by Bill Nelson

SPRING VALLEY, Minn. (Aug. 31, 2002) -A perfect evening for racing was upon us in SE Minnesota for the United States Modified Touring Series Expert Insulation 40. A terrific field of cars was on hand tonight with 46 USMTS modifieds checking into the back gate. 92 cars in the support classes were also on hand for 132 haulers in the pit area.

With an expected 250 cars for three nights of racing during the Featherlite/USMTS Fall Jamboree on the 19,20,21 of September it was a great trial run tonight to check track conditions, pit area parking and crowd management.

The second largest crowd of the season checked into the stands only coming up short by about 100 people from the opening weekend. The crowd control in the parking lot went very smoothly and cars pulled into and out of the track after the races with relative ease, and with 132 haulers in the pit area there seems to be plenty of room to park 250 haulers with a little parking management. So with those issues verified the track condition was the next to test the challenge. The track crew did a great job to get the track from where it was last weekend to this night.

A couple small ridges opened up early and after a little grading twice during the night the track was very fast. The holes were still there but there was plenty of racing room to go around them. With two weeks to go before the next show the track will be in perfect shape. While trying to get the tracked worked into this week it was left a little dry so the dust was a little stronger than you usually find at the track but it did its job as it really helped to get the track to settle in.

Everyone fully anticipates a great weekend of racing with pure stocks and street stocks on the 19th along with the first night of USMTS action. On Friday and Saturday nights the Midwest Modifieds and Super Stocks are supporting the modifieds in action.

Also final stages of planning are complete for the Fall Festival on the 27 & 28 of September with heat racing action on Friday night and "B" features and the "A" mains on Saturday night. On hand that weekend will be the modifieds for $1,500 to win, Super Stocks for $1,250 to win, Midwest Modifieds for $750.00 to win, Street Stocks for $750.00 to win and the Modified Lites for $500.00 to win.

This weekend will be another action packed weekend to close out the 2002 racing season.

The first racing action of the night was the Midwest modifieds with Nick Kramer jumping out to the early lead and Chad Herman running a close second. After a couple quick cautions Scott Pomeroy and Jesse Frericks were in a great battle for third, and behind them there was a four car battle for position.

Kenny Wytaske worked through the back pack of four running the high side of the track. With a half dozen laps down Wytaske had worked into the third spot and coming into one made the move to the bottom of the second place car and exiting two moved past Kramer to take over the top spot. Wytaske came home with the win, his eighth of the season at the track. Neil Eckhart came home with the track title in the Midwest Modifieds division.

The super stocks had major problems tonight. With a lot of three wide and sometimes four wide battles it was really difficult to get through a lap. With a few cautions early on Mark Wytaske and Bill Clemens were trying to work their way to the front. Chris Klinger held the early lead and was running really strong up front until he had problems and pulled off the track handing the lead to Nick Herrick.

Wytaske was running very fast on the high line and moved into the second spot as the final caution flew. The race was then sent to Green/White/Checkers. Herrick came home with the win his second of the season. Bill Clemens came home with a forth place finish and the track title for the Super Stocks.

The USMTS Expert Insulation 40 was up next with one of the local crowd favorite Mark Noble starting on the outside of the front row. Noble took the early lead with Justin Boney following closely in second. Boney dropped out three laps later with rear end problems.

Todd Klees took over the second spot and ran strong throughout the feature and early on Klees and Kelly Shryock had a great battle going for the second spot. As Shryock cleared Klees to take over the second spot Kelly moved into do battle with Noble.

Tim Donlinger then came up to do battle with Klees for the third spot and these two had a great battle for five laps until Klees pulled back into the third spot. The last half of the race was tough to watch as a fan because Shryock pulled up to battle with Noble as Ron Schreiner coming from the nineteenth starting spot worked up to do battle with Klees. The four cars ran side by side for position for most of the last twenty laps occasionally swapping spots.

At the finish it was Shryock coming home with the win his second USMTS win of the season at the track.

Myron Tschakert made the haul over to do battle tonight and with the luck of the draw starting on the outside of the front row. Tschakert took the lead at the green followed by John Bushman in second. Tschakert slowly pulled away form everyone with Bushman by himself in the second position.

Behind Bushman Fred Prudaehl, Tom Hund and Jeff Brauer were in a great battle for third. At the half way point Tschakert had built up a straight away lead, and with five laps to go the only caution of the race flew, bunching the field back up. Tschakert came home with the win his first of the season at the track. Jim Gustafson was crowned track champion.

The mod lites were up last with Brian Kiehne taking the early lead. Tate Bestor and Dan Wendt were in a good side by side battle for the third spot. Wendt gained the spot and went up to battle with Kiehne for the top spot. A strong run with only one caution found Wendt taking home the win and the track championship. The race was his third win of the season.

Results:

WISSOTA Street Stocks

Feature - Myron Tschakert, Jeff Brauer, Jim Gustafson, John Bushman, Jeremy Thorstenson, Travis Krause, Chuck Nerland, Scott Nelson, Tom Hund, Steve Eischens

Heat 1 - Hund, Corbin, Shaner, Eischens, Oeltjenbruns

Heat 2 - Nelson, Gustafson, Nerland, Thorstenson, Rucker

Heat 3 - Tschakert, Krause, Brauer, Busman, Erickson

WISSOTA Midwest Mods

Feature - Kenny Wytaske, Nick Kramer, Albert Wytaske, Jesse Frericks, Neil Eckhart, Scott Pomeroy, Dan Fagerlind, Jeremy Laures, Scott Anderson, Chad Herman

Heat 1 - K. Wytaske, Frericks, Pomeroy, Condit, Hainka

Heat 2 - Eckhart, Fagerlind, Laures, Herman, Weber

Heat 3 - Anderson, Morehart Jr. Kramer, Schultz, Paulson

WISSOTA Super Stocks

Feature - Nick Herrick, Mark Wytaske, Mark Oeltjenbruns, Bill Clemens, Kevin Hager, George Batzel, Jon Duffy, Scott Huinker, Matt Durnen, Dave Solumn

Heat 1 - Teske, Clemens, Wiersgalla, Haberman, Klinger

Heat 2 - Stortz, Rubin, Wytaske, Batzel, Hager

USMTS Modifieds

Feature - Kelly Shryock, Mark Noble, Ron Schreiner, Todd Klees, Tim Donlinger, Jason Hughes, Mike Hernke, Bruce Hanford, Jay Ihrke, Dave Siercks

B Feature 1 - Tommy Myer, Willy Kraft, Ron Schreiner, Jay Ihrke, Darin Duffy

B Feature 2 - Mike Sorensen, Bobby Sorensen, Jim Arnold, Dan Chapman, Dan Bohr

Heat 1 - Mahlsted, Klees, Donlinger, Angst, Duellman, Steier

Heat 2 - Peters, Shryock, M. Sorensen, Hughes, Chapman

Heat 3 - Hernke, Wasmund, Kraft, Myer, T. Scharkey

Heat 4 - Boney, Wetzstein, Olson, B. Sorensen, L. Scharkey

Heat 5 - Noble, Siercks, Hanford, Glenn, Schreiner

Modified Lites

Feature - Dan Wendt, Brian Kiehne, Rick Utley, Jeff Jech, Jamey Ulven, Jeff Oconnor, Jeremy Anderson, Shayne Johnson, Brian Erickson, Bernie Swanson

Heat 1 - Bestor, Kiehne, Ulven, Utley, Bigalk

Heat 2 - Jech, Lewison, Wendt, VanRiper, Johnson