Anderson wins DRC Street Tour at Ogilvie, TPO charges to late model victory

I was excited to get a chance to write about Ogilvie Raceway, one of my favorite tracks, as the Dirt Race Central Street Stock Tour stopped at the 3/8-mile oval on Saturday. Ogilvie had 101 cars in six classes. I’ll be honest, if it were closer than 210 miles for me, it would be a part of my Saturday rotation.

One observation – the high gas prices are hitting some of these tours pretty hard in terms of car counts.  There are a few drivers who followed the DRC Street Stock Tour regularly in the past that haven’t so far, for legit reasons, and I can’t imagine fuel costs not being one of them. Life happens, too – weddings, child births, reunions, family trips, deaths in the family, and it reminds us racing is a hobby, and not our whole lives, as Pastor Nick Preston told me a few weeks ago at I-94 EMR Speedway.

That being said, 21 cars is plenty for a good race, and this field had a lot of depth. I think 10-12 drivers were capable of winning.

The track had character and was fast, not unexpected after Friday’s rainfall in that area. Ogilvie, at least when I’ve watched, is on the drier side and smooth and slick, but this a cowboy-up track with a troublesome hole on the bottom of turns three and four.  Track officials did the best they could, and had the blade out at intermission, but once spots are soft, it’s hard to fix during a racing program. This isn’t an indictment on the track or how it’s run, as I think it’s one of the best-run tracks in Wissota, just the hand they were dealt with Friday’s rain.

The Wissota Street Stock feature had four former national champions in the first three rows –. The defending champion Kolton Brauer of Eyota took the lead as Parker Anderson of Phillips, Wis., took the second spot from Darak Turner, who was soon passed by Friday’s winner, Jim Gullikson of Nowthen. Jeff Ekdahl of North Branch and the Wolverine Justin Vogel of Brooten were fighting for fifth. 

The first caution waved on lap three to bunch up the field. Brauer now had Anderson and Gullikson on his bumper, and things went three-wide on the backstretch with Anderson taking the lead over Brauer as Gullikson was threatened by Ekdahl. Kammron Rose moved into fifth. Gullikson would take the spot just before a debris caution with 18 to go.

Anderson, a former tour champion, had plenty of heat from Gullikson as Brauer and Rose raced hard for second. Tommy Pogones of Elk River was on the move, climbing into fifth. The battle for third was between Rose and Pogones as Brauer slid back to fifth.

Gullikson soon had company by the halfway point, as Rose got beside him and made the pass with 10 to go. The caution waved for Teagan Britten was turned on the frontstretch. Anderson extended a big lead on the restart as there was a tense three-car battle for second between Gullikson, Rose and Pogones with Brauer not far behind.  Gullikson and Rose put on a heck of a show for second as Anderson’s lead grew to 1.5 seconds with four to go.

Pogones wasn’t done as he moved into second as there was contact between him and Rose. Anderson would cruise to the win by 1.09 seconds over Pogones, who capped off a great run in second. Rose also ran well in third with Gullikson and Brauer rounding out the top five.  Turner also ran solid, finishing sixth.

The 25-lap Wissota Late Model feature went non-stop, but it was three-time defending national champion Tyler Peterson of Hickson (TPO) who stole the show with the best late model performance I’ve seen this season, at least locally.

Jeff Massingill of Keewatin and Billy Kendall of Walker dueled for the Wissota Late Model lead early as Cole Schill of Hawley stayed close. Danny Vang of Deerwood was fourth ahead of Blake Boelens of Brandon.

Kendall was running the high side and hauling as Massingill worked underneath.  Pat Doar was running sixth but closing on Boelens.  Vang was working on Schill for third as Doar climbed into the top five.

TPO started 13^th, but I was watching up move up through the field. He was up to the top seven, and with about 17 to go roared around Doar for fifth.  Kendall had about a .800 second lead on Schill, who got around Massingill. TPO was flying and closing in on the top three.  Schill was slowly closing the gap on Kendall as TPO passed Vang for fourth.

Schill found something on the lower lane and got beside Kendall with 12 to go as TPO was hounding Massingill for third. Vang was still solidly rounding out the top five.  Schill was making a move for the lead but TPO all of a sudden was on the bumper of both.

TPO grabbed second from Schill and with about three laps to go passed Kendall for the lead. Kendall fought back and was close on the final lap but TPO prevailed by .241 seconds. To come from 13^th, in a caution-free race, and work through the field on a cowboy-up racetrack – it was a hell of a performance.

Kendall ran a solid second with Schill not far behind in third. Massingill was fourth and Vang rounded out the top five. Boelens had a good night, taking sixth with Jack Koranda of Bluffton going from 15^th to seventh.

Jake Smith of St. Joseph turned the Wissota Midwest Modified feature into a complete rout, even after starting in seventh.  Once he got the lead, it was pretty much over.  

He built a sizeable advantage on Joey Wagamon in the Wissota Midwest Modified feature. Joey Jensen was fighting Ben Lewis of Ham Lake for third before grabbing the spot with seven laps to go. Mason Musel of Cloquet was running fifth but had Chance Kodet of Becker closing.

Smith was into lapped traffic but saw his lead grow to more than four seconds. Kodet had climbed into the top five with five to go. Jensen would pull off with an issue, ending a likely top five run.

Smith simply demolished the field, winning by 7.6 seconds over Wagamon. Lewis was third, Kodet was fourth and Musel was fifth.

Landon Atkinson of Little Falls took the lead from the inside pole in the Wissota Modified feature as Jody Bellefeuille of Carlton took second from the Ice Man, Don Eischens of Richmond.

 Clayton Wagamon of Ramsey was charging into the top five and looked to make some noise; unfortunately his night ended with a bunch of smoke and flames as he blew up in turn two.  He was able to get out of the car safely, but it brought a sudden end to his night. Several cars pulled off as on the restart there were only eight of the 16 starts left on the restart.

Bellefuille passed Atkinson shortly after the restart as Zach Benson of Princeton moved into third past Joseph Thomas of Glyndon. Jeremy Nelson was also running well and soon was pressuring Benson for third.

Atkinson, a former Wissota 100 winner, fought back. He found a new line and passed Bellefuille for the lead with six to go. Thomas was running third ahead of Benson. Atkinson would run away over the final six laps to a 4.3 second win. Bellefuille, Thomas, Nelson and Benson rounded out the top five; they were the only five finishers as attrition hit the race hard.

Eight Wissota Hornets took the green and the racing was intense with four cars fighting rfor the lead. Nikota Larson of Kettle River would take the lead with Nathan Penney of South Range, Wis. in second. Adam Throener of Swanville was third  as Christian Kast of Fairmount looked to move up.

Larson and Penney were battling for the lead when the caution came out. They resumed their fight at the front as Throener ran third and Kast fourth. With four to go Penney made the pass for the lead. He wouldn’t get challenged the rest of the way. Larson, Throener, Kast and Curtis Olaksuk rounded out the top five.

The Wissota Super Stocks capped off the night but didn’t make it through the first lap with two cars getting together in turn one.  When things got going former national champion Dexton Koch was pressuring  Max Nelson of Milaca for the lead and Ryan Kostreba in third, ahead of Joey Jensen. Dylan Kromschroeder was running fifth.

It turned into a three-car fight for the lead between Koch, Nelson and Kostreba with Koch securing the top spot. Nelson made some contact with the wall in turns three and four and would slow, ending his night.

Kostreba used the restart  to surge into the lead, but Koch would ragain the spot as Kostreba slid up high.  Running well in fourth was Ellen Lange of Staples, who was keeping Jensen at bay. Koch cruised over the final five laps to the win. Kromschroeder was second, while Lange capped off an excellent night in third.  Kostreba and Jensen rounded out the top five.

Ogilvie notes

--Three Canadian drivers have hit the DRC Street Stock Tour weekend, including Teagan Britten, Andrew Pillo and Sacha Torkeli. They race mainly at Thunder City Speedway in Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is one of the best racetracks in Wissota in this blogger’s opinion. Pillo has raced at Emo as well.

--It was good to see Ekdahl in action this weekend. He rolled his car at the DRC Street Tour stop at Viking on Memorial Day weekend. He ran very well all night in the top five.

--The long-time Iron Range legend Harry Hanson of Eveleth brought his #7 late model to Ogilvie. I did a story on Hanson several years ago when he said he was retiring from late models – that didn’t last long.  Hanson, 71, has a win at Proctor earlier this month.

Jamestown Speedway wins to Grimes, Hoerner

(will be updated as the races are completed)

Kelly Hoerner of Bismarck won the Bomber feature with Travis Edginer of Jamestown in second. Billy Carow of Jamestown was third, Lane Stoppleworth of Buchanan was fourth and Cade Gentzkow of Lamoure was fifth.

Jason Grimes of Jamestown captured the Wissota Midwest Modified feature over Jaren Wibstad of Jamestown. Kyle Anderson of Jamestown was third, Lucas Rodin of Marion fourth and Jaden Christ of Jamestown fifth.

Viking Speedway wins to Carlson, Thoennes, Randt, Rosch and Rohner

Jon Carlson of Brandon won the Wissota Midwest Modified feature Saturday night at Viking Speedway in Alexandria. Carlson, who had a top five on Friday at I-94, dominated the race for the win over Ron Saurer of Dalton.

Jason Thoennes of Garfield ran away with the Wissota Modified win by nearly six seconds with Justin Froemming taking second. Brady Gerdes of Villard was third, Dusty Bitzan of Evansville was fourth and Matt Thoennes of Osakis was fifth.

Levi Randt of Siren, Wis., edged Eric Riley of Morris for the Wissota Street Stock feature win. Joe Martin of Willmar was third, Craig Gardner of Alexandria was fourth and Nitro Jimmy Williams of DeGraff was fifth.

Bailey Rosch of Alexandria won the Wissota Super Stock feature. Jordan Henkemeyer of Sauk Rapids was second, Travis Scott of Glenwood – who won at Fiesta City on Friday – took third with Trevor Saurer of Dalton and Ryan Satter of Dent rounding out the top five.

Jeff Rohner of Willmar won Friday at I-94 and picked up another win; I expect him to be in the national points discussion in the Wissota Hornets this summer.  Matt Dittman of Lake Lillian was second, Chase Golliet of Fargo third, Eli Green of Osakis fourth and Chase Pourrier of Fergus Falls fifth.