by Chris Stepan

ARCADIA, Wis. (Aug. 19, 2001) - The Fox Ridge Speedway in Arcadia hosted its first ever season championship racing program with a very strong field of competitors signing in to try their hand at the Miller Lite season championship hardware.

The WISSOTA Street Stocks were the first cars on the speedway for their season championship event, which saw Jimmy Randall shoot from his second row starting spot into the lead on the first lap. Randall began to stretch his lead early on over the battle for second between Jeremy Sommer, Brad Dennis, Travis Krause and Darryl Foegen. The battle for second heated up early on as Randall had checked out on the field and was seemingly on his way to his second consecutive feature win at the speedway until his lead suddenly was over when his right rear tire broke loose, ending his night.

Dennis and Foegen then assumed the battle for the lead just after the half way point. Dennis took the lead on lap 13, while Krause, Foegen and Jimmy Patzner were duking it out for second just behind the leader. Patzner's good run then suddenly came to and end in a similar way to Randall's when his wheel fell off, ending his night.

Krause wrestled the second spot away from Foegen and set off after Dennis, who was looking for his first career feature win in his # 55. Krause reeled in Dennis, but was Dennis was too strong and raced to the very impressive feature win over Krause and Sommer.

Next up was the Super Stock main event and Lyle Schlomer took advantage of his front row starting spot by taking the lead early on as Curt Myers and Matt Durnen battled it out for second. Myers was able to steal the second spot away from Durnen on lap 3 and immediately began to reel in Schlomer up front.

Schlomer slid up the track a bit in turn 4 and Myers shot his # 1m to the low side of the track and took the lead away for good. Once Myers was in the lead, he was gone as he stretched his advantage over the field with each lap, while Schlomer, Jason Johnson and Dan Arneson were engaged in a good battle for second.

Johnson shot to the inside of Schlomer for second and tried to reel in Myers up front, but Curt was too strong and raced to his 10th feature win of his rookie season. Johnson ran a solid second to wrap up the 2001 Super Stock track championship. Arneson was able to hold off John Rodewald, who started mid-pack, for third.

Bruce Angst took the lead at the start of the Modified feature while Bob Timm and Shane Wehrs were locked in battle early on for second. Timm took the second spot away from Wehrs and quickly put his # 49 on the cushion and began to chase down Angst up front. Timm wasted no time reeling in Angst, while Dave Wiersgalla, Steve Speltz and Dan Hesch were in a three car scramble for fourth.

Timm caught Angst and began to pressure him for the lead until Angst got up and over the cushion a bit in turn four, allowing Timm to shoot by into the lead, which he would never relinquish. Once Timm got out front, sped away from the field for his second consecutive feature win over Angst and Wehrs. Speltz came home in fourth, which wrapped up the track championship for him.

The final event of the regular season was the Late Model main event, which saw Keith Foss take command early on and check out on the field right away. Tom Nesbitt and Lance Matthees were locked in battle for second while Foss ran away from the field. Matthees was able to steal second away from Nesbitt, while Bob Timm and Eric Pember were also having a good battle for fourth.

Foss had opened up a straightaway advantage over the field, but jumped the cushion and spun himself out on lap 6, bringing out the caution and handing the lead over to Matthees.

Foss dropped into the pit area and restarted at the tail but back up front Matthees shot out of the gate and took off from the field into the lead. Nesbitt, Pember and Timm were now locked in battle for third while Foss was threading through traffic and appeared in fifth on lap 11, when the caution flew again bunching up the field and eliminating Matthees' lead.

This time on the restart Matthees took off again into the lead, but Foss was not going to settle for fifth and shot back up to the cushion and blasted by Pember into fourth and then repeated the move on both Timm and Nesbitt into second with 4 laps remaining, but could not reel in Matthees, who raced to the win. Foss completed the amazing run from the back to second and Nesbitt rounded out the top three finishers.

Racing resumes this Friday at the Ridge with action for Modifieds, which will pay the winner $1,000, WISSOTA Super Stocks and WISSOTA Street Stocks. For more information, please check out the tracks website at www.foxridgespeedway.com.

RESULTS

WISSOTA LATE MODELS

Feature: Lance Matthees, Keith Foss, Tom Nesbitt, Bob Timm, Eric Pember, Corby Metzgar, Jason Schill, Troy Brand, Jeff Keeney, Les Duellman

Heat 1: Nesbitt, Pember, Timm, Keeney, Schill

Heat 2: Foss, Matthees, Metzgar, Brand, Duellman

MODIFIEDS

Feature: Bob Timm, Bruce Angst, Shane Wehrs, Steve Speltz, Hank Rollinger, Troy Langowski, Dan Hesch, Leroy Scharkey, Mick Glenn, Mark Iverson

Heat 1: Speltz, Hesch, Glenn, Ron Britain, Gary Doelle

Heat 2: Dave Wiersgalla, Bruce Angst, Langowski, Iverson, Paul Hamernik

Heat 3: Timm, Wehrs, Scahrkey, Rollinger, Bill Baures

WISSOTA SUPER STOCKS

Feature: Curt Myers, Jason Johnson, Dan Arneson, Josh Rodewald, Kevin Glander, Gary Wiersgalla, Dennis Earney, Matt Durnen, Brian Fetting, Mark Peterson

Heat 1: Johnson, Arneson, Mike Hesselink, Troy Brand, Phil Kendrick

Heat 2: Jon Duffy, Lyle Schlomer, Wayne Engen, Peterson, John Doelle

Heat 3: Myers, Durnen, Fetting, Earney, Glander

WISSOTA STREET STOCKS

Feature: Brad Dennis, Travis Krause, Jeremy Sommer, Darryl Foegen, Phil Wernert, Tom Brink, Lee Hager, Dennis Davis, Luke Schultz, Shaun Wehlage

Heat 1: Sommer, Krause, Dennis, Jimmy Patzner, Lester Beardsley

Heat 2: Danny Hanson, Foegen, David Nastvold, Tom Hund, Mark Hovland

Heat 3: Jimmy Randall, Wernert, Davis, Hager, Wehlage