Wi Dirt Racin

It is common for a WISSOTA Midwest Modified racer to find the ‘groove,’ and stick to it, especially when they are in the lead. However on Friday Night’s races at the legendary Eagle River Speedway Tri-Oval, Eagle River’s Tadd Schoonover used as much of the 1/3rd Mile clay track as he could.

This wasn’t because Schoonover was looking for the ‘line’ or the ‘groove’ that had the best tack; it was simply to keep the Upper Peninsula’s Jesse Aho in check. Aho has won the Eagle River Speedway points championship in the WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds the past three years, and he is on pace to win an unprecedented 4th Consecutive Points Championship.

It was a late race caution that helped Schoonover win the Feature.

“Tadd (Schoonover) ran a smart race. He made the track as wide as he could. The ‘tacky’ track really helped him move all around the track,” commented Eagle River Speedway General Manager, Kevin Dawson.

While the night was billed as “Redneck Games, Part 2,” it could have been promoted as ‘Border War” night. 3 of the drivers in the WISSOTA Midwest Mod were from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, one of the Wisconsin drivers was less than a mile from the UP, and 3 were from Eagle River. Duane Dunbar of Marenisco won the earlier Heat race.

As Schoonover brought the checkered flag home for the Badger State and Eagle River, Bruce Crossing, Michigan’s Jordan Kurtti took a WISSOTA-sanctioned Feature back to the UP. Kurtti, the defending WISSOTA Street Stock Champion at the track, won his Feature.

“Not to take anything away from (Jordan) Kurtti, the best racing in this class took place in the battle for second. (Ryan) Valeria was in a nip n’ tuck battle with Ryan (Glembin) and Nate (Langberg) for the second spot. It was back and forth and one great race!” Exclaimed Dawson.

Valeria ended up holding off Glembin and Langberg.

A strong contingent of drivers from all over Wisconsin took part in the Micro Sprint 600 race. The fans were treated to see 10 cars hit speeds of 95 MPH in the Feature. The high speeds were attributed to rain that fell the morning of the race. That provided the duo-winged, methanol-burning, motorcycle engine propelled Sprint cars to hit some of the fastest speeds of the night.

14 year old Denver Larson of Shiocton piloted his Suzuki-powered Micro Sprint to the Feature win.

It wasn’t just the Micro Sprint Class that had a number of cars racing in the Feature. It was a traffic jam of 13 Pure Stock Cars competing in the very competitive Pure Stock Feature. This is a class that has developed into one of ‘whose turn is it to win tonight?’

It was Tomahawk’s CJ Hedges, Jr., that many thought would run away from the competition each and every week. However, Eagle River’s David Blackberg and Dennis LaCrosse have had their cars in the Auto Value Victory Lane this year, and have challenged Hedges to his quest to repeat as the Pure Stock Point Champion.

Hedges held off Blackberg to get the win.

Eagle River’s Tommi-Jo Springer continues on her quest to follow in the footsteps of her 12 year old brother Ty to win the Junior Sprint Points Championship. As Ty is making his name known in the Micro Sprints, Tommi Jo continues to win in the Junior Sprints.

“It is in the Junior Sprint class that we’re seeing the future of our sport. Here is a class of children between the ages of 5 and 11 racing, and every single child racing is a champion,” commented Dawson.

Mike Collie in his Mercury Mountaineer edged out 6 other drivers to win the Spectator Race. Collie worked his way up the field in one on one racing to win the Redneck Games, Part 2.

This coming Friday Night, the 41 year tradition in Wisconsin’s Northwood’s, exciting racing at Eagle River Speedway will host the Parson’s Chevrolet Night. Racing will take place in all 5 Divisions. Hot laps will start at 7:00 pm CT.

WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature

1) Tadd Schoonover, Eagle River
2) Jesse Aho, Toivola (MI)
3) Duane Dunbar, Marenisco (MI)
4) John Kallas, Hurley
5) Clay Passuello, Ironwood (MI)
6) Jonathon Miller, Eagle River
7) Guy Carley, Eagle River
Schoonover took advantage Late Race yellow

WISSOTA Midwest Modified Heat

1) Dunbar
2) Aho
3) Carley
4) Schoonover
5) Passuello
6) Kallas
7) Miller

WISSOTA Street Stock Feature real race for 2nd between Valeria, Glembin, Langberg

1) Jordan Kurtti, Bruce Crossing (MI)
2) Ryan Valeria, Eagle River
3) Ryan Glembin, Eagle River
4) Nate Langberg, Tomahawk
5) Jason Jenson, Eagle River

WISSOTA Street Stock Heat

1) Glembin
2) Valeria
3) Kurtti
4) Langberg

Micro Sprint 600 Feature

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

Micro Sprint 600 Heat 1

1) Springer
2) Jerry Reif
3) Brabant
4) Denver Larson
5) Cech

Micro Sprint 600 Heat 2

1) Will Gerrits
2) Jake Gerrits
3) Rein
4) Jake Reif
5) Dylan Larson

Pure Stock Feature

1) CJ Hedges, Jr., Tomahawk
2) David Blackberg, Eagle River
3) Jake Ison, Eagle River
4) Don Scharf, Eagle River
5) Dennis Lacrosse, Eagle River
6) Ron Drake, Jr., Phelps
7) Nicholas Pool, Ironwood (MI)
8) Mike Rick, Irma
9) Gunner Orcutt, Tomahawk
10) Michael Brown, Tomahawk
11) Louis Malluegge, Merrill
12) Isabelle Valeria, Eagle River
13) Chad Rosinski, Conover

Pure Stock Heat 1

1) Ison
2) Hedges
3) Orcutt
4) Rosinski
5) Drake

Pure Stock Heat 2

1) Blackberg
2) Scharf
3) Brown
4) Rick
5) Lacrosse
6) Pool

Junior Sprint Feature:

1) Tommi Jo Springer, Eagle River
2) Hunter Tingley, Woodruff
3) Dustin Kangas, Phelps
4) Dayton Rein, Conover

Junior Sprint Heat:

1) Springer
2) Tingley
3) Kangas
4) Rein

Spectator Race winner: Mike Collie, Eagle River

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