Blake Adams Gets First Ever Feature Win at the Rice Lake Speedway
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake WI, May 27 – Along with the WISSOTA Late Models running two forty lap main events(see attached story), four of the five divisions that regularly race at the track were in competition also, with only the Modifieds having the night off in deference to the Late Models. And there were plenty of story lines that emerged during the night including the first ever feature win by a young driver who’s name is closely attached to the speedway, a feature win by another driver who earlier in the day graduated from high school and another driver who returned from a bad wreck last Saturday to again find victory lane.
Blake Adams is a fourteen year old middle school student in Cameron, who life has been closely attached to the sport of dirt track racing since he was born. Both his grandfathers are or were celebrated drivers with one being part owner of this very track and his father is well known throughout the racing world and the all time leading feature winner at the Rice Lake Speedway. So his life was ordained to one in racing likely from the day his was born.
But now he is starting his own career in the sport and no one can do it for him. After a decorated career racing Karts, Blake has moved up to the world of “big” race cars in 2023 and is a rookie in the Midwest Modifed category. On Saturday night, in only fifth time racing the car in competition, he would lead from start to finish in the fifteen lap main event to record his first ever feature win and celebrate with his family and friends. He would start on the outside pole and get the jump on Josh Wahlstrom to take the early lead. Mike Schnider would quickly move to second and pressure Adams, looking to his inside on several occasions. A couple of the drivers had early problems and the race would see several yellows in the first couple of laps.
However, once they settled down, the final thirteen laps would go green to checkered and it was Adams fighting off all challenges from Schnider who would pressure him as he looked for an opening. However, Adams was solid in his groove and would give no opportunities to Schnider who fell back just a bit at the end. With no yellows to slow the action, Adams would continue in his groove and drive on to a smooth win over Schnider. Shadow Kitchner would get up on the cushion and make a nice drive forward to finish third. Victory lane would be a full one with many family members celebrating the win.
Cole Richards graduated on Saturday from Mondovi High School but that didn’t keep him from attending the races on Saturday night as usual with the two car team of Street Stocks featuring his father behind the wheel of their second car. And it would be a night to remember for Cole as he recorded his first feature win of the year and second ever at Rice Lake as he held off a stiff field of drivers that repeatedly challenged him.
This race got off to a slow start with several yellow flags early, one when leadaer Kevin Herrman spun on the back chute after having led the opening lap but disaster was avoided and everyone was able to avoid him. Richards inherited the lead at this point with Michael Tuma, Kevin Bogdanovic and father Danny Richards close behind. Bogdanovic looked like he might provide a stiff challenge until he contacted the back stretch wall hard and limped to the infield. Then it was Hunter VanGilder and Travis Loew that became prime challengers as while Cole continued in the lead, the other three were battling hard for the chance to challenge him.
Late in the race, Danny Richards and VanGilder would tangle and this allowed Loew the opportunity to get a last shot at the leader but Cole held off all challenges to edge Loew for the win. Gunner Watkins made his first appearance a good one as he avoided all the wild action and drove up from eleventh to finish a strong third ahead of Danny Richards and Adam Soltis.
Last Saturday night, Terran Spacek was awarded the win in the Super Stock feature despite the fact that his car was crashed and went off the track not to victory lane but on the back of a wrecker. However, the crew had the car fixed for this week and he again saw it to victory where this time he could visit victory lane. Spacek would dominate the Super Stock feature, leading from start to finish and not really being challenged for the lead. After a first lap yellow for a spin, he would come off the outside pole to take the early lead and then just gradually pull away from the field. The rest of the race went nonstop and he had a comfortable margin the rest of the way. There was, however, a very good battle for second where for many laps Leslie Leu and Eric Olson would circle the track, side by side. They put on an entertaining fight for the position before late in the contest Leu would secure the spot. Tucker Quinn would make a strong drive up from the fourth row and when Olson got hung up in traffic on the final lap, Quinn would nip him for third.
It was Spacek’s second Super Stock win at the track already this year and the ninth overall for the Phillips driver.
The Pure Stock feature would also see a driver get his second win of the season as Rob Grabon would pull off the victory. Austin Fencl, continuing to try and get his first win, would come even closer as he led laps early until spinning, which stopped the race for the only time. With his spin, Grabon would inherit the lead and would then fight off Devin Fries and finally Ryan Olson for the win.
The last half of the race would see Olson push hard, as he wanted to be the second high school graduate of the night to taste victory lane as he had earlier on Saturday graduated from Ladysmith high school. He got to within a car length on several occasions of stealing the lead away from Grabon but Rob was strong on the outer groove and kept his momentum up as he drove on to the win by a car length over Olson. Fries would finish a strong third.
Next Saturday night, June 3rd, the Modifieds return to the track and a five division program will be held with warm ups at 6:30 pm with regular event pricing. Fans should mark June 8th down as for the first time, the Northland Fast Lane Super Stock Series will visit the Rice Lake Speedway for a special show that will also include the Midwest Modifieds. Only the two classes will be in action for a fast paced Thursday night program. The Super Stock series has been a strong one in the Minnesota and Wisconsin area for years and Rice Lake is very fortunate to be able to not only be a part of the series but to host the opening event of that series. Most of the top Super Stock drivers in WISSOTA are expected to be on hand including Shane Sabraski, Dexton Koch, Tim Johnson and many others with drivers expected from at least four states and Canada and likely forty or more drivers on hand.
The track will then take June 10th off for Aquafest. Check the speedway website and face book page for more information and admission pricing for that event
5/27/2023
RICE LAKE SPEEDWAY
Media Results
WISSOTA SUPER STOCK
A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 22T-Terran Spacek[2]; 2. 14X-Leslie Leu[3]; 3. 11-Tucker Quinn[8]; 4. 1E-Eric Olson[4]; 5. 20-Chris Johnson[7]; 6. 77L-Andy Ladd[5]; 7. 28-Josh Cappo[1]; 8. 21-Mike Siewert[12]; 9. 6-Dan Peterson[14]; 10. 01-Michael Anderson[10]; 11. 247-Jackson Larson[11]; 12. 32-Ken Larson[9]; 13. (DNF) 38-Simon Wahlstrom[6]; 14. (DNF) 22AT-Austin Tilton[13]
Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 11-Tucker Quinn[1]; 2. 38-Simon Wahlstrom[6]; 3. 14X-Leslie Leu[7]; 4. 77L-Andy Ladd[3]; 5. 32-Ken Larson[2]; 6. 247-Jackson Larson[5]; 7. 22AT-Austin Tilton[4]
Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 22T-Terran Spacek[1]; 2. 1E-Eric Olson[5]; 3. 20-Chris Johnson[6]; 4. 28-Josh Cappo[2]; 5. 01-Michael Anderson[3]; 6. 21-Mike Siewert[7]; 7. 6-Dan Peterson[4]
17 entries
WISSOTA MIDWEST MODS
A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 40D-Blake Adams[2]; 2. 7-Mike Schnider[4]; 3. 68-Shadow Kitchner[3]; 4. 63JR-Brady Larson[8]; 5. 16S-Ryan Savoy[12]; 6. 19-Josh Wahlstrom[1]; 7. 63L-Mitchell Larson[6]; 8. 13-Derrick Reed[7]; 9. B37-Tim Borgeson[10]; 10. 31-Jason Vokovan[5]; 11. 19A-Aiden Hoffman[14]; 12. 11R-Landyn Randt[13]; 13. 19H-Kevin Herrman[9]; 14. 410-Jesse Young[16]; 15. 18-Tacoma Randall[17]; 16. (DNF) 88K-Donavan Knutson[15]; 17. (DNF) 1M-Matt Brandemuehl[11]
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 7-Mike Schnider[2]; 2. 31-Jason Vokovan[4]; 3. 68-Shadow Kitchner[7]; 4. 63L-Mitchell Larson[6]; 5. 19H-Kevin Herrman[1]; 6. 1M-Matt Brandemuehl[5]; 7. 11R-Landyn Randt[8]; 8. 88K-Donavan Knutson[9]; 9. (DNF) 18-Tacoma Randall[3]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 40D-Blake Adams[1]; 2. 13-Derrick Reed[2]; 3. 63JR-Brady Larson[5]; 4. 19-Josh Wahlstrom[4]; 5. B37-Tim Borgeson[6]; 6. 16S-Ryan Savoy[7]; 7. 19A-Aiden Hoffman[8]; 8. 410-Jesse Young[3]
20 entries
WISSOTA STREET STOCK
A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 1R-Cole Richards[4]; 2. 40-Travis Loew[6]; 3. 2-Gunnar Watkins[11]; 4. 3R-Danny Richards[8]; 5. 9-Adam Soltis[10]; 6. 37X-Quain Busitzky[5]; 7. 7-Caiden Engel[7]; 8. T20-Michael Tuma[1]; 9. 10B-Dylan Baskin[12]; 10. 66-Eric Haupt[13]; 11. 79-Joseph Ott[16]; 12. 19H-Kevin Herrman[2]; 13. 00Z-Bryar Zimmerman[15]; 14. 10-Derek Baskin[17]; 15. 92R-Courtney Rose[19]; 16. 19J-Jenna Herrman[20]; 17. (DNF) 84-Hunter VanGilder[9]; 18. (DNF) 20-Connor Franson[18]; 19. (DNF) 82-Kevin Bogdanovic[3]; 20. (DNF) 11X-Levi Randt[14]
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 84-Hunter VanGilder[2]; 2. 37X-Quain Busitzky[4]; 3. 7-Caiden Engel[6]; 4. 9-Adam Soltis[7]; 5. 66-Eric Haupt[3]; 6. 79-Joseph Ott[5]; 7. 92R-Courtney Rose[1]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 1R-Cole Richards[4]; 2. 40-Travis Loew[1]; 3. 82-Kevin Bogdanovic[7]; 4. 2-Gunnar Watkins[2]; 5. 11X-Levi Randt[6]; 6. 10-Derek Baskin[5]; 7. 19J-Jenna Herrman[3]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 3R-Danny Richards[3]; 2. 19H-Kevin Herrman[5]; 3. T20-Michael Tuma[1]; 4. 10B-Dylan Baskin[6]; 5. 00Z-Bryar Zimmerman[2]; 6. 20-Connor Franson[4]
9 entries
WISSOTA PURE STOCK
A Feature 1 (12 Laps): 1. 16-Rob Grabon[2]; 2. 1-Ryan Olson[5]; 3. 95F-Devin Fries[3]; 4. 88-Robert Wahlstrom[6]; 5. 15H-Trenten Holub[4]; 6. 52W-Austin Fencl[1]; 7. 101-Michael Grover[7]; 8. 81-Charlie Pitcavage[9]; 9. (DNF) 17G-Chris Gross[8]
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 16-Rob Grabon[1]; 2. 52W-Austin Fencl[2]; 3. 1-Ryan Olson[3]; 4. 15H-Trenten Holub[4]; 5. 95F-Devin Fries[8]; 6. 88-Robert Wahlstrom[9]; 7. 101-Michael Grover[6]; 8. 17G-Chris Gross[5]; 9. 81-Charlie Pitcavage[7]
