Johnson Takes Victory in Monster
Hall WISSOTA Challenge Series Late Model Special!
By Scott Hughes - All The Dirt! Racing News
July 3, 2002; Unity, WI. - WISSOTA Challenge Series point
leader Mitch Johnson of Hickson, ND scored a victory in the 40 lap Late Model main event
at Monster Hall Raceway on Wednesday. It was his first victory in the 2002 series,
which after five events has had five different winners.
The WISSOTA Modifieds joined the card, and Todd Siddons took
his #8 to the Budweiser winner's circle after that divisionıs main event. The WISSOTA
Street Stocks were also in competition and Rick Hanestad showed the way with his #71.
The Street Stocks took their place front and center to start the night's features and 15
cars were on the grid. The original start was waved off when Jared Lindner stalled in turn
three before the pack came to the line. When Joe Bablick dropped from the field, hard
charger Chris Oertel moved from the second row to the pole for the start. Jimmy Randall
shared the front row with him and Randall got the jump to lead the first lap.
After a completed lap, Chris Crapser's #7 went around in turn two and then a three-car
tangle in turn four seconds later forced a caution; two of the drivers involved in the
turn four incident were John Becker and Rick Hanestad, who had started in the fourth and
fifth rows, respectively. Beckerıs #27 suffered terminal damage but Hanestad was able to
continue with his bruised machine.
Hanestad started fifth in the single file restart behind Randall, Oertel, Fred Prudoehl
and Pete Paulus. Ken Heser and Mike Paul were directly behind Hanestad when the green
flew.
Randall chose the high line and Oertel the bottom as they fought for the lead. Randall
held the edge but just behind them, Hanestad was threatening. He moved into third with a
pass on Prudoehl. At that point it was a four car breakaway and a big gap back to Heser in
fifth.
Hanestad looked to the inside, then the outside of Oertel for second, but he bobbled in
turn four and Prudoehl closed back in on him momentarily. Randall was riding comfortably
out front using the ample cushion to get quickly around the turns as Hanestad again reeled
in Oertel. The pair closed up on Randall in a hurry and with a strong move down the back
chute, Hanestad blasted past Oertel for second. He then immediately sliced under Randall
for the lead. Randall tried to push a little harder but had nothing for the black #71 as
Hanestad rocketed around the bottom of the track.
Oertel took a shot at Randall over the final two laps but Randall held him off for second
at the line. After the leaders had taken the white and headed into turns one and two,
Heser lost a tire in turn four. Hanestad, Randall and Oertel missed the stalled car and
the loose tire when they came around and finished safely. Prudoehl was fourth and Paul
fifth at the line.
Jed Moore had the outside of the front row for the WISSOTA Modified feature and the
Stratford racer got the jump on Mark Baxterıs #22B at the start. Second row starter Todd
Siddons was quickly up to challenge Baxter for second but a three-car incident out of turn
two forced a caution. Steve Isenberg was left stalled backwards on the back chute and with
smoke pouring out of the #9i, he retired during the caution.
Moore led Baxter, Siddons, Scott Duval and Paul Knauf on the restart. Siddons quickly
rushed past Baxter for second when the green flew. Fifth row starter Troy Kuyoth and ninth
row starter Jeff Spacek were quickly up fighting for entry into the top five. Knauf
slipped past Duval and then moved to third when Baxter bobbled.
Moore was under attack from Siddons for the lead; Moore was running the middle and high
side while Siddons stayed glued to the bottom of the track. When Kuyoth advanced to fifth,
Spacek was right on him; then the duo sped past Baxter and they were both in the top five.
Moore and Siddons had pulled out a bit on Knauf, who had a comfortable margin on Kuyoth
and Spacek for the moment. Moore got into a nice rhythm and found a little breathing room
ahead of Siddons before Kent Baxter spun in turns three and four and the yellow flew
again.
When the green waved again Kuyoth dove under Knauf; they were even at the flagstand but
Knauf got up and over the cushion in turns one and two and Kuyoth took advantage. Spacek
also flashed past Knauf, but a lap later Mike Bauer stalled in turn four after spinning
his machine 360 degrees. On the next restart a number of front runners seemed to be caught
sleeping; Siddons blew by Moore for the lead and Knauf drove back around Spacek on the
somewhat ragged restart.
The top five fled from the rest of the field and after another restart for Scott Vesely,
who was spun on the back straight, Siddons continued leading and protecting the bottom
line. Kuyoth was crawling all over hometown rival Moore for second and Spacek and Knauf
were also side by side behind them. Moore got up and over the cushion in one and two and
Kuyoth finally secured second place just before the white flag flew. Moore dropped off the
pace at that point and several competitors sped past him.
Siddons rocketed to the checkered for his second overall feature win of 2002 with Kuyoth
the night's runner-up. Knauf moved to third, Rob Genett to fourth and Spacek to fifth
ahead of Moore, whose #33 stalled in turn one after the race and had to be towed from the
track.
Afterwards, Moore, Spacek and Duval had a heated discussion with officials under the
flagstand regarding the restart which shuffled the running order late in the race.
After running caution free through their three heat races, the WISSOTA Late Models needed
numerous yellow flags during their headline feature event. Mitch Johnson and Troy Kuyoth
shared the front row for the start and Johnson bolted away from Kuyoth, whose #80 looked
loose coming off the corner. Duane Mahder came from inside row two to steal second from
Kuyoth and Troy Springborn also passed Kuyoth for third.
With two laps complete, Tom Naeyaert broke down and stalled in turn four. Springborn
pulled off the track under caution, moving everyone up a slot. Only one more lap was
completed before the yellow flew again.
Kuyoth, who had slid back to fifth, moved back past Lance Matthees for fourth on the
restart, but Matthees came back and made it a side by side battle for the spot. Out front
Johnson established a margin on Mahder and Steve Isenberg was
challenging Duane for the second spot. Matthees claimed the fourth spot again and Scott
Cramer was alongside Kuyoth for fifth when Steve Kuester stalled on the back chute,
forcing another caution.
Cramer completed his work on Kuyoth after the restart and John Kaanta, who had started
13th, worked his way into eighth. Over the next three laps Johnson built up another lead;
the four drivers directly behind him were spaced evenly a couple car lengths apart and all
of them were running the bottom. That suited Kaanta just fine; he continued marching
forward using the second groove and slipped into seventh, directly behind Nick Anvelink.
When Johnson got into lapped traffic, it slowed him up and Mahder caught the leader, who
was pinned behind Kuester. Johnson was reprieved when Cramer stalled at the bottom of the
track and the yellow flew yet again, ending his strong run.
That gave fifth to Kaanta, who had just passed Anvelink before the caution. Kuyoth, Terry
Casey, Tim Buhler and Paul Brust were behind Anvelink, and Casey was starting to pick up
the pace in his #42.
The leaders again took the green but Kaanta immediately blasted past Matthees for fourth
using the middle line. He quickly closed on Isenberg for third but thatıs where his
progress stalled. Matthees drove back past Kaanta two laps later but the yellow flew,
giving Kaanta fourth again behind Johnson, Mahder and Isenberg.
Casey went to the middle after the restart and made quick work of Kuyoth and Brust; he
then eyed up Anvelink and Matthees from close behind.
The top three had run the bottom all race long and just after Kaanta
abandoned the middle for the low side, Mahder made a test move a half width up and found
incredible bite where the track was beginning to take rubber. Just as Mahder got alongside
Johnsonıs right rear quarter panel exiting turn four, the yellow flew for the final time
for Kuester, who stalled on the track. Casey had discovered the rubber, apparently, and
had used it to zip past both Anvelink and Matthees for fifth before the restart.
Johnson had caught a glimpse of Mahder's nose right before the restart and then discovered
the rubber on the track during the caution period, so he adjusted his line when the green
came back out. Mahder threw all he had at him and the rookie, Isenberg, hung with them as
they pulled away from a fading Kaanta. Casey was working on Kaanta for fourth when Brust
came roaring to life and blew past them both for fourth. Casey and Kaanta continued their
battle to the final lap.
Johnson led all 40 laps for the win followed by Mahder and Isenberg. Brust made headway on
them in the final laps but settled for fourth. Casey got past Kaanta for fifth followed by
Kuyoth, Nick Anvelink, Terry Anvelink and Buhler in the top 10.
SUMMARY
WISSOTA Late Models:
Feature - Mitch Johnson, Duane Mahder, Steve Isenberg, Paul Brust, Terry
Casey, John Kaanta, Troy Kuyoth, Nick Anvelink, Terry Anvelink, Tim Buhler
Heat 1 - Mahder, Kuyoth, Johnson, Brust, Kaanta
Heat 2 - Casey, Matthees, Isenberg, N. Anvelink, Schloegl
Heat 3 - Naeyaert, Cramer, Springborn, Hessler, Buhler
WISSOTA Modifieds:
Feature - Todd Siddons, Troy Kuyoth, Paul Knauf, Rob Genett, Jeff Spacek,
Jed Moore, Scott Duval, Butch Oertel, Mike Williams, Ray Karl, Jr.
Heat 1 - Isenberg, Kuyoth, Knauf, Siddons, Duval
Heat 2 - Moore, Oertel, Schilling, Baxter, Vesely
WISSOTA Street Stocks:
Feature - Rick Hanestad, Jim Randall, Chris Oertel, Fred Prudoehl, Mike
Paul, Troy Bentz, Dave Teatz, Pete Paulus, Chris Crapser, Ken Heser
Heat 1 - Randall, Teatz, Oertel, Prudoehl, Warga
Heat 2 - Becker, Bablick, Hanestad, Paulus, Kauth |
