Wi Dirt Racin

One of the most exciting races of the year took place this past Saturday Night at TNT Motor Speedway in the WISSOTA Street Stock Feature. For 15 laps of the 20 lap feature, Rhinelander’s Britt Bromann had Bruce Crossing, Michigan’s Jordan Kurtti either right on his bumper or right next to him.
Lap after lap Broman would hold a line in the middle of the track, tempting Kurtti to either go on the inside or try to take the high line around him. Lap after lap Kurtti would try a different line to get the lead, but nothing worked.
That is until the final turn on the final lap when Kurtti went on the outside of Broman and the exciting drag race to the finish line was on. With both drivers side by side at the finish line it came down to a matter of inches to determine the winner.

Earning the right to make the trip to the NAPA Victory lane was Kurtti.
Going into the night, Kurtti only had a 20 point lead over Tomahawk’s Nate Langberg, 570-550. Kurtti extended his lead earlier in the night with another exciting win in the Heat race. It was in the Heat race that Kurtti held off Ryan Valeria.
Winning both the Feature and the Heat, combined with Langberg’s 3rd in the Feature and 4th in the Heat extended his point lead in the class to 26 points with 2 races remaining, 625-599.
“Pressure was on Kurtti tonight, and he came through,” stated TNT Flagman, Jeff Barnhill.
While Kurtti extended his lead in the WISSOTA Street Stock Class, the battle for the Pure Stock point’s championship tightened up. Going into Saturday Night’s races, Rhinelander’s Tyler Lundberg had 682 points, in second was a tie between Eagle River racers, Jason Melton and David Blackberg, with 662 points.
Blackberg won the 1st Heat, and Lundberg took a 3d. Melton did his part by winning the 2nd Heat. That created the formula for an important Feature for all 3 drivers.
Melton and Blackberg started the race side by side in the 3rd row, and right behind them was Lundberg. All 3 invested half of the race trying to get around Jason Eisel, Fred Feger, ad Mike Rick. To complicate matters was Jake Ison.
Half way through the race, Blackberg got the lead, while Eisel , Feger, and Ison were battling it out with Lundberg. A caution late in the race enabled Lundberg to come out of the re-start and get on the tail of Blackberg.
Blackberg held Lundberg off for the Feature win, and take over sole possession of 2nd place. Lundberg’s lead shrunk to 16 points, 734-718. Melton has 713 points.
Rhinelander’s Cory, “Cowboy,” Allen went into the night leading Eagle River’s James Koga by 17 points. Allen extended his lead by winning the Heat, and Koga taking a 4th. The stiffest challenge Allen had in that race was from 13 year old Parker Retzlaff of Rhinelander, who took a 2nd.
In the feature Allen jumped out to an early lead. Right behind him was Retzlaff and Koga. On the final lap, Koga got by Retzlaff going into the high banked 1st turn. Then coming out of the 2nd turn, Retzlaff and Koga connected. Koga spun out.
When the checkered flag fell, Allen not only got the win, but Koga ended up in 6th place. This expanded Allen’s lead to 26 points, 727 to 701.
“I know this is not how ‘Cowboy’ (Cory Allen) wanted the night to end. He is the racer that has helped so many of his competitors out and is one of the nominee’s for the Bobby-0 Spirit Award,” commented TNT Track Announcer Skip Schulz
The Bobby-0 Spirit Award is to honor Bob Kleinschmidt of Arbor Vitae. Kleinschmidt is facing a very serious illness. It is his decades of racing where he was known by fellow racers, race track officials, and fans for his Sportsmanship, and his willingness to help other racers through Arbor Vitae Marine Sponsorship.
The Bobby-0 Spirit Award will go to a racer, crew member, track official, or fan. The award will be handed out over Labor Day Weekend.
It was in the class that Bob Kleinschmidt raced for many years, WISSOTA Midwest Modified, that saw one of the strangest finishes anyone has ever seen.
Rhinelander’s Dan Melton appeared to have a commanding lead for most of the race. As the race was winding down, Eagle River’s Guy Carley kept cutting into Melton’s lead. While Melton was running the middle of the track, Carley was entering the corners on the high side then cutting down low on the exit of the turn. This move not only cut into Melton’s lead, it gave Carley the lead with 3 laps to go.
Then a Suspension bolt snapped on Carley’s car on the 4th turn. This dropped Carley’s entire suspension to the track. Melton was right on Carley’s bumper at the time. Melton had nowhere to go but to hit Carley.
Before that happened Tad Schoonover and Dennis Mikkelson had car problems and had to leave the track. Thus the only car left that was able to complete the rest of the WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature was 15 year old Jonathon Miller of Eagle River, who was declared the winner.
“Here it has been 12 years since I last won a Feature, and (Jonathon) Miller gets his first Feature win at only 15 years old. On top of that Bruce Belland, Fran Gasperini and I have been working on may car for a long time to get it to handle right. It is handling so good right now, and then this happens,” commented Carley.
Carley runs a 302 Ford in a class with the 350 Chevy’s. He is one of the only Midwest Modified racers that run a Ford Engine.
“I’m really happy with what Bay Speed Center of De Pere has done to the car,” stated Carley.
Miller’s win in the Feature comes in only his second year of racing. He started racing by going right into the Midwest Modified Division. Miller is currently in 3rd Place in the class, one point behind Mikkelson. Melton has already clinched the championship in the class.
Also clinching the championship in his class was Merrill’s Louis Malluege in the Stinger Class. While Malluege clinched the Stinger Points Championship with a win in both the Feature and the Heat, Medford’s Leslie Leu gave Malluege all he could handle in the Feature. In the Heat race it was a close race between Malluege, Leu, and Tomahawk’s 13 year old sensation, Paul Winker.
Phelps Dustin Kangas has also clinched the Junior Sprint Points Championship, but just like in the Stinger class, Kangas had a stiff challenge from 6 year old Dayton Rein of Conover. This is Kangas, Rein, and 5 year old Elliot Brownrigg-Johnson of Lac Du Flambeau’s first year of racing.
Racing returns to the high banked 1/3rd mile at TNT Motor Speedway this coming Saturday Night. The final night of the Points Season will be on Saturday Night of Labor Day Weekend.
TNT Motor Speedway Results 8/22/2015
WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature:
1) Jonathon Miller, Eagle River
2) Dan Melton, Rhinelander
3) Guy Carley, Eagle River
4) Dennis MIkkelson, Rhinelander
5) Tad Schoonover, Eagle River

WISSOTA Midwest Modified Heat:
1) Dan Melton
2) Carley
3) Schoonover
4) Miller
5) Mikkelson
WISSOTA Street Stock Feature:
1) Jordan Kurtti, Bruce Crossing (MI)
2) Britt Broman, Eagle River
3) Nate Langberg, Tomahawk
4) Derek Eberl, Tomahawk
5) David Blackberg, Eagle River
6) Ken Valeria, Eagle River
7) Ryan Valeria, Eagle River
WISSOTA Street Stock Heat:
1) Kurtti
2) Ryan Valeria
3) Broman
4) Langberg
5) Eberl
6) Ken Valeria
7) Blackberg
TNT Pro Trucks Feature:
1) Cory Allen, Rhinelander’
2) Herb Dettman, Pelican Lake
3) Parker Retzlaff, Rhinelander
4) John Johnson, Sr., Lac Du Flambeau
5) Mario Grado, Lac Du Flambeau
6) James Koga, Eagle River
7) Ronald Vernick, Lac Du Flambeau

TNT Pro Trucks Heat:
1) Allen
2) Retzlaff
3) Dettman
4) Koga
5) Johnson, Sr.,
6) Grado
Pure Stock Feature:
1) David Blackberg, Eagle River
2) Tyler Lundberg, Rhinelander
3) Jake Ison, Eagle River
4) Mike Rick, Irma
5) Jason Melton, Eagle River
6) Fred Feger, Pelican Lake
7) Jason Eisel, Rhinelander
8) Devin Wolf, Parrish
9) Frank Gasperini, Eagle River
10) Gunner ORcutt, Tomahawk
Pure Stock Heat 1:
1) Blackberg
2) Eisel
3) Lundberg
4) Feger
5) Wolf
6) Gasperini
Pure Stock Heat 2:
1) Jason Melton
2) Rick
3) Ison
4) Orcutt
5) Chaney
Stinger Feature:
1) Louis Malluege, Merrill
2) Leslie Leu, Medford
3) Paul Winker, Tomahawk
Stinger Heat:
1) Malluege
2) Leu
3) Winker
4) Sheldon
Junior Sprint Feature:
1) Dustin Kangas, Phelps
2) Dayton Rein, Conover
3) Elliot Brownrig-Johnson, Lac Du Flambeau
Junior Sprint Heat:
1) Kangas
2) Rein
3) Brownrigg-Johnson

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