VESEL NABS FIRST FEATURE WIN AT FINAL REGULAR SEASON EVENT

By Jerry O'Brien
8-24-03

Veteran Steve Vesel of Hibbing Minnesota won his first Late Model feature of the season Sunday night August 24th as the Proctor Speedway finished the 2003 regular season competition. Vesel used the high side of the track to pull away from the pack from the pole position towing Don Copp along with him. Ed Wakefield and Harry Hanson trailed with Mike Meger, Darrell Nelson and Todd Gehl in a battle for fifth. There was only a single caution flag in the 20 lap event and that was a called stop when a spectator was allegedly injured in the fourth turn stands. When racing resumed it appeared the bottom groove was improving as Copp, Hanson and Nelson began to test out the traction down there. Hansom moved to third as Vesel had moved out to a several car length lead. At the mid point Hanson was able to take second away from Copp and began to cut into Vesel's lead as Nelson moved to fourth. At the checkered flag Vesel held off Hanson as Nelson got by Copp for third. Wakefield held off Mike Meger to retain the fifth spot. Unofficially, Darrell Nelson is the 2003 Proctor Speedway Late Model Champion.

It looked as though the WISSOTA Modified main event would go wire to wire as there were no caution flags up to half way. Kelly Estey drew the pole for the feature and quickly moved out to the lead over Jayme Lautigar, Joey Jensen Jodi Olson and Jason Miller.  At the mid point Estey easily led Jensen, Lautigar, Miller and a rapidly advancing Jeff Hart. The caution flag flew when Hart tangled with Miller on the back stretch disabling both cars.  The caution erased Estey's lead and, at the green flag, Jensen attemptedto take the lead with an inside move but Estey was too strong on the high side and maintained the lead.  The second caution flag appeared when Ken Hron spun in turn two.  At the green flag Jensen dug to the inside but could not make the pass.  With four laps to go John Carter and Rod Heitala tangled catching up innocent bystander Hron again.  Estey held off Jensen, Lautigar, Duane Dale (from 10th) and Jeff Spacek in the top five.  Unofficially, Darrell Nelson is also the WISSOTA Modified Track Champion.

Scott Lawrence started fifth in WISSOTA Super Stock main event and survived a no start at the beginning when pole sitter Mike Bellefeuille executed a perfect 360 degree spin scattering the field.  Bobby Carlson grabbed the lead at the start as Ryan Aho had joined him moving up to the pole.  Carlson led Aho, a fast moving Lawrence, Eric Nelson and Paul Schultz.  Lawrence found traction down low and slipped by Aho into second.  A lap later debris on the track brought out the caution flag.  At the restart Lawrence got the jump on Carlson and took the lead.  Aho, Kyle Peterlin and Nelson trailed with Nick Musel, Schultz and John Copp in the mix.  The next caution period was right at the half way mark when there was a tangle toward the rear of the field that involved Spike McDougall, Keith Kern, Derrick Vesel, Dan Turcotte, Shawn Ziels.  McDougall was ticketed for the infraction.  At the green flag with Lawrence leading, the fastest car on the track was John Copp moving quickly to fifth then third and finally to second.  The final caution flag for a Vinnie Soderlund spin in turn two brought Copp right to Lawrence's bumper.  Copp tried to overhaul Lawrence for the win but was unable to muster quite enough.  Lawrence led Copp, Aho, Carlson and Schultz to the checkered flag.

The only feature to go flag to flag was the Midwest Modified feature.  Duane Dunbar is an infrequent visitor making the three plus hour trip from Marenesco Michigan a few times per season.  Once again he proved to be the class of the field running out to a wire to wire win for the third time this season recording a sweep.  Loren Inman, Jr charged from the inside of the third row to finish in the runner up position while JJ Thompson, Justin Jones and Bob Chesley rounded out the top five.  Mark Kangas and Greg Carlson were tied for the lead with 622 points apiece.  No determination as to who is the champion was made by press time.

Nick Lavato charged from the outside of the third row to win his second consecutive Pure Stock feature in which point leader and race leader JP Aase broke a wheel flipping the #0 in the first turn.  He was uninjured but the incident may have hurt his chances for a title.  Al Rapp, Al McDougall, Scott Larsen and Stacy McKinnon rounded out the top five.  It was a sweep for Lavato.

Results

WISSOTA Late Model

Heat 1: Paul Wrazidlo, Harry Hanson, Don Copp, Andy Simonson, Ed Wakefield
Heat 2: Darrell Nelson, Kelly Estey, Mike Meger, Steve vesel, Todd Gehl
Feature: Vesel, Hanson, Nelson, Copp, Wakefield, Meger, Tim McMann, Steve Roseen, Jeff Broking, Wrazidlo

WISSOTA Modified

Heat 1: Jodi Olson, Kelly Estey, Joey Jensen, Tommy turcotte, Jeff Lien
Heat 2: Jeff Hart, Jeff Spacek, Duane Dale, Jason Miller, Jayme Lautigar
Feature: Estey, Jensen, Lautigar, Duane Dale, Spacek, Nelson, Olson, Lien, Dan Schroeder, Turcotte

WISSOTA Super Stock

Heat 1: Mike Bellefeuille, Spike McDougall, Scott Lawrence, John Copp, Derrick Vesel
Heat 2: Paul Schultz, Jeff Tardy, Eric Nelson, Vinnie Soderlund
Heat 3: Bobby Carlson, Ryan Aho, Kyle peterlin, Dan Turcotte, Shawn Ziells
Heat 4: Nick Musel, Joe Oliver, Jay kuras, Keith Kern, Jeff Forseen
B Main: Vesel, Forseen, Ziells, Justin Aylward, Adam Long
Feature: Lawrence, Copp, Aho, Carlson, Schultz, Tardy, Musel, Vesel, Nelson

WISSOTA Midwest Modified

Heat 1: JJ Thompson, Tyker Hynnes, Bob Chesley, Darren Brown, Loren Inman, Jr
Heat 2: Duane dunbar, Justin Jones, Greg Carlson, Dick Walters, Guy Carley
Feature: Dunbar, Inman, Jr, Thompson, Jones, Chesley, Brown, Hynnes, Kangas, Carlson, Charlie Hillukka

Pure Stocks

Heat 1: Jim McLellan, Stacey McKinnon, Jon McKinnon, Allen Price, Tom Cornelison
Heat 2; Nick Lavato, Tim Lillo, Steve young, Tim Carlson, Tom Morinville
Heat 3: Todd Monahan, Mark Carlson, Scott Larsen, LaRae Ralidak, Cheryl Deloach
Heat 4: Jimmy Rich, Jr, JP Aase, Al Rapp, Craig Lofdahl, Joey Ogstad
B Main: McDougall, Morinville, Bruce Kalman, Tom Cornelison, Deloach
Feature: Lavato, Rapp, McDougall, Larsen, S McKinnon, Rich, Jr, Cornelison, Young, Lillo, Monahan.