Grasse wins the ‘Red’ race in Eagle River Speedway Challenge Series
Phelps’s Jerry Grasse can say that he gave his fellow competitors in the first race of the three-part Eagle River Speedway Challenge Series two chances to challenge him for the win in the WISSOTA Midwest Modified feature.
After getting out to a good lead after 15 laps of the 20-lap feature, a caution came out. This took away Grasse’s lead and put the legendary tracks Mid Mod Class champion the last four years, Jesse Aho of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, right on Grasse’s bumper for the restart. Once again, Grasse jumped out to a good lead, only to see another yellow flag come out with two laps to go.
Once again, Aho, Dorchester’s Mark Rose, Tripoli’s CJ Hedges, Jr., and the Dunbar team out of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula were all back in the “mix” with two laps to go. Just like the last time the yellow came out, Grasse jumped out to a lead. Only this time, Aho stuck with Grasse right to the checkered flag.
Grasse held on for the win, and took the lead in the Eagle River Speedway WISSOTA Midwest Modified Challenge Series points. The top-five racers after the three races will share in an additional purse of over $2000.
“Jerry (Grasse) ran the same groove all night. He ran the middle of the track, and no one was able to go on the inside or the outside of him because of the lead he got right after the green flag flew after the start and both restarts,” said Eagle River Speedway promoter Kevin Dawson.
The second stage of the Eagle River Speedway WISSOTA Midwest Modified Challenge Series will be on July 22, with the final race of this special series being on August 26.
The night started off with Fred Suchy of Woodruff hitting the wall on the “hairpin” third turn of the Micro Sprint 600 Heat. While Suchy was able to walk away uninjured, his car had extensive damage. Suchy was leading in the race.
It was “déjà vu” all over in the Micro Sprint 600 Feature when Rhinelander’s Jake Schilleman was running away from all the other racers. That is until Schilleman had front axle problems and had to get pushed off the track. Right before that, Denver Larson had car problems and had to leave the race. With Suchy, Schilleman and Denver Larson out, and Jake Reif unable to get to the starting line for the start of the race, it came down to who was left running at the end of the race.
The only two left running was Dylan Larson and Jerry Reif. Jerry Reif won the earlier heat, but in the feature it was 14-year-old Denver Larson getting the win.
The closest race of the Auto Value night took place in the WISSOTA Street Stock feature. Five cars had a shot at going to the Auto Value Victory Lane right to the last two laps. Eagle River’s Ryan Valeria had Bruce Crossing’s (MI) Jordan Kurtti touching his bumper throughout the race. Right behind Kurtti was Eagle River’s Ryan Glembin and Britt Broman. To make the race even more exciting, former Iron River, Michigan’s Frank Gasperini came on hard at the end of the race.
When the checkered flag flew, it was Valeria getting the win.
It will be this coming Friday night that the two-race Eagle River Speedway Challenge Series for the WISSOTA Street Stocks will begin. The top-five racers in points in that series are racing for an additional $1500 purse.
For the first time in three weeks it was not Eagle River’s David Blackberg going to the Auto Value Victory Lane in the Pure Stock feature. Winning this competitive race was Rhinelander’s Jason Eisel. Eisel jumped out to an early lead and held off the two racers that won the heat race, Dennis LaCrosse, Jr., and Don Scharf. While LaCrosse did get a second in the feature, it was Rhinelander’s Dustin Miller that took third. This was Eisel’s first feature win at the challenging Tri-Oval.
The Junior Sprinters are showing the fans that the future is bright when it comes to Dirt Track Racing. Conover’s Dayton Rein won the feature with Phelps’s Dustin Kangas winning the heat.
The young lady from Deerbrook that won the previous week’s Junior Sprint feature, Josie Rae Reif, Boulder Junction’s Aaron Towne and Lake Tomahawk’s Josh Nevaroski finished the field.
Harry’s Fireworks put on the fireworks show after the races.
This coming Friday night the Sport ATV’s are going to race on the Tri-Oval. This is in addition to the regular schedule of five classes. The Eagle River Speedway will also begin construction of the XTreme Challenge course on the infield for the July 15 Side by Side ORV Races.
July 1, 2016 Results
WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature: 1) Jerry Grasse, Phelps; 2) Jesse Aho, Toivola (MI); 3) Mark Rose, Dorchester; 4) CJ Hedges, Jr., Tripoli; 5) Duane Dunbar, Marenisco (MI); 6) Marcus Dunbar, Wakefield (MI); 7) Tad Schoonover, Eagle River; 8) Guy Carley, Eagle River; 9) James Koga, Eagle River; 10) John Kallas, Hurley; 11) Jonathon Miller, Eagle River; 12) Ron Lillie, Wakefield (MI).
WISSOTA Midwest Modified Heat 1: 1) CJ Hedges, Jr.; 2) Marcus Dunbar; 3) Aho; 4) Kallas; 5) Koga; 6) Miller.
WISSOTA Midwest Modified Heat 2: 1) Schoonover; 2) Grasse; 3) Duane Dunbar; 4) Rose; 5) Carley; 6) Lillie.
WISSOTA Street Stock Feature: 1) Ryan Valeria, Eagle River; 2) Jordan Kurtti, Bruce Crossing (MI); 3) Ryan Glembin, Eagle River; 4) Britt Broman, Eagle River; 5) Frank Gasperini, Eagle River; 6) Dustin White, Conover.
WISSOTA Street Stock Heat: 1) Kurtti; 2) Valeria; 3) Glembin; 4) Broman; 5) Gasperini; 6) White.
Micro Sprint 600 Feature: 1) Dylan Larson, Shiocton; 2) Jerry Reif, Deerbrook; 3) Jake Schilleman, Rhinelander; 4) Denver Larson, Shiocton; 5) Fred Suchy, Woodruff; 6) Jake Reif.
Micro Spring 600 Heat: 1) Jerry Reif; 2) Dylan Larson; 3) Denver Larson; 4) Schilleman; 5) Suchy; 6) Jake Reif.
Pure Stock Feature: 1) Jason Eisel, Rhinelander; 2) Dennis LaCrosse, Jr., Rhinelander; 3) Dustin Miller, Rhinelander; 4) Don Scharf, Eagle River; 5) David Blackberg, Eagle River; 6) Isabelle Valeria, Eagle River; 7) Nick Paoli, Ironwood (MI); 8) Kyle Schneider, Eagle River; 9) Ethan Holm, Crandon.
Pure Stock Heat 1: 1) LaCrosse, Jr.; 2) Dustin Miller; 3) Paoli; 4) Isabelle Valeria; 5) Schneider.
Pure Stock Heat 2: 1) Scharf; 2) Eisel; 3) Blackberg; 4) Holm.
Junior Sprint Feature: 1) Dayton Rein, Conover; 2) Dustin Kangas, Phelps; 3) Josie Rae Reif, Deerbrook; 4) Aaron Towne, Boulder Jct.
Junior Sprint Heat: 1) Kangas; 2) Josh Nevoraski; 3) Dayton Rein; 4) Josie Rae Reif.
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