the Junior Sprint Feature.

“We could also report on the exciting Heat Races earlier in the night, but that would take up another page, and I don’t think we have enough room to write all about those races!” chuckling Schulz.

Racing returns to TNT Motor Speedway, located south of Three Lakes, this coming Saturday Night. Hot Laps start at 6:30, with racing to follow.

WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature:
1) Duane Dunbar, Marenisco, MI
2) John Kallas, Hurley
3) Dennis Mikkelson, Rhinelander
4) Dan Melton, Rhinelander
5) Tadd Schoonover, Eagle River
6) Jonathon Miller, Eagle River

WISSOTA Midwest Modified Heat:
1) Schoonover
2) Dunbar
3) Mikkelson
4) Melton
5) Kallas
6) Miller

WISSOTA Street Stock Feature:
1) Nate Langberg, Tomahawk
2) Jordan Kurtti, Bruce Crossing, MI
3) Derek Eberl, Tomahawk
4) Heidi Karshbaum, Chetek
5) Steve Karshbaum, Chetek
6) Scott Detert, Rhinelander
7) Terry Collins, Tomahawk

WISSOTA Street Stock Heat:
1) Eberl
2) Langberg
3) Kurtti
4) Heidi Karschbaum
5) Steve Karschbaum
6) Detert
7) Collins

Micro Sprint 600 Feature:
1) Jake Schilleman, Rhinelander
2) Denver Larson, Shiocton
3) Dylan Larson, Shiocton

Micro Sprint Heat:
1) Denver Larson
2) Dylan Larson
3))Schilleman

TNT Pro Truck Feature:
1) Cory Allen, Rhinelander
2) Herb Dettman, Pelican Lake
3) James Koga, Eagle River
4) Parker Retzlaff, Rhinelander
5) John Johnson, Sr., Lac Du Flambeau
6) Mario Grado, Lac Du Flambeau

TNT Pro Truck Heat:
1) Dettman
2) Koga
3) Allen
4) Johnson
5) Retzlaff
6) Groado

Pure Stock Feature:
1) David Blackberg, Eagle River
2) Jason Melton, Eagle River
3) Thaddeus Brown,
4) Herb Dettman, Pelican Lake
5) Tyler Lundberg, Rhinelander
6) Justin Dean, Tomahawk
7) Fred Feger, Pelican Lake
8) Jason Eisel, Rhinelander
9) Jake Ison, Eagle River
10) Joe Chaney, Crandon
11) William Chapman, Lac Du Flambeau
12) Gunner Orcutt, Tomahawk

Pure Stock Heat 1:
1) Ljundberg
2) Chapman
3) Brown
4) Eisel
5) Chaney

Pure Stock Heat 2:
1) Blackberg
2) Melton
3) Ison
4) Orcutt
5) Dean
6) Feger

Stinger Feature:
1) Louis Malluegge, Merrill
2) Paul Winkler, Tomahawk

Stinger Heat:
1) Malluegge
2) Winkler

Junior Sprint Feature:
1) Dustin Kangas, Phelps
2) Elliot Brownrigg-Johnson, Lac Du Flambeau

Junior Sprint Heat:
1) Kangas
2) Brownrigg-Johnson

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