CHILLY PROCTOR OPENER WARMED BY HOT RACING

By Jerry O'Brien
5-13-07

Despite cool temperatures and the seemingly ever present east win off the big lake a good crowd of hardy race fans attended the opening night at the Proctor Speedway. A grand total of 114 cars in five divisions did battle on the tight three-eights mile oval on the South St Louis county fairgrounds. Fourteen heat races and three semi-features set the lineups in the five divisions.

The first class to take to the track was the WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds for their 20 lap feature. Randy Vezina led the 20 car field to the green flag with defending track champion Nick Lavato slipping into the lead from the outside pole. Lavato pulled away for the first three circuits but the caution flag flew when rookie drivers Adam Archer and Nick Baker tangled in turn one. The restart was just what Greg chesley needed as he swiped the lead and ran away from the pack. Lavato ran second ahead of Vezina, Clint Larson, Willie Thompson and a flying Mark Kangas who started 15th and moved to just outside the top five.

The first half of the event was a run away for Chesley but the second caution flag of the event at just the mid point appeared when the fire went out in Nick Baker's #50. The result of this caution put the pack right on Chesley's tail. At the green Chesley held the point but Kangas, in a great move, shot from sixth to second. Chesley streaked away from the field as Kangas, Larson, Lavato, Mike Jones and Skeeter Estey battled for position. The final caution flag flew on lap 17 for debris on the race track. When racing resumed Chesley was able to hold off Kangas for the win with Lavato, Larson and Estey rounding out the top five.

Next up for their 20 lap feature was the WISSOTA Late Models with former track champions Darrell Nelson and Harry Hanson pacing the field. The early lead went to Nelson with Hanson close behind. Caley Emerson, Nick Musel and Jeff Provinzino battled for third in their wake. The duel up front went to Hanson who soon disappeared in traffic. The half way point was quickly reached with Hanson in the lead by a large margin. Emerson maintained third with Provinzino fourth and Musel in fifth. Following behind were Kerry Hanson, Jake Redtezke, Aaron Lillo, Kevin Carlson and Terry Lillo. Hanson was dominant in defense of his ‘06 track title. Nelson was second followed by Emerson, Provinzino and Kerry Hanson.

The WISSOTA Super Stock feature got off to a ragged start with a crash between Ronnie Malecki and Dennis German in the first turn. That seemed to set the tone for the rest of the 20 lap event as four more caution flags would slow the action before the ten lap mark. Ryan Aho jumped from the pole to the early lead but Steve Estey would not let him get very far away. There was a gaggle of cars in play behind Aho and Estey which included Dan Gullikson, Art Hyde and Donnie Lofdahl all struggling for position.

After the first caution for a Kevin Salin spin in turn four, the order stood Aho in first, then Estey, Gullikson, Meierotto, Hyde and lurking just outside the top five Jeff Tardy up from row six. Pretty much the same players were in the front bunch behind Aho through the rest of the caution flags but after the third caution period for a Lofdahl spin in the apparently treacherous turn four, Meierotto drove his #47 to the pits and out of the race. At the half way point Aho led Gullikson, Estey, Tardy, Hyde, Dave Flynn, B feature winner Butch Butcher, Louis Meglen, Tom Treviranus and Lofdahl who was making a great charge after being sent to the rear. Aho went on to hold off all comers to take the win with Steve Estey, Gullkson, Tardy, and Hyde surviving to finish in the top five. Flynn was sixth with Lofdahl's charge taking him to seventh ahead of Meglen, Treviranus and Malecki to round out the top ten.

The WISSOTA Modified feature also got off to a poor start when the #12m of Jason Miller dropped the drive shaft on the front straight. Pole sitter Kelly Estey got the jump on Tim Alexander and drove off leaving several drivers battling for second. Jim Inman brought out the first caution flag and, at the restart, Estey was again quick on the draw taking the lead over Don Copp, Justin Jones, Alexander and Jeff Hart. Estey was shortly cruising away from the pack by nearly a straight away headed into lapped traffic. Mid-race Estey led Copp, Jones, Hart and Rick Cannata while coming to the forefront was Darrell Nelson from 19th to the 7th spot.

A caution flag for the stalled ride of Jad Carlson brought the action to a halt and when the restart was attempted, several cars wrecked in turn one. Estey was again equal to the task when the racing resumed and led the rest of the remaining circuits in a convincing manner to take the win. Copp was second ahead of Jones and Nelson with Duane Dale from 12th to fifth.

Glen Dammer of Duluth completed the hat trick for the weekend as he won his third feature in as many days Sunday night. Jon McKinnon started from the pole and led the early laps before the fifth starting Dammer reeled him in. After a caution flag for Tony Ciurleo's spin in turn four, Dammer got the jump on the pack, took the lead and was never really challenged despite two more caution periods that drew the pack to him. Once Dammer got out front, he cruised to the easy win.

Results

WISSOTA Late Models (19 cars)
Heat 1: Darrell Nelson, Caley Emerson, Jake Redetzke, John Massingill, Kerry Hanson, Kyle Peterlin, Darrell Carlson, Brian Taylor DNF Joey Ogston, Kelly Estey 
Heat 2: Harry Hanson, Nick Musel, Kevin Carlson, Jeff Provinzino, Terry Lillo, Aaron Lillo, Tim McMann, Doug Koski, Jeff Massingill
Feature (20 Laps) Hanson, Nelson, Emerson, Provinzino, K Hanson, Redetzke, Musel, A Lillo, T Lillo, K Carlson, Peterlin, John Massingill, Doug Koski, Jeff Massingill, Ogston, D Carlson, McMann, Taylor DNF Estey

WISSOTA Modified (21 Cars)
Heat 1: Kelly Estey, Justin Jones, Jad Carlson, Matt Sorenson, John Reini, DNF Paul Schultz, Darrell Nelson
Heat 2: Tim Alexander, Rick Cannata, Jeff Wood, Marc Johnson, Mark Blood, Travis Zollar, Jim Inman
Heat 3: Don Copp, Jeff Hart, Jason Miller, Duane Dale, Nick Nelson, Andy Miskovic DNF Jody Bellefeuille
Feature (20 Laps) Estey,Copp, Jones, Nelson, Dale, Cannata, Alexander, Reini, N Nelson, Wood, J Carlson, Sorenson, Zollar, Blood, Johnson DNF Hart, Inman, Miller, Schultz.

WISSOTA Midwest Modified (24 cars)
Heat 1: Randy Vezina, Clint Larson, Mike Jones, Al McDougall, Nick Baker, Chais Eliason, Tom Morinville, Brad Anderson
Heat 2: Nick Lavato, Jesse Ogston, Jim White, Skeeter Estey, Deven Van House, Barry Smith, Adam Archer, Ray Olson
Heat 3: Greg Chesley, Willie Thompson, Loran Inman, Ricky Davis, Mark Kangas, Chad Larson, E J Hietala DNS Cory Jorgenson
B Main: Chad Larson, Eliason, Archer, Hietala, Anderson, Olson, Morinville DNS Jorgenson
Feature (20 Laps) Chesley, Kangas, Lavato, Clint Larson, Estey, Vezina, McDougall, White, Archer, Ogston, Jones, Van House, Davis, Eliason, Smith, Chad Larson, DNF Hietala, Thompson, Inman, Baker

WISSOTA Super Stocks (25 cars)
Heat 1: Ryan Aho, Art Hyde, Jay Kuras, Tom Treviranus, Ronnie Malecki, Andy Grymala, Louis Meglen, Eric Nelson, DNF Butch Butcher 
Heat 2: Steve Estey, Darin Meierotto, Frank Befera, Jeff Tardy, Kevin Salin, Robbie Cooper, Dennis German, Scott Sertich
Heat 3: Dan Gullikson, Dave Flynn, Donnie Lofdahl, Adam Long, Kevin Eder, Dave Reynolds, Todd Carlson, Gary Cornelison
B Main: Butcher, Berman, Meglen, Cooper, Cornelison, Carlaon, Sertich, Grymala, Nelson
Feature (20 laps) Aho, Estey, Gullikson, Tardy, Hyde, Flynn, Lofdahl, Meglen, Treviranous, Malecki, Eder, Salin, Long, Reynolds, DNF Butcher, Kuras, German, Befera, Cooper, Meierotto.