by Chris Stepan

ARCADIA, Wis. (May 11, 2001) - On the second night of competition for the new Fox Ridge Speedway, 101 race cars jam packed the pit area on what turned out to be a cool night outdoors, but there was plenty of hot racing on the track all night long. An amazing field of 26 WISSOTA Late Models, 23 Modifieds, 23 Super Stocks and 29 WISSOTA Street Stocks comprised a stellar field of competitors in attendance tonight.

The Super Stock main event was the first on the grid with Kevin Glander and Matt Durnen pacing the field down to the green flag. Glander immediately shot into the lead as Gary Wiersgalla and Bob Bautch quickly moved in to battle with Durnen for second. Wiersgalla shot to the low side of Durnen and slipped by into second as they exited turn 2. Wiersgalla began to track down Glander who had built up a sizeable advantage over the first handful of laps. There was also a great battle going on in the middle of the pack as Jeff Bush, Bob Fort and John Doelle were all duking it out for fifth in the early going. Wiersgalla wasted little time reeling in Glander up front and began to dog him for the lead as they circled the speedway.

After a lap 5 restart, Wiersgalla took to the high side and shot by Glander into the top spot and began to stretch his lead with each lap. As Wiersgalla had snatched the lead away from Glander, Jason Johnson and Bautch had begun their own battle for the third spot on the track. Johnson appeared to be one of the fastest cars on the track as he jumped to the high line and began his march toward the front. Johnson blew by Bautch into third and just past the halfway point of the event; he and Glander began to scrap it out for second as Wiersgalla continued to stretch his advantage over the field.

Also on the move from his 22nd starting spot, Mike Hesselink was methodically picking off car after car and appeared in the top five on lap 10. Hesselink. Fort and Dan Arneson began to battle for position as Mike continued to move toward the front. Hesselink was able to get into fourth and start a late race battle with Bautch for third. Wiersgalla had a healthy lead, but his good fortune quickly turned bad as on the white flag lap, he suffered a flat tire, which created a mad scramble for the lead. Glander was in the right place at the right time and took advantage of Wiersgalla's trouble and snuck by for his first win of the season. Johnson and Hesselink were also able to get by Wiersgalla at the stripe. Bautch rounded out the top five finishers.

The Modified feature was up next with LeRoy Scharkey and Gary Doelle pacing the field. Scharkey took the lead at the drop of the green, but Mark Noble was the quickest off the start and shot into second early. Noble then jumped immediately to the cushion and powered to the outside of Scharkey for the lead on the second circuit.

After a quick caution, Noble again blasted off into the night as Brad Waits also used the high groove and shot into second and began to try to track down Noble. A great battle was occurring for the third spot as well between Scharkey, Ron Schreiner and Steve Speltz. Schreiner was able to steal the spot and settled into third. After a mid-race caution bunched up the field, Waits took a look under Noble for the top spot on lap 9, but Noble blasted right back into the lead on the high side. Also on the move was opening night's feature winner, Jay Ihrke. Jay appeared in the top five and slipped by Scharkey into fourth as the laps began to wind down.

Another caution bunched the field as the entire left side of Noble's car came loose and debris scattered all over the track. Waits again had a shot at Noble, but suddenly Waits' luck turned sour as he developed a flat tire and was forced to limp into the pit area.

On the final restart of the event, Ihrke tried to make a bid for his second win in a row at the speedway, but was unsuccessful as Noble was too strong and pulled away for the victory. Ihrke came home in second with Schreiner rounding out the top three. Troy Langowski and LeRoy Scharkey ended up edging Shane Wehrs for fourth and fifth respectively as well.

Twenty-four WISSOTA Late Models were up next for their main event with Keith Foss and Rick Egersdorf sitting on the front row. Foss took off like a rocket on the low side of the speedway and assumed the lead as the pack rumbled down the front stretch, but Egersdorf came right back after Foss on the high side and snatched the lead away as they raced down the backstretch. The lead duo swapped the top spot several times as Jon Kurshinsky and Pat Doar were working each other over for the third spot just behind.

Egersdorf was able to snatch the lead away from Foss and began to stretch his advantage as Doar got by Kurshinsky and set off after Foss. Another car on the move was Jimmy Mars. Mars started outside of row 6 and was three-wheeling his # 28 around the extreme low line of the speedway and was picking off cars left and right and by lap 6 had appeared in the top five.

Doar continued to use his patented high line and blasted by Foss into second and Mars was on a mission on the low side. Mars reeled in Doar and the tow began to thrill the crowd as they ran wheel to wheel all the while rapidly catching Egersdorf up front.

A lap 7 restart broke up the great battle for the lead and when the green flag flew again over the field Lance Matthees came out of nowhere and blasted by Mars, Doar and Egersdorf into the lead on the high side. Once Matthees inherited the lead, he began to stretch it out a bit, but Mars was not to be denied as he was able to also get by Doar and Egersdorf into second. Mars continued to drive very hard on the low side of the speedway and reeled in Matthees up front. Mars and Matthees then began to wage a war for the top spot as Doar and Egersdorf were doing the same for third. The sight was awesome as the two cagey veterans sliced and diced each other for the lead while Doar and Egersdorf both suddenly pulled up lame with heavy smoke out of the rear end of both cars, ending their top five runs.

Another caution flew on lap 13, which bunched up the field again and allowed Steve Laursen and Bob Timm to close in on the leaders. This duo swapped a little paint as they scrapped with each other for third as Ashley Anderson and Chad Cummings were engaged in a stellar battle for fifth. As the laps wound down Anderson found the high side to his liking, as he was able to clear Cummings and shoot to the outside of Laursen for third.

A three-lap shootout to the finish was on tap after the final caution of the event, which created some excitement to see if Mars had anything for Matthees up front. On the restart, Matthees blasted off to his first feature win of the season with Mars a solid second. Anderson outran Laursen to finish third and Cummings recorded his best career feature finish after nipping Duane Mahder at the line for fifth.

The WISSOTA Street Stock feature was the final event of the night with Troy Fransway and Wayne Dean leading the pack to the green. Dean took the lead at the start as Travis Krause quickly moved in to battle with the leaders on lap 2. Right behind the battle for the lead, a pair of 00's were duking it out as Shawn Wehlage and Steve Goodenough were running side by side for position.

Just before the halfway point, Krause made a bid for the lead as he stepped to the outside of Dean on the backstretch. Once Krause took command he never looked back as he stretched his advantage with each lap. A good battle was ensuing for third as Darran Jonsgaard moved into battle with Fransway for position, while Danny Hanson found some bite on the high side and began to march toward the front.

Krause was gone as he went on to record his first win of the season while the battle behind him raged on. Hanson continued his tear toward the front as he, Fransway and Wehlage were three-wide as the white flag flew. Wehlage was able to hold off Hanson's challenges for second at the stripe. Jonsgaard was also able to hold off Fransway for fourth at the checkered.

Overall, the racing action was fast and furious all night long and is set to continue this Friday with action for WISSOTA Late Models, Modifieds, Super Stocks and WISSOTA Street Stocks. Hot laps are set for 7 with the first green flag set for 7:30. For more information, check out the web site at www.foxridgespeedway.com or call the track at (608) 323-3396.

RESULTS

WISSOTA LATE MODELS

Feature: Lance Matthees, Jimmy Mars, Ashley Anderson, Steve Laursen, Chad Cummings, Duane Mahder, Mark Hessler, John Kaanta, Mike Sorensen, Brad Waits

Heat 1: Mars, Rick Egersdorf, Cummings, Kaanta, Ron Mahder

Heat 2: Matthees, Keith Foss, Anderson, Tom Nesbitt, Waits

Heat 3: Jon Kurshinsky, Pat Doar, D. Mahder, Hessler, Brent Larson

Heat 4: Bob Timm, Laursen, Tony Bahr, Sorensen, Robbie Halstead

MODIFIEDS

Feature: Mark Noble, Jay Ihrke, Ron Schreiner, Troy Langowski, LeRoy Scharkey, Shane Wehrs, Bruce Angst, Dan Hesch, Kerry Ledebuhr, Gary Doelle

Heat 1: Noble, Ihrke, L. Scharkey, Todd Klees, Angst

Heat 2: Steve Speltz, Mick Glenn, Wehrs, Doelle, Bill Bauers

Heat 3: Brad Waits, Schreiner, Langowski, Dan Fagerlind, Dave Wiersgalla

SUPER STOCKS

Feature: Kevin Glander, Jason Johnson, Mike Hesselink, Gary Wiersgalla, Bob Bautch, John Doelle, Dan Arneson, Jim Jensen, Ben Anderson, Brian Fetting

Heat 1: Johnson, Josh Rodewald, Bautch, Anderson, Hesselink

Heat 2: Arneson, Wiersgalla, Bob Fort, Matt Durnen, Dan Nissalke

Heat 3: Glander, Jeff Bush, Jensen, Doelle, Fetting

WISSOTA STREET STOCKS

Feature: Travis Krause, Shawn Wehlage, Danny Hanson, Darran Jonsgaard, Troy Fransway, Jeremy Sommer, Phil Wernert, Daryl Foegen, Andy Hoch, Ron Hanestad

Heat 1: Wayne Dean, Steve Goodenough, Wernert, Larry Brengel, Greg Ziegler

Heat 2: Krause, Fransway, Hanestad, Jordan Johnson, Nathan Rauter

Heat 3: Wehlage, Sommer, Foegen, Josh Malchaski, Matt Theisen

Heat 4: Hanson, Jonsgaard, Hoch, Dennis Davis, Luke Schultz