Wi Dirt Racin

Fans from all over the Midwest packed the stands Friday Night at Eagle River Speedway. They took in a night of roll-overs, flips, and passes. Not just from those on the track, but also the NBA Milwaukee Bucks Rimrockers Acrobat team, and a group of fear-less drivers that tried to roll their vehicles over. Intentionally roll them over.

It was the Redneck Games International Roll over Championships that saw Dustin Grimm hit the ramp perfectly to get his 2002 Mazda to Roll Over and end back up on its tires. This gave Grimm the IROC Championship.

Bango, Milwaukee Bucks Mascot, provided the passes during intermission. Bango would pass the basketball off to the talented, Rimrocker acrobats. Those Rimrockers would than ‘dunk’ the basketball on the portable basketball hoop.

It wasn’t just Bango that provided the passes on Friday Night at the legendary Eagle River Speedway Tri-Oval. Fans saw plenty of passing on the 1/3rd Mile Dirt Track.

In the Micro Sprint 600 Feature, Rhinelander’s Jake Schilleman led for most of the race. With only a couple laps to go, Schilleman and Ty Springer got into lapped traffic. When Schilleman went one way around the lap Sprinters, Springer went another way. Springer got the lead and held on for the win.

It was in the WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature that Eagle River’s Tadd Schoonover looked to start out where he left off the previous week, when he won the Feature. Working his way from the middle of the pack was 4-time defending class champion, Jesse Aho of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

“As Tadd (Schoonover) was running a tight line, Jesse (Aho) chose to take a high line in the first corner. It was a line that worked!” commented Eagle River Speedway Track Promoter, Kevin Dawson.

Aho got the lead midway through the race, but his competition came from more than just Schoonover. Fellow Upper Peninsula racer, Duane Dunbar looked to make the pass on the low side of the first corner. While Dunbar went low focusing on Aho, Tripoli’s CJ Hedges, Jr., flew by Dunbar to get on the bumper of Aho. In a race of cars passing each other, it made sense to invite Grasse ‘to the party.’

When the checkered finally flew, Aho took the win, with Hedges getting a second, Duane Dunbar a third, Schoonover a close 4th and Grasse a 5th. The race started with 13 cars, but only 6 finished due to altercations and mechanical problems

In the WISSOTA Street Stock Feature it looked like Eagle River’s Frank Gasperini was going to pick up his first Feature win of the season. Gasperini led for the first half of the race. Throughout that first half the former Iron River, Michigan, racer was in a bumper to bumper race with Eagle River’s Ryan Valeria.

Gasperini lost control of his car coming out of the ‘button-hook’ third turn. The caution put Valeria in the pole with the previous week Feature Winner, Dustin White of Conover making plans on making an exciting pass to get the lead.

Valeria and White took turns on different ‘lines,’ but it was White that found an opening and took it. White got the win with Valeria coming in second.

It was another Valeria that had the sights on making a trip to the Auto Value Victory Lane. This was in the 10-car Pure Stock Feature. It wasn’t just one Valeria, but two. Ken and his daughter, Isabelle. However some of the top racers in this class, this year, and for many years, had plans of their own to go to Victory lane.

This included past Pure Stock Feature winners, David Blackberg, Jason Eisel, Dustin Miller, and Don Scharf.

After Eisel, Miller, and LaCrosse all took turns on being in the lead, it was Eagle River’s Don Scharf that passed them all and cruised to the Pure Stock Feature win. Taking a second, just like in the WISSOTA Street Stock, a Valeria. This time it was Ken Valeria.

The only class that the fans didn’t see any exciting passes was in Junior Sprint. Conover’s Dayton Rein jumped out to an early lead in both the Feature and the Heat to sweep the class.

The young racer, Dayton Rein, joined with Eagle River’s Ken Valeria, Tripoli’s CJ Hedges, Jr., and the Upper Peninsula’s Jesse Aho and Jordan Kurtti to be the finalists in the Bobbi-0 Spirit Award. This annual award honors the late Bob Kleinschmidt, who passed away last summer. Fans, Racers, and Crew began the voting for this award on Friday Night. The Award winner will be announced on the final point’s race of the season, September 2nd.

This past Friday Night, Eagle River Speedway honored the Northwood’s Chapter of Special Olympics. The Special Olympic athletes, coaches, and volunteers were honored in a special ceremony at the start of the Night, Fans at the track raised over $480.00 for the Northwood’s Chapter of Special Olympics.

Lou and Mary Deditz are the current Agency Managers. Jessica Chuckel was one of the key people that started the program.

“The smiles that these athletes have just to compete and have fun bring smiles to everyone participating and watching these special athlete’s,” commented Mary Deditz.

Mary is the wife of the Eagle River Speedway Flagman, Lou Deditz.

“I really want to thank all the volunteers, coaches, and businesses that have shown so much support for our Special Olympians,” concluded Chuckel.

This coming Friday Night, Eagle River Speedway will host the AFCO Race of Champions Qualifier. The Side by Side (UTV) Off Road Vehicles will also race on both the infield and on the track in the Side by Side Challenge. Those Side by Side Races will run one week before the World Championship ATV/UTV Derby will take place at the Amsoil Derby Track.

The Junior Fan Autograph night will run on Friday Night, August 19th. It will be on that night that young race fans will have a chance to go on the track and meet the racers, get autographs and pictures.

Eagle River Speedway

8/5/16 Results

WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature: 1) Jesse Aho, Toivola, (MI); 2) CJ Hedges, Jr., Tripoli; 3) Duane Dunbar, Marenisco, (MI); 4) Tadd Schoonover, Eagle River; 5) Jerry Grasse, Phelps; 6) Marcus Dunbar, Wakefield, (MI); 7) Guy Carley, Eagle River; 8) Austin Zdroik, Eagle River; 9) Shane Halopka, Greenwood; 10) Jonathon Miller, Eagle River; 11) Larry Gasperini, Iron River, (MI); 12) Darrin Zorich, Marenisco, (MI); 13) Jesse Raffaelli, Toivola, (MI).

WISSOTA Midwest Modified Heat 1: 1) Aho; 2) Carley; 3) Duane Dunbar; 4) Schoonover; 5) Hedges, Jr.; 6) Marcus Dunbar; 7) Larry Gasperini.

WISSOTA Midwest Modified Heat 2: 1) Grasse; 2) Halopka; 3) Zorich; 4) Raffaelli; 5) Zdroik; 6) Miller

WISSOTA Street Stock Feature: 1) Dustin White, Conover; 2) Ryan Valeria, Eagle River; 3) Troy Larock, Laona; 4) Frank Gasperini, Eagle River; 5) Britt Bromann, Eagle River.

WISSOTA Street Stock Heat: 1) Valeria; 2) White; 3) Bromann; 4) Gasperini; 5) Larock

Micro Sprint 600 Feature: 1) Ty Springer, Eagle River; 2) Jake Schilleman, Rhinelander; 3) Denver Larson, Shiocton; 4) Dylan Larson, Shiocton; 5) Steve Polhill, Canada; 6) Tommi-Jo Springer, Eagle River; 7) Grant McIntosh, Canada; 7) Zach Rein, Conover.

Micro Sprint 600 Heat 1: 1) Ty Springer; 2) Polhill; 3) McIntosh; 4) Rein

Micro Sprint 600 Heat 2: 1) Schilleman; 2) Dylan Larson; 3) Denver Larson; 4) Tommi-Jo Springer

Pure Stock Feature: 1) Don Scharf, Eagle River; 2) Ken Valeria, Eagle River; 3) Jason Eisel, Rhinelander: 4) Dennis LaCrosse, Jr., Rhinelander; 5) David Blackberg, Eagle River; 6) Isabelle Valeria, Eagle River; 7) Dustin Miller, Rhinelander; 8) Kyle Schneider, Eagle River; 9) Michael Heikkila, Iron River, (MI); 10) Ethan Holm, Crandon

Pure Stock Heat 1: 1) Blackberg; 2) Eisel; 3) Scharf; 4) Ken Valeria; 5) Schneider

Pure Stock Heat 2: 1) LaCrosse, Jr., 2) Isabelle Valeria; 3) Holm; 4) Miller; 5) Heikkila

Junior Sprint Feature: 1) Dayton Rein, Conover; 2) Dustin Kangas, Phelps; 3) Aaron Towne, Boulder Junction

Junior Sprint Heat: 1) Rein; 2) Towne; 3) Kangas

International Roll Over Champion: Dustin Grimm

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