Steve Laursen Strikes Gold in
Late Model Open Show at Monster Hall... July 23, 2002; Unity, WI. - - An incredibly awesome night of racing prevailed at Monster Hall Raceway on Tuesday night for the Motor Mania Late Model Shootout, with over 25 late models in attendance battling it out for $4000 at the end of the race. Accompanying the Late Models were a lot of WISSOTA Super Stocks competing for over $1000 in the progressive payout jackpot going to the winner of their event for the night. .
After running their heats, the Super Stocks battled for a last chance shot to make it into the big dance in the consolation feature with #17 Terry Gorst jumping out to an early lead, being challenged by #27 Mark Stender. Gorst tried to run away and hide out front, with Stender chasing him for all he had. Stender held his own in second, with Gorst still out front, having his car on a rail around the 1/3 mile high banks. A total of 11 cars in the race, with the top 5 moving on, the battle
was on the bubble spot, with #8 Mike Duhr in the high lane and #24 Butch Kummer on the low
side, exchanging positions back and forth throughout the 12 lap event. The fight raged on
as the race wound down, with Duhr still out front by a car length. Kummer took his machine
to the low groove, catching the left front on the inside cushion, trying to launch his
Chevy around the 1-2 corner, but he didn't have enough for Duhr on that pass. Duhr bobbled
out of corner 4 allowing Kummer to capitalize for position. Duhr got his car back under
control hanging onto his position to get into the show. 3 laps later, mechanical trouble
struck the Duhr machine, allowing Kummer to get into the big dance, coming home in 5th.
Gorst won the consy, with Stender coming in second, #02 Jamie Strebig coming in 3rd, and
#19 Kevin Rogers coming in 4th. An open motor rule, open tire rule, and open body rule allowed for many modifications among driver's cars, but the most noticeable was #19 Steve Laursen, who ran an aluminum motor, a nose wing, and a roof wing, making his late model a definite force on the high banks. Starting in 16th, he moved up to 9th by lap 12. Birkhofer moved up on Hanson, challenging for the lead, but Hanson managed to hold him off for a period of time, until Birkhofer became too much for Hanson to handle, and on lap 17, Birkhofer took over the frontrunner's spot. Caution came out on lap 24 due to debris on the track, giving a
chance for the cars to bunch up again. Laursen, who came through the B main, started in
16th for the big dance, and now was up to second, with his eyes on the lead spot.
Mechanical trouble struck the Birkhofer machine, which left Laursen the lead spot. The
green dropped again, and Laursen put on an impressive display for the thousands of fans in
attendance, putting a straightaway between him and the second place car, #9, Dan
Schleiper. About mid pack, #90 Eric Pember and #80 Troy Kuyoth battled out for position,
exchanging lines like old rivals, side by side all around the track. 15 laps to go, and
Laursen was out front waiting for the checkers. Lap after lap Laursen advanced on the
field, to eventually pull his modified late model into the winner's circle, taking home
the checkers in great fashion. Monster Hall Raceway runs 6 classes every Friday night, with
door-to-door action starting at 7:30, and Jack's Time Out and Progressive Travel will be
sponsoring Friday, July 26. So, be sure and come out to enjoy all the awesome racing every
week at Monster Hall Raceway!!! |
