Flaten, Sward, Koch, Holtquist lead KRA victors

Ryan Flaten won the Wissota Midwest Modified feature at KRA (Photo by Alex Ostenson/AOK Photography)

A season-high 97 cars were on hand for KRA Speedway on Thursday night. Since the two Thursday tracks I cover were off this week – and I have a soft spot for tracks in my home area – I figured why not cover the race remotely.  Not to mention that the VanEps siblings, Justin and Kailey, have graciously agreed to put the racechaser.net address on their cars this season and race in that area, and I wanted to give those tracks a little coverage when I could this summer.

KRA, like many tracks in that region, has not had much luck with the weather. Entering the night three of their six shows were rained out. It  was really encouraging to see the track have a good night after the weather issues earlier.  People who read the blog regularly know how I feel about running seven classes at a weekly show, but I won’t belabor that point. KRA is one of the few tracks left where the announcer – the legendary Ron Krog in this case -- is seated in the infield.

There was an excellent field of 25 Wissota Street Stocks signed in with 24 cars taking the green for the feature, probably as good as you will see for a regular race night in Wissota. Zach Flickinger of Madison and Weston Ramsrud of Bagley, who won at River Cities on Wednesday, manned the front row.

It was second-row starter Austin Hamre of Hutchinson who shot out front on the first lap past Flickinger.

The Wolverine, Justin Vogel of Brooten, was clearly on a mission. He had worked to second  by the second lap after starting fifth.  Keith Tourville of Janesville, a two-time winner of the Little Dream at Rice Lake and always tough as nails wherever he unloads, climbed to third.

It turned into a whale of a three-car scramble up front between Hamre, Vogel and Tourville up front with Vogel edging ahead for the lead.  After Andrew Williams spun brought out the first caution, Vogel surged out front as Tourville cleared Hamre for second. Ethan Iiams of Kandiyohi was having a good run and moved into fourth as Flickinger, Coltyn Schuler and Kolton Brauer of Eyota, who started well back in the field in 12th, fighting three-wide for fifth.

With 11 to go the 22 car of Christian Crutcher of Breezy Point spun in turns three and four to bring out the second caution.

The Wolverine knows KRA very well, and he got a good restart. Iiams had climbed to third while Flickinger challenged Hamre for fourth.

Vogel’s lead was about a half-second as Tourville worked diligently lead on the high side of turns one and two to make up ground. Vogel stuck his 10 machine to the bottom. Flickinger would move to fourth with Joe Martin of Willmar challenging him. Brauer, the national point leader, was all over Hamre for sixth.

As the laps waned Tourville was closing as the higher lane was starting to come in. With three to go Tourville made the pass, and would go on to win by .683 seconds. Vogel settled for second, Iiams was third, Martin edged Flickinger for fourth. There were just two cautions in the 20-lap race, not bad with 24 cars on a 3/8-mile track.

Long-time veteran and former Wissota Midwest Modified track Jason Vetjruba of Atwater was the early leader of the Wissota Midwest Modified feature over Tim Kanten of Milan. Ryan Flaten of Madison, having a good season, moved to third after starting fifth.

After a Nic Hiles spin, Flaten went to the outside and grabbed the top spot. Kanten was pressuring  Vetjruba for second with Zach Clark of Litchfield in third and Luke Erlandson of Brainerd, who won at River Cities on Wednesday, fighting justin Bjorklund for fifth.

Once out front, Flaten was gone.  He stretched the lead to 2.7 seconds over Vetjruba. Bjorklund had cleared Erlandson for fifth and set his sights on Clark.

Flaten’s lead was erased after Tony Clark spun in turn four.

Kanten and Bjorklund both got by Vetjruba who did not have a good restart. Those three stayed close in the battle for second. Flaten pushed the lead quickly to more than three seconds once again as the 15 car continued to dominate. A spin with eight laps to go brought out the caution flag.

On the restart Bjorklund took a look below Flaten, who was running up top, but the 15 would pull away before the caution waved for another spin. Vetjruba moved back into third as he and Kanten fought for that spot. Erlandson had moved back to fifth.

Flaten pushed the lead to 1.25 seconds by the checkered to pick up his third Wissota Midwest Modified feature of the summer.  Flaten, aside from one DNR at River Cities, has finished third in every feature he’s raced (including modifieds) since May 23.  By my count that’s 17 features, that’s a heck of a run. Bjorklund crossed the line second but was DQed postrace, moving Vetjruba to second, Kanten to third, Erlandson to fourth and Jett Lindgren of Willmar, who started 13^th, up to fifth.

Dustin Holtquist of St. Cloud grabbed the lead of the Wissota Mod 4 feature ahead of Blake Hawker of Rice.  Holtquist had some breathing room for the top spot. Bob Holtquist of Milbank was in third ahead of Tyler Larson of Kandiyohi.  Chad Funt of Hillman was tangling with the ageless veteran Dean Larson of Pennock for fifth.

There was a multi-car incident in turns three and four to bring out the caution, which was the only one of the race. On the restart Holtquist reassumed control and steadily pulled away Hawker.

Dean Larson would clear Funt with four laps to go in what was the only battle for position in the top five. Dustin Holtquist was in firm control up front and won by a half straightaway over Hawker. Bob Holtquist was third, Tyler Larson was fourth and Dean Lrason was fifth.

Defending national champion Dexton Koch of Becker surged into the lead from the front row of the Wissota Super Stock feature. Eric Martini grabbed second from Jeffrey Frey of Litchifle,d who had 5# of Andrew Hedtke of Grove City all over him. Zach Schulz of Grove City was fighting with Russell Kostreba for fourth.

Koch had a straightaway lead with 13 to go with Martini solidly in second. By the halfway point the lead was more than six seconds. After Jeffrey Frey slowed with a flat to bring out the yellow, that brought the field together.

Martini and Andrew Hedtke were having a good duel for third with Brayden Hedtke getting by Zach Schultz for fourth.

Koch was on a rail. The lead grew to six seconds by the checkered for the national point leader in a thrashing of the field. Martini was solid in second with Andrew Hedtke in third. Zach Schultz would get past Brayden Hedtke for fourth.

Nate Heinrich of Bellingham and Canadian Tanner Williamson led the Wissota Modifieds in their feature.

Heinrich seized the lead over Bryce Sward of Nelson (driving Corey Svor’s 6X). Tanner Williamson was in third, but would spin in turn four to bring out the second caution.

Sward, a successful late model driver who took over Svor’s 6X for this season, went to work on the low line on the restart and with 15 to go would get by Heinrich for the lead. Jacob Knapper was running third and closing in on Heinrich for second. Seth Brede was fourth and Brennan Gave.

Knapper got by Heinrich for second and looked to close about a 1.2 second deficit.  Heinrich, however was persistent and the best race on the track was for second. Gave was securely in fifth.

Sward steadily pulled away from Heinrich, pushing the lead to nearly 2.2 seconds. But with six to go the caution would wave, erasing that margin.

On the final restart Heinrich pulled away from Knapper. Brian Haben of Appleton had snuck into the top five, right behind Knapper.

Sward would win by 1.1 seconds to pick up his second feature victory of 2025.  After some mechanical gremlins early, the 6X machine seems to be getting dialed in.

Heinrich survived Knapper for second with Haben in third. Jonathan Olmscheid had climbed to fifth by the checkered after starting 10^th.

Seven pure stocks took the green for the main event, and Brady Hagen of Montevideo just took off from the green. Colsten Schultz of Grove City was battling Mason Fester for second. Hagen had a big lead erased when Matt Wartman spun in turn two.

On the restart Hagen picked up where he left off and steadily pulled away from Schultz to a convincing straightaway win. Schultz was running second and spun down the front stretch on the final lap. That moved Fester to second, Melvin Flickinger of Kandiyohi was third and Wartman, who had an adventurous race to say the least, was fourth ahead of Schultz.

Christian Kast of Fairmount, N.D., who is traveling all over this season, grabbed the lead of the Wissota Hornet feature. Damien Wiler of Willmar was second and Braxton Schmitz of Richmond was running third.

Wiler spun in turn two to bring out the caution.  On the restart Schmitz was pressuring Kast for the lead with Christopher Blume running third.

Schmitz would take over the top spot with three to go as the top three broke away. Schmitz would prevail over Kast with Blume third. Adam Castle of Belview was fourth.

KRA is also racing on Friday highlighted by a Wissota Mod 4 special. Fiesta City Speedway in Montevideo has the night off.