Ashland, WI, October 2 — On a crisp, clear autumn evening, Kyle Peterlin, Jason Miller, Eric Olson and Skeeter Estey were all crowned first-time champions of the 35th annual Red Clay Classic, while Joey Jensen collected a big check for topping the 2010 Como Mod Series, at the ABC Raceway on Saturday night.

Jensen, the defending event champ from Forest Lake, MN, hoped to cap off the Como Series championship with his third RCC feature win and second in the WISSOTA modifieds, but Miller had other ideas. After a couple of failed attempts to start the 35-lap, $3,000-to-win feature run, the Osceola campaigner shot ahead of Jensen to lead the first four laps before Paul Niznik’s stalled ride brought out the caution flag.

On the next green light Miller stretched his lead to nearly two-and-a-half seconds on Jensen, while Greg Chesley worked his way around Jayme Lautigar into third. The field was brought back to Miller’s back bumper on lap 16 after Craig Thatcher’s looped ride brought on the yellow lights for the final time, and back under green Chesley went to work on Jensen for second, allowing Miller to again scoot away.

Nelson and Kelly Estey each overtook Lautigar and moved into the top five to stay over the next few laps, while Jensen tried to make the high side of the track work while Chesley challenged him down low for second. It took until lap 31 for Chesley to finally claim second, but by that time Miller’s lead was at a second-and-a-half, which he held for the final laps for his third career ABC win.

Jensen’s third-place run was more than enough to claim his first Como Series title, worth $10,000, while two-time and defending Series champ Estey and 2006 Series winner Nelson completed the top five. Lautigar held on for sixth ahead of 19th-starting Dave Cain, second-in-Series points Rick Kobs, Dean Yrjanainen and Eric Pember. Andy Jones finished third in the overall Series standings.

It was an emotional night for Yrjanainen, the six-time ABC Raceway track champion from Lake Nebagamon who ran in his last race here Saturday. Yjranainen had earned 70 career feature wins, including three Red Clay Classic trophies, over a 28-year racing career here.

WISSOTA Modifieds

Feature: Jason Miller, Osceola; Greg Chesley, Duluth, MN; Joey Jensen, Forest Lake, MN; Kelly Estey, Kelly Lake, MN; Darrell Nelson, Hermantown, MN; Jayme Lautigar, Gilbert, MN; Dave Cain, Corcoran, MN; Rick Kobs, Deer Park; Dean Yrjanainen, Lake Nebagamon; Eric Pember, Pittsville; Scott Miller, Rice Lake; Steve Lavasseur, River Falls; Ryan Aho, Chisholm, MN; Mike Anderson, Colfax; Al Uotinen, Superior; Craig Thatcher, Knapp; Justin Jones, Onamia, MN; Rick Rivord, Superior; Bill Byholm, Glidden; Andy Jones, Princeton, MN; Paul Niznik, Medford; Jason Swan, Chippewa Falls; Jerry Hartman, Marenisco, MI; Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN; Robby Bunkelman, Abbotsford.

Heat 1: Chesley; Nelson; Swan; Shawn Kelley, Somerset; John Baltich, Hibbing, MN; Don Brightbill, Hudson; Clayton Wagemon, Blaine, MN; Byholm; Mark Baxter, Dorchester; John Carpenter, Hibbing, MN.

Heat 2: Yrjanainen; Hartman; Miller; Niznik; Jamie Davis, Devlin, ON; Scott Hudack, Ashland; Tim Alexander, Princeton, MN.

Heat 3: Kobs; Lavasseur; Jones; Aho; Jeff Broking, Grand Rapids, MN; Jeff Spacek, Phillips; Wayne Stricker, Highbridge; Destin Lorimor, Superior; Duane Dale, Aurora, MN; Paul Knauf, Marshfield.

Heat 4: Miller; Anderson; Rivord; Cain; Kent Baxter, Elk Mound; Mark Hanson, Chippewa Falls; Jeff Hart, Hibbing, MN; Steve Stuart, Ashland; Pat Hoffman, Rice Lake; Kevin Rogers, Unity.

Heat 5: Jautigar; Estey; Larson; Uotinen; Paul Schultz, Grand Rapids, MN; Kelly Checkalski, Poplar; Denny Trimble, Devlin, ON; Robbie Johnson, Wilson.

Heat 6: Jensen; Thatcher; Pember; Bunkelman; Jones; Mike Truscott, Chippewa Falls; Jared Loos, Loyal; Bryan Nayes, Chippewa Falls; Dennis Checkalski, South Range.

Semi-Feature 1: Cain; Byholm; Kelley; Hart; K Baxter; Hanson; Hoffman; Stuart; Knauf; Brightbill; Rogers; Wagaman; Baltich.

Semi-Feature 2: Niznik; Uotinen; Davis; Alexander; Jody Bellefeuille, Duluth, MN; Schultz; Hudack; Paul Brust, Rice Lake; K Checkalski; Trimble; Johnson; D Checkalski.

Semi-Feature 3: Bunkelman; Aho; Spacek; Dale; Jones; Lorimor; Stricker; Truscott; Loos; Nayes; Broking.

Pole Dash: Miller; Jensen; Chesley; Lautigar; Kobs; Yrjanainen.

The Creme De-La Creme of race teams checked in at the pit gate to do battle on the high-banked clay oval at Ogilvie Raceway as the COMO Modified Series rolled into town presented by East Central Energy. Corporate officials were on hand to assist the flagman and to present trophies in victory lane.

A stellar field of Modifieds were on hand as 53 cars competed in the electrifying action. That required six heats sponsored by Rick Gondik Law Offices. Jeff Spacek took Heat 1 as he led it start to finish as so did Dave Cain in Heat 2 and Craig Thacher in Heat 3. Heat 4 saw a few lead changes as Rick Kobs and Ryan Aho duked it out with Aho coming out on top. Paul Knauf checked out on the field to win Heat 5 and Jeff Broking copied him in Heat 6.

Three B-Mains sponsored by Mirror Images Day Spa were needed to determine the final six quallifiers for the main event. Inside pole position was the place to be as all three B-Mains were won by the pole-sitter from start to finish. Those winners were Jody Bellefeuille, Ron Jones and Andy Jones. Joining them on the A-Main grid were Greg Chesley, Jamie Davis and Keith Tourville. Also starting the A-Main in the 25th position was the Provisional starter Bill Byholm.

All six heat winners brought their hotrods out onto the front straight and chose frisbees to determine the starting line-up for the Tim’s Automotive Machine Pole Dash. Spacek drew the inside pole position. After the grid was set the drivers autographed their frisbees and sailed them into the crowd. The finishing order of this critical race sets the position of the first three rows in the A-Main. The order was Cain, Spacek, Thatcher, Knauf and Broking.

Leading the field to the green flag for the Subway Restaurants A-Main were the top two finishers in the Pole Dash, Cain and Spacek. Cain had apparent issues with his car in the parade laps, but was able to make the start and lead lap 1. He dropped off the pace on lap 2 while Spacek took the lead for laps 2 through 4.

A caution came out on lap 4 when three cars had a meeting in turn 3. As a result Andy Jones was sent to the back and retired from the race with mechanical problems. The second yellow of the race was dropped on lap 5 as the leader, Spacek encountered difficulties with his machine.

Joey Jensen placed a bid for the win as he took over the lead from Spacek and was out front for the ensuing restart on lap 6. Cain bounced back from earlier issues and grabbed the lead on lap 7. On lap 10 Kobs and Broking got together in the trench of turn 2 catapulting a retaining tire down the back straight. Kobs was sent to the back. Another caution was drawn by Chesley on lap 12 as he was also claimed by a retaining tire in turn 2 and sent to the back.

A battle royal broke out for the next few circuits as a few drivers took a shot at Cain for the front position. Cain did a masterful job as he commanded the lead through lap 23. Scot Danzeisen reeled in Cain as he worked his way up through traffic from a row 6 start to take the lead on lap 24 as Cain briefly encountered the retaining wall in turn 2. A final caution came out on lap 25 for debris in turn 2, but Danzeisen held of all challengers in his Danzeisen built and powered modified sponsored by Meixell Truck Sales to take the top prize. Behind him at the finish line were Cain, Trent Follmer, who started 14th, Jensen and Eric Martini, from a row 7 start.

Results:

Como Oil & Propane Modifieds presented by SUBWAY

SUBWAY A-Feature: Scot Danzeisen, Dave Cain, Trent Follmer, Joey Jensen, Eric Martini, Ryan Aho, Clayton Wagamon, Rick Kobs, Dean Yrjanainen, Greg Chesley, Jeff Broking, Bill Byholm, Keith Tourville, Darrell Nelson, Ron Jones, Kelly Estey, Paul Knauf, Robby Bunkelman, Craig Thatcher, Jody Bellefeuille, Erik Bjorklund, Jeff Spacek, Andy Jones, Jamie Davis, Don Eischens

Tim’s Automotive Pole Dash: Cain, Spacek, Thatcher, Knauf, Broking, Aho

Mirror Images & Day Spa B-Feature 1: Bellefeuille, Chesley, Terry Engebretson, Wayne Stricker, Dustin Nelson, Jeff Hart, Jeremy Houle, Brad Hanson, Tony Proell, Paul Schultz, Scott Heikkinen, Byholm

Mirror Images & Day Spa B-Feature 2: R. Jones, Davis, Jason Voigt, Gavin Paul, Rick Rivord, Duane Dale, Carter Gerlach, Tridell Champlin, Jeff Provinzino, Justin Jones, Brett Johnson, Jacob Wildman

Mirror Images & Day Spa B-Feature 3: A. Jones, Tourville, Shane Sabraski, Jayme Lautigar, Nick Lavato, Al Uotinen, Tim Alexander, Jaime Lemke, Kelly Checkalski, John Carpenter, Steve Stuart

Heat 1: Spacek, Bjorklund, Martini, Bellefeuille, Chesley, Houle, Proell, Heikkinen, Hart

Heat 2: Cain, Jensen, Follmer, R. Jones, Voigt, Paul, J. Jones, Champlin, Wildman

Heat 3: Thatcher, Eischens, Wagamon, A. Jones, Lavato, Uotinen, Stuart, Sabraski, Tourville

Heat 4: Aho, Kobs, Darrell Nelson, Engebretson, Dustin Nelson, Stricker, Hanson, Byholm, Schultz

Heat 5: Knauf, Danzeisen, Yrjanainen, Davis, Rivord, Dale, Provinzino, Gerlach, Johnson

Heat 6: Broking, Estey, Bunkleman, Lautigar, Lemke, Alexander, Checkalski, Carpenter

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

Perhaps the most important preliminary event was the Pole Dash that pitted the top two finishers in each of the five ten car heat races in an eight lap race to determine the first five rows for the feature. When the dash was done a pair of familiar faces graced the front row with Kelly Estey on the pole and Darrell Nelson to his outside. Lurking behind this pair were the likes of Craig Thatcher, Ryan Aho, Jeff Spacek and a very fast Gavin Paul. Buried deep in the field was Joey Jensen starting seventeenth and Keith Tourville in twenty-third.

At the initial green flag Estey got the jump off turn two with Nelson challenging on the outside. Aho and Thatcher skated away from the pack in the early going and joined Estey and Nelson to make it a thrilling four car battle. A bit further back Spacek and Andy Jones skirmished for the fifth spot. Spacek captured the spot leaving Jones to fight off Paul and Jason Grimes for sixth. With the long green flag stretch, it was not very long before the lead pack encountered traffic. The halfway point was quickly reached and Thatcher began to lag back several car lengths behind the lead trio. Try as he might Estey could not shake the dogged Nelson as the pair, just ahead of Aho, flew through traffic putting car after car a lap down. Thatcher continued to fall back by as much as ten car lengths, but he was not finished by any means as he began to slowly gain back the lost territory. Meanwhile almost unnoticed, Joey Jensen mounted a charge toward the front arriving to battle with Jones and Grimes for the fifth spot. Nelson finally gained the upper hand as Estey began to fade a bit. Aho swooped in to grab second from Estey and Thatcher rebounded to rejoin the fray making it once again a four car race as the laps wound down headlong toward that white flag signal for the final circuit. The final order at the checkered flag in the lead five was Nelson, Aho and Estey while Jones charged past Jensen for fifth. It was a sweep for Nelson who won the fifth heat race.

Proctor Speedway Results 5-30-10 Como Modified Series Race #1

WISSOTA Modifieds (50 cars)

Rick Gondik Law Office Heat 1: Andy Jones, Gavin Paull, Dale Mathison, Dean Yrjanainen, JamieDavis, Ken Hron, Mark Damjanovich, Jeremy Grosse, Cory Sersha, TimAlexander (WATCH HERE)

Rick Gondik Law Office Heat 2: Craig Thatcher, Kelly Estey, Paul Knauf, Joey Jensen, Jeff Hart, JeffProvinzino, Justin Jones, Paul Schultz, Jeff Broking, Rick Rivord (WATCH HERE)

Rick Gondik Law Office Heat 3: Ryan Aho, Jeff Spacek, Jason Grimes, Bill Byholm, Jayme Lautigar,Steve Stuart, Al Uotinen, Jeff Wood, Jason Miller, Jad Carlson (WATCH HERE)

Rick Gondik Law Office Heat 4: Nick Lavato, Wayne Stricker, Trent Follmer, Robbie Bunkelman,Duane Dale, Mike Truscott, Brent Larson, Ricky Roche, John Carpenter,Scott Heikkinen (WATCH HERE)

Rick Gondik Law Office Heat 5: Darrell Nelson, Rick Kobs, Bryan Dyrdahl, Bob Broking, KeithTourville, Jody Bellefeuille, Greg Chesley, Doug Gustafson, KellyCheckalski, Tridell Champlin (WATCH HERE)

Mirror Images Day Spa B Feature #1: (Top two Advance) Provinzino, Tourville, Chesley, Uotinen,Truscott, Miller, Damjanovich, Davis, Sersha, Roche, Rivord, Schultz,Lautigar, Checkalski, Heikkinen (WATCH HERE)

Mirror Images Day Spa B Feature #2: (Top Two Advance) Hart, Bellefeuille, Jones, J Broking,Wood, Gustafson, Larson, Alexander, Hron, J Carlson, Carpenter, Champlin,Dale, Grosse, Stuart (WATCH HERE)

Tim’s Automotive Pole Dash: Estey, Nelson, Thatcher, Aho, Spacek, Paull, Stricker, Jones, Lavato (WATCH HERE)

Subway Feature: (30 Laps) Nelson, Aho, Estey, Thatcher, Jones, Jensen, Grimes,Knauf, Spacek, Kobs, Bunkelman, Provinzino, Follmer, Stricker, Byholm,Tourville, Bellefeuille, Lavato, Hart, B Broking, Yrjanainen, Dyrdahl, Wood, Paul, Mathison (WATCH HERE)

By Jerry O’Brien
5-30-10
Proctor, MN

Click for full: Results | Points

37 Kelly Estey used John Carpenters car (duct taped 37 on it) at Proctor after his motor expired during the 2nd round of hot laps. He was able to finish 11th from 24th. Word is that he was not going to go out for the second session of hot laps. If so he would have blown up in the heats and dramatically shifting the points. Came out of Hibbing with the lead after another solid run.

97 Greg Chesley is having a great first year with Como and in Wissota land. Chesley was able to score the GRP $750 bonus at Proctor and a victory (non Como) on the second day of the Labor Day Shootout in Hibbing. Many of the same great Como drivers ran that event on Day 2 proving the Chesley is running up front with the best.

91 Craig Thatcher is on a run for the title. Could he be the first non Northerner to win the title in series history? Only driver with multiple wins on the season.

24D Duane Dale checked out on the field at the Silver 1000 in Hibbing. A clean sweep of the nights events (Heat, XR Apparel Dash, and Feature). Checked right out into another zip code and crawled back into the points game.

98 Al Uotinen, the 2008 Series Champion, had an up and down weekend. 2nd at Proctor and 22nd at Hibbing including his first provisional of the year. Al was able to maintain and is still fifth in points.

12M Jason Miller has not had great luck but still has made all of the races. Blown motor at Proctor and another mechanical failure at Hibbing puts him in 7th place in the standings.

63 Rick Kobs is 4th in the standings even though he missed a feature this year, 32 points out and has an outside chance at winning the crown while missing a race!

Six drivers have made all of the shows. 44 Darrell Nelson was able to win a B Main and transfer in Hibbing running his string of never using a provisional start in the history of the Como Series, 29 races strong. Nelson, Thatcher, Kobs, Wood, Miller, and Dale are the drivers that still have a provisional (in the top ten) available this year. It could get wild if one of the top runners cannot transfer during the last two races of the season at Superior and Ashland. Could we have a repeat of the wild season ending night at ABC Raceway like we did in 2008?

The series heads to Hibbing, MN to contest Round 6 os the series at the Labor Day Shootout on Saturday, September 5, 2009.

RICK GONDIK LAW OFFICES HEAT RACES:

Heat 1

1. 55 Jeff Wood
2. 24L Jeff Lien
3. 44 Darrell Nelson
4. 71A Ryan Aho
5. 84Y Dean Yrjanainen
6. V2 Joey Jensen
7. 01 Joey Ogston
8. B1 Brent Larson
9. 57 Mike Anderson

Heat 2

1. 24D Duale Dale
2. 9 Nick Lavato
3. 97 Greg Chesley
4. 12M Jason Miller
5. 11K Jeff Provinzino
6. 11 Jody Bellefeuille
7. 5 Jeff Broking
8. 101 Paul Schultz
9. 66X Denny Trimble

Heat 3

1. 98 Al Uotinen
2. 85 Jamie Davis
3. 7J Rick Jacobson
4. 99 Steve LaVasseur
5. 37 Kelly Estey
6. 21H Jerry Hartman
7. 45L Larry Prochnow
8. 2R Ricky Roche

Heat 4

1. 64 Kelly Checkalski
2. 25 Hank Berry
3. 45 Bob Broking
4. 69 Justin Jones
5. 54L Jayme Lautigar
6. 4 Bill Byholm
7. 22G Kyle Gavel
8. 999 John Carpenter 

Heat 5

1. 78L Brent Prochnow
2. 40 Jad Carlson
3. 2C Dave Cain
4. 84 Travis Zollar
5. R1 Jay Richardson
6. 16 Gavin Paul
7. 38 Rick Caanata
8. 00 Robby Bunklemen

Heat 6

1. 22J Jeff Spacek
2. 91 Craig Thatcher
3. 20 Jeff Hart
4. 63 Rick Kobs
5. 95 Rick Rivord
6. 12S Wayne Stricker
7. 44R Steve Roseen
8. 31 John Sertich

MIRROR IMAGES DAY SPA B MAINS:

B Main 1

1. 69 Justin Jones
2. 71A Ryan Aho
3. 54L Jayme Lautigar
4. V2 Joey Jensen
5. 4 Bill Byholm
6. 31 John Sertich
7. 45L Larry Prochnow
8. 38 Rick Cannata
9. 22G Kyle Gavel

B Main 2

1. 12M Jason Miller
2. 11K Jeff Provinzino
3. R1 Jay Richardson
4. 00B Robbie Bunklemen
5. 57 Mike Anderson
6. 44R Steve Roseen
7. 84 Travis Zollar
8. 11 Jody Bellefeuille
9. 12S Wayne Stricker
10. 16 Gavin Paul
11. 999 John Carpenter

B Main 2

1. 63 Rick Kobs
2. 37 Kelly Estey
3. 99 Steve Lavasseur
4. 101 Paul Schultz
5. 95 Rick Rivord
6. 01 Joey Ogston
7. 66X Denny Trimble
8. 5 Jeff Broking
9. B1 Brent Larson
10. 21 Jerry Hartman

XR APPAREL POLE DASH:

1. 24D Duale Dale
2. 98 Al Uotinen
3. 78L Brent Prochnow
4. 64 Kelly Checkalski
5. 55 Jeff Wood
6. 22S Jeff Spacek

FORTUNE BAY CASINO A-MAIN FEATURE:

1. 24D Duane Dale
2. 98 Al Uotinen
3. 9 Nick Lavato
4. 40C Jad Carlson
5. 7J Rick Jacobson
6. 69 Justin Jones
7. 55 Jeff Wood
8. 97 Greg Chesley
9. 2C Dave Cain
10. 20 Jeff Hart
11. 37 Kelly Estey
12. 11 Jody Bellefeuille
13. 24L Jeff Lien
14. 64 Kelly Checkalski
15. 12M Jason Miller
16. 91 Craig Thatcher
17. 44 Darrell Nelson
18. 78L Brent Prochnow
19. 22S Jeff Spacek
20. 63 Rick Kobs
21. 11K Jeff Provinzino
22. 25 Hank Berry
23. 85 Jamie Davis
24. 45 Bob Broking
25. 71A Ryan Aho