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Richards Echoes through Eagle Valley - Times Three

Brad Erickson
Speed Shop North Photo
Jim Falls, Wisconsin (July 02, 2017) Eagle Valley Speedway presented the Fireworks Special sponsored by Advance Auto Parts and the Budweiser/Rock Fest Ticket Giveaway. The WISSOTA Poly Dome Dirt Track Series sanctioned Super Stocks, Midwest Modifieds, Street Stocks, Pure Stocks, and EVS Hornets were all in action. The modifieds were not on the card. The feature winners on the night were Tommy Richards, Nick Koehler, Danny Richards, George Richards, and Jason Bauer.
Jeff Brauer and Tommy Richards have dominated the Eagle Valley Speedway this season and when one is leading, the other is likely trying to pass for the lead. They both won their heats and with Richards starting outside of the front row, Brauer had his work cut out for him. It took Richards no time to claim the lead and Brauer spent about the same amount of time getting to second. Richards was on the mark as he drove off into the night, being slowed only once for a caution. Back under green, he checked out again. Brauer had about the same advantage over third as he too pulled away for the group. Kyle Oman, Luke Schultz, and Troy Fransway filled out the top five.
Nick Koehler, Shane Halopka, and Kent Baxter each won their respective heats as Koehler went on to win his third feature on the weekend after starting eighth on the field. It wouldn’t start off well though and it was by far an easy task. On the initial drop of the green, Koehler was one of several cars which drove over a still damp area on the racing surface going into turn one. There was a multiple car slow down and spins, causing a complete restart.
As the race was started, it was Bob Wood into the lead as he ran the high groove and Derek Haas setting chase down low. Haas, who has been very fast lately steadily dove deep in the corners and on about lap five wrestled away the lead as Andy Karl followed him through into second. A spinning Ross Fuhrman slowed the action and Haas lead them back to green. Soon, Denny Cutsforth and Eric Klemetson spun with Klemetson being sent to the rear. The restart would show Koehler’s first presence as he had worked his way to second driving the low line around the track.
The restart was short lived as Wood broke down on the racing surface and was pushed to the pits, giving up his top five run. Under green, it was Calvin Iverson who made his bid for the lead. He raced below the leader as Koehler tried to pull even above Haas. It was Iverson as Koehler took control of second and Shane Halopka, who had started seventh, pressed and made his way into third. Koehler continued to attack the cushion and pulled even and passed Iverson for the point; however, a spinning Antonio Pintaro drew the caution and restored Iverson to the lead.
Second running Koehler chose to start on the outside, moving Halopka beside him down low. The restart saw Iverson in the lead running very low with Halopka moving into second in his shadow. Koehler continued to assault the high line, and found himself passing his way back to the lead as Halopka slipped by Iverson into second. The continuing action was classic open wheeled excitement, with two of the very best Midwest Modified drivers around. Koehler ran high at one end and dove low on the other as Halopka hugged the tires all the way around. Halopka inched his way forward and pulled even with the leader as the two battles side by side for the win.
The last caution of the event for a Jason Olson break down put a pause to the drama. It quickly resumed however during a green, white, checkered, two lap shootout. It was Koehler high and Halopka low as the ran side by side. Coming off turn four, it was Koehler winning the race by about one half of a car length to a solid finishing Halopka. Calvin Iverson finished his fine run in third as Andy Karl and Derek Haas both were fast rounding out the top five.
The Street Stock heats were won by Ron Hanestad and Danny Richards as Richards went on to sweep the night. It was the youngster, Braden Brauer leading early from the pole position and looking very good out front for four laps. Richards chased him and was able to drive below him for the lead on lap five. The caution flag flew for a spinning Mike Knudtson as Travis Hazelton was called at fault and sent to the rear on the restart.
The restart saw Richards lead, Knudtson work his way into second, and Brauer in third as the top three ran up against the cushion in the high line. By the halfway point, Jake Hessler had worked his way past Brauer into third and Hazelton recovered from his trip to the back of the pack, driving up to fourth. The remainder of the race saw Richards ease away over Knudtson, who separated himself from third finishing Hessler, Hazelton and Robert Seidler in fifth.
The Pure Stock were swept by George Richards, again… All three Richards brothers swept their respective classes. George simply dominates the Pure Stocks at the Valley. He drove to the lead on the start and never looked back. Dean Pronschinske was involved in a first lap caution, went to the rear, and charged his way back to second. Nearing the end of the event, Lucas Kallenback began to challenge for the runner up position, pulled even at the white flag, and beat Pronschinske back to the line. Nicholas Hazelton finished fourth and Stefen Hague rounded out the top five.
The Hornet heats were won by Jason Bauer, Chad Prissel, and Mark Schoone, as Bauer swept the night. On the drop of the green for the feature, it was two wide for two laps as Schoone eased slightly ahead of Jake Halterman. The race came to an immediate red flag halt when a large crash occurred on the backstretch as the pack was approaching turn four. Jason Holte found himself on two wheels but did not go over, but it was Sean Svee rolling hard near the wall. All drivers were reported unhurt and the race was restarted with three cars eliminated.
It is a rare sight indeed to see a hornet driving against a very high cushion in its truest sense, but Schoone was doing just that out front. Bauer closed below him and moved side by side for the lead. A good battle ensued as it took three laps for Bauer to moved into first on his own. Schoone wasn’t done as he continued to drive the long way around the track and moved side by side with the leader at the white flag. Bauer crowded the upper groove coming through turn two, Schoone had to lift, losing momentum, and Bauer drove home to the win. Jason Helegson, Jake Halterman, and Chad Prissel rounded out the top five.
The Eagle Valley Speedway returns to racing action on Sunday, July 09, 2017, with the 2nd Annual Hornet Swarm sponsored by Coors Light / Lee Beverage. They will take 30 hornets to the feature, starting three wide, running 30 laps, and the winner takes home $600! The feature will be set through passing points, B-Feature, and a last chance race. All regular weekly WISSOTA classes will also be on display. Thanks go out to the fine sponsors each week, including Oium Blacktop and Kelly Oium Well Drilling and Pump Service who give away a bicycle to one boy and one girl every racing night.
WISSOTA Super Stock Feature (20 Laps): 1. 7R-Tommy Richards, [2]; 2. 34-Jeff Brauer, [3]; 3. 13-Kyle Oman, [4]; 4. 96-Luke Schultz, [8]; 5. 9ER-Troy Fransway, [11]; 6. 9-Dylan Kromschroeder, [7]; 7. 92-Aaron Wilson, [6]; 8. 93H-Steve Davidson, [10]; 9. (DNF) 17-Wayne Dean, [5]; 10. (DNF) 1-Lukas Koski, [1]; 11. (DNF) 00-jason quarters, [12]; (DNS) 27X-Andy Miskowic
Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 34-Jeff Brauer, [1]; 2. 17-Wayne Dean, [4]; 3. 1-Lukas Koski, [3]; 4. 96-Luke Schultz, [6]; 5. 27X-Andy Miskowic, [2]; 6. 9ER-Troy Fransway, [5]
Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 7R-Tommy Richards, [5]; 2. 9-Dylan Kromschroeder, [1]; 3. 92-Aaron Wilson, [4]; 4. 13-Kyle Oman, [2]; 5. 93H-Steve Davidson, [3]; 6. 00-jason quarters, [6]
WISSOTA Midwest Modified Feature: 1. 13-Nick Koehler, [8]; 2. 3JR-Shane Halopka, [7]; 3. 27X-Calvin Iverson, [4]; 4. 61K-Andy Karl, [5]; 5. 6H-Derek Haas, [3]; 6. 20-Denny Cutsforth, [13]; 7. 00-Ross Fuhrman, [10]; 8. 95X-Kent Baxter, [6]; 9. 7P-Zach McKinnon, [9]; 10. 119-Mike Widmann, [15]; 11. 19P-Antonio Pintaro, [20]; 12. .08-Eric Klemetson, [11]; 13. 17B-Zach Benson, [19]; 14. 87-Christopher Johnson, [2]; 15. 3D-Steven Dehler, [18]; 16. 15B-Jack Barta, [16]; 17. 13M-John Mueller, [14]; 18. (DNF) 63JR-Brady Larson, [12]; 19. (DNF) 39-Robert Wood, [1]; (DQ) JLO-Jason Olson, [17]
Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 13-Nick Koehler, [2]; 2. 7P-Zach McKinnon, [4]; 3. 39-Robert Wood, [3]; 4. 00-Ross Fuhrman, [7]; 5. 20-Denny Cutsforth, [6]; 6. 15B-Jack Barta, [1]; 7. (DNF) 17B-Zach Benson, [5]
Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 95X-Kent Baxter, [2]; 2. 61K-Andy Karl, [6]; 3. 6H-Derek Haas, [5]; 4. .08-Eric Klemetson, [4]; 5. 13M-John Mueller, [3]; 6. JLO-Jason Olson, [7]; 7. (DNF) 19P-Antonio Pintaro, [1]
Heat 3 (10 Laps): 1. 3JR-Shane Halopka, [4]; 2. 27X-Calvin Iverson, [1]; 3. 87-Christopher Johnson, [2]; 4. 63JR-Brady Larson, [6]; 5. 119-Mike Widmann, [3]; 6. 3D-Steven Dehler, [5]
WISSOTA Street Stocks Feature: (15 Laps): 1. 3R-Danny Richards, [6]; 2. 42K-Michael Knudtson, [8]; 3. 53-Jake Hessler, [3]; 4. 2H-Travis Hazelton, [4]; 5. 5-Robert Seidler, [9]; 6. 4H-Dalton Hazelton, [11]; 7. 34JR-Braden Brauer, [1]; 8. 74-Bruce Stanley, [10]; 9. 27-Dale Holte, [7]; 10. 71H-Ron Hanestad, [5]; 11. (DNF) 29-Armond Love, [2]
Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 71H-Ron Hanestad, [2]; 2. 42K-Michael Knudtson, [3]; 3. 34JR-Braden Brauer, [4]; 4. 29-Armond Love, [1]; 5. 5-Robert Seidler, [5]; 6. 74-Bruce Stanley, [6]
Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 3R-Danny Richards, [5]; 2. 2H-Travis Hazelton, [2]; 3. 53-Jake Hessler, [4]; 4. 27-Dale Holte, [1]; 5. (DNF) 4H-Dalton Hazelton, [3]
WISSOTA Pure Stock Feature: (12 Laps): 1. 5R-George Richards, [4]; 2. XG-Lucas Kallenbach, [6]; 3. 49-Dean Pronschinske, [3]; 4. 2B-Nicholas Hazelton, [2]; 5. 28-Stefan Hogue, [1]; 6. 29M-Andrew Conklin, [5]
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 5R-George Richards, [4]; 2. 49-Dean Pronschinske, [1]; 3. 2B-Nicholas Hazelton, [3]; 4. 28-Stefan Hogue, [5]; 5. 29M-Andrew Conklin, [2]; 6. (DNF) XG-Lucas Kallenbach, [6]
EVS Hornets Feature: (12 Laps): 1. 14 B-Jason Bauer, [5]; 2. 33-Mark Schoone, [1]; 3. 59H-Jason Helegson, [3]; 4. 76-Jake Halterman, [2]; 5. 54-Chad Prissel, [9]; 6. 4-Dan Prissel, [4]; 7. 12-Leslie Jackson, [12]; 8. 5-Justin Wolf, [15]; 9. 14B-Lucas Brackin, [16]; 10. 52X-Raymond Ellsworth , [19]; 11. X7-Chad Halterman, [14]; 12. 117-Jason Junker, [11]; 13. 18B-Dean Butler, [10]; 14. (DNF) 69H-Adam Hover, [18]; 15. (DNF) 82-Craig Oas, [17]; 16. (DNF) 67-Jason Holte, [6]; 17. (DNF) 9-Sean Svee, [7]; 18. (DNF) 9G-Kasey Gross, [8]; (DNS) 77-Brian Uthe,
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 14 B-Jason Bauer, [3]; 2. 67-Jason Holte, [4]; 3. 76-Jake Halterman, [7]; 4. 18B-Dean Butler, [5]; 5. 77-Brian Uthe, [1]; 6. 14B-Lucas Brackin, [6]; 7. 69H-Adam Hover, [2]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 54-Chad Prissel, [2]; 2. 4-Dan Prissel, [5]; 3. 9G-Kasey Gross, [3]; 4. 117-Jason Junker, [1]; 5. X7-Chad Halterman, [4]; 6. 82-Craig Oas, [6]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 33-Mark Schoone, [3]; 2. 59H-Jason Helegson, [5]; 3. 9-Sean Svee, [6]; 4. 12-Leslie Jackson, [4]; 5. 5-Justin Wolf, [1]; 6. (DNF) 52X-Raymond Ellsworth , [2]

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