8/4/2015
FYE Motorsports Promotions
Randall Wins Over $14,000 at Rice Lake Speedway's Little Dream
RICE LAKE, Wisc. (08/04/15) – The 2014 version of the Street Stock “Little Dream” race at the Rice Lake Speedway was so spectacular that everyone wondered if this year's version of the race could maintain the high standards that this race has set.
They shouldn't have been concerned. Tuesday night, Jimmy “The Blade” Randall topped a record field of sixty four Street Stock competitors from four states and two Canadian Provinces and in the process, due to tremendous contributions from fans and race supporting businesses, Randall went home with a check for $14,152.12, smashing last year's record payoff by over $2,000 and setting what is believed to be a national record first place prize for the Street Stock type of race car. The event was sponsored by Mahle Motorsports, BuzzSigns.com and FYE Motorsports Promotions.
Randall, a local driver from Rice Lake, fought tooth and nail with defending “Little Dream” and current WISSOTA national Street Stock point leader Tim Johnson, making the winning pass with only three laps left in a race that saw the top spot swapped officially three times in the last ten laps of the race. Randall edged Johnson by a car length at the line while third place finisher Jordan Tollakson came from thirteenth to finish another car length behind at the finish.
The WISSOTA Modifieds were also on the card on Tuesday night's program and current Modified national point leader Kevin Adams fought off a hard challenge from Kevin Eder and Jason Gross to record the feature win in that class.
Twenty seven of the sixty four Street Stocks on hand took the green flag for the thirty lap main event. Randall, who started on the outside pole, raced side by side with another Rice Lake driver, Kori Richter in the early going. While Randall was scored the leader of the first sixteen laps, most of those laps saw Richter either right beside him or, at worst, riding his rear bumper.
Right behind the lead duo, Adam Soltis battled with a charging Jim Gullikson, who had quickly moved up from the fifth row, along with Mike Blowers and Travis Krause. Meanwhile, Johnson was also on the move as he started twelfth on the grid but quickly moved to the low groove and started his charge to the front, with Tollakson, who started just behind Johnson, following suit.
As Randall continued to show the way, with Richter challenging him on every lap, Johnson showed his strength as he worked his way up to third, and by lap fifteen, had caught the leaders. A three car collision on lap sixteen slowed the action, and on the double file restart, Johnson moved up the track and pulled up beside Randall as the green dropped. Jimmy appeared to be having some problems getting through the corners as he car began to slip off the bottom and Richter looked to get inside of him.
As they raced down the back chute following the yellow, Richter dove to the inside of Randall while Johnson went to his high side and they raced into turn three, three wide. However, Richter couldn't hold his car down in the low groove and he slid up, clipping both Randall and Johnson and sending then spinning, which caused the field to scramble and triggered the yellow once again.
Richter was sent to the tail for the restart and Johnson inherited the lead. Two more quick yellows slowed the action again but then everyone settled down and the last thirteen laps of the race went green. Johnson moved to the point and led the next three laps while Randall and Tollakson battled for second. The double file restart forced Randall to the outside and he found traction in the second lane. He pulled back up beside Johnson and the leaders ran side by side, battling for the top spot. Randall fought his way past Johnson and led laps twenty one and twenty two by inches, only to see Johnson fight his way back into the top spot and lead the next four laps.
Randall was slipping just a bit in the corners as he fell back by nearly a car length but once again Randall made an adjustment as he moved slightly lower on the track and adjusted his entry line to the corners. This worked as once again he clawed his way back up beside Johnson, who was running on the tires on the inside of the track. With two laps to go, Randall once again edged into the lead and as Johnson pushed into turn one, his car slid up the track just enough that Randall was finally able to clear him. The white flag found the top three running nose to tail and while both Johnson and Tollakson gave it their best shot, Randall kept the middle groove working and he drove home to take the win by a car length with Johnson and Tollakson in tow as the massive crowd let out a thunderous roar.
Krause, who had fallen back several position during the mid portion of the race, made a strong charge following the last yellow and also working the high side, raced his way past Gullikson to take fourth at the finish. The second five at the line consisted of Sam Fankhauser, Kevin Bogdanovic, Mike Knudtson who started twentieth, Ryan Pommerer and Kolby Kiehl, who started twenty fourth.
Randall, who won his second “Little Dream”, previously having won the event in 2012, has now taken over $20,000 out of the Rice Lake Speedway with his two wins in this race.
Eight heat races set the grid for the main event using passing points along with three B features that completed the starting field. The non qualifiers race went to Aaron Johnson who opted to forfeit the $500 first place prize and instead start at the tail of the main event. He ended up fifteenth in the thirty lap main event.
Adams started on the outside pole for the Modified main event and led every lap, although things got tight for the leader following a couple of late race yellows. The first twenty two laps of the race went nonstop and Adams, working the high side of the track, had pulled out to a ten car length lead over Eder and Jason Gross. Gross picked up the pace near the midpoint of the event and moved past Eder to take over second and appeared to be cutting into Adams' lead to some degree.
Meanwhile, the duo of Jake Hartung, defending champion of this event, and Johnson, who was doing double duty running both Street Stocks and Modifieds, were on the move.
A spin on the front chute slowed the action and on the green, Eder picked up the pace and was able to drive back around Gross and take over second spot. Adams briefly tried the low groove but when Eder got right to his rear bumper, Adams again moved back up the track and started to extend his lead.
One move yellow slowed the action with only three laps to go. This time Adams pulled away from the field and extended his advantage while Hartung drove past Gross for third and tried to pressure Eder for the runner up slot. Adams continued to roll on and he drove under the line for the win, unchallenged at the end. Eder fought off a hard challenge by Hartung for second with Gross and Johnson completing the top five.
Racing action continues at the Rice Lake Speedway on Saturday, August 8th. A five division program will see warm ups begin at 6:30 p.m with racing to follow. At intermission, bike races will be held with divisions for both the kids and adults. Check the speedway face book page for more updates on the racing schedule for the rest of 2015.
SUMMARY
Rice Lake Speedway
Rice Lake WI
August 4, 2015
WISSOTA Street Stocks
30 lap “Little Dream” Feature – Jimmy Randall(Rice Lake), Tim Johnson(Brainerd MN), Jordan Tollakson(Montevideo MN), Travis Krause(Buffalo City), Jim Gullikson(Zimmerman MN), Sam Fankhauser(Rice Lake), Kevin Bogdanovic(Wausau), Mike Knudtson(Osseo), Ryan Pommerer(Oriska N.D.), Kolby Kiehl(Cameron), Ron Hanestad, Ryan Kostreba, Cody Kummer, Justin Pogones, Aaron Johnson, Tylar Wilson, Broc Stout, Chris Peterson, Tyler Wahlstrom, Adam Soltis, Travis Robertson, Justin Vogel, Mike Blowers, Jay Kesan, Kori Richter, Danny Hanson, Jon Tollakson
15 lap Non Qualifer – A. Johnson(Brainerd MN), Danny Richards(Mondovi), Hunter VanGilder(Rice Lake), Kyle Dykhoff(Perham MN), Royce Jawaski(Horace N.D.), Jim Williams(DeGraff MN), Eric Riley(Morris MN), Stout(Winner S.D.), Tyler Lamb(Clark S.D.), Don Cook(Barron), Noah Grinstead, Billy Kendall, Kris Peterson, James Tandeski, Ryan Johnson
8 lap Dash – Richter(Rice Lake), Randall, Soltis(Ladysmith), Wahlstrom(Mondovi), Pommerer, Hanestad(Glenwood City), Blowers(Waseca MN), Krause
12 lap B Feature 1 – Kummer(Medford), Robertson(Moorhead MN), C. Peterson(Amery), Grinstead(Austin MN), Kendall(Baxter MN), Stout, Lamb, K. Peterson, Bill Maruca, Cory Dykhoff, Denny Cutsforth, Cooper Berlin, Gary Kasparek, Brandon Fah, Scott Huston, Brad Schmidt
B Feature 2 – Bogdanovic, Knudtson, Pogones(Zimmerman MN), Richards, A. Johnson, R. Johnson, K. Dykhoff, Riley, Wilson, Jake Huston, Nate Langeberg, Mike Jans, Ryan Nelson, Rob Grabon, Kyle King
B Feature 3 – Kesan(Weyerhaeuser), J. Tollakson(Montevideo MN), Kiehl, Tandeski(Christine N.D.), Van Gilder, Williams, Jawaski, Cook, Josh Amans, Mitch Kesan, Ryan Glembin, Russell Peterson, Zach Elward, Andrew Ausmann, Brad Sheridan, Wayne Dean
10 lap Heat 1 – Randall, Stout, C. Peterson, Robertson, VanGilder, Jans, Lamb, Amans
Heat 2 – Krause, Blowers, Nelson(Madison MN), Knudtson, S. Huston(Benson MN), King, Glembin
Heat 3 – Hanestad, Bogdanovic, Kostreba(Elk River Mn), Cook, Michael Truscott(Chippewa Falls), Ausmann, K. Peterson, Berlin
Heat 4 – T. Wahlstrom, Hanson(Alma), J. Tollakson, Kiehl, R. Johnson(Karlstad MN), Kendall, Grabon, Wilson
Heat 5 – T. Johnson, J. Tollakson, Schmidt(Elk River MN), A Johnson, Tandeski, Langeberg, Riley, R. Peterson
Heat 6 – Richter, Fankhauser, Williams, Cutsforth(Rice Lake), K. Dykhoff, Jawaski, K. Kesan, C. Dykhoff
Heat 7 – Vogel(Brooten MN), Gullikson, Richards, Pogones, Kummer, Maruca, Grinstead, J. Huston
Heat 8 – Soltis(Ladysmith), Pommerer, J. Kesan, Dean(Fall Creek), Fah(Hewitt MN), Elward, Simon Wahlstrom, Sheridan
WISSOTA Modifieds
30 lap Feature – Kevin Adams(Cameron), Kevin Eder(Ashland), Jake Hartung(Elmwood), Jason Gross(Cushing), Tim Johnson(Brainerd MN), Mike Anderson(Colfax), Kerry Halopka(Wheeler), Dave Baxter(Eau Claire), Nick Koehler(Bloomer), Pat Hoffman(Rice Lake), Jeffery Lein Jr, Jay Richardson, Buddy Mayala, Tim McMann, Neil Balduc, Wayne Poteet, Dave Mayala, Cory Mahder, Steve Hallquist, Jeff Spacek
10 lap Heat 1 – Johnson, Gross, Mahder(Eau Claire), Anderson, Balduc(Bessemer MI), Baxter, Spacek
Heat 2 – Eder, Hallquist(Eau Claire), Koehler, McMann(Duluth MN), Hoffman, Lein Jr, D. Mayala
Heat 3 – Hartung, Adams, Halopka, Richardson(Spring Valley), B. Mayala(Barron), Poteet
Article Credit: Article by Ed Reichert
