by Todd Narveson

KASSON, Minn. (Sept. 2, 2001) - Ninety race cars signed in the back gate for the final regular racing night for the 2001 season at the Dodge County Speedway. An excellent crowd was on hand and ready for some racing action.

The WISSOTA Street Stocks were first on the speedway for their 15-lap main event. After the four wide salute to the fans, Steve Goodenough and Chuck Nerland paced the field from row one.

After a yellow on lap one, things went smoothly to the checkered. Goodenough bolted to the lead as Dan Gullixson, Adrian Gordon and Greg Erickson snuck by Nerland into the top four.

Goodenough led, but Gullixson was slicing into his advantage on laps five and six. Lap seven saw the top two cars bumper to bumper. Jim Gustafson worked into fourth as Jason Long was now in the top five from a sixth row starting spot.

Gullixson would challenge for the lead, but did not quite have enough to pass. Meanwhile, Gustafson, Long and Jeff Brauer caught the two leader making it a five car race.

Goodenough had what it took and held off the pack to win the main and score a clean sweep for the evening. Gullixson was second with Gustafson, Long and Brauer in the top five.

Next up were the WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds for their 15-lap feature. Another four wide parade lap got the fans going as things went green. Front row started Chad Herman took the early lead with Jerry Young and Greg Pfeifer racing for second.

Herman pulled away as Young and Pfeifer had a good battle for second. They swapped the position a couple of times until Pfeifer took it away for good on lap nine.

Herman went on for the win with Pfeifer in second. Young finished in third, with Jim Arnold racing to fourth after starting eleventh. Jeff Ringenberg rounded out the top five.

Another four wide parade lap as the fans saluted the WISSOTA Super Stock field before their main. Matt Durnen and Ferlin Miller were in row one as the green flag flew.

Miller took the early lead but bounced off the concrete in turn three on lap two. Jason Johnson and Mark Wytaske blew by as Miller gathered his machine back up.

The race only had one yellow for debris on lap fourteen. Johnson survived a scare on the restart as Wytaske challenged briefly, but could not get by for the lead.

Johnson took the impressive win in his first ever visit to the speedway. He also made it a clean sweep as he won his heat race as well. Wytaske was second with Nick Herrick, Stacy Edgar and Miller in the top five.

The IMCA Modifieds closed out the program and again a four wide parade lap hightlighted the main event. The top three in points were only twenty points apart going in. The suspense would end early however.

An early yellow triggered an incident after the yellow when cars got stacked up and it eliminated Brad Waits who was second in the points going in. Another one of the players in the points, Jordan Steier broke a couple of laps in.

It was Steve Wetzstein's night tonight. Wetzstein started on the pole and dominated the twenty-lap feature. Wetzstein won the feature and with his two closest competitors in the pits, also won the track championship.

Todd Scharkey finished second a half-straightaway behind Wetzstein. Mike Sorensen brought his car home third after starting eleventh. Dean Riess and Denny Barwald were in the top five.

There will be one more show to close out the 2001 racing season at the Dodge County Speedway. It will be on Sunday, September 23 with unscanctioned modifieds, WISSOTA Super Stocks, WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds and WISSOTA Street Stocks.

All classes will be racing for higher purses at this show. Pit gates open at 12:00 noon, grandstands at 1:00pm and races at 3:00pm. For more information please call Fitzpatrick Promotions at (507) 775-7091.

RESULTS

IMCA MODIFIEDS

First Heat-1. Brad Waits, West Concord, 2. Dean Riess, Rochester; 3. Gary Schmidt, Rochester

Second Heat-1. Jordan Steier, Rochester; 2. Darwyn Karau, Kasson; 3. Nate Wasmund, Rochester

Third Heat-1. Todd Scharkey, Kasson; 2. Mike Sorensen, Rochester; 3. Steve Wetzstein, West Concord

Feature-1. Wetzstein, 2. T. Scharkey, 3. Sorensen, 4. Riess, 5. Denny Barwald, West Concord; 6. Leroy Scharkey, Rochester; 7. Pete Gronvold, Grand Meadow; 8. Dan Fagerlind, Dover; 9. Jay Poidinger, Somerset, WI; 10. Dennis Hillson, Blooming Prairie

WISSOTA SUPER STOCKS

First Heat-1. Jason Johnson, Ettrick, WI; 2. Mark Wytaske, Austin; 3. Stacy Edgar, Stewartville

Second Heat-1. Nick Herrick, West Concord; 2. Roger Herrick, West Concord; 3. Mark Teske, Spring Valley

Third Heat-1. Matt Durnen, Winona; 2. Donovan Chase, White Bear Lake; 3. Ferlin Miller, Cannon Falls

Feature-1. Johnson, 2. Wytaske, 3. N. Herrick, 4. Edgar, 5. Miller, 6. Jon Van Minsel, Spring Valley; 7. Teske, 8. R. Herrick, 9. Dave Haberman, Cannon Falls; 10. Chase

WISSOTA STREET STOCKS

First Heat-1. Jim Gustafson, Prior Lake; 2. Jeff Brauer, Rochester; 3. Greg Erickson, Chatfield

Second Heat-1. Dan Gullixson, Forest Lake; 2. John Laumb, Rushford; 3. Chuck Nerland, Rochester

Third Heat-1. Steve Goodenough, Mazeppa; 2. Jason Long, Canby; 3. Adrian Gordon, Murdoch, MN

B-Feature-1. Nathan Finley, Brownsdale; 2. Jim Randall, Rice Lake, WI; 3. Mike Heber, Red Wing

Feature-1. Goodenough, 2. Gullixson, 3. Gustafson, 4. Long, 5. Brauer, 6. Gordon, 7. Greg Erickson, Chatfield; 8. Nerland, 9. Rex Welch, Wanamingo; 10. Laumb

WISSOTA MIDWEST MODIFIED

First Heat-1. Jim Arnold, Rochester; 2. Corey Miller, Owatonna; 3. Dan Schultz, Owatonna

Second Heat-1. Nick Kramer, Pine Island; 2. Jeff Ringenberg, Rochester; 3. Jade Anderson, Owatonna

Third Heat-1. Greg Pfiefer, Austin; 2. Chad Herman, Rochester; 3. Matt Madsen, Blooming Prairie

B-Feature-1. Brian Gordon, Murdoch, MN; 2. Scott Gronvold, Grand Meadow; 3. Gary Wilde, Austin

Feature-1. Herman, 2. Pfeifer, 3. Young, 4. Arnold, 5. Ringenberg, 6. Madsen, 7. Matt Stark, Austin; 8. Gordon, 9. Ben Mattick, Lyle; 10. Jesse Frericks, Pine Island