BUDIASLOVICH BELLEFEUILLE FLYNN VAN HOUSE BEST AT AMSOIL SPEEDWAY OPENER

 

After qualifying heats were complete it was time to trot out the first of five

features, that being the Midwest Modified 15 lapper. The event got off to a rocky

start with several caution flags in the early going. Starting with lap one there was a

no start due to a spin followed by Brian Youderin's #B1 getting turned into the

front stretch wall. The next try was a good start as Canadian Cody Wolcowski got

the jump over Rick Przybylski and the two were able to open some distance on the

rest of the 21 car field. Lance Solem raced up to join them as Deven Van House

led George Dalbeck and Rob Weber in a second three car battle. David Simpson

brought out the next caution with a spin in turn one. Simpson was sent to the pits

as it was he who caused the caution on the first lap. With five of fifteen in the

books, Wolcowski continued to lead Przybylski. Przybylski fell to an outside

move by Solem who moved to second. Van House and Weber continued in the top

five as further back the pack was led by Loren Inman. Another caution for a turn

one spin compacted the pack and enabled Van House to make an outside move

around Wolcowski for the point. Pryzybylski's great run came to an end as he

stopped in turn two. The next restart came with six laps remaining with Van Hous

in charge over Weber who had grabbed second from Wolcowski. Working their

way into the top five were Inman and Willy Thompson. With three to go Solem

and Don Craig tangled in turn four ending Solem's night. It was a single file

restart and the three laps went off without a hitch as Van House took the win home

to Silver Bay, MN.

Next up was 20 laps for the WISSOTA Super Stocks. Scott Lawrence used his

outside front row starting spot to his advantage as he jumped past Nick

Oreskovich to the lead. He was chased by Willie Johnsen, Jr, Andy Grymala and

Donnie Lofdahl. The first six laps clicked off with precision before yellow fever

set in. First it was a spin in turn one by Pat Heikkinen that brought out the caution

flag. The try at a restart went nowhere when Dan Toucheri spun in turn one. The

next ry produced a similar result as this time it was Matt Madsen around in turn

one. At the next try at a green flag lap, Lawrence fought off Johnsen to retain the

lead with Oreskovich a close third. The man on the move was Dave Flynn who

had started eighth and by half way was running fourth. Lawrence drove aaway to a

huge lead but that evaporated when Shawn Polonoski turned around in turn two.

The restart went nowhere as a multi car wreck that spread over turns one and two

involving, amongst others, Al Rapp and Shawn Rivord stopped the action. On the

final restart with seven to go, Flynn got by Lawrence and drove to the win.

Johnsen, Grymala and Lofdahl finished in the top five.

The 20 lap WISSOTA Modified feature also had it's share of fits, starts and

crumpled sheet metal before coming to an end. Outside pole sitter Kelly Estey shot

to the lead past Ross Lightner but Rick Niemi and Nikki Wradzilo tangled before a

lap could be completed. With no laps in Estey again took the lead but quickly lost

it to Ryan Aho. With a lap completed Niemi again was involved in an incident not

of his making to bring out another caution flag. At this point things went south for

Darrell Nelson as something broke in the #44's rear suspension and he was off to

the pits on the hook. Aho retained the lead at the green but a deflating left front

tire threatened to sideline him or at the very least put him to the back if he decided

to replace it. Completing lap two continued to be a problem as Aho led Estey into

turn one only to have Estey turn him. Estey was penalized for the incident and sent

to the rear. Aho was still hanging on with a now completely flat tire but getting in

another lap continued to be a problem. First a two car tangle stopped the action

followed by a tangle between Steve Lavasseur and Niemi on the front stretch.

Officials called for a single file restart and Aho drove off to a huge lead even with

a tire that threatened to leave the rim at every turn. Jody Bellefeuille,who had

started ninth, Al Uotinen and Scott Hudack sans right side sheet metal battled for

second which went to Bellefeuille. Bellefeuille immediately began to close on Aho

along with Uotinen. Those three began to distance themselves from Hudack in

fourth as the halfway point was reached. The event went the rest of the way with

only a single caution flag for a back stretch spinout with a pair of laps remaining.

Aho could not hold off a charging Bellefeuille who used an outside move to take

the lead and the win. Aho held on for second over Uotinen, Rick Rivord and

Lightner.

A dozen Late Models took to the track for 20 laps with Chris Olson pacing the

field from the pole. Outside pole sitter Travis Budisalovich grabbed the early lead

and survived a late race caution for the win. Budisalovich pulled out a near full

straight away lead on the pack. Olson was holding off Jeff Provinzino for second

until he lost control in turn one. Budiaslovich's bigh lead was gone but he was

able to out accelerate Provinzino and again slowly widen his lead. With eight laps

remaining another caution cut away his lead but he was still too strong for

Provinzino. A Tommy Waseleski, Jr spin with five circuits remaining also did not

faze Budisalovich but cost Provinzino second as Darrell Nelson slipped by.

The final feature of the night was for the Pure Stocks. This one started out so

badly officials cut the distance from twelve to nine laps. The reduced distance

appeared not to help as the 27 car field produced multiple caution flags and four

roll overs, two of them on the same lap at either end of the back straight. The good

news was that none of the drivers were injured. Josh Loucks was in charge from

outside the front row for most of the event and survived all the colorful event

filled with green, yellow and red flags. The final red flag of the event near the end

proved to be Louck's undoing as Justin Madsen who had been in the top three to

five the entire way made a charge that propelled him into the lead and the win.

Loucks, Travis Zembo, Jeff Christman and Jstin Bassa finished in the top five.

Sixteen of 27 cars were running at the end.

Results AMSOIL Speedway Opening Night 5-18-12

WISSOTA Late Models (12 cars)

Feature (20 Laps) Travis Budiaslovich; Darrell Nelson; Jeff Provinzino; Kyle

Peterlin; Chris Olson; Todd Frank; Tim McMann; Aaron Lillo; Scott Herrick

DNF: Tommy Waseleski, Jr; Gregg Hill; Harry Hanson

Heat 1 (10 laps): Nelson; Olson; Budisalovich; Peterlin; Hanson Lillo

Heat 2 (10 Laps): Provinzino'; Waseleski, Jr; Hill; McMann; Herrick DNF: Frank

WISSOTA Modified (18 cars)

Feature (20 laps): Jody Bellefeuille; Ryan Aho; Al Uotinen; Rick Rivord; Ross

Lightner; Scott Heikkinen; Nikki Wrazidlo; Rick Niemi; Jeff Tardy DNF: Scott

Hudack; E. J. Hietala; Kelly Estey; Kevin Eder; Skeeter Estey; Steve Lavasseur;

Destin Lorimor; Brad Hanson; Darrell Nelson

Heat 1 (10 laps): Nelson; Aho; Hudack; Uotinen; Bellefeuille; Niemi; Wrazidlo

DNF: Eder; Hietala

Heat 2 (10 laps): K. Estey; Lightner; Tardy; Lavasseur; Rivord; S. Estey; Lorimor;

Hanson DNF: Heikkinen

WISSOTA Super Stock (18 cars)

Feature (20 Laps): Dave Flynn; Scott Lawrence; Willie Johnsen, Jr; Andy

Grymala; Donnie Lofdahl; Trevor Wilson; Shawn Rivord; Al Rapp; Keith Kern;

Pat Heikkinen; Shawn Polonoski; Nick Oreskovich' Matt Madsen DNF: Joe

Olson; Dan Tocheri; Ronnie Malecki; Mike Bellefeuille; Ashley Smith

Heat 1 (10 Laps): Flynn; Lawrence; Johnsen, Jr; Wilson; Olson; Heikkinen;

Bellefeuille; Malecki; Madsen

Heat 2 (10 Laps): Oreskovich; Lofdahl; Rivord; Grymala; Polonoski; Rapp; Kern;

Tocheri DNF: Smith

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds (21 cars)

Feature (15 Laps): Deven Van House; Cody Wolcowski; Loren Inman; Willy

Thompson; George Dalbeck; Cody Carlson; Dan Kingsley; Neil Balduc; Dan

larsen; Tyler Luger; Norm Anderson, Jr; Chris Bretting; Don Craig DNF: Lance

Solem; Rick Przybylski; Mack Estey; Johnny Hentges; David Simpson; Jeff

Pohjonen; Brian Youderin

Heat 1 (8 laps): Kingsley; Inman; Wolcowski; Carlson; Luger DNF: Pohjonen;

Hentges

Heat 2 (8 laps): Weber; Dalbeck; Craig; Thompson; Larsen; Balduc DNF:

Simpson

Heat 3 (8 Laps): Van House; Przybylski; Solem; Bretting; Youderin DNF:

Anderson, Jr

Pure Stock (27 Cars)

Feature (9 Laps): Justin Madsen; Josh Loucks; Travis Zembo; Jeff Christman;

Justin Bassa; Chad Nikstad; Andy Udeen; Josh Johnson; Josh Overn; Gary

Campbell; Ed Dammer; Scott Shober; Shaina Rapp; Gary Campbell, Jr; Kodi

Oliver; Kayla Anderson DNF: Gavin Campbell; Jeff Engelmeier; Joel Klints; Tim

Carlson; Dustin Follett; Matt Deragon; Chad Carlson; Kark Korte; Jack Sigafus;

Mark Smith; Steve Udeen

Heat 1 (8 Laps): Loucks; Smith; A. Udeen; G Campbell; Sigafus; Rapp; Gavin

Campbell DNF Overn DNS: C Carlson

Heat 2 (8 Laps): Madsen; Korte; Engelmeier; Zembo; Dammer; Klints; Oliver

DNF T Carlson; G Campbell, Jr

Heat 3 (8 Laps): Follett; S. Udeen; Christman; Nikstad; Bassa; Deragon; Shober

DNF: K Anderson; Johnson