Roll Over and Exciting Finishes at Eagle River Speedway
Fans at the legendary Eagle River Speedway knew early on in the night that it was going to be a night of exciting racing! It all started in the very 1st lap of the WISSOTA Pure Stock Heat Race.
It was on the ‘hairpin’ third turn of the Tri-Oval that the leader, Brandon Hakala lost control of his car. Hakola went from the high side straight down to the infield. Hakola’s car then hit the back end of Jason Eisel’s car. Eisel’s car rolled over and ended up on its roof. Eisel was not hurt in the mishap, and even with what appeared to be substantial damage to his car, he was able to get it ready for the Feature!
Eisel’s crew not only got it ready for the feature, but ended up taking a second. Winning the feature was Rice Lake’s Jason Havel. Havel ran away from the pack midway through the race. Havel also ran in the WISSOTA Street Stock class.
It was in that feature that the fans saw one of the best races of the early season. Bruce Crossing, Michigan’s, Jordan Kurtti, Conover’s Dustin White, and Tomahawk’s Nate Langberg raced bumper to bumper, door panel to door panel for the ENTIRE race. Kurtti held off White for 18 of the 20 laps. Then on the 18thlap, White made the move on the inside to get around Kurtti. White went on to win the race.
“What a race! From start to finish no one knew who was going to win. (Jordan) Kurtti did everything he could possibly do to hold White and Langberg off. Every one of these races received compliments from our entire staff,” commented Track Promoter, Kevin Dawson.
The WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature saw Phelp’s Jerry Grasse get what appeared to be a commanding lead for the first 10 laps of the 20 lap feature. Then the 4 time defending class champion, Jesse Aho started to close the gap on the 11th lap. On the 13th lap, Aho went low on the back stretch to get on the inside of Grasse. This is a very uncommon move by any racer as it makes it difficult to hold the car on the inside of the challenging ‘hair-pin’ third turn.
Aho was able to keep his car on the inside all the way around the 3rd turn to get the lead from Grasse. Aho went on to win his second straight WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature.
“That’s a move you seldom see at this track. Not many can hold the car down low in the tight 3rd turn. Jesse (Aho) did it,” stated Dawson.
The Speedway Trucks came out in force on Friday Night. It was in the 1st of 2 heats that Eagle River’s James Koga held off the defending class Feature winner from the season opener, Cory Allen of Woodboro. Summit Lake’s Herb Dettman won the 2nd heat. In the feature, Koga jumped out to an early lead, with Ron Vernick and Josh Drivas right on his tail.
Halfway through the race, Dettman started passing everyone, When Koga lost his power steering and couldn’t turn on either the 1st or 3rd turn, and Dettman flew by him to get the lead and the win.
“If I wouldn’t have lost my power steering, I really think I could have given Herb (Dettman) a run,” commented Koga after the race.
After taking a week off to compete in a National Downhill Ski Competition, Eagle River’s Ty Springer came back with a vengeance. Even when Shiocton’s Dylan Larson, who won the Feature the previous week, jumped out to an early lead, Springer patiently waited for the Dylan (Larson) to drift in the 3rd turn. That is where Ty Springer got by him on the inside and went on for the win. Ty Springer also won the Heat race in his Honda powered double-winged 600 cc, methanol burning Sprint car.
Aaron Towne got the Junior Sprint Feature win. Peyton Towne got the Heat win.
The first segment of the 2017 “Redneck Games’ will be this Friday Night. In addition to the 5 regular classes, the 43 year old track will have Spectator 1 on 1 racing. Hot laps will begin at 7:00 CT, with racing at 7:30 pm CT.
Eagle River Speedway 6/2/17 Results
WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature: 1) Jesse Aho, Toivola (MI); 2) Jerry Grasse, Phelps; 3) Wayne Stricker, Highbridge; 4) Duane Dunbar, Marenisco (MI); 5) Marcus Dunbar, Wakefield (MI); 6) Jared Stricker, Highbridge; 7) Jonathon Miller, Eagle River; 8) Steven Altman, Mercer.
WISSOTA Midwest Modified Heat: 1) Grasse; 2) Marcus Dunbar; 3) Aho; 4) Wayne Stricker; 5) Duane Dunbar; 6) Jared Stricker; 7) Altman; 8) Miller.
WISSOTA Street Stock Feature: 1) Dustin White, Conover; 2) Jordan Kurtti, Bruce Crossing (MI); 3) Nate Langberg, Tomahawk; 4) Ryan Valeria, Rhinelander; 5) Jason Havel, Rice Lake; 6) Frank Gasperini, Eagle River; 7) Bruce Stanley, Merrill.
WISSOTA Street Stock Heat: 1) Havel; 2) Valeria; 3) Langberg; 4) White; 5) Kurtti; 6) Gasperini; 7) Stanley.
WISSOTA Pure Stock Feature: 1) Jason Havel, Rice Lake; 2) Jason Eisel, Rhinelander; 3) Bryce Wick, Eagle River; 4) Isabelle Valeria, Eagle River; 5) Spencer Bolte, Eagle River; 6) Don Scharf, Eagle River; 7) Jake Ison, Eagle River; 8) Brandon Hakala, Tomahawk.
Pure Stock Heat: 1) Ison; 2) Havel; 3) Wick; 4) Valeria; 5) Bolte; 6) Scharf; 7) Eisel; 8) Hakala.
Winged 600 Sprint Feature: 1) Ty Springer, Eagle River; 2) Dylan Larson, Shiocton; 3) Tommi Jo Springer, Eagle River; 4) Denver Larson, Shiocton; 5) Mya Towne, Boulder Junction.
Winged 600 Sprint Heat: 1) Ty Springer; 2) Dylan Larson; 3) Tommi Jo Springer; 4) Denver Larson; 5) Towne.
Speedway Trucks Feature: 1) Herb Dettman, Summit Lake; 2) Ron Vernick, Harshaw; 3) Dustin Koga, Land O’ Lakes; 4) Josh Drivas, Hazelhurst; 5) James Koga, Eagle River; 6) Jake Diefenthaler, Harshaw; 7) Brack Congleton, Rhinelander; 8) Cory Allen, Woodboro; 9) Tim Raney, Woodvile.
Speedway Trucks Heat 1: 1) James Koga; 2) Allen; 3) Drivas; 4) Vernick; 5) Congleton
Speedway Trucks Heat 2: 1) Dettman; 2) Raney; 3) Koga; 4) Diefenthaler
Junior Sprint Feature: 1) Aaron Towne, Boulder Junction; 2) Cole Stella, Minocqua; 3) Katherine Towne, Boulder Junction; 4) Peyton Towne, Boulder Junction.
Junior Sprint Heat: 1) Peyton Towne; 2) Aaron Towne; 3) Stella; 4) Katherin Towne.
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