LANSING, Minn. - Chateau Raceway powered by Miner's Outdoor & Recreation, kicked off the Fourth of July Weekend with a bang Thursday night as it presented another full night of action with over 100 in the pits for the first time in a couple seasons, setting up a 23-race program. On top of the racing there was also a pair of very thrilling but dangerous stunts put on by a pair of stuntmen from Texas.

The French's Repair & Fabrication USRA Modified field looked like they were on their way to a caution-free race as they blazed through the first 15 laps of the race before a series of three cautions slowed the pace of the race.

But that was all that was slowed as the racing action was very fast. Brad Waits of Zumbrota was doing his best to make a shambles of the race early. Waits jumped from the pole at the drop of the green and rocketed off to half a straight-away lead in just two laps, and started lapping the back of the field in just seven laps.

At mid-race he had seven cars down a lap and was about to put a few more away when the first caution came out. Each restart he would quickly get his half a straightaway lead on the first lap and leave the rest of the field to battle for second.

Todd Scharkey of Kasson was holding down second much of the race as he held off Brad Bakken of Garner, Iowa, early and then Mike Sorensen of Rochester during the middle stages of the race.

Late in the race, however, Tim Donlinger of Rochester, who had worked his way up to third from a row six starting spot, started applying the pressure. Scharkey went way to the top of the track and Donlinger rode the bottom with Scharkey able to out pull him off turns 2 and 4.

With two laps to go, Donlinger was able to make the pass stick and took over the second-place finish.

Joe Wernecke of Dodge Center did a nice job of staying in the top-five to come in fourth behind Scharkey.

Tommy Myer, who started in row three, rounded out the top-five.

Waits also won his heat giving him a sweep in the class for the second week in a row. Myer and Sorensen also took home heat wins.

Racing action continues next Friday night at 7:30 p.m. with a gigantic fireworks display scheduled for sometime after dark.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
USRA Casey’s General Stores Weekly Racing Series
Chateau Raceway, Lansing, Minn.
Thursday, July 3, 2008

USRA MODIFIEDS

Feature: 1. Brad Waits, Zumbrota; 2. Tim Donlinger, Rochester; 3. Todd Scharkey, Kasson; 4. Joe Wernecke, Dodge Center; 5. Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie; 6. Mike Sorensen, Rochester; 7. Nate Wasmund, Rochester; 8. Neil Eckhart, Rochester; 9. Brad Bakken, Garner, Iowa; 10. Tyler Clark, Rochester; 11. Jacob Dahle, Morristown; 12. Darwyn Karau, Kasson; 13. Josh Mattick, Austin; 14. Wally Bustad, Austin; 15. James Krejci, Blooming Prairie; 16. Shaun Olson, Albert Lea; 17. Greg Jensen, Albert Lea; 18. Dave Wytaske Jr., Mapleview; 19. Doug Hillson, Blooming Prairie; 20. Brian Shaw, Brownsdale; DNS - Jason Cummins, New Richland.

Heat 1: Waits, Clark, Bakken, Donlinger, Dahle, Jensen, Krejci.

Heat 2: Myer, Wasmund, Scharkey, Hillson, Shaw, Wytaske, Cummins.

Heat 3: Sorenson, Eckhart, Bustad, Wernecke, Karau, Olson, Mattick.