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Hibbing, MN – The 2009 racing season in the Northland of Minnesota and Wisconsin has been filled with headlines of Darrell Nelson’s dominance on the tracks of the upper midwest. The story going into Race #2 of the Como Mod series presented by Lake Country Chevy Dealers looked to continue that trend as the #44 of Nelson had captured pole for the night’s event but one driver stepped up to the plate to take the checkers at the end of the night, 2007 Como Mod Champion #37 Kelly Estey of Kelly Lake, MN.
The star-studded A Main Event featured all three previous Como Mod champions starting in the top five (06′ Nelson, 07′ Estey, and 08′ Al Uotinen). Estey took the lead of the 30 Lap event in his Como Oil & Propane sponsored machine from the start and fended off numerous restarts and a hard charging Nelson for the duration of the race. The #91 of Craig Thatcher of Knapp, WI took home third after numerous battles with the #V2 Joey Jensen of Forest Lake, MN who rode the bottom of the track from an eleventh place start to fourth.
Estey commented in Fortune Bay / Rick Gondik Victory Lane: “I figured the high-side would be good to take the lead on the start and it got me up front. Darrell’s been on a heck of a run so to hold him off was a big accomplishment. I was more then comfortable running up front with these guys because they are clean racers and we race with the best of the best in the Como Mod Series.”
Notes:
#00B Robbie Bunklemen took home the DirtHead.com Hard Charger Award by improving 12 spots in the feature event in his new SideBiter Chassis…V2 Joey Jensen was second with a seven spot improvement…45 Bob Broking was penalized two spots on the last restart of the feature for jumping the start…2C Dave Cain did not participate in the finale on Saturday…91 Craig Thatcher was driving a new BMS Chassis with a blue body and finished 3rd with the first race in that ride…54L Jayme Lautigar returned to action with the Como Mod Series after suffering severe burns to his legs earlier this year and came one spot short of transferring to the feature after charging the high side from 13th…some big names did not make the feature and a handful in the top ten from Race #1 in Proctor did not finish well making the points going into Superior on July 21 that much more exciting.
MOTORSTATS.com OFFICIAL RESULTS
RICK GONDIK LAW OFFICES HEAT RACES:
Heat 1
1. 2R Ricky Roche
2.45 Bob Broking
3.V2 Joey Jensen
4.5 Jeff Broking
5.77 Alan Olafson
6.24D Duane Dale
7.22S Jeff Spacek
8.21D Cody Sersha
9.40 Carey Lepage
10.54L Jayme Lautigar
Heat 2
1.44 Darrell Nelson
2.98 Al Uotinen
3.1L Brad Loveday
4.11K Jeff Provinzino
5.85 Jamie Davis
6.57 Mike Anderson
7.101 Paul Schultz
8.9 Nick Lavato
9.84 Travis Zollar
Heat 3
1.37 Kelly Estey
2.55 Jeff Wood
3.11 Pat Doar
4.00B Robbie Bunklemen
5.90 Brad Hanson
6.95 Rick Rivord
7.9C John Carpenter
8.20 Jeff Hart
9.97 Greg Chesley
Heat 4
1.44R Steve Roseen
2.38 Rick Cannata
3.12S Wayne Stricker
4.22 Kyle Gavel
5.5 Jodi Olson
6.12M Jason Miller
7.4B Bill Byholm
8.46H Ken Hron
9.4 Marc Damjanovich
Heat 5
1.64 Kelly Checkalski
2.91 Craig Thatcher
3.71A Ryan Aho
4.11 Jody Bellefeuille
5.63 Rick Kobs
6.7J Rick Jacobson
7.2C Dave Cain
8.24 Brad Waits
9.51 Caley Emerson
MIRROR IMAGES DAY SPA B MAINS:
B Main 1
1.90 Brad Hanson
2.12M Jason Miller
3.54L Jayme Lautigar
4.57 Mike Anderson
5.24 Brad Waits
6.9 Nick Lavato
7.22S Jeff Spacek
8.77 Alan Olafson
9.20 Jeff Hart
10.46H Ken Hron
11.63 Rick Kobs
12.9C John Carpenter
13.2C Dave Cain
B Main 2
1.5 Jodi Olson
2.24D Duane Dale
3.97 Greg Chesley
4.85 Jamie Davis
5.7J Rick Jacobson
6.4 Marc Damjanovich
7.51 Caley Emerson
8.21D Cory Sersha
9.4B Bill Byholm
10.95 Rick Rivord
11.84 Travis Zollar
12.40 Carey Lepage
13.101 Paul Schultz
RACEMN.com POLE DASH:
1.44 Darrell Nelson
2.37 Kelly Estey
3.91 Craig Thatcher
4.55 Jeff Wood
5.98 Al Uotinen
6.45 Bob Broking
7.2R Ricky Roche
8.44R Steve Roseen
9.64 Kelly Checkalski
10.38 Rick Cannata
GRP HIGH 5 BONUS RACE:
1.37 Kelly Estey – 5
2.44 Darrell Nelson – 4
3.91 Craig Thatcher – 3
4.V2 Joey Jensen – 2
5.45 Bob Broking – 1
GRP HIGH 5 BONUS SEASON:
1.44 Darrel Nelson – 9
2.37 Kelly Estey – 6
3.57 Mike Anderson – 4
4.91 Craig Thatcher – 3
5.7J Rick Jacobson – 3
6.V2 Joey Jensen – 2
7.63 Rick Kobs – 2
8.45 Bob Broking – 1
DIRTHEAD.com HARD CHARGER RACE:
1.00B Robbie Bunklemen – 12 Points
2.12M Jason Miller – 10 Points
3.11 Jody Bellefeuille – 10 Points
DIRTHEAD.com HARD CHARGER SEASON:
1. 11 Jody Bellefeuille – 15 Points
2.00B Robbie Bunklemen – 14 Points
3.V2 Joey Jensen – 14 Points
FORTUNE BAY CASINO A MAIN FEATURE:
1.37 Kelly Estey
2.44 Darrell Nelson
3.91 Craig Thatcher
4.V2 Joey Jensen
5.45 Bob Broking
6.00B Robbie Bunklemen
7.55 Jeff Wood
8.2R Ricky Roche
9.64 Kelly Checkalski
10.11 Jody Bellefeuille
11.71A Ryan Aho
12.12S Wayne Stricker
13.12M Jason Miller
14.44R Steve Roseen
15.5 Jeff Broking
16.11 Pat Doar
17.98 Al Uotinen
18.38 Rick Cannata
19.57 Mike Anderson
20.24D Duane Dale
21.1L Brad Loveday
22.90 Brad Hanson
23.22 Kyle Gavel
24.5 Jodi Olson
25.11K Jeff Provinzino
2009 COMO MODIFIED SERIES PRESENTED BY LAKE COUNTRY CHEVROLET STANDINGS:
(After Race #2 Governor’s Cup at Hibbing)
1.44 Darrell Nelson 112 Points
2.37 Kelly Estey 107
3.45 Bob Broking 101
4.91 Craig Thatcher 97
5.57 Mike Anderson 88
6.55 Jeff Wood 85
7.V2 Joey Jensen 85
8.11 Jody Bellefeuille 83
9.00B Robbie Bunklemen 81
10.11K Jeff Provinzino 80
11.98 Al Uotinen 80
12.71A Ryan Aho 80
13.7J Rick Jacobson 71
14.63 Rick Kobs 71
15.12M Jason Miller 70
To keep up with the Como Modified Series presented by the Lake Country Chevrolet Dealers website at: www.comomodseries.com and “Fuel The Thunder!”
COMO MODIFIED SERIES TITLE SPONSOR
Como Oil & Propane is a full-service heating fuel supplier providing propane, oil and related services to Northland customers. The company has nine local offices in Duluth, Barnum, Two Harbors, Hibbing, Grand Marais, Tower, Ashland, Cable and Minong. For more information, please visit www.comooilandpropane.com.
COMO MODIFIED SERIES PRESENTING SPONSORS
The Lake Country Chevrolet Dealers are an eight-team group of dealers in the Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin that include: Sonju Two Harbors (Two Harbors, MN), Ranger Chevrolet (Hibbing, MN), Grand Rapids Chevrolet (Grand Rapids, MN), Kolar GM Center (Cloquet, MN), Luther Family Chevrolet (Duluth, MN), Iron Trail Motors (Virginia, MN), Don Johnson Motors (Hayward, WI)
COMO MODIFIED SERIES PARTNER SPONSORS
Bills Diesel Repair, Black Bear Casino, Construction Services, Inc.
Cost Cutters, Den’s Auto Body, Duluth Lawn & Sport, Elite Tinting & Graphics, Fortune Bay Casino, FOX 21 KQDS, GRP Motorsports, Lucky Seven General Stores, Miller Hill Machine Shop, Mirror Images Day Spa, Murphy Oil, RACEMN.com, Rick Gondick Law Office, Scott Didrikson Construction, The Shack
COMO MODIFIED SERIES CONTINGENCY SPONSORS
Chris Burback Photography, DirtHead.com, Intercomp, Motorstats.com, QA1 Motorsports, Specialty Fabricating J-Car