Rice Lake Speedway Announces All Time Leaders
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake WI – With the sixty eighth consecutive season opener at the same location set to occur at some point this Summer, the Rice Lake Speedway, along with several interested race followers, have been working this past Winter and Spring to finalize some important records relative to the track. Specifically, work has been ongoing in establishing an all time feature winners list for the speedway, and recently discovered information has allowed them to finalize the most accurate records to date.
Previously, the years from 1961 to the present had been well documented but the more historic years of the speedway had been yet to be discovered. However, a small group of individuals led by Louie Foss, along with assistance from Larry James Quinn and Ed Reichert, spent long hours pouring through old newspapers, race programs and other documents in an attempt to determine feature winners from the opening of the track in 1952 through 1960. Remarkably, much of that information was found and the group has been able to compile what is believed to be the most extensive and accurate record of the history of the track.
The newly discovered information added one hundred and ninety two more feature wins to the all time list from the track’s opening night on September 13, 1952 through the completion of the 1960 season to the records that had already been gleaned.
Most significantly, forty one more feature wins were found for the late Russ Laursen which allowed him to take over the record for the most feature wins in any one division at the speedway, surpassing by ten the win total of Kevin Adams in the Modified class. Other double digit gains were made by Buddy Mayala, Dean Harrington, Bud Havel, Don Brown and Vern Tappon.
Sadly, the opening night winner from the 1952 season as well as the second night of racing has yet to be determined but winners have been determined in five other nights from that opening season. Approximately thirty eight nights of racing from 1952 through 1960 have yet to be found and efforts continue to discover those missing dates. Still, the current data marks by far the most accurate records for the longest consecutively running track in northern Wisconsin. Anyone who has old records, documents, programs etc that would help to fill in some of those missing dates is asked to contact the speedway.
Work will continue by the group to fill other holes in the records and also to develop a list of all time winners at the track, irregardless of division raced in. Continue to check the speedway website at www.ricelakespeedway.net as more information is added.
Below are listed the top ten in all time feature wins at the track by division. In some cases, classes were lumped together in a logical order of progression through the years.
Pure Stock 2000- 2019
Jason Havel 41 feature wins
George Richards 26
Darwin Brown 20
Joel Hinrichs 13
C J Wagner 13
Dustin Doughty 12
Jason Forehand 9
Jerry Wojcik 9
Adam Hensel 9
Ryan Hensel 9
Nick Traynor 9
Tony Luell 8
Bobby Kaufman 8
Danny Richards 8
Terry Johnson 7
Tito Viltz 7
Nick Wojcik 7
Doug Wojcik 6
Dusty Brown 6
Bob Thompson 6
Jay Folz 5
Street Stock/Bomber 1983-2019
Scott Clark 44 feature wins
Eric Olson 39
Jay Kesan 35
Darwin Brown 27
Jimmy Randall 25
Butch Madsen 24
Chris Peterson 19
Gary Solum 18
Kevin Adams 18
Don Folz 17
Sam Fankhauser 17
Frank Prosecky 16
Midwest Modified 2005-2019
Shane Halopka 45 feature wins
Kevin Adams 34
Ryan Viltz 32
Matt Leer 18
Tito Viltz 11
Michael Truscott 9
Joe Chaplin 8
Mark Hanson 7
Mark Gerth 6
Grant Southworth 6
Travis Anderson 6
Mark Thomas 5
Austin Ellis 5
Super Stock/Street 1973-2019
Don Drew 57 feature wins
Rich Bishop 44
Curt Myers 41
Phil Strenke 35
Eric Olson 32
Shane Kisling 29
Jason Forehand 27
Gordy Brunette 23
Mickey Nosser 22
Rod Hensel 18
Todd Madsen 18
Modified 1980-2019
Kevin Adams 83 feature wins
Paul Harelstad 41
Mike Anderson 41
Buddy Mayala 29
Dave Morgan 26
Dave Palmquist 25
Troy Kuyoth 22
Dave Mayala 20
Tony Bahr 20
Dave Cain 18
Dave Adams 15
Dave Zimmerman 15
Phil Strenke 14
Late Model/Semi Modified 1959-2008 (random events since)
Dave Morgan 73 feature wins
Bud Havel 43
Don Brown 39
Dave Adams 37
Dick Briesemeister 29
Duane Mahder 28
Punky Manor 24
Ron Schreiner 24
Steve Laursen 21
John Kaanta 18
Ron Prochnow 17
Super Modified/Sprint Car 1952-1965 (random events since)
Russ Laursen 93 feature wins
Buddy Mayala 28
Dean Harrington 12
Jim Peterson 12
Don Koepp 8
Barry Kettering 7
Gene Bolin 5
Lou Carpenter 4
Bill Siercks 3
Bill Balog 3
Joe Dolphy 2
Cliff Koidahl 2
Scotty Neitzel 2
Brooke Tatnall 2
Jerry Richert Jr 2
Chris Graff 2
Joseph Kouba 2
Rob Caho Jr 2
Dick Wilhelm 1
Don Langel 1
Jerry Lepinski 1
Don Daniels 1
Tim Kaeding 1
Jim Bruggeman 1
Lynn Franklin 1
Brandon Allen 1
Scotty Thiel 1
Lee Grosz 1
Ryan Bowers 1
Trucks 1985-1990
Bruce Soldner 47 feature wins
Scott Eastman 41
Mike Soldner 7
Bryan Hessler 4
Ron Soldner 4
Jeff Anderson 3
Dan Bartle 3
Don Birdsill 3
Chuck Graham 1
Lanny Loew 1
Pat Netz 1
Jalopy/Stocks/RL Stocks/Hobby Stocks 1954-1979
Jack Shimon 43 feature wins
Ben Ryba 29
Butch Madsen 25
Larry Quinn 22
Bruce Davis 21
Jerry Amundson 18
Ron Ward 16
Bob Connors 15
Phil Prusak 12
Harlan Dahlberg 10
Vern Tappon 10
Mini Stocks/Hornets 1991-1999 (various events since)
Brandon Bolin 23 feature wins
Matt Hanson 20
Paul Harelstad 15
Jimmy Randall 15
Dustin Pittman 11
Scott Pittman 9
Ken Schleiss 9
John Armstrong 6
Ashley Anderson 5
Chad Richter 5
Scott Martin 5
Ivan Simmerman 4
John Moravec 3
Bob Matuska 2
Kori Richter 2
Jason Gross 2
Karen Koltunski 2
Irv Geary Jr 2
