PROCTOR SPEEDWAY CHAMPIONS CROWNED

By Jerry O’Brien

8-24-08 Proctor, MN

Track Champions for the 2008 season at the Proctor Speedway were crowned Sunday night August 24. Josh Loucks of Carlton, MN. won the Proctor Pure Stock championship in a close battle with Hibbing’s Andrew LaBarge. Going into the final race the outcome was still in doubt but Loucks finished third while Labarge had to settle for fifth giving the title to Loucks. Greg Chesley, Duluth took a car borrowed from Bart Porter and raced to the feature win to cement his second straight track championship. Jimmy Latvala of solon Springs came into the last night just 10 points behind but bad luck in his heat forced him to compete in the B Feature which he won. Starting deep in the pack Latvala raced his way into tenth short of what he needed. Mike Bellefeuille worked his way from row three to finish second behind sophomore WISSOTA Super Stock driver Kevin Eder to win the 2008 track title. Both Harry Hanson and Darrell Nelson remained separated by three points entering the final 25 lap feature of the season in the Late Model. Each man had finished fifth in their respective heats and started the event side by side in row five. When the race was over only Kyle Peterlin separated the two combatants as Hanson won and Nelson was third giving Hanson the 2008 track championship. Nelson was also up for the 2008 WISSOTA Modified championship entering the final night third with 401 points, two back of Jayme Lautigar and 20 back of Kelly Estey. Estey finished behind Nelson in their heat, Lautigar blew a motor during the feature while running second and Nelson finished there giving Estey another track championship.

Matt Sorenson led the first circuit of the 25 lap Late Model feature and John Massingill led the next followed by a stint by Travis Budiaslovich and Jeff Broking at the head of the pack. Eighth starting Kyle Peterlin broke on top at the half way point as Harry Hanson raced into second from row number five. With 11 laps remaining Hanson moved to the top shelf and skated past Peterlin into the lead. Peterlin tried high and low in an effort to find some traction on the slick surface but continued to lose ground. Massingill, Broking and Nelson trailed with Jeff Provinzino in a tight battle with Broking for fifth. Nelson battled with Massingill and took over third but needed to overhaul Hanson for the win in order to have a chance at the championship but was unable top do so settling for third and second to Hanson for the 2008 track crown. Peterlin, Nelson, John Massingill and Provinzino finished in the front five.

The battle for the WISSOTA Modified track title would be fought out between two veterans Kelly Estey and Darrell Nelson but it was Don Copp who would take the lead from the outside pole while Estey and Nelson would start from the fourth row. Copp pulled out a huge lead on pole sitter Nick Lavato. A caution flag early on brought Copp back to the field and it was Jayme Lautigar who got the jump at the green flag as Nelson got up to third behind Copp and Estey moved into the top five. With five laps remaining a tangle up in turn four got ugly when Copp hit the wall and rolled over after Lautigar blew the motor right in front of him. Nelson also got caught up in the mess and had the right rear quarter panel shredded. Copp was uninjured in the incident but was finished for the night. Nelson was able to continue but could not hold off a determined Estey for the win and the track championship. Nelson, front runner Jeff Wood, Duane Dale who rebounded from a first lap slip off the track in fourth and Greg Chesley in fifth. Ryan Aho started 17^th and was able to make his way to sixth. Jeff Hart, Justin Jones, Paul Schultz and Wayne Stricker rounded out the top ten.

Kevin Eder won the battle but Mike Bellefeuille won the war bringing home the 2008 WISSOTA Super Stock championship. At the beginning it was a wild battle between Jay Kuras, Bruce Johnson, Louis Meglen, Bellefeuille and Kevin Eder. Johnson broke from the pack and led for a bit as Bellefeuille, Scott Lawrence, Eder and Kuras raced nearly four wide for second. Lawrence took second, tracked down Johnson and grabbed the lead. Kuras went off turns three and four bringing out the first caution flag with seven of the 20 laps remaining. Lawrence had a flat left front tire and could not hold the lead at the green flag as Bellefeuille and Eder got by. Eder muscled past Bellefeuille and pulled away for the win. Bellefeuille’s second place run was more than enough to win the championship. Lawrence held on for third ahead of Jeff Ruzich and Jeff Tardy.

Greg Chesley held a 10 point lead going into the final night of WISSOTA Midwest Modified competition over Jimmy Latvala. Driving Bart Porter’s car Chesley drove to a sweep of the division and his second straight track championship at the speedway. Deven VanHouse took the early lead and pulled out a good lead despite two quick caution flags at the beginning of the event but it took Chesley, who started inside the third row, little time to work his way into the lead. There was a good battle for third between Lance Solem, E. J. Hietala and Andy Jones as the trio went three wide lap after lap. After the final caution flag for the stalled car of Glen Dammer with eight laps to go, Chesley drove away for the field as Clint Larsen moved into second, Solem in third ahead of Jones and Skeeter Estey into fifth from the fifth row. They crossed under the checkered flag in that order as Chesley won feature number six of the season at the track.

Pat Van Ert held off 2008 Hibbing Raceway champion LeRae Ralidak to win his second Proctor Pure Stock feature of the season. Rick Cornelison led the opening laps with Van Ert moving to second. Austin Blom, Pete Ciurleo and Jon McKinnon battled for third but quick caution flags saw both McKinon and Cornelison banished from competition for infractions. With 13 of 15 laps remaining Van Ert had the lead with Ralidak second, Al Rapp third, Josh Loucks fourth, Dan Larsen and Andrew Labarge battled for fifth ahead of Russell Dzelak and Blom. Van Ert extended his lead for the win with Loucks’ third place behind Ralidak good for his first track championship.

Results Proctor Speedway Seasons Championship 8-24-08

Champions:

WISSOTA Late Model: Harry Hanson Eveleth, MN

WISSOTA Modified: Kelly Estey Kelly Lake, MN

WISSOTA Super Stock: Mike Bellefeuille Duluth, MN

WISSOTA Midwest Modified: Greg Chesley Duluth, MN

Proctor Pure Stock: Pat Van Ert Foxboro, WI

WISSOTA Late Model (17 cars)

Heat 1: Aaron Lillo, Travis Budiaslovich, Kyle Peterlin, Jeff broking, Darrell Nelson, Jeff Provinzino, Dave Esse, Greg Hill, Kevin carlson

Heat 2: Tim McMann, John Massingill, Todd Gehl, Matt Sorenson, Harry Hanson, Cory Jorgenson, Don Copp, Jeff Massingill

Feature (25 laps) Hanson, Peterlin, Nelson, John Massingill, Provinzino, Broking, Budiaslovich, McMann, Jeff Massingill, Gehl, Hill, Lillo, Esse, Jorgenson, Copp, Sorenson, Carlson

WISSOTA Modified (19 cars)

Heat 1: Duane Dale, Jeff Wood, Don Copp, Jayme Lautigar, Jody bellefeuille, Greg chesley, Ken Hron, Cory Sersha, Ryan Aho, Steve Lavasseur

Heat 2: Darrell Nelson, Kelly Estey, Nick Lavato, Justin Jones, Tim Danielson, Jedf Hart, Paul Schultz, Wayne Stricker, Jad Carlson

Feature (20 laps) Estey, Nelson, Wood, Chesley, Dale, Aho, Hart, Jones, Schultz, Stricker, Carlson, Lavaseur, Lavato, Sersha, Danielson, Hron, Bellefeuille, Lautigar, Copp

WISSOTA Super Stock (26 cars)

Heat 1: Scott Lawrence, Eric Nelson, Andy Davey, Jeff Ruzich, Jeff Tardy, Tom Treviranus, Steve Carlson, Pat Heikkinen, Art Hyde

Heat 2: Louis Meglen, Jay Kuras, Bruce Johnson, Scott Heikkinen, Todd Carlson, Robbie Cooper, Gary Cornelison, Donnie Lofdahl, Jeff Lien

heat 3; Mike Bellefeuille, Jeremy Fink, Kevin Eder, Andy Grymala, Kevin Salin, Todd Gillitzer, Ronnie Malecki, Jacob Lukanen

B Feature: Malecki, Treviranus, Lien, Gillitzer, Lofdahl, Cooper, Lukanen, Hyde, S. Carlson, Cornelison, P. Heikkinen

Feature (20 laps) Eder, Bellefeuille, Lawrence, Ruzich, Tardy, Meglen, Grymala, Fink, Johnson, Nelson, Salin, Davey, Malecki, Treviranus, Kuras, S. Heikkinen, Gillitzer, T. Carlson, Lofdahl, Lien

WISSOTA Midwest Modified (29 cars)

Heat 1: Greg chesley, Chad Finckbone, Tridell Champlin, Skeeter Estey, Adam Archer, Bill Brouse, Jacob Morinville, Tim Baum, Joel Olejnicak, Bruce Johnson

Heat 2: Andy Jones, Lance Solem, Andrew Inman, Jesse Ogston, Tony Ciurleo, Jimmy Latvala, Terry Inman, Steve Inman, Brad Anderson

Heat 3: E. J. Hietala, Deven VanHouse, Clint Larson, Glen Dammer, Dan Kingsley, Jeff Peterson, Loren Inman, Mike Avery, Dan Doran

B Feature: Latvala, Peterson, T. Inman, S. Inman, Brouse, Olejnicak, Doran, Morinville, Baum, Anderson, Johnson, L Inman, Avery

Feature (20 laps) Chesley, Larson, Solem, Jones, Estey, Hietala, Finckbone, VanHouse, A. Inman, Latvala, Archer, Champlin, Ciurleo, Ogston, T. Inman, S. Inman, Brouse, Kingsley, Dammer, Peterson

Proctor Pure Stock (25 cars)

Heat 1: Josh Loucks, LeRae Ralidak, Pete ciurleo, Dan Larsen, Matt Hammitt, Tim Carlson, Mark Korte, Mike Swanson, Russel Dzelak

Heat 2: Andrew LaBarge, Dustin Follett, Al Rapp, Austin Blom, Scott Larsen, Jeff Engelmeier, Jeffery Broking, Kyle Inman

Heat 3: Pat Van Ert, Jon McKinnon, Rick Cornelison, Corey Ziebol, Ashley Smith, Dan Wilson, Tasha Rapp, Jim Cooper

B Feature: Carlson, Korte, Dzelak, Engelmeier. Inman, Wilson, Swanson, Cooper, T. Rapp, Broking

Feature (15 laps) Van Ert, Ralidak, Loucks, D. Larsen, LaBarge, A. Rapp, Dzelak, Blom, Carlson, S. Larsen, Ciurleo, Smith, Korte, Engelmeier, Hammitt, Follett, Inman, Ziebol, Cornelison, McKinnon

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