SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE AT FIRST ANNUAL "PROCTOBER FEST"

By Jerry O'Brien for the Daily Telegram 10-9-05

The first ever "Proctober Fest" held at the Proctor Speedway is in the record books and the event had a little bit of everything including rain, great racing, a nasty roll over and a raucous finish in the Late Model finale. 

The event was scheduled to be a two day event with heat races Friday October 7th and B features and features on Saturday October 8th but mother nature had a hand in changing the best laid plans as cold, wind and light rain stalled Friday's action. Officials decided to make it a single day event on Saturday. 

After qualifying was finished, the first of four feature events, the Midwest Modified 20 lap main, rolled onto the speedway with twin number 69 cars driven by Justin Jones and Todd Rizer holding down the front row. The action turned frightening early as the 24 car field failed to make a lap before the red flag was displayed when Miles Weske apparently got turned into the wall under the flag stand and started a series of violent barrel rolls that ended with an end over end flip off the track. Weske was taken to the hospital and was kept over night suffering from a partially collapsed lung, a bruised lung and broken bones in his right hand that will require surgery. 

When racing resumed, Jones grabbed the lead with team mate Rizer right in his tire tracks. Close behind was Nick Lavato and Greg Chesley with Lonny Loeschke, Riley Matthews and Jeremy Hall battling for fifth. Jones, Rizer and Lavato staged a break away but when the car of Dave Peterson from Jamestown, ND decided to stall at the top of turn two with steam spewing from beneath the hood, the caution flag flew with two laps complete. When racing resumed, the pair of 69's were trailed by a pair of 9's and Chesley, but Jeff Pohjonen was turned around in turn four with two more laps in bringing out the caution flag again. Jeremy Hall was tagged with the caution and sent rearward. 

Once again the green flag flew and once again it lasted not quite a lap as Terry Inman and David Kruckberg tangled. As the field was set to restart in single file, Chesley suddenly dropped off the back stretch into the infield and out of contention. 

At the green flag Jones was still boss as Lavato tried for second with Matthews fourth and Steve Hallquist up from seventh into the top five. Hallquist put a crimp in a good run when he spun in turn four bringing out caution flag number four. Hallquist retired leaving E J Heitala who had started ninth, in fifth. At the green flag the top four again broke away from fifth place Heitala who had his hands full with Loschke and Pohjonen. The event went the rest of the way without another caution flag as Jones pulled away to record the first ever Proctober Fest feature win. Rizer, Lavato, Matthews and Heitala rounded out the top five but Heitala was disqualified at the scales leaving fifth to early spinner Pohjonen.

Next up was the Super Stock main event with WISSOTA National Champion Ryan Aho on the pole with Jeff Tardy off his right shoulder. Aho quickly grabbed the point after racing a lap wheel to wheel with Tardy. The rest of the top five included Randy Silverness, Scott Lawrence and Tony Gates, none of whom were going to let the leaders get very far away. Sam Skalski was on the move from the third row and was working on Gates for fifth in the early going. With three laps in the first caution flag appeared when Mike Flannigan found the mud on the inside of turn four with the help of Jay Kuras who was sent to the rear. At the green flag Silverness and Lawrence got great starts with Silverness jumping to the inside and Lawrence to the outside. Silverness came out with the lead with Lawrence second, Aho third and Tardy fourth. 

With nine circuits complete the caution lights blinked on for an Adam Long spin. At the restart Tardy grabbed the lead with Lawrence second ahead of Aho, Silverness and Skalsky in fifth. Aho got by Lawrence for second, then Lawrence slipped too high and a fast closing Mike Bellefeuille slipped through and grabbed the third spot. Up front Aho overtook Tardy for the lead and a lap later with 13 of 25 laps complete Kyle Peterlin's strong run was derailed when he was spun by Dan Yrjanson in turn two. 

Aho weathered two more caution flags, one for a lost wheel of the number 5 of Scott Heikkinen and the other for the breakdown of Bellefeuille's number 21, to take the win over Tardy, Skalsky, Lawrence and Silverness. 

Jason Miller led the 24 car WISSOTA Modified feature field to the green flag to start their 30 lap main event. Darrell Nelson started from the outside pole and quickly grabbed the lead with Ricky Roche following him through to third behind Miller. Duane Dale and Jed Moore were top five contenders in the early going. Nelson shot out to a big lead early but Roche was on the prowl, took second and set out to hunt down Nelson. With four laps in the first of four caution flags flew when John Meeds and Scott Hudack tangled in the first turn. At the green flag Roche stole the lead from Nelson with Dale third and Clint Larson from eighth to fourth and Miller fifth. Moore slipped back to sixth as Bill Byholm and Don Copp made their way forward. The second caution flag appeared when Byholm lost control and spun with 17 laps to go. 

The single file restart saw Roche lead off with Nelson and Dale close behind. Dale and Nelson got tangled and Nelson was forced off the back stretch into the water filled ditch bringing racing to a halt before it got started. Nelson was able to continue but Dale's chances for victory were dashed as he was charged with the incident and sent to the rear. 

At the restart Roche led off again over Nelson with Copp lurking in fourth behind Miller with Larson still fifth. Roche tried to extend his lead but Nelson's trip to the car wash seemed to help and he closed up and was about to take the lead but the caution flag came out when Dale stalled in turn two. The restart was stalled when Kelly Checkalski spun for caution number four with 13 laps to go. 

When racing resumed Nelson kept working the high side on Roche but couldn't muster quite enough to make the pass. He kept working and finally edged ahead. Cory Jorgenson who had started 14th, was running in the fifth position which brought out the final caution flag with a spin in turn one. 

At the start third running Don Copp got the drop on Roche and took second and closed on Nelson who was beginning to feel the effects of a deflating rear tire. With four circuits remaining Copp got by Nelson for the win. Roche also was able to slip past into second. Nelson finished third with Jayme Lautigar fourth from 18th Jeff Hart and Al Uotinen sixth from 16th. 

The 40 lap WISSOTA Late Model feature promised to be a great one as Silver 1000 winner Jeff Provinzino lined up on the pole of the 24 car field flanked by Darrell Nelson. At the green flag Provinzino quickly moved to the lead over Nelson with Mike Nutzmann and Bill Byholm trailing. Harry Hanson was in an early skirmish for fifth with Kelly Estey in Bob Reed's number 41. The caution flag was in use early in the event as back in the pack Aaron Lillo tried to get inside Bob Broking, hooked a barrier tire and spun into Broking. Lillo was able to continue but Broking was out of the event. 

At the green Provinzino again powered to the lead but things degenerated quickly when the caution flag again appeared almost immediately for a three car pileup involving Lillo, Tim McMann and a different Broking, Jeff, in the fourth turn. The field lined up once again for another try but Lillo's troubles continued as he spun in turn three with seven laps complete. 

At the green Provinzino and Nelson renewed their battle for the lead with Todd Gehl on the fly up from seventh to third but once again the caution lights were turned on for a tangle with Nick Musel getting the tag for the incident. 

At the green flag Provinzino was hugging the bottom of the track while Nelson tried the top side as the two pulled away from the battle for second between Gehl and Byholm with Hanson still hanging on in fifth. Up front Nelson seemed to be getting faster in the high groove as Provinzino began to lap the field on a long green flag run. At the mid point it was Provinzino over Nelson, Gehl, Byholm, Hanson, Estey, Kevin Carlson, Tom Waseleski, Sr, John Massingill and Tim McMann in the top ten. 

Just past the half way point the caution flew for an incident between Andy McKay and Nick Nelson on the back stretch. Restarts seemed to be Nelson's best chance to overtake Provinzino and he tried high, low and in the middle but to no avail as the number 28 was too strong. Gehl continued to chase the leaders as they approached lapped traffic. 

Nelson was able to close up on Provinzino as they came upon Doug Koski, Nick Musel and John Hunker battling for position at the back of the field. Provinzino went to the inside and Nelson to the outside as the two came off turn four for the win. They cleared the lapped cars just off turn four with Nelson edging ahead slightly. Provinzino appeared to come toward the outside and squeezed Nelson into the wall. Nelson rode up on the wall and crossed the line a hairs breadth ahead of Provinzino who spun across the track. Nelson ended up sitting in the first turn missing the entire right front suspension. No penalties were handed out, Nelson was declared the winner and Provinzino scored as second. Gehl, Byholm and Hanson finished in the top five.

WISSOTA Late Model
Heat 1: Bill Byholm, John Massingill, Harry Hanson, Todd Gehl, Bob Broking, Aaron Lillo, Tom Waseleski, Jeff Massingill 
Heat 2: Jeff Provinzino, Darrell Nelson, Jodi Olson, Andrew McKay, Tim McMann, Doug Koski, Dave Latham, Gregg Hill DNF Nick Nelson 
Heat 3: Mike Nutzmann, Kelly Estey, Kevin Carlson, Nick Musel, Roger Paolo, John Hunker, Jeff Broking, Tom Waseleski, Jr DNF George Ledin 
B Main: Tom Waseleski, J Broking, N Nelson, Waseleski, Jr, Hill, Latham, Slater, Ledin

Feature (40 Laps) Nelson, Provinzino, Gehl, Byholm, Hanson, Carlson, Waseleski, Sr, Estey, McMann, John Massingill, Olson, Musel, Paolo, N Nelson, Hunker, Hill, Koski DNF McKay, Jeff Massingill, Waseleski, Jr, Nutzmann, J Broking, Lillo, B Broking 

Modified
Heat 1: Jason Miller, Jed Moore, Clint Larson, Daryl Holzmer, John Meeds, Scott Splitstosser, DNF Rick Friendt, Mike Wood, Guy Smith 
Heat 2; Jeff Hart, Marc Johnson, Jeff Lien, Cory Jorgenson, Jayme Lautigar, Rick Cannata, Jad Carlson, Brad Hanson 
Heat 3: Ricky Roche, Duane Dale, Bill Byholm, Kelly Checkalski, Dave Friendt, Rod Heitala, John Baltich DNF Pete Niska 
Heat 4: Darrell Nelson, Don Copp, Kelly Estey, Al Uotinen, Jody Bellefeuille DNF Scott Hudack, DNS Mike Rich, Mark Heinle 
B Main: D Friendt, J Bellefeuille, Cannata, Splittstosser, Hanson, Hudack, R Friendt, Heitala, Miller, Wood DNF Baltich, Carlson DNS Rich, Niska, Smith 

Feature: Copp, Roche, Nelson, Lautigar, Hart, Uotinen, Hudack, Miller, Cannata, Moore, Hanson, D Friendt, Splitstosser, Johnson, Jorgenson, Holzmer, Checkalski DNF Larson, Dale, Lien, Byholm, Bellefeuille, Meeds, Estey 

WISSOTA Super Stocks
Heat 1: Ryan Aho, Spike McDougall, Dan Yrjanson, Adam Long, Ronnie Malecki, Gary 
Cornelison, John Meeds DNS Chris Martens
Heat 2: Jeff Tardy, Tony Gates, Mike Loomis, Mike Flannigan, Scott Heikkinen, DNF Wayne Stricker, Donnie Lofdahl 
Heat 3: Randy Silverness, Mike Bellefeuille, Kyle Peterlin, Jeff Forseen, Doug Woodhull DNF Dave Flynn, Kevin Salin 
Heat 4: Scott Lawrence, Sam Skalsky, Steve Estey, Jay Kuras, Charlie Weber, Robbie Cooper, DNS Jack Provencher 
B Main: Weber, Flynn, Lofdahl, Woodhull, Cooper, Cornelison, DNF Meeds DNS Salin, Provencher, Martens 

Feature (25 laps) Aho, Tardy, Skalsky, Lawrence, Silverness, Estey, Loomis, Forseen, Weber, McDougall, Kuras, Flynn, Gates, Cooper, Woodhull, Flannigan, Yrjanson, Malecki, Long, Cornelison DNF Peterlin, Bellefeuille, Heikkinen, Lofdahl 

Midwest Modifieds
Heat 1: Justin Jones, Todd Rizer, Miles Weske, Steve Inman, Denny Trimble, Clint Wittlief DNF Al McDougall DQ Steve Alsaker, Jad Zweber 
Heat 2: Jeremy Hall, Barry Smith, Ken Perry, David Kruckeberg, Ryan Kough, Darrell Inman DNF Darren Brown, DNS A J Morrissette 
Heat 3: Riley Matthews, Lonny Loeschke, Krystle Thom, Terry Inman DNF Joey Ogston, Jeff Pohjonen, Earl Hoffman 
Heat 4: Greg Chesley, Nick Lavato, Steve Hallquist, Ken Anderson, Josh Loucks, Dave Peterson, DNF Scott Zadradil, Dick Walters 
B Main: Ogston, Brown, Wittlief, Pohjonen, D Inman, Peterson, McDougall, Zavadil DNF Walters, Kough, Loucks, Zweber, Morissette