Gondik Law Speedway Crowns ’22 Champs on Wild, Action-Packed Night
by Nick Gima
Superior, WI, August 26 – Friday night’s regular-season finale at the Gondik Law Speedway featured multiples of just about everything, including double features in all six regular weekly divisions, as the track crowned its 2022 points champions.
The double-feature plan was due to the postponement of the August 19 race program after intermission, when heavy fog rolled in and made track conditions and visibility very dangerous for the drivers. Friday’s show kicked off with the six make-up features from the “fog-out,” followed by the complete regular program, which saw 127 entries sign in for action.
There were multiples of both good and bad throughout the 27-race program. On the plus side, Kyle Copp and DeJay Jarecki staked their claims to their first-ever points titles at the northwestern Wisconsin speedplant; Shane Sabraski and Ryan Savoy each swept his respective division’s make-up and regularly-scheduled features; and visitors Sam Mars and Ryan Olson both collected their first-ever feature wins here.
On the minus side of the ledger, the fast, super-smooth track provided some ultra-competitive close-quarters racing, which resulted in five rollovers on the night – including one incident that had two cars barrel-rolling together, while another driver found himself wrong-side-up twice, once in each of his features.
In the WISSOTA Late Models, Travis Budisalovich of Minneapolis, MN, needed a pair of fourth-place finishes in the make-up and regularly-scheduled features to earn his third track championship here. Budisalovich battled early with Harry Hanson in the first A-main while chasing leader Mike Bellefeuille, before settling back into what would be his eventual finishing spot to carry a 13-point edge on Deven VanHouse into the second feature.
Bellefeuille, of Duluth, MN, led from the pole to score his first feature win of the year here, while his brother Jody Bellefeuille charged from his sixth-place starting spot into second and was closing on Mike as the checkers flew. Hanson held on to third, and Danny Vang came home fifth.
In the Late Models’ regular feature, Menomonie’s Mars flew around the high side of the big Superior oval to score his landmark win, leading flag-to-flag from his outside-front-row start. Vang followed him into second and ran a fast line but could not catch the 18-year-old, although he pulled away from Pat Doar over the closing laps.
Doar had his hands full with Budisalovich and Jayme Lautigar while negotiating lapped traffic as the laps wound down.
Jody Bellefeuille, of Duluth, MN, snared his second WISSOTA Modified championship here by finishing third in the first of the two features to nail down the title, and then followed that up with a six-place run in the nightcap.
Sabraski, from Rice, MN, was his usual nearly-unbeatable self on this night as he scored both WISSOTA Modified feature wins. In the make-up run he started from the pole but found himself in a thrilling dogfight with Mike Anderson for the top spot most of the way, before eventually clearing Anderson in the second half of the 20-lapper and sailing home.
Behind third-finishing Bellefeuille were Josh Beaulieu and Dan Kingsley.
Sabraski had to work a little more to grab the second Mod main win, starting from the outside of row 4. Polestarter Todd Gehl set the pace for most of the first half of the run, but damage to his left-front wheel after clipping an infield marker tire slowed him up enough to allow the field to catch him.
Sabraski slipped through the heavy lead-pack traffic to grab the lead, and from there he ran off to another of his trademark dominant wins here. Al Uotinen was a distance back in second, followed by Brandon Copp, Rick Rivord and Dave Cain.
Kyle Copp, of Brule, used a second-place finish in the first of the two WISSOTA Super Stock features to secure his first-ever points title in that division, and for good measure he came home fourth in the second run.
In that first feature, multi-time track champion Scott Lawrence of Superior started from the pole and led every lap for his first feature win here since 2016. Lawrence held a relatively comfortable advantage on Copp at the checkers, while Dexton Koch, Willie Johnsen Jr and DJ Keeler followed at a distance to complete the top five.
Sabraski was again the man to beat in the second Super Stock A-main, as he charged from row 4 to grab a third feature win on this night, and five total in two nights after his performance at KRA Speedway in Willmar, MN, the night before.
Johnsen and Andrew Mackey battled for the early advantage until Sabraski joined the fray, and once clear of those two Sabraski was off and running once again, well ahead of Koch, Mackey, Copp and Keeler at the checkers to bring his year-to-date win total in both his Mod and his Super Stock to 44.
Superior’s Cody Carlson chalked up his second WISSOTA Midwest Modified championship here in three years with consistently strong showings each week and finishes of 13th and fifth in the division’s final two regular-season features.
The victory stage belonged to Superior’s Savoy, however, after the checkers flew for each run. Savoy had to work his way through heavy congestion to catch and eventually pass early leader Jimmy Latvala in Mid-Mod feature 1, but he was untouchable after slipping by during the middle stages of the race.
Visiting Brennan Gave and a hard-charging Brady Uotinen, who started 15th, were the next to follow Savoy, while Andrew Inman and Wyatt Boyum completed the top five.
No less challenging was the race for the win in the regularly-scheduled Mid-Mod feature, but the sixth-starting Savoy was up to the task. Polestarter Will Moelter was impressive in setting the pace for the first several laps, but Savoy again took over during mid-race and continued on for the win.
Following in the top-five were newly-crowned Halvor Lines Speedway champ Evan Checkalski, Moelter, David Simpson and Carlson.
The WISSOTA Pure Stocks may have provided the biggest drama of the night in terms of the points chase, with Cory Jorgensen leading Aaron Bernick by just 34 heading into the night’s action, and with Bernick trimming that advantage to 26 after taking second in the first feature.
The race itself belonged to Mike Schnider of Cameron, who posted a strong effort in order to gain his first win of the season in a Pure Stock. Schnider headed to the front quickly and ran away from Bernick, Chad Finckbone, Jorgensen and Ryan Olson.
Then, Jorgensen dropped out of the second feature with left-front wheel and suspension damage, leaving the title to Bernick if he should pull off the win. Fortunately for Jorgensen (or unfortunately for Bernick), Rice Lake’s Olson took very well to the big GLS oval in his first-ever visit here and captured the win in the Pure Stock night-capper. And with Bernick managing no better than fifth, this left the title to Duluth’s Jorgensen.
Olson, who had just wrapped up his second straight points title at Rice Lake Speedway, edged his way through the congestion as the front seven cars raced in tight formation. Olson eventually established his role as pace-setter and led Dylan Shelton, Tyler Kachinske, Nate Rose and Bernick to the final stripe.
Ashland’s DeJay Jarecki had essentially clinched his first-ever WISSOTA Hornets title at GLS before the fog rolled in last week, but he still raced to a second-place effort behind Justin Schelitzchke of Waconia, MN, in the first feature tonight for good measure.
Schelitzchke won a multi-lap three-car battle with Jarecki and new Grand Rapids (MN) Speedway champ Justin Barsness on his way to his sixth feature win here this year. After Jarecki and Barsness, Tyler Schramm and Kristy Marken rounded out the top-five.
AJ House of Cloquet, MN, took off from the outside of the front row and was never challenged in winning the second Hornet headliner. Schelitzchke, Schramm, Barsness and Bonnie McLynn were next in line at the checkers.
A nasty double-flip during the initial laps of the first Midwest Mod A-feature took out the cars of Jesse Polson and Kennedy Swan, and in the first of the two Hornet features Joshua Kough rolled his racer to end his night. During each of the two Modified mains Parker Anderson got caught up in incidents and rolled his ride each time, making for a very frustrating night for the former national Street Stock champ.
Next up at the Gondik Law Speedway will be the 34th annual Northern Nationals, to be presented by Bay Lock & Security and JF Brennan Co, on Wednesday-Saturday, September 7-10. Wednesday’s offering will include an open practice session and the raceXR.com “Showdown at Soup-Town” challenge race between a select group of the Super Stocks and Midwest Mods in attendance for the weekend. There will be no admission charged to fans in the grandstands on that night.
On Thursday the track’s Midwest Mods, Pure Stocks and Hornets will be joined by the WISSOTA Street Stocks and Northern Renegades winged sprints, and complete shows for the Late Models, Modifieds, Super Stocks and Mid-Mods will take place each night on Friday and Saturday.
For more information, log on to the track’s website, www.gondiklawspeedway.com.
Results
WISSOTA Late Models
Make-up Feature from 8/19: 1-10: Mike Bellefeuille, Duluth, MN; Jody Bellefeuille, Duluth, MN; Harry Hanson, Eveleth, MN; Travis Budisalovich, Minneapolis, MN; Danny Vang, Deerwood, MN; Deven VanHouse, Silver Bay, MN; Dave Flynn, Superior; Tim McMann, Duluth, MN; Ronnie Malecki, Duluth, MN; Trevor Wilson, Superior.
11: Aaron Lillo, Proctor, MN.
Feature: 1-10: Sam Mars, Menomonie; Vang; Pat Doar, New Richmond; Budisalovich; Jayme Lautigar, Gilbert, MN; Kyle Peterlin, Hibbing, MN; A Lillo; Flynn; Mike Prochnow, Menomonie; Jeff Massingill, Keewatin, MN.
11-18: J Bellefeuille; VanHouse; Hanson; Malecki; McMann; Terry Lillo, Duluth, MN; Wilson; M Bellefeuille.
Heat 1: Budisalovich; Vang; VanHouse; J Bellefeuille; Flynn; Hanson; Malecki; T Lillo; Wilson; Robbie Cooper, South Range.
Heat 2: Mars; Lautigar; Doar; A Lillo; Prochnow; Peterlin; McMann; M Bellefeuille; Massingill.
WISSOTA Modifieds
Make-up Feature from 8/19: 1-10: Shane Sabraski, Rice, MN; Mike Anderson, Jim Falls; Jody Bellefeuille, Duluth, MN; Josh Beaulieu, Bemidji, MN; Dan Kingsley, Superior; Rick Rivord, Superior; Al Uotinen, Superior; Hunter Anderson, Phillips; Kelly Checkalski, Poplar; Nick Jacobson, Bemidji, MN.
11-17: Donnie Lofdahl, Duluth, MN; Kyle Helling, Rice Lake; Brandon Copp, Brule; Jeffrey Lien Jr, Mora, MN; Mike Klippenstein, Proctor, MN; Parker Anderson, Phillips; Tanner Williamson, Fort Frances, ON.
Feature: 1-10: Sabraski; Uotinen; Copp; Rivord; Dave Cain, Corcoran, MN; Bellefeuille; Kingsley; Todd Gehl, Solon Springs; Beaulieu; M Anderson.
11-20: H Anderson; Colin Chaschuk, Neebing, ON; Cody Wolkowski, Thunder Bay, ON; Tyler Luger, Oxford; Lofdahl; Lien; Klippenstein; Checkalski; Jacobson; P Anderson.
Heat 1: Sabraski; Copp; Uotinen; Rivord; H Anderson; Checkalski; Jacobson.
Heat 2: Bellefeuille; Cain; Kingsley; M Anderson; Beaulieu; Wolkowski; Lofdahl.
Heat 3: Gehl; Lien; Luger; Chaschuk; Klippenstein; P Anderson.
WISSOTA Super Stocks
Make-up Feature from 8/19: 1-10: Scott Lawrence, Superior; Kyle Copp, Brule; Dexton Koch, Becker, MN; Willie Johnsen Jr, Superior; DJ Keeler, Superior; Andy Grymala, Superior; Jack Koranda, Bluffton, MN; Fritz Myers, Hackensack, MN; Jim Campbell, Two Harbors, MN; Dan Peterson, Foxboro.
11-15: Tom Karaba, Superior; Taylor Madrinich, Duluth, MN; Jase Lien, Mora, MN; Shane Sabraski, Rice, MN; Matt Deragon, Ashland.
Feature: 1-10: Sabraski; Koch; Andrew Mackey, Duluth, MN; Copp; Keeler; Koranda; Lawrence; Lien; Grymala; Mike Sirois, Duluth, MN.
11-20: Don Livingston, Washburn; Campbell; Myers; Josh Saunders, Spooner; Deragon; Madrinich; Rita Anderson, South Range; Johnsen; Jeremiah Passow, Foreston, MN; Karaba.
21-22: Peterson; Larry Both, Thunder Bay, ON.
Heat 1: Koch; Sabraski; Campbell; Lawrence; Lien; Sirois; Both; Karaba.
Heat 2: Johnsen; Grymala; Koranda; Livingston; Anderson; Peterson; Passow.
Heat 3: Copp; Keeler; Mackey; Myers; Saunders; Madrinich; Deragon.
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
Make-up Feature from 8/19: 1-10: Ryan Savoy, Superior; Brennan Gave, Princeton, MN; Brady Uotinen, Superior; Andrew Inman, Canyon, MN; Wyatt Boyum, International Falls, MN; Jimmy Latvala, Solon Springs; Tanner Gehl, Solon Springs; James Vendela, South Range; Evan Checkalski, Duluth, MN; Matthew Larson, Lake Elmo, MN.
11-19: Cole Elton, Dalbo, MN; Taylor Madrinich, Duluth, MN; Cody Carlson, Superior; Zach Benson, Princeton, MN; Will Moelter, Elk Mound; Brandon Mehrwerth, Foley, MN; Kennedy Swan, Chippewa Falls; Jesse Polson, Superior; Jared Akervik, Superior.
Feature: 1-10: Savoy; Checkalski; Moelter; David Simpson, Thunder Bay, ON; Carlson; Aaron Blacklance, Thief River Falls, MN; Cole Boston, Lindstrom, MN; Uotinen; Vendela; Boyum.
11-20: Gave; Gehl; Inman; Justin Bassa, Cotton, MN; Latvala; McLean Andrews, Duluth, MN; Larson; Elton; Chris Bretting, Washburn; Madrinich.
21-23: Carey LePage, Culver, MN; Anthony Gallian, Superior; Mehrwerth.
Heat 1: Uotinen; Mehrwerth; Vendela; Elton; Boyum; Madrinich; Larson.
Heat 2: Checkalski; Inman; Carlson; Andrews; Gehl; Bassa; Latvala; Bretting; Benson.
Heat 3: Moelter; Simpson; Savoy; Blacklance; Gave; Boston; LePage; Gallian.
WISSOTA Pure Stocks
Make-up Feature from 8/19: 1-10: Mike Schnider, Cameron; Aaron Bernick, Duluth, MN; Chad Finckbone, Grand Rapids, MN; Cory Jorgensen, Duluth, MN; Ryan Olson, Ladysmith; Tyler Kachinske, Duluth, MN; Nate Rose, Duluth, MN; Jessie Limberios, Poplar; Rob Christman, Superior; Tom Treviranus, Hawthorne.
11-16: Michael Grover, Chetek; Dylan Shelton, Wrenshall, MN; Bryar Zimmerman, Birchwood; Tim Carlson, Superior; Jacob Swalboski, Princeton, MN; Zene Anderson, Superior.
Feature: 1-10: Olson; Shelton; Kachinske; Rose; Bernick; Guy Gaskill, Duluth, MN; Christman; Grover; Limberios; Jorgensen.
11-12: Finckbone; Schnider.
Heat 1: Schnider; Bernick; Kachinske; Tom Treviranus; Grover; Swalboski; Trevor Treviranus, Hawthorne; Jorgensen.
Heat 2: Finckbone; Olson; Shelton; Rose; Gaskill; Christman; Limberios.
WISSOTA Hornets
Make-up Feature from 8/19: 1-10: Justin Schelitzche, Waconia, MN; DeJay Jarecki, Ashland; Justin Barsness, Grand Rapids, MN; Tyler Schramm, Two Harbors, MN; Kristy Marken, Duluth, MN; Rachel Boston, Lindstrom, MN; Brandon Anderson, Superior; Noah Rose, Duluth, MN; Joshua Kough, Isabella, MN; Keegan Kough, Proctor, MN.
Feature: 1-10: AJ House, Cloquet, MN; Schelitzche; Schramm; Barsness; Bonnie McLynn, Grand Rapids, MN; K Kough; Marken; Josh Rowe, Duluth, MN; Boston; Anderson.
11-18: Patrick Passeri, Duluth, MN; Marty Serbus, Kinney, MN; Rose; Lucas Lillo, Duluth, MN; Tristen McLynn, Grand Rapids, MN; Jarecki; Darrin Lowney, Superior; Eva Lillo, Duluth, MN.
Heat 1: Marken; B McLynn; Schramm; Schelitzche; T McLynn; Passeri; Lowney; E Lillo.
Heat 2: Barsness; Jarecki; House; K Kough; Boston; Rowe; Serbus; Anderson; Rose; L Lillo.