by Chris Stepan

KASSON, Minn. (Aug. 12, 2001) - The Dodge County Speedway in Kasson, MN welcomed another large group of competitors to a regular racing program in all four divisions on Sunday, August 12th.

Dan Gullikson picked up the lead at the start of the Street Stock feature and held it for 2 laps until Jim Randall snuck by him on the inside and stole the top spot away. Randall then set off into the lead while Jim Gustafson moved in to battle with Gullikson for second.

A great battle was ensuing for second as Rex Welch moved in to join Gullikson and Gustafson up front. Randall continued to show the way but Gullikson and Gustafson were not about to let him get away from them as they hung right with the leader. Kevin Adams and Jeff Brauer were making their way toward the front as well and appeared in the top five near the halfway point of the event.

After a late race restart, Gullikson and Randall began to run door to door for the lead, with Dan getting better runs off of turn four than Jim, which proved to be the difference. A caution flew with 2 laps remaining and Gullikson was scored as the leader on the last completed lap, which put him out front for the restart, which he held to the checkered for the win. Randall ran a solid second with Gustafson coming home in third.

The current national point leader, Jim Arnold sat on the pole for the Midwest Modified main event and took off into the lead at the start of the feature and was never really challenged up front. Newcomer, Scott Anderson settled into second right away and began to put a bit of pressure on Arnold up front, but Jim was up to the challenge and held his ground up front.

Carter Gerlach was making his way forward and appeared in third about the 1/2 way point of the event and used his patented high line to steal second away from Anderson and set off after Arnold. Gerlach caught Arnold and was just about to pull alongside of Jim for the lead when a caution blinked on, restoring Arnold to his top spot.

On the restart, Arnold set off into the night and raced to his 17th feature win of a season with Gerlach in second and Matt Stark rounding out the top three.

Mark Teske sat on the front row for the Super Stock feature and took off into the lead and never looked back. A great battle was on for second between Mark Wytaske, Joey Jensen and Brad Bannitt early on until Don Eischens began to pick his way through the field and settled into the top five early on.

Teske had built up a big lead over Jensen, who had now assumed the runner-up spot on the track, but Eischens was on a mission and stormed to the outside of Jensen into second on lap 12. Once Eischens secured the second spot, the caution waved, which put him right on the rear bumper of Teske up front.

On the restart, Eischens made a bid for the lead, but Teske proved to be too strong as he raced to the win. Eischens came home in second and Jensen rounded out the top three.

The Modified feature was the night's finale and Steve Wetzstein shot from his third row starting spot into the lead on the first lap and set off with the battle behind him for second. Todd Scharkey got up to second early on and began to pressure Wetzstein for the spot for the remainder of the race as Wetzstein would get amazing runs off of turn four, which would carry him back around Scharkey into the lead.

Wetzstein ran up front while Scharkey continued to search for a way to slip by into the top spot. Scharkey and Wetzstein exchanged slide jobs for a few laps until Dean Reiss joined the party and slid by Scharkey into second on lap 13.

Wetzstein ran the remainder of the event uncontested while Scharkey and Reiss duked it out for second. Wetzstein picked up the win with Scharkey taking over second on the last circuit. Reiss held on for third at the line. Racing resumes at Dodge County this Sunday with regular racing action for WISSOTA Super Stocks, Street Stocks, Midwest Modifieds and IMCA Modifieds. The first green flag is set to fly at 7pm.

RESULTS

WISSOTA SUPER STOCKS

Feature: Mark Teske, Don Eischens, Joey Jensen, Tim Borgeson, Mark Wytaske, Curt Myers, Nick Herrick, Dave Haberman, Bill Clemens, Stacy Edgar

Heat 1: Edgar, Myers, Eischens, Clemens, Borgeson

Heat 2: Kevin Hager, Jensen, Haberman, Herrick, Kelly Anderson

Heat 3: Brad Bannitt, Teske, Wytaske, Dave Solum, Rick Franzen

WISSOTA STREET STOCKS

Feature: Dan Gullikson, Jim Randall, Jim Gustafson, Rex Welch, Jeff Brauer, Kevin Adams, David Stearns, Mark Jennings, Greg Erickson, Steve Goodenough

Heat 1: Welch, Gustafson, Arlen Diercks, Jason Gabrielson, Steve Eischens

Heat 2: Goodenough, Randall, Gullikson, Jennings, Scott Burr

Heat 3: Erickson, Tyler Rubin, Mike King, Adams, Stearns

B-feature: Chuck Nerland, Rob Heisel, Carl Haakinson, Jeremy Laures, Bill Steinburg

WISSOTA MIDWEST MODIFIEDS

Feature: Jim Arnold, Carter Gerlach, Matt Stark, Jade Schultz, Scott Anderson, Dana Brunkhorst, Jerry Young, Greg Pfiefer, Matt Madsen, Harland Morehart Jr

Heat 1: Schultz, Nick Kramer, Stark, Gary Wilde, Scott Olson

Heat 2: Gerlach, Chad Herman, Pfiefer, Young, Kenny Wytaske

Heat 3: Brunkhorst, S. Anderson, Arnold, Jeff Ringenburg, Morehart Jr

B-feature: Jade Anderson, Mike Lawson, Corey Miller, Daryl Kainka, Ron Skalicky

IMCA MODIFIEDS

Feature: Steve Wetzstein, Todd Scharkey, Dean Reiss, Jay Ihrke, Mike Hernke, Todd Klees, Bobby Sorensen, Russ Quinnell, Darwyn Karau, Leroy Scharkey

Heat 1: Jordan Steier, Wetzstein, Ihkre, Brad Waits, Karau

Heat 2: T. Scharkey, Reiss, Hernke, Klees, Gary Schmidt