Wi Dirt Racin

13 cars started in the Pure Stock Feature at TNT Saturday Night, and it wasn’t till the dust had settled was the official finish determined. Winning the special Parsons Chevrolet-Buick Pure Stock Trophy was Eagle River’s David Blackberg.

With that many cars on the 1/3rd mile high banked track, the racers knew that it was imperative to get out of the ‘pack’ as soon as possible. Phelps Ron Drake jumped out to an early lead, with Blackberg, Lundberg, Steve Melton, and Jason Melton all battling for position.

Then on the back stretch, Drake and Steve Melton bumped. Drake, driving Justin Dean’s 81 car was forced to go to the back of the pack. This put Blackberg on the pole, and moved Lundberg up. As Blackberg was keeping Lundberg in check, Drake flew through the field to get in the ‘mix’ with the Melton brothers, Lundberg and Blackberg.

With the win, Blackberg picked up points on Lundberg and Steve Melton, who went into the night 1st and 2nd in the points.

“I feel I still have a chance at the Points championship. Especially now that I moved into 2nd place,” commented Blackberg.

As Blackberg has his sights set on Lundberg, it was Ron Drake that was the biggest surprise of the night piloting a car that he had never raced.

“Bill Dean simply built an amazing car. Just watch what that 81 car is going to do the rest of the year,” stated Drake.

The Pure Stock class wasn’t the only class that had the fans on the edge of their seat. 7 of the fastest Micro Sprint 600 cars from throughout Wisconsin took to the high banked oval at TNT Motor Speedway. This included, Andy Rein, the driver from West Bend that hit a speed of over 95 MPH the previous week in his Feature win. This also included the Gerritt brothers from Waupon.

The tough competition didn’t phase 14 year old Denver Larson. It is Denver and his 13 year old brother Dylan that are 1-2 in the Micro Sprint 600 Point chase at TNT. Denver held off the stiff competition to win the Micro Sprint 600 Feature. It was Eagle River’s 12 year old Ty Springer that went through the field to take a second.

It was only a few years ago that the Larson’s and Ty Springer were chasing each other in the Junior Sprints. That was also when Rhinelander’s Parker Retzlaff was competing on the 17 hp Briggs and Stratton powered Junior Sprinter’s.

It was on Saturday Night that Parker Retzlaff thrilled the crowd by leading in the TNT Pro Truck Feature. The 12 year old held off the class point leader, Cory Allen of Rhinelander for half the race. When Retzlaff went wide coming out of the 2nd corner, Allen got the lead. Allen went on to take the checkered flag, but right on his rear bumper throughout the race was Retzlaff.

The driver that had a big weekend was Eagle River’s Tadd Schoonover. Schoonover won his second WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature of the weekend. The talented racer used the blue-print from winning the feature the previous night to winning the feature again on Saturday Night. That was by running a very tight line on the inside and keeping his speed up. Guy Carley and Dan Melton tried everything they could to find a way around Schoonover, all to no avail.

One of the most exciting classes of the night took place in the WISSOTA Street Stock. The excitement in this class started off early in the night when Eagle River’s Ryan Glembin weaved in and out of traffic to take the Heat race. Then in the feature, 3 drivers kept changing the lead.

Class point leader Jordan Kurtti started off with the lead. Then Kurtti lost control of his car exiting the 2nd turn. That put Kurtti to the back, and bumped Glembin, the husband-wife team of Steve and Heidi Karschbaum, and Tomahawk’s Derek Eberl.

Kurtti fought his way back to challenge for the lead. While Kurtti was working through traffic, Glembin and Eberl were battling it out for the lead. No one knew who was going to end up making the trip to the NAPA Victory Lane until the checkered flag flew. When it did, it was Eberl getting the win, Kurtti taking a second, and Glembin getting a 3rd.

It was in the Junior Sprint Feature that 6 year old Dayton Rein brought smiles to not only his family but fans and officials all over the grounds. In his first year of racing, the Conover youngster jumped out to the lead and held it for the first part of the race. 10 year old, Class point leader, Dustin Kangas of Phelps eventually passed Rein for the lead. Then Rein was in a battle with 10 year old Tommi-Jo Springer. Kangas went on for the win, Springer got second, and Rein gained the admiration of many fans for his quick improvement in his first year of racing.

After losing for the first time in months at the previous week’s Stinger Feature, Merrill’s Louis Malluegge returned to Victory lane.

TNT Motor Speedway is going to show their appreciation of Firemen, Law Enforcement, and those serving in the Emergency Medical Field by giving them free admission to this coming Saturday Night’s races. TNT Motor Speedway will have racing in 7 Divisions.

TNT Motor Speedway Results, 7/18/15:

WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature:

1) Tadd Schoonover, Eagle River
2) Guy Carley, Eagle River
3) Dan Melton, Rhinelander
4) Dennis Mikkelson, Rhinelander
5) Jonathon Miller, Eagle River

WISSOTA Midwest Modified Heat:

1) Mikellson
2) Schoonover
3) Carley
4) Miller
5) Melton

WISSOTA Street Stock Feature:

1) Derek Eberl, Tomahawk
2) Jordan Kurtti, Bruce Crossing (MI)
3) Ryan Glembin, Eagle River
4) Heidi Karschbaum, Chetek
5) Scott Detert, Rhinelander
6) Steve Karschbaum, Chetek

WISSOTA Street Stock Heat:

1) Glembin
2) Eberl
3) Steve Karschbaum
4) Heidi Karschbaum
5) Kurtti
6) Detert

Micro Sprint 600 Feature:

1) Denver Larson, Shiocton
2) Ty Springer, Eagle River
3) Will “The Thrill” Gerrits, Waupon
4) Jake Geritts, Waupon
5) Andy Rein, West Bend
6) Dylan Larson, Shiocton
7) Tyler Brabant, Waupon

Micro Sprint 600 Heat:

1) Denver Larson
2) Rein
3) Will “the Thrill” Gerritts
4) Jake Gerrits
5) Brabant
6) Dylan Larson

TNT Pro Truck Feature:

1) Cory Allen, Rhinelander
2) Parker Retzlaff, Rhinelander
3) “Big Wheel” John Johnson, Sr, Lac Du Flambeau
4) James Koga, Eagle River
5) Mario Grado, Lac Du Flambeau
6) Ronald Vernick, Lac Du Flambeau
7) Herb Detttman, Pelican Lake

TNT Pro Truck Heat:

1) Allen
2) Dettman
3) Retzlaff
4) Koga
5) Johnson, Sr
6) Vernick
7) Grado

Pure Stock Feature:

1) David Blackberg, Eagle River
2) Tyler Lundberg, Rhinelander
3) Ron Drake, Phelps
4) Fred Feger, Pelican Lake
5) John Johnson, Jr., Lac Du Flambeau
6) Jason Eisel, Rhinelander
7) Joe Chaney, Crandon
8) Thaddeus Brown,
9) Steve Melton, Rhinelander
10) Devon Wolf, Parrish
11) Jason Melton, Eagle River
12) William Chapman, Lac Du Flambeau
13) Jake Ison, Eagle River

Pure Stock Heat 1:

1) Blackberg
2) Ison
3) Wolf
4) Eisel
5) Steve Melton
6) Jason Melton
7) Chapman

Pure Stock Heat 2:

1) Drake in 81
2) Johnson, Jr
3) Brown
4) Chaney
5) Feger
6) Lundberg

Stinger Feature:

1) Louis Malluegge, Merrill
2) Bill Martin, Rhinelander
3) Paul Winker, Tomahawk
4) Quentin Morrison, Eagle River

Stinger Heat:

1) Mallluegge
2) Martin
3) Morrison
4) Winker

Junior Sprint Feature:

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

Junior Sprint Heat:

1) Springer
2) Kangas
3) Rein

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