by Chris Stepan

KASSON, Minn. (Aug. 19, 2001) - The Dodge County Speedway in Kasson hosted a regular night of racing on Sunday, August 19th with good car counts in all 4 divisions after being washed out over much of the area the previous night. Jeff Brauer sat on the pole for the Street Stock feature and used it to the best of his advantage as he shot off into the lead at the start and left a great battle to occur behind him. Jim Randall, Dan Gullikson and Rex Welch duked it out throughout the entire main event, just inches behind Brauer's rear bumper.

At one point, each of the drivers that were chasing Brauer had an opportunity to pull along side of him, but Jeff was too strong and was able to hold off each challenge when it occurred. First, Gullikson made the inside of the track work well and pressured Brauer from lap 7 until the caution flew on lap 10, then Randall began to look as if he was going to be able to get by both Gullikson and Brauer on the high side before another caution flew with only 2 laps to go, setting up a green, white, checkered dash to the finish.

This time on the restart, Welch got a great jump and put heavy pressure on Brauer, but just as he had all night long, Brauer was up to the challenge and held off Welch for the win. Welch, Gullikson, Randall and Arlen Diercks rounded out the top five runners.

Dane Schultz took command at the start of the Midwest Modified feature and looked as if he was going to run away with it until he suddenly erupted in a cloud of smoke and coasted off into the pit area, ending his chances of picking up the win. With Schultz out of action, the lead was handed over to an amazing battle between Jeff Ringenburg and Greg Pfiefer. The duo was running door to door early on for second and continued the battle for the lead over the remaining 9 laps of the event.

Ringenburg was rim riding in his # 07 and Pfiefer was hugging the bottom while they ran side-by-side for the top spot. Jerry Young, Matt Stark and Carter Gerlach were also running in a tight pack for third, just behind the leaders. Several late race cautions bunched up the field and broke up the intense battle for the lead, but when racing resumed Ringenburg and Pfiefer rejoined their battle up front.

On the last lap it looked as if Ringenburg was going to be able to get a good enough run to steal the lead and the win, but just as he tried to take command, he jumped the cushion a bit allowing Pfiefer to pick up the win and Young to slip by into second at the stripe. Ringenburg did recover to come home in third ahead of Stark and Nick Kramer in the top five.

Mark Teske redrew the pole and took off like a rocket when the green flag waved in the Super Stock feature. Brad Bannitt held his ground early on and would not let Teske sip away as he ran right with him up front, while Mark Wytaske was trying both high and low to sneak his # 21w into second. A string of cautions slowed the action during the mid-point of the race, which caused the race to be shortened due to the time limit, but Teske as running strong up front while Wytaske finally got his machine to stick on the inside and took over second and set his sights on Teske up front. Nick Herrick and Jon Van Minsel were in a good battle for third while Larry Boumeester was hooked up on the high side and began to move forward in his # 4B. Back up front, Teske looked to be on his way to his second consecutive feature win at DCS until he jumped the cushion a bit in turn 2, allowing Wytaske to slide under him into the lead, which he would hold to the checkered. Herrick also slipped under Teske into second and nipped Mark at the line as well. Teske came home in third with Van Minsel and Boumeester rounding out the top five finishers.

Chad Behne and Jay Poidinger duked it out early in the Modified feature, but as it has been the past few weeks, it became the Wetzstein/Scharkey show very quickly. Steve Wetzstein stormed from his fifth row starting spot to take the lead on lap 9 from Jordan Steier, who was flying on the cushion in his # 1* machine. Wetzstein moved by Steier, bringing Todd Scharkey with him to the front.

Once the duo got out front, they began to run very hard against one another, using both grooves on the speedway to try to find the fastest way around. Wetzstein held the advantage as he ran low in turns 1 and 2 and high in turns 3 and 4, which seemed to be to his best interest as he held off Scharkey for the win. Scharkey came home in second ahead of Bobby Sorensen, Steier and Poidinger.

The racing action at DCS was very entertaining all night long and action resumes this Sunday with racing for WISSOTA Super Stocks, Street Stocks and Midwest Modifieds along with an "open" show for the Modified division. Racing starts at 7pm.

RESULTS

IMCA MODIFIEDS

Feature: Steve Wetzstein, Todd Scharkey, Bobby Sorensen, Jordan Steier, Jay Poidinger, Dean Reiss, Nathan Kilwine, Mike Isder, Darwyn Karau, Bob Hodsch

Heat 1: Poidinger, Chad Behne, Nate Wasmund, Karau, Leroy Scharkey

Heat 2: T. Scharkey, Wetzstein, Isder, Pete Grundvold, Kilwine

Heat 3: Steier, Brad Waits, Sorensen, Reiss, Gary Schmidt

WISSOTA SUPER STOCKS

Feature: Mark Wytaske, Nick Herrick, Mark Teske, Jon Van Minsel, Larry Boumeester, Stacy Edgar, Kelly Anderson, Bill Stettner, Brad Bannitt, Dave Haberman

Heat 1: Wytaske, Derek Bridley, Edgar, Van Minsel, Stettner

Heat 2: Teske, Boumeester, Bannitt, Bill Clemens, Todd Miller

Heat 3: Herrick, Steve Hallquist, Anderson, Denny Kelley, Dave Solum

WISSOTA MIDWEST MODIFIEDS

Feature: Greg Pfiefer, Jerry Young, Jeff Ringenburg, Matt Stark, Nick Kramer, Matt Madsen, Dana Brunkhorst, Chad Herman, Rodney Arnold, Jesse Frericks

Heat 1: Madsen, Jim Arnold, Harland Morehart, Scott Grundvold, R. Arnold

Heat 2: Pfiefer, Dane Schultz, Stark, Ringenburg, Herman

Heat 3: Young, Corey Miller, Carter Gerlach, Kramer, Harland Morehart Jr.

WISSOTA STREET STOCKS

Feature: Jeff Brauer, Rex Welch, Dan Gullikson, Jim Randall, Arlen Diercks, David Stearns, Tyler Rubin, Steve Goodenough, Mark Jennings, Greg Erickson

Heat 1: Rubin, Erickson, Troy Voth, Stearns, Chuck Nerland

Heat 2: Randall, Gullikson, Brauer, Diercks, Jennings

Heat 3: Welch, Goodenough, John Bushman, Mark Hovland, Scott Burr