by Bill Nelson

SPRING VALLEY, Minn. (June 29, 2002) - The track was in almost perfect condition tonight as the crew tore up the track after Wednesday nights Challenge series race. A hole developed in three, but was packed back in after the heat races making for an awesome track for the features. Tonight's racing activities were sponsored by Bob's Smoke Stack Ribs from Rochester. Also announced were that the feature races were going to be allowed 1 minute for every lap during the feature. None of the classes were cut short tonight and the full show was run with 109 cars checking into the back gate.

The street stock feature took to the track first with Jim Gustafson starting on the front row with Ron Rucker. Gustafson jumped into the early lead followed closely by John Bushman. Shawn Whelage and Mark Zvorak battled for third. Whelage moved into the third spot on the next lap and set his sights on Bushman. Whelage passed Bushman for the second spot and on the next lap pulled up with a problem in corner four. On the only restart of the race Jeff Brauer got along side of Bushman for the second spot with Steve Eischens following through to third. At the line it was Gustafson with his sixth win in a row at Deer Creek.

The Midwest Modifieds were up next with Dan Fagerlind and Mitch Ford on the front row. Jeffrey Bleess made a strong move on the inside to take over the second spot coming out of two on the first lap while Fagerlind led. These two pulled out to a slight advantage with the rest of the pack in some great two and three wide battles. Jesse Frericks, Neil Eckhart and Mitch Ford were battling for positions with Pete Wytaske following closely. The four drivers swapped the positions with just about every corner as Bleess started to pressure Fagerlind at the front. Eckhart finally cleared into the third spot and started to chase down Bleess for the second spot. Fagerlind was strong up front and came home with his first feature win of the season at Deer Creek.

The super stocks had the most cautions tonight but were able to complete their show within the time limit. Dan Nissalke used his front row starting position to gain the advantage into one with a 3-wide battle for the second spot for the first two laps with Mark Teske finally coming out in second. George Batzel and Dave Haberman continued to battle for the third spot with Bill Clemens moving into the fifth spot. After the second restart Teske moved into battle with Nissalke for the top spot. Teske dropped to the bottom of the track and slid under Nissalke coming into three as Nissalke tried to battle back and slid up the track. Teske held on for his third win of the season at the track.

The modfied's ran a pretty clean show tonight with Paul Novotny using the pole position to his advantage as he jumped out to an early lead. Behind him there was a three wide battle for the second spot going into one that did not work as the first caution came out after one lap. Jay Ihrke was moving up through the field from his seventh start spot running the middle of the track. Bruce Angst and Jim Arnold were in a good battle for the second spot and coming out of two the two slid up the track and Ihrke shot below them for the position. Dave Siercks was also battling inside the top five when problems caused him to retire early. As Ihrke moved into the top spot passing Novotny all eyes turned to Bob Timm running the high line around the track. Dirt throwing all the way around the track he was flying on the upper groove of the track and after gong to the rear early on was inside the top 5 with five to go. Timm cleared into the second spot with two laps to go but was unable to run down Ihrke who took home his first checkers of the year at the track.

Lance Matthees took his hot streak into tonight. After winning the Challenge race on Thursday, Fox Ridge on Friday he is on a roll and looked very good tonight starting from the pole. The track held up really well for the features and a couple of the drivers moved to the top side of the track, but it wasn't any faster than the lower part so most of the cars moved low. Ben Mattick and Keith Foss banged sides a couple times with both drivers continuing on through the race. The caution flew as Foss tagged the cone on the inside of the tires coming out of four sending it out on the racing surface. At the line it was Matthees with his first win of the season at the track.

The Modified Lite's were the finally feature of the evening with Ronnie VanRiper jumping into the early lead and Chris Lewison following closely in second. Behind them there was a three wide battle for third. Lewison pulled along side of VanRiper coming out of two on the second lap to take over the lead and Brian Shaw jumped to the high side of the track to move into the top five. Two laps later Shaw moved into the lead as Chris Lewison had his hands full with Dave Lewison. These two battled side by side to the checkers behind Shaw who came home with his fifth win at the track.

The July 6 event will be a 40 Lap Late Model feature for Track & National Points sponsored by Yaggy Trucking and Sun Place Tanning. The evening's events will be sponsored by the Essig Insurance agency of Spring Valley. All classes will participate with the Late Model feature running 40 laps for $1,500 to win. Also the Late Models with run a dash for cash paying $500.00 to the winner. The other classes on hand will run for $750.00 in the open modifieds, $500.00 to win in the Super Stocks, $250.00 to win Midwest Modifieds, $200.00 to win Street Stocks and $200.00 to win Modified Lites.

RESULTS

WISSOTA STREET STOCKS

Feature - Jim Gustafson, Jeff Brauer, Steve Eischens, Chuck Nerland, John Bushman, Tony Shaner, Bill Steinberg, Troy Bentz, Mark Hovland, Mark Zvorak

Heat 1 - Gustafson, Greg Erickson, Shaner, Eischens, Brauer

Heat 2 - Bushman, Whelage, Ron Rucker, Zvorak, Larry Brengal

WISSOTA MIDWEST MODIFIEDS

Feature - Dan Fagerlind, Jeffrey Bleess, Neil Eckhart, Jesse Frerichs, Pete Wytaske, Nick Kramer, Greg Pfeifer, Mitch Ford, Jeremy Laures, Ryan Weber

Heat 1 - Pfeifer, Bleess, Kramer, Fagerlind, Frericks

Heat 2 - Eckhart, Ford, Weber, Joe Wernecke, Wytaske

WISSOTA SUPER STOCKS

Feature - Mark Teske, Dan Nissalke, George Batzel, Dave Haberman, Jerry Bloom, Kevin Hager, Jeremy Reinke, Chris Klinger, Arlan Smith, Derrick Bridley

Heat 1 - Mark Wytaske, Haberman, Nissalke, Bill Clemens, Batzel

Heat 2 - Teske, Hager, Matt Durnen, Scott Huinker, Cole Queensland

OPEN MODIFIEDS

Feature - Jay Ihrke, Bob Timm, Paul Novotny, Jordan Steier, Bobby Sorenson, Bruce Angst, Jim Arnold, LeRoy Scharkey, Albert Wytaske, Pete Gronvold

Heat 1 - Angst, Steier, Mike Mehling, Dean Riess, Novonty

Heat 2 - Ihrke, Sorenson, Dave Siercks, Arnold, Jay Poindinger

WISSOTA LATE MODELS

Feature - Lance Matthees, Ben Mattick, Keith Foss, Mark Teske, Brad Waits, Steve Eisenberg, Brian Shaw, Nick Herrick, Eric Breeschoten, Jon Chrest

Heat 1 - Foss, Shaw, Teske, Mike Sorenson, Mattick

Heat 2 - Matthees, Isenberg, Bob Timm, Breeschoten, Herrick

MODIFIED LITES

Feature - Brian Shaw, Dave Lewison, Chris Lewison, Jeff Jech, Roni VanRiper, Brian Kiehne, Jamey Ulven, Jeff O'Connor, Jim Dahle, Larry Dahle

Heat 1 - Daniel Wendt, Jech, Kiehne, Rick Utley, Ulven

Heat 2 - Shaw, D. Lewison, C. Lewison, VanRiper, Brian Erickson