Grasse holds off Aho for Feature Win
For the last 3 weeks, Phelps Jerry Grasse and the Upper Peninsula’s Jesse Aho have been battling it out for the WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature. 2 weeks ago, Aho made an unprecedented move to pass Grasse on the inside of the back stretch to get the win. Then last week, as the race was ending, Aho got on the inside of Grasse coming out of the hairpin third turn. Aho, once again edged out Grasse.
This past Friday Night, Grasse and Aho ‘duked’ it out again. However the race started out as a battle between Mercer’s Steve Altman, Marenisco, Michigan’s, Duane Dunbar, and Wakefield’s Marcus Dunbar. Right behind those three was Grasse and Aho waiting for anyone of those 3 to give them an opening big enough to thread a needle.
It was in the 5th lap that Grasse got up to the second position, right behind Altman. Right behind Grasse was Aho ‘waiting in the weeds.’ On the 7th lap of the 20 lap feature, Grasse got by Altman, as did Aho. Then it was as Yogi Berra would say, “Déjà vu all over again.”
Grasse and Aho were bumper to bumper for the next 13 laps. In the end, Grasse took the checkered flag.
“I got the car to work on the inside. I found my line and I was going to stick to it,” commented Grasse after the race. “I adjusted my brakes throughout the race, and worked on the suspension.”
The night opened up on a somber note, as all the racers and crew members gathered on the front stretch to remember long-time track official, Mike Trinka. Trinka of Eagle River, passed away unexpectedly the day before the race.
“Mike (Trinka) was not just our Director of Competition but he was a close friend. This has been real difficult for all of us, especially Lori (Schmidt), Lou (Deditz) and you (Skip Schulz), who worked with Mike for close to 30 years at the track,” commented Kevin Dawson, Eagle River Speedway Promoter.
Deditz, track flagman, spoke to the crowd while Tad Schoonover drove his Midwest Modified car in a black flag lap. Also on the track at the time was the old blue pickup truck that Trinka used to ‘pack’ the track before every race.
Another exciting race took place in the WISSOTA Street Stock Feature. Former Iron River, Michigan, resident, Frank Gasperini jumped out to an early lead. On the 4th lap, Rhinelander’s Dustin White got the lead when Gasperini got loose coming out of the ‘button-hook’ 3rd turn. White then had his hands full staying in front of Phillips, Kevin Bogdonavich.
This may have been Bogdonavich’s first race of the season at the legendary Eagle River Speedway Tri-Oval, but a challenging track is nothing new to him. Bogdonavich was 3rdnationally in points in 1996. White did everything he could to hold Bogdonavich off and earn the right to go to the Auto Value Victory lane.
Pelican Lake’s Herb Dettman worked every line on the track to find a way to get the lead from Harshaw’s Ron Vernick in the Speedway Truck Feature. Dettman finally got the lead halfway through the Feature and went on to get the win.
“Just lucky I guess,” is all Dettman could say after the win. “The truck is really running good. Vernick ran strong, and the competition in this class is tough.”
Another class that continues to have close finishes is the WISSOTA Pure Stock. Since the opening night, the class has been a battle between Eagle River’s Don Scharf, Jake Ison, and Isabelle Valeria. Also adding to the excitement is Rhinelander’s Jason Eisel. To make the class even better is you have Eagle River’s Bryce Wick.
Ison won the first heat, with Eisel winning the 2nd Heat. This set the stage for a great feature.
Once again it was Ison, Eisel, and Valeria that went right to the finish, with any of the 3 having a chance to get the win. In the end it was Ison winning the race with Valeria right on his bumper.
“Isabelle has really improved. She’s going to get a win one of these weeks,” commented Ryan Valeria, Isabelle’s cousin.
Ty Springer’s Honda powered 600 Sprint won that feature, and Dustin Kangas of Phelps won the Junior Sprint Feature. Both are the class defending champions.
Racing returns to Eagle River Speedway this coming Friday night. In addition to the regular weekly 5 classes, the Speedway Trucks will return. Hot laps start at 7:00 pm CT, with racing to begin at 7:30 pm CT.
Eagle River Speedway 6/16/17 Results
WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature: 1) Jerry Grasse, Phelps; 2) Jesse Aho, Toivola, (MI); 3) Tadd Schoonover, Eagle River; 4) Marcus Dunbar, Wakefield, (MI); 5) Duane Dunbar, Marenisco, (MI); 6 Steve Altman, Mercer; 7) Jesse Raffaelli, Toivola, (MI).
WISSOTA Midwest Modified Heat 1: 1) Grasse; 2) Austin Zdroik; 3) Duane Dunbar; 4) Altman; 5) Raffaelli;
WISSOTA Midwest Modified Heat 2: 1) Schoonover; 2) Marcus Dunbar; 3) Aho; 4) Jonathon Miller
WISSOTA Street Stock Feature: 1) Dustin White, Eagle River; 2) Kevin Bogdonavich, Wausau; 3) Ryan Valeria; 4) Britt Bromann, Eagle River; 5) Parker Anderson, Phillips; 6) Hunter Anderson, Phillips.
WISSOTA Street Stock Heat: 1) Valeria; 2) Bromann; 3) Bogdonavich; 4) White; 5) Gasperini; 6) Parker Anderson; 7) Hunter Anderson
Speedway Trucks Feature: 1) Herb Dettman, Pelican Lake; 2) Ron Vernick, Harshaw; 3) Cory Allen, Woodboro; 4) James Koga, Eagle River; 5) Brock Congleton, Rhinelander; 6) Jake Diefenthaler, Harshaw.
Speedway Trucks Heat: 1) Dettman; 2) James Koga; 3) Allen; 4) Vernick; 5) Congleton
WISSOTA Pure Stock Feature: 1) Jake Ison, Eagle River; 2) Isabelle Valeria, Eagle River; 3) Jason Eisel, Rhinelander; 4) Don Scharf, Eagle River; 5) Bryce Wick, Eagle River; 6) Ethan Holm, Crandon; 7) Brandon Hakola; 8) Tom Lannet, Bruce Crossing; 9) Spencer Bolte; 10) Dylan Holquist, Rhinelander.
WISSOTA Pure Stock Heat 1: 1) Ison; 2) Hakola; 3) Valeria; 4) Holm; 5) Lannet
WISSOTA Pure Stock Heat 2: 1) Eisel; 2) Wick; 3) Scharf; 4) Holquiust; 5) Bolte
Sprint 600 Feature: 1) Ty Springer, Eagle River; 2) Jake Reif, Deerbrook; 3) Denver Larson, Shiocton; 4) Tommi Jo Springer, Eagle River; 5) Dylan Larson, Shiocton.
Sprint 600 Heat: 1) Ty Springer; 2) Jake Reif; 3) Tommi Jo Springer; 4) Denver Larson; 5) Dylan Larson.
Junior Sprint Feature: 1) Dustin Kangas, Phelps; 2) Josie Rae Reif, Deerbrook; 3) Cole Stella, Woodruff.
Junior Sprint Heat: 1) Kangas; 2) Reif; 3) Stella
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