It was a night of upsets and set-up at TNT Motor Speedway Saturday Night. A night of racing where new people made the trek to the NAPA Victory Lane. It was a night where the racers had the figure out how to set their car up due to challenging changes in the track.
Even though the racing season is at its midway point, Merrill’s Louis Malluege already has a 168 point lead on his nearest competitor in the Stinger class. Malluegge has won everything at TNT, but one of the many gifts given away during intermission. Malluegge’s closest challenge over the last month has come from Tomahawk’s Paul Winker.
Enter new driver, Quentin Morrison of Eagle River. Morrison went into the night with only one night of ‘seat time.’ Odds of Morrison to beat Malluegge? None available from our friends in Vegas. Then again they always say, ‘anyone can beat anyone on any given night.
That ‘given night’ was this past Saturday Night. Morrison had the pole, and held that lead from start to finish. Malluegge battled his way from the outside position in Row 2 to hang on Morrison’s bumper right to the checkered flag.
While the 1/3rd mile high banked track had been expertly prepared to start the night, racers found many different ‘grooves.’ Dry on the bottom side, tacky on the high side. The line that had the most use early on was about 10 feet out from the bottom. That meant the drivers had different choices as to what line they would use. That also meant that if they set their car up for one line, the set-up may not work if they had to use a different line.
It was in the 12-car Pure Stock Feature that a driver making the moves to go through traffic would have to use every part of the wide track at TNT. Some were able to do this, others found it difficult. This was evident by some cars getting lapped, while others looked as if they were racing on asphalt.
Jake Ison of Eagle River quickly passed traffic to get the lead. While Ison was extending his lead, Jason Melton, Herb Dettman, David Blackberg, and Steve Melton were in a fierce battle for the 2nd spot. To make the race even more exciting was when Ison and the other 4 came upon a crowded field of lapped cars. Blackberg was able to grab the 2nd spot.
When Ison had to slow down to weave his way through crowded traffic that enabled Blackberg to cut the lead Ison had built. As the race was heading into its final stretch, Ison and Blackberg were side by side going for the win. When the checkered flag flew it was Ison holding Blackberg off for an exciting win.
“Great show last night again. Unfortunately I have bad news. I lost a cylinder last night with 3 to go,” commented Blackberg.
Racers and crews were not only trying to figure out what adjustments to make going into the freshly graded features, they were looking for someone to ‘spy’ on the TNT Pro Truck 93 team. That is Rhinelander’s Cory Allen, who went into the night with only a 4 point lead over Eagle River’s James Koga.
Allen proved how important ‘set-up’ is! Allen cruised past the talented field to get the win. “Big Wheel” John Johnson, Sr., kept Koga in check for 2nd.
Saturday night at TNT Motor Speedway was a night to remember Braylee Lynn Melton. Braylee would have celebrated her first birthday on Saturday Night; however she was born with Anacelphathy or Open Spina Bifada. A condition that did not allow Braylee to survive once she was born. While it was Northern Living Construction Autograph night, it could have easily been promoted as “Family Night.” The racing ‘family’ joined with the Melton family in remembering Braylee via a special ‘parade’ lap at the start of the night.
It was the Valeria family that was smiling when Eagle River’s Ryan Valeria picked up his first TNT Motor Speedway Feature win in the WISSOTA Street Stock class. “Flying Ryan’ had the pole and ran an excellent groove throughout the race to hold off one of the best WISSOTA Street Stock racers throughout the entire Midwest, Tomahawk’s Nate Langberg.
With Valeria in the lead, Langberg had his hands full working his way from the middle of the pack to just get up to the position to challenge Valeria. Langberg was in an exciting battle with Britt Broman. Going into the 4th turn, Broman hit Langberg. That crash damaged Broman’s car and he was unable to finish the race. That altercation also brought out the caution, moved Langberg right up to the bumper of Valeria. It also put the husband-wife team of Steve and Heidi Karschbaum, along with Jason Jenson back into position to challenge Valeria for the win.
Valeria was able to hold off the talented field to get the win.
On the ‘theme’ of ‘family night,’ it was a successful night for the Melton Family. This was capped off by Rhinelander’s Dan Melton winning the WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature. Earlier in the night, Eagle River’s Guy Carley ran away from everyone. However in the Feature Dan Melton ran over every speck of clay on the track to get the win.
One lap Dan (Melton) would take a high line, then the next lap he would be in the middle of the track. As Carley was tightening up the gap, Dan had to move to the inside. He did, and it showed how talented he is,” explained track announcer Skip Schulz.
The Larson brothers are 1-2 in the Micro Sprint 600 class point’s battle. It wasn’t Denver and Dylan Larson that impressed the fans. It was West Bend’s Andy Rein. Rein’s Yamaha powered duo-winged Sprinter hit speeds that the popular race track had never seen. Going 95 MPH, Rein easily won both the Feature and the Heat Race.
Andy (Rein’s) nephew, Dayton, wasn’t as fortunate in the Junior Sprints. Chain problems forced him out of the feature. Phelp’s Dustin Kangas went into the night with an amazing 93 point lead. The 10 year old kept his un-beaten streak of dozens of races by winning the Feature and the Heat. 5 year old Elliot Brownrigg-Johnson of Lac Du Flambeau continues to improve by taking a 2nd.
An extensive 7-class schedule of racing continues this coming Saturday Night at TNT Motor Speedway. The high-banked 1/3rd mile dirt track has announced that they will host a Side-Side/UTV race on August 8th. This will be in addition to the full schedule of racing that they have every Saturday Night. TNT Motor Speedway is located south of Three Lakes on US 45. Hot Laps begin around 6:30 pm CT.
TNT Motor Speedway, July 11, 2015
WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature:
1) Dan Melton, Rhinelander
2) Guy Carley, Eagle River
3) Jonathon Miller, Eagle River
4) Dennis Mikkelsom, Eagle River
WISSOTA Midwest Modified Heat:
1) Carley
2) Melton
3) Mikkelson
4) Miller
WISSOTA Street Stock Feature:
1) Ryan Valeria, Eagle River
2) Nate Langberg, Tomahawk
3) Steve Karschbaum, Chetek
4) Jason Jenson, Eagle River
5) Heidi Karshbaum, Chetek
6) Jordan Kurtti, Bruce Crossing, MI
7) Britt Broman, Eagle River
WISSOTA Street Stock Heat:
1) Ryan Valeria
2) Broman
3) Steve Karschbaum
4) Langberg
5) Heidi Karshbaum
6) Jenson
7) Kurtti
Micro Sprint 600 Feature:
1) Andy Rein, West Bend
2) Dylan Larson, Shiocton
3) Denver Larson, Shiocton
Micro Sprint 600 Heat:
1) Rein
2) Denver Larson
3) Dylan Larso
TNT Pro Truck Feature:
1) Cory Allen, Rhinelander
2) Big Wheel Johnson, Lac Du Flambeau
3) James Koga, Eagle River
4) Herb Dettman, Pelican Lake
5) Parker Retzlaff, Rhinelander
6) Mario Grado, Lac Du Flambeau
7) Ron Vernick, Lac Du Flambeau
TNT Pro Truck Heat:
1) Koga
2) Retzlaff
3) Allen
4) Dettman
5) Johnson
6) Vernick
7) Graddo
Pure Stock Feature:
1) Jake Ison, Eagle River
2) David Blackberg, Eagle River
3) Jason Melton, Eagle River
4) Herb Dettman, Pelican Lake
5) Steve Melton, Rhinelander
6) Ken Valeria, Eagle River
7) William Chapman
8) Tyler Lundberg, Rhinelander
9) Jason Eisel, Rhinelander
10) Fred Feger, Pelican Lake
11) Joe Chaney, Crandon
12) Mike Rick, Irma
Pure Stock Heat 1:
1) Dettman
2) Jason Melton
3) Chapman
4) Rick
5) Lundberg
6) Chaney
Pure Stock Heat 2:
1) Blackberg
2) Ison
3) Ken Valeria
4) Steve Melton
5) Feger
6) Eisel
Stinger Feature:
1) Quentin Morrison, Eagle River
2) Louis Malluegge, Merrill
3) Paul Winker, Tomahawk
4) Bill Martin, Rhinelander
5) Paul Erlitz, Harshaw
Stinger Heat:
1) Malluegge
2) Winkler
3) Morrison
4) Martin
5) Erlitz
Junior Sprint Feature:
1) Dustin Kangas, Phelps
2) Elliot Bownrigg-Johnson, Lac Du Flambeau
3) Dayton Rein, Conover
Junior Sprint Heat:
1) Kangas
2) Rein
3) Brownrigg-Johnson
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