Isabelle Valeria gets 1st Feature Win!
It is nothing new for a Valeria to win a Feature at Eagle River Speedway. Ken Valeria has won dozens of features over the years. Ryan Valeria has been the Pure Stock class champion, and is the defending WISSOTA Street Stock class champion.
“Nothing compares to the pride and thrills I had seeing my daughter get her first Feature win,” stated the proud father, Ken Valeria. It was not only Isabelle Valeria’s first WISSOTA Pure Stock Feature win, one would have to go back decades for the last time a gal has won a WISSOTA Sanctioned Feature at the challenging Eagle River Speedway Tri-Oval.
Isabelle grabbed the lead from the first lap and walked away from everyone the rest of the race. This includes the class point leaders, Jason Eisel and Jake Ison, and the defending class champion, David Blackberg.
“I was really nervous as the race was winding down, I thought Jake Ison was right on me. I couldn’t believe that I won!” stated the 17 year old from Eagle River. She started racing at 14 years old. “I know I have enough car and enough power, and tonight the track and the car was set up perfect!”
Isabelle’s mother, Kim stated that she kept wondering when the white flag was coming out. “I kept asking everyone around me, ‘when is this going to end?’” It was in the Auto Value Victory lane that Isabelle immediately went and gave her dad, Ken, a big hug.
It was in the WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature that the ‘border wars’ heated up. 6 of the racers come from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and 4 from Wisconsin. When the checkered flag dropped, the top 3 were ‘Yoopers,’ none of which included the defending class champion for the last 5 years, Jesse Aho.
With Aho not being at the race, this opened the door for Marenisco, Michigan’s Marcus Dunbar to extend his point lead in the class. Marcus held off Greenland, Michigan’s George Truscott, and his father, Duane to win the feature.
Earlier in the night, Ashland’s Kevin Eder held off a strong challenge from Duane Dunbar to win the 1st Heat. Marcus took the second heat, setting up the ‘border war’ challenge in the feature. Eder ended with a 4th in the Feature.
While the UP racers took the WISSOTA Midwest Mod podium, it was Conover, Wisconsin’s, Dustin White that kept former class champion, Jordan Kurtti of Bruce Crossing, Michigan, from returning to Victory lane. Kurti won the heat race.
Eagle River’s Ty Springer piloted his duo-winged 600 Sprint to a Feature win, after a tough 2nd place finish to Shiocton’s Dylan Larson in the Heat. Phelp’s Dustin Kangas swept the Junior Sprint class by winning both the Feature and the Heat.
The large crowd stayed after the races to watch vehicles compete in the International Roll over Championships (IROC). Cody Reeves thrilled the crowd when he hit the ramp, then had his Ford Focus go ‘head over heels,’ to win the competition.
“You have to be crazy to do this, and that’s what I am. I wasn’t nervous once I got up to a good speed to hit the ramp. I was more nervous waiting to run,” commented Reeves. “This was fun, are they going to do this again this year?”
6 brave drivers competed in the IROC. “The fans loved it! Did you hear the applause after every run? Then to see all the fans that were here to see it. What a show!” stated Track Promoter, Kevin Dawson?
The night also had a huge turnout of children that had the chance to go on the track, get autographs and pictures of the racers. It was the annual Junior Fan Autograph night.
The Speedway Trucks will return to the legendary Tri-Oval this Friday Night. This is in addition to the regular slate of racing in the WISSOTA Polydome Dirt Track Series, along with the Sprint 600’s and Junior Sprints.
Eagle River Speedway July 28th Results
WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature: 1) Marcus Dunbar, Wakefield, (MI); 2) George Truscott, Greenland, (MI); 3) Duane Dunbar, Marenisco, (MI); 4) Keven Eder, Ashland; 5) Austin Zdroik, Eagle River; 6) Darren Dunbar, Marenisco, (MI); 7) Frank Gasperini, Eagle River; 8) Jason Melton, Three Lakes; 9) Jonathon Miller, Eagle River; 10) Jesse Raffaelli, Toivola, (MI); 11) Clay Passuello, Ironwood, (MI).
WISSOTA Midwest Modified Heat 1: 1) Eder; 2) Duane Dunbar; 3) Passuello; 4) Zdroik; 5) Raffaelli; Gasperini.
WISSOTA Midwest Modified Heat 2: 1) Marcus Dunbar; 2) Darren Dunbar; 3) Miller; 4) Melton; 5) Truscott.
WISSOTA Street Stock Feature: 1) Dustin White, Conover; 2) Jordan Kurtti, Bruce Crossing, (MI); 3) Ryan Valeria, Rhinelander; 4) Ken Valeria, Eagle River; 5) Frank Gasperini, Eagle River; 6) Bruce Stanley, Merrill; 7) Ron Van Dusen, Eagle River.
WISSOTA Street Stock Heat: 1) Kurtti; 2) Ryan Valeria; 3) Dustin White; 4) Gasperini; 5) Ken Valeria; 6) Stanley; 7) Van Dusen.
WISSOTA Pure Stock Feature: 1) Isabelle Valeria, Eagle River; 2) Jake Ison, Eagle River; 3) David Blackberg, Eagle River; 4) Jason Eisel, Rhinelander; 5) Ethan Holm, Crandon; 6) Bryce Wick, Eagle River; 7) Spencer Bolte, Eagle River; 8) Don Scharf, Eagle River; 9) Tristan Valeria, Eagle River; 10) Ryan Brown, Eagle River.
WISSOTA Pure Stock Heat 1: 1) Eisel; 2) Holm; 3) Bolte; 4) Scharf; 5) Tristan Valeria;
WISSOTA Pure Stock Heat 2: 1) Ison; 2) Blackberg; 3) Wick; 4) Isabelle Valeria; 5) Brown
Sprint 600 Feature: 1) Ty Springer, Eagle River; 2) Dylan Larson, Shiocton; 3) Jake Reif, Deerbrook; 4) Tommi-Jo Springer, Eagle River; 5) David Collins, Lake Mills; 6) Jerry Reif, Deerbrook; 7) Denver Larson, Shiocton.
Sprint 600 Heat: 1) Dylan Larson; 2) Ty Springer; 3) Denver Larson; 4) Jake Reif; 5) Jerry Reif; 6) Tommi-Jo Springer; 7) Collins.
Junior Sprint Feature: 1) Dustin Kangas, Phelps; 2) Josie Rae Reif, Deerbrook; 3) Cole Stella, Minocqua; 4) Neil Dees, Hurley.
Junior Sprint Heat: 1) Kangas; 2) Reif; 3) Stella; 4) Dees.
International Roll Over Championship (IROC) Champion: Cody Reeves, Eagle River.
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