Wi Dirt Racin

Fans and racers at the legendary Eagle River Speedway are in for an exciting last month of racing! A crash in the WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature and work for another racer has set the stage for the possibility that both of the WISSOTA Sanctioned classes could see a new Class Champion at the end of the year. An accident in the WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature caused serious damage to Jesse Aho’s car. Defending WISSOTA Street Stock Champion, Jordan Kurtti has work outside of the area, and will not be able to finish the racing season.

It was in the WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature that Aho and the leader, George Dalbeck were in an altercation. On a re-start after a caution, Aho took an outside line to make the pass on the fellow Upper Peninsula racer. It was then that Dalbeck got loose and went high on the track. The impact forced Aho’s car to get airborne. When it landed, his car went head on into the concrete wall. Aho’s car received serious damage, and Aho most likely will not be able to compete in that car the rest of the year.

“Chose the outside line on the Delaware restart. Car was really good up high and the leader was loose in the corners,” explained Aho. A Delaware re-start is when the lead car is by himself, followed by the car in the second position choosing either the inside or the outside position. Aho chose the outside position.

The WISSOTA Midwest Modified Champion for the past 3 years at the challenging Eagle River Speedway Tri-Oval goes on to say, “On the restart I drove the car in hard and the 23 drifted higher than the previous laps making slight contact with Dalbeck sending the front of the car airborne 5-6′ and then landed in time to hit the wall head on at full speed.”

The crash had fellow racers concerned.

“He (Jesse Aho) hit the wall hard! I was lining up for the next race, and watched him smack the wall. I quickly headed out to the track from the pits. He hit it so hard I took my helmet off and jumped out of the car to see if he was ok. Just glad Jess (Jesse Aho) is OK. His car is bent up, or should I say, really bent up,” commented Tomahawk’s CJ Hedges.

Hurley’s John Kallas response after the accident, “Hope Jesse is OK, after that scary ride.”

Aho did not receive any serious injuries from the accident.

Wakefield, Michigan’s, George Dalbeck went on to win the feature. Fellow Upper Peninsula racer, Duane Dunbar of Marenisco, took second. Aho, who is also from the UP, has a slim 38 point lead over Eagle River’s Tadd Schoonover, 516-478. The Eagle River Speedway Track Championship will be on Labor Day weekend.

Another “Yooper,” and the chance to defend his title is up for grabs. Bruce Crossing’s Jordan Kurtti will be moving to Texas for work. Kurtti leaves the area with a 10 point lead over Tomahawk’s Nate Langberg, 515-505. Kurtti leaves with a Feature win in the WISSOTA Street Stock class. Kurtti was also in the Top 35 Nationally in WISSOTA Street Stock Points. Past Pure Stock Class Champion, Ryan Valeria of Eagle River took a second in the Feature and won the Heat Race.

Celebrating his Feature win was Kurtti’s mother, Vikki. “What a way to end your racing this year, with the Feature win!”

The current Pure Stock point leader, CJ Hedges, Jr., of Tomahawk won his Feature. The popular racer has a 35 point lead over Eagle River’s Don Scharf. It was last year that Hedges held off Scharf for the Pure Stock Points Championship. Friday Night, Hedges went from the middle of the pack and was in a side by side battle with Scharf for the second spot, while Eagle River’s Dennis LaCrosse, Jr., was in the lead. Scharf got loose exiting the ‘hairpin’ 3rd turn, and that knocked Hedges into the infield. After the re-start Hedges set his sights for LaCrosse, and went on to pass him for the win.

“CJ (Hedges, Jr.,) works on his car throughout the week. He takes the time on getting his car ready, plus he has the uncanny ability to find where the ‘groove’ is. Plus he has the patience to wait for the right time to make his passes…it shows by how many features he has won,” commented Eagle River Speedways 20+ year Track Announcer.

While Hedges got the win in the Pure Stock Feature, new driver, Dustin Miller of Rhinelander got the Pure Stock Heat win.

Shiocton’s Denver Larson built up his point lead in the Micro Sprint 600 Class. Denver (Larson) held off Ty Springer and his younger brother Dylan in both the Feature and the Heat. Denver’s methanol-burning, duo-winged sprinter is powered by a Suzuki engine.

Tommi-Jo Springer took the Junior Sprint Feature and Heat. Conover’s Dayton Rein and Woodruff’s Hunter Tingley continues to improve. Springer and Tingley are 10 years old, while Rein is 6 years old.

It will be this coming Friday that Eagle River Speedway is going to honor Bob Kleinschmidt. Known as “Bobbie-O, has been racing at the popular Northern Wisconsin track for over 3 decades and has health issues. The winner of the WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature this coming Friday Night will get $500.00 Arbor Vitae Marine sponsorship. It will also be this coming Friday Night that Eagle River Speedway will host the first Side by Side/UTV Oval-cross. This will have the popular Side by Side Off Road Vehicles racing on both the dirt track and in the infield. In addition to all this, the Harry’s Fireworks show that was postponed due to rain on July 3rd, will take place this Friday Night. Gates will open at 5:00 pm CT.

Eagle River Speedway Results, July 24, 2015

WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature:
1) George Dalbeck, Wakefield (MI)
2) Duane Dunbar, Marenisco (MI)
3) Tadd Schoonover, Eagle River
4) John Kallas, Hurley
5) Jonathon Miller, Eagle River
6) Jesse Aho, Toivola (MI)
7) Guy Carley, Eagle River

WISSOTA Midwest Modified Heat:
1) Aho
2) Dunbar
3) Schoonover
4) Kallas
5) Dalbeck
6) Miller
7) Carley

WISSOTA Street Stock Feature:
1) Jordan Kurtti, Bruce Crossing (MI)
2) Ryan Valeria, Eagle River
3) Nathan Langberg, Tomahawk
4) Ryan Glembin, Eagle River
5) Ron VanDusen, Eagle River

WISSOTA Street Stock Heat:
1) Valeria
2) Glembin
3) Kurtti
4) Langberg
5) VanDusen

Micro Sprint 600 Feature:
1) Denver Larson, Shiocton
2) Ty Springer, Eagle River
3) Dylan Larson, Shiocton

Micro Sprint 600 Heat:
1) Denver Larson
2) Springer
3) Dylan Larson

Pure Stock Feature:
1) CJ Hedges, Tomahawk
2) Dennis Lacrosse, Jr., Eagle River
3) David Blackberg, Eagle River
4) Fred Feger, Pelican Lake
5) Gunner Orcutt, Tomahawk
6) Devin Wulf, Rhinelander
7) Don Scharf, Eagle River
8) Isabelle Valeria, Eagle River
9) Louis Malluegge, Merrill
10) Dustin Miller, Rhinelander
11) Frank Gasperini, Eagle River
12) Chad Rosinski

Pure Stock Heat 1:
1) Miller
2) Rosinski
3) Hedges
4) Wulf
5) Malluegge
6) Blackberg

Pure Stock Heat 2:
1) Scharf
2) LaCrosse, Jr.,
3) Orcutt
4) Valeria
5) Feger
6) Gasperini

Junior Sprint Feature:
1) Tommi Jo Springer, Eagle River
2) Dayton Rein, Conover
3) Hunter Tingley, Woodruff

Junior Spring Heat:
1) Springer
2) Rein
3) Tingley

Correction on Previous Week Street Car/Redneck Game Winner: Matt Schone, Mercury Mountaineer

Comments

comments