6/10/2024
Lake of the Woods Speedway
Audette Claims First Feature Win in Five Years, Alcock & Copp Claim Season Open Wins
The 2024 Season at Lake of the Woods Speedway kicked off for the first time in the month of June as the WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds, WISSOTA Pure Stocks, and HD Contracting Ent. 4-Cylinders took to the track after a long winter.
First up was a pair of heats in the WISSOTA Pure Stocks. Stan Dueck took the win in heat one after Brodie Mcgowan took a spin in turn number two while in the lead. Jake Mazur claimed second place with Mcgowan relegated to third. In the second heat, it was a race full of cautions with everyone being involved in an incident at some point with the exception of pole sitter and eventual winner, Steve Redman. Bryson McDonald and sibling Morgan McDonald finished the top three.
The feature race was also a caution filled event. Multiple lead changes happened with Mazur, B. McDonald, and M. McDonald all taking the top spot throughout the race. Eventually, Mazur shuffled back and M. McDonald taking the lead on the final restart. With a green white checkered pending, second place driver Michael Copp, who had started in the ninth position at the start of the race, now found himself right behind the leader. Coming to the white flag lap, M. McDonald slipped up the track, opening the door for Copp. Keeping it together for the final two corner, Copp claimed the season opener feature win, repeating the same feat as 2023.
In the WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds, Edward Bell started on the pole and put on a clinic in heat one. Meanwhile, Christopher Leek, Brandon Rehill, and Jesse Thompson battled it out, sometimes three wide, for the second position. Eventually, Leek would claim second, Rehill third.
In the second heat, Nick Audette did something similar, pulling away from the field. Patrick Davis finished second, Nick Hooper third.
In the feature, Audette started outside pole with Hooper. At the wave of the green flag, Audette was able to get into the fast lane and pulled away from the field quickly. Leek tried to play catch up after making it around Hooper for second. Rehill, who started 5th, managed to squeeze himself past enough cars to gain to the back of Leek and eventually make the pass for second. Audette rarely skipped a beat and was able to complete his first feature win in five years.
In the HD Contracting Ent. 4-Cylinders, the siblings of Kamea and Madoc Mulholland started and finished at the one two, with Dustin Alcock finishing third in heat one. In the second heat, Shelden McDonald won from the pole with Zachary Valiquette and rookie Derek Poirier completing the top three.
In the feature, Alcock was on a mission. Weaving past McDonald, K. Mulholland, and Valiquette, the leader had over a half a track lead when rookie Katelynne Mazur-Defoort went up over the top of turn four. Luckily, on the ensuing single file restart, McDonald was slow on the restart, giving Alcock enough time to pull away to claim his first feature win of 2024.
Thank you to all the amazing sponsors, volunteers, fans, and drivers for a great season opener. We return again on Sunday, June 16 for the Ashley Neniska Memorial Races.