9/26/2019
The 40th Annual Punky Manor Challenge of Champions
Menomonie, Wisconsin-- The Red Cedar Speedway presented the 40th Annual Punky Manor Challenge of Champions with three nights of racing. Thursday featured complete shows for the WISSOTA Street Stocks, Pure Stocks, and RCS Hornets, along with the Limited Late Models, traditional and winged sprint cars. Friday night allowed for the WISSOTA Midwest Modified, Super Stock, Modified, and Late Model model heats. Everyone returned on Saturday to see the B-Features and features run in front of a packed house.
Feature winners on Thursday night included Zach Manley, George Richards, Sean Svee, Shaun Mann, Harry Hanson, and Gunner Cummings. The four main event winners on Saturday night were Kevin Adams, Curt Myers, Jake Hartung, and Jesse Glenz.
The WISSOTA Late Model heats were won by John Kaanta, Jimmy Mars, and AJ Diemel. Diemel and Kaanta started on the front row of the feature based on passing points in the heats having both won from fifth and third starting positions respectively. At the drop of the green flag for the 40 lap feature, they moved three wide as third starting Rick Hanestad joined the front two cars in a battle for the point. It was Hanestad looking very strong down low as he moved into first and set the pace. Behind him, Diemel and Kaanta found themselves side by side again with three laps in as Diemel wrestled away the position.
With six laps scored, a multiple car crash entering turn one slowed the pace and saw Mike Prochnow sent to the rear for the restart. Again, Hanestad set the pace down low as fourth starting Mars moved into third, and a lap later, he moved side by side with Diemel for second. On lap ten, Mars overtook the runner up position but Hanestad was well in control. Eighth starting Jesse Glenz made his entrance into the top five and he overtook fourth on lap 13. Lap 15 saw Diemel making ground on the high side as he moved back past Mars and began to eat into Hanestad’s lead. It was Diemel moving to the point on lap 18 but Hanestad was not going away.
As Glenz drove into third position, Hanestad moved beside the leader and lap 20 was led by Diemel by a mere fender. One lap later, Hanestad gained back the point by a nose at the line as the two worked lapped traffic door to door. Diemel was able to move back to the point as his line was quicker through traffic, and on lap 27, Glenz moved into second as he too attacked the rim of the raceway. Three laps later, Glenz had caught the leader and drove low and showed his nose to Diemel in turn four.
It was Diemel leading with Glenz tucked into his shadows as Mars used the same line to join the fray in third. The top three cars essentially drove in line for the next eight laps until two laps remaining; however, Diemel’s machine began to show smoke. Again, with two to go, Glenz dove low under the leader in the corners. Mars did the same to Glenz coming to the white flag.
On the final circuit of the event, Diemel dropped down the raceway in turn four appearing to try to take away an attempted slide job for the lead by Glenz. Glenz instead remained on the wall and closed with significant momentum. As the blasted off turn four, Glenz dropped below the leader as Diemel drove off the corner back to the high side. Glenz used the momentum gained to pass for the lead down the front shoot as they closed on the checkered flag. It was Glenz winning a thriller as he climbed the wall at the end in turns one and two, and he was forced to appear in victory lane without his race car.
The Modified heats were won by Mike Anderson, Dave Cain, Darrell Nelson, and Matt Leer. The B Features were won by Steve Hallquist and AJ Diemel with Hallquist coming from ninth to the win. Paul Harelstad, Jake Miller, and Bill Byholm moved to the feature through the first and Brent Prochnow, Steve Lavasseur, and Adam Ayotte qualified through the second B Feature.
The front row of the feature was held by Jake Hartung and Matt Leer as Hartung finished second in his heat after starting eighth and Leer moved from fourth to the win in his. At the start of the main, it was Hartung moving out to the lead as Mike Anderson moved from row two into second. Nelson moved into third on lap three and the yellow flew for a spinning Prochnow. Back under green, it was Hartung as Anderson and Nelson drove door to door for the runner up position. Anderson took control of the spot and shortly thereafter, Cain overtook third from Nelson.
Hartung continued to lead the race solidly as Anderson chased. It was Ashley Anderson overtaking fourth with nine laps scored and Kevin Adams moved to fifth on lap 13. A lap later, Cory Mahder came to a stop in turn two and the pace was slowed. The restart saw Hartung still leading but third starting Cain used the outside of the second row to overtake Mike Anderson for second. A lap later, Adams moved into third and the caution flag flew for a Miller and Ayotte tangle.
The green flag flew again and as Hartung moved back to an advantage, they went three wide for second. Cain took second as Mike Anderson drove in third. Adams scrubbed the backstretch wall and fell back as Jimmy Mars and Ashley Anderson moved in to round out the top five runners. Mars overtook third and they moved two wide for fourth between the Andersons. Lap 23 saw Jody Bellefeuille move into the top five.
The final laps saw Hartung leading the entire distance to the checkered flag on the night his grandfather was inducted into the tracks Hall of Fame. Cain followed him home in second as Mars slapped the turn four wall hard on the final circuit but was able to maintain third. It was Ashley Anderson in fourth and Bellefeuille finished fifth after starting 14 on the field.
The Super Stock heats were won by Dan Gullikson, Andrew Mackey, and Curt Myers. Myers won his race from eighth and Aaron Wilson finished second from his ninth starting position placing them on the front row of the feature. On the first lap, in turn two, Wilson’s car stepped out on him and he spun in front of the field, collecting several others. Wilson went pit side with damage and a complete restart saw Myers take the point as Jesse Redetzke moved into second.
On lap two, seventh starting Nick Oreskovich moved door to door with Redetzke for second with Oreskovich overtaking the spot a lap later. Lap six saw Redetzke running the high side and retaking second position as the leader had already found lapped traffic. There were no changes as Myers led comfortably until Tommy Richards moved to third on lap 12. Lap 15 saw Ben Hillman enter the top five.
Myers was on cruise control as he was blistering the field and behind him they shuffled for position. On lap 22, Myers was working lapped traffic when he attempted to slide in front of Wayne Dean coming off of turn four. Dean was forced to brake and he was hit from behind, sending him spinning across the raceway. Dean was called for the caution and Myers restarted on the point. The green flag saw Richards close hard and try to challenge for the lead. Myers was unscathed however, as he drove to the checkered flag. It was Richards finishing second over Redetzke, a strong finishing Bart Steffen, and Oreskovich in fifth.
The Midwest Modified heats were won by Jay Richardson, Brandon Jenson, Shane Halopka, and Kevin Adams. Tony Bahr and Nick Koehler won the two B Features as Shadow Kitchner, Derek Haas, Travis Anderson, and Chad Selk, Dan Larson, and Steve Haas qualified with them. Adams and Francis Hanson sat of the front row of the feature with a win from fourth and a second from sixth starting positions in their heats.
At the drop of the green, it was Adams and he was never seriously challenged throughout the event. He was in heavy lap traffic relatively early and drove through the same with no issues. Behind him, Calvin Iverson and Shane Halopka drove door to door multiple times battling for second. With three laps remaining, Cody Borgeson crashed hard into an infield guardrail on the backstretch. Back at speed, there were no changes when the caution flew again on lap 18 for a spinning Karl Kolek. A green, White, checkered finish saw Adams drive home to his fifth Punky Manor feature win and 522nd win of his career. Halopka was second over Iverson as Brandon Jensen and Tommy Richards finished in the top five. Notably, Tony Bahr finished sixth after coming through the B Feature.
Calvin Iverson, Jay Kesan, and Parker Anderson won their Street Stock heats, all from the front row. At feature time, it was Mike Knudtson and Parker Anderson having earned the front row starting positions. They raced side by side and Knudtson took the lead by a fender at the end of lap two. They stayed door to door and Anderson led the next lap by a nose. They continued their amazing show for the first five laps and it wasn’t until lap six that Knudtson took control of the position fully. Danny Richards closed and moved even with Knudtson two laps later.
Richards inched into the lead and began to gain an advantage as Zach Manley moved side by side with Knudtson for second. A caution flag flew to slow the outstanding racing. Under green, Manley moved to the lead and the caution flew again. They restarted but didn’t finish a lap before there was another crash on the backs stretch. Once under green, they drove the final five laps to the checkered flag with Manley leading the way. It was Richards in second and Kyle Genett in third as Calvin Iverson entered into the top five in the closing laps and was able to overtake fourth. Knudtson rounded out the top five.
Cody Cimfl and Mike Schnider won the Pure Stock heats as George Richards led lap one of the feature after starting fourth. They raced three wide behind him as Schnider took the runner up spot over Cimfl. Schnider moved even and past Richards for the lead but a lap later, he broke down out front. The caution flag flew and Richards was back in the lead. Richards began to show smoke as Cody Cimfl chased him for the win. Richards was unshaken as he drove to the checkered flag forcing Cimfl to settle for second over Joe Prusak, Cole Richards, and Tyler Hallquist.
Jason Bauer and Sean Svee won their heats in the RCS Hornets as Svee took the early lead of the feature. Jason Junker set chase and on lap six, he was able to drive below Svee for the lead. Junker maintained a two car length advantage to the finish but was not able to clear tech thereafter. Svee was awarded the win over Roy Cooper, Bradley York, Derek Krumrie, and Jason Bauer.
The traditional sprint cars saw Blake Anderson and Harry Hanson win their heats as Hanson dominated the feature, leading all 20 laps and never being challenged. Hanson was a long time Late Model driver who spoke well in victory lane about actually having had raced against the late Punky Manor. Blake Anderson was able to close the gap in the later stages of the race somewhat and drove from fourth to second at the checkered flag. Brad Peterson, Ryan Bowers, and Jon Lewerer finished in the top five.
The winged sprint cars saw Rick Kobs and Gunner Cummings win their heats. At feature time, Kobs and Harry Hanson set sail and drove away from the field. On lap nine, Hanson slapped the turn four wall and on the following circuit, Kobs blew up his motor. A restart saw both cars in the pits and Cummings bringing them to green. He was able to drive out to an advantage but began to develop motor issues. His car was not running well and Jack Berger began to close the gap quickly. On the last circuit, Berger was able to look underneath Cummings in the final corner but Cummings was able to maintain the lead and limp to the checkered flag. Berger, Denny Stordahl, Jeff Kirchner, and Mike Huesmann were scored in the top five.
Justin Saas and Sam Mars won their Limited Late Model heats as Titan Krause lead early in the feature. A lap five caution saw the red flag fly after eight cars were collected in turn one. There was another yellow on the restart and under green, Shaun Mann took the point. With six laps scored the caution was raised again for debris on the speedway. However, the remaining laps ran green all the way to the finish with Mann driving away for the win. Mars charged through the filed to finish second as Michael Bruggeman, Krause, and Kyle Johnson finished in the top five.
The Red Cedar Speedway has officially closed out their 2019 season and look forward to racing in the spring of 2020
Article Credit: Brad Erickson
