By Greg Anderson
Hibbing, MN- After having the previous three events canceled due to inclement weather, racers and fans alike were relieved the 2nd Annual Governor’s Cup was not negatively impacted and the two-day program proceeded as scheduled. The second running of the event once again featured the highly regarded Como Modified Series. Forty-seven of the top Modified drivers from around the Upper Midwest competed and only one would leave with the ultimate prize.
Jody Bellefeuille and Rick Kobs paced a talent laden field of Modified drivers to kick off the thirty lap feature event with Kobs taking command around the top of the race track. Joey Jensen and Darrell Nelson both turned up the heat on Bellefeuille and eventually slipped past for second and third. Jensen then moved in to challenge Kobs for the lead by working to the inside and sliding across to the cushion. On several occasions, Jensen pulled alongside Kobs but was unable to complete a pass. Kobs then moved down to take Jensen’s line away and began to drive away up front. Jensen tried to keep pace as Darrell Nelson raced closely behind but Kobs was too strong and built a ten car length advantage through traffic. Several laps clicked off with little change to the appearance of the outcome. That all changed with two laps remaining. Kobs continued to work through traffic and looked to make a routine pass around the outside of some lap cars but slipped over the edge of the race track entering turn three. By the time he was recover and re-enter the racing surface, Jensen and Nelson had both went past. Jensen cruised to the improbable win in the final lap with a stunned crowd looking on.
The next Como Modified Series event is scheduled for Wednesday, July 21st as the series makes their first visit to the newly built Ogilvie Raceway in Ogilvie, Minnesota. Along with a strong field of Como regulars, many top drivers from central Minnesota and Wisconsin are expected to make a stellar field even more star-studded.
WISSOTA Modifieds:
Feature- Joey Jensen, Darrell Nelson, Rick Kobs, Andy Jones, Dave Cain, Jody Bellefeuille, Craig Thatcher, Jeff Broking, Dean Yrjanainen, Jamie Davis, Jayme Lautigar, Al Uotinen, Robby Bunkelman, Trent Follmer, Brent Larson, Bill Byholm, Kelly Estey, Jeff Spacek, Gavin Paull, Kelly Checkalski, Paul Knauf, Paul Schultz, Duane Dale, Ryan Aho, Steve Stuart
Heat 1- Cain, Knauf, Dale, Uotinen, Olson, Wood, Mosteller, Zollar, Lavato, Gavel
Heat 2- Yrjanainen, Kobs, Byholm, Paull, Roche, Sersha, Cannata, Heikkenen, Rivord, Chesley
Heat 3- Stuart, Jones, Aho, Lautigar, Lautigar, Estey, Hron, Larson, Provinzino, Carpenter
Heat 4- Jensen, Thatcher, Broking, Checkalski, Schultz, Hanson, hart, Spacek, Stricker
Heat 5- Bellefeuille, Nelson, Bunkelman, Davis, Damjanovich, Follmer, Truscott, Tourville, Champline
Dash- Bellefeuille, Kobs, Jensen, Nelson, Stuart, Jones, Cain, Yrjanainen, Thatcher, Knauf
