Kaanta, Johnson, Wytaske and
Gustafson grab Deer Creek checkers

By Bill Nelson
© 2006 All The Dirt! Racing News, Inc.

SPRING VALLEY, MN (April 15) - A total of 134 cars rolled into the pits for Land Resource Management and Realty and K.C. Lawn Care night at Deer Creek Speedway on Saturday, April 15.

The WISSOTA Street Stocks took to the track for their main event and turned in the best feature race of the night, which ended in a three-wide race to the checkers.

Travis Forcier took the early lead with Mark Zvorak, Shaun Wehlage and Chuck Nerland three wide for second. Forcier’s first challenge for the lead occurred with 15 laps to go when Nerland moved under him and Wehlage nosed his way into the middle. The trio tussled for the lead for two laps until Wehlage eventually secured the point.

Forcier regained the lead on the next lap but the three-wide struggle for the lead continued. Behind the leaders, Cory Rosen sat in fourth and patiently waited for his chance. Nerland swapped spots with Forcier with 10 laps to go and held the lead at the stripe with Rosen right behind him.

Coming out of turn two, Wehlage again used the top groove to move around Nerland and took the lead while Forcier, Nerland, Rosen and Cory Crapser raced four-wide for second. Rosen moved into second two laps later while the top five ran in tight formation. Forcier pulled up lame in turn three with seven laps to go and brought out a caution.

On the restart, Wehlage took the lead while Rosen and Nerland battled for second ahead of Crapser and Gustafson. Rosen got a great run and pulled alongside Wehlage for the lead while Crapser, Nerland and Gustafson raced for third.

Gustafson held the lead with three laps to go but one lap later the edge went to Rosen. After the field took the white flag, Gustafson, Wehlage and Rosen entered the back straight in tight formation. Wehlage gained the advantage over Rosen coming through turn three but exiting turn four Gustafson used the inside line to propel him into the lead and he scored the win by a nose. Wehlage finished second less than two feet ahead of Rosen.

After putting on a stellar race last weekend, the WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds had an entertaining race again during the early stages. After a first-lap mishap that led to race-ending damage on five or six cars, Albert Wytaske jumped out to the early lead with most of the field two and three wide for position.

With 16 laps to go, Kenny Wytaske moved past Albert Wytaske and took the lead just as another caution flew. Sean Hemker and Shane Sabraski battled for third on the restart. Sabraski took the spot and then moved past Albert Wytaske for second.

The top two steadily pulled away from the field while Jeff Brauer moved into the top five. A caution with six laps to go bunched the field back up. After the restart, Albert Wytaske, Chris Adams and Hemker waged a great battle for third behind Sabraski, who had to settle for second behind Kenny Wytaske.

Brian Fetting started the WISSOTA Super Stock feature on the outside of the front row and took the early lead followed by Dave Haberman. Cole Queensland had moved up from eighth to third via the high groove two laps into the race. Cory Mahder, Queensland and Haberman were fighting for second when the first caution flew.

Queensland powered by Fetting on the top side after the restart but another caution negated the pass. Fetting pulled off with a flat tire, which handed the lead to Haberman.

On the restart, Tim Johnson, Queensland and Mahder ignited a great battle for second. Mahder got squeezed out of the middle and Ryan Siegle moved up to race with him. The two made heavy contact down the front straightaway, spun into the infield brought out another caution. Ryan Aho was in fifth on the restart but lost a tire going into turn two and produced another yellow.

Johnson continued to lead through one more caution and held on for the win.

WISSOTA Late Model heat winner John Kaanta quickly darted into the lead of the feature race with Barry Underdahl and Ben Mattick close behind in second and third. Only two laps were completed before the first caution of the event flew.

Duane Mahder and Lance Matthees slugged it out for fourth during the the early stages of the race. Maathees took the spot and Jay Ihrke moved into a race with Mahder.

With 13 laps remaining, Mattick put pressure on Underdahl while the leaders worked through lapped traffic. The top three steadily pulled away from the rest of the field until a late caution set up a green, white and checkered dash to the finish. Kaanta held on for the win ahead of Underdahl and Mattick.

Bob Timm and Steve Arpin paced the field at the start of the USRA Modified feature. After running side by side during the first lap, Arpin got the lead and Mike Sorensen moved into third. Timm bobbled in turn two, which allowed Sorensen and Tim Donlinger to move into second and third. Arpin quickly caught up to lapped traffic while the rest of the field tried to chase him down. A caution with 16 laps to go bunched the field back up.

Another caution with 12 laps to go set the tone for the remainder of the race. As Sorensen and Arpin raced out of four, the two cars touched slightly. Sorensen took advantage of the contact and took over the lead. Sorensen went on to score the win followed by Arpin and Donlinger.

Racing action in all five divisions resumes on Saturday, April 22 beginning at 5 p.m.

SUMMARY

WISSOTA Late Models:

Feature - John Kaanta, Barry Underdahl, Ben Mattick, Lance Matthees, Duane Mahder, Paul Novotny, Jerry Bloom, Jay Ihrke, Adam Hensel, Steve Yaggy

Heat 1 - Hensel, Matt Madsen, Mattick, Jeff Matejka, Schatney Sanders

Heat 2 - J. Bloom, Mahder, Nick Herrick, Jake Redetzke, Steve Yaggy

Heat 3 - Kaanta, Ihrke, Underdahl, Keith Foss, Doug Herrick

B Feature - Brad Jensen, Kevin Keuhn, Bob Slater, Tony Bloom, Curt Myers

WISSOTA Super Stocks:

Feature - Tim Johnson, Dave Haberman, Cole Queensland, Ryan Siegle, Kyle Peterlin, Chris Groth, Dustin Nelson, Erick Thiesse, Chris Klinger, Mike McCaughan

Heat 1 - Luke Standlund, McCaughan, Dan Gullikson, Brian Fetting, Peterlin

Heat 2 - Cory Mahder, Kevin Hager, Queensland, Siegle, Ryan Aho

Heat 3 - Johnson, Haberman, Klinger, Groth, Kurt Kromschroeder

WISSOTA Street Stocks:

Feature - Jim Gustafson, Cory Rosen, Shaun Wehlage, Chuck Nerland, Cory Crapser, Mark Froelich, Jason Vande Kamp, Michael Conrad, Danny Hanson, Mark Zvorak

Heat 1 - Froehlich, Zvorak, Vande Kamp, Crapser, Scott Olson

Heat 2 - Rosen, Travis Forcier, Andrew Miskowic, Tony Horsman, Hanson

Heat 3 - Wehlage, Nerland, Ernie Kramer, Conrad, Kole Gamez

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds:

Feature - Kenny Wytaske, Shane Sabraski, Sean Hemker, Chris Adams, Albert Wytaske, Jeff Brauer, Gregory Jensen, Ben Anderson, Dan Wheeler, Bob Bunne

Heat 1 - Wheeler, Hemker, Jerry Young, Ryan Olson, Andrew Wiste

Heat 2 - B. Bunne, A. Wytaske, Ryan Kriese, Harland Morehart, Steinbrink

Heat 3 - K. Wytaske, Jensen, Adams, Jared Loos, Svee

Heat 4 - Sabraski, Brauer, Tyler Clark, Tom Paulson, S. Siskow

Heat 5 - Brady Peterson, Joe Bunne, Anderson, Trent Brutger, T. Siskow

B Feature 1 - Dan Svee, Kyle Jumpbeck, Travis Krause, Tim Siskow, James Nystrom

B Feature 2 - Dustin Steinbrink, Bryan Hernandez, Sam Siskow, Michael Greg, Jason Born

USRA Modifieds:

Feature - Mike Sorensen, Steve Arpin, Tim Donlinger, Nate Wasmund, Bob Timm, Corey Dripps, Hank Rollinger, Jr., Bobby Sorensen, Steve Wetzstein, Brad Waits

Heat 1 - Donlinger, Waits, Wetzstein, M. Sorensen, Alan Mondus

Heat 2 - Arpin, Wasmund, Doug Hillson, Rollinger Jr., B. Sorensen

Heat 3 - Dripps, Dain Schultz, Timm, Joe Wernecke, Terry Timmerman