The 17th John Seitz Memorial kicked off on Friday night at River Cities Speedway. The Wissota Late Models race their qualifying heat races and pole dash on Friday ahead of Saturday’s main event. The Wissota Modifieds and Wissota Super stocks got to take center stage on Friday as they were running for big money.
The 14th Annual Delaine Memorial for the Wissota Modifieds highlighted Friday’s program with $3,092 going to the winner. Zach Johnson of Lowry won the event last year. The Wissota Super Stocks, who ran their qualifying heats on Thursday, were racing for a nice $1,992 prize.
Mike Stearns of Aberdeen and Brock Gronwold of Fergus Falls brought the Wissota Mods to green. Gronwold led the opening lap before the first caution waved as several cars spun in turn two. The caution would fly on the ensuing restart as Scott Ward’s 37 machine was spun in turn two; he required a wrecker, ending his night.
The mod race would be full of cautions which was unfortunate.
Lurking in third was Tyler Peterson of Hickson, who won Thursday’s modified feature in convincing fashion. He took over second and he and Gronwold pulled away. Stearns was running third with former street stock national champion Parker Anderson of Phillips, Wis., running fourth.
Peterson would get Gronwold on the restart. Moving up was Joe Thomas of Fargo – who started 14th -- as he had gotten by Imrie into fourth. Johnson was closing in on the top five after starting 11th.
After the fifth caution with 28 to go, Peterson pulled away up front with Gronwold running second. Stearns, Thomas and Johnson were fighting for third, some times going three-wide. Imrie was close behind in sixth.
Peterson had checked out, but Gronwold had made up some ground in lapped traffic. However, the 1TPO, encountering lapped traffic, made an uncharacteristic mistake slid off the top off turn two, and he had to go to the tail.
Gronwold pulled away on the restart as Johnson took over second.
A multi-car melee with 16 to go involved Aaron Holtan of Newfolden, Matt Aukland of Glyndon, Nic Jacobson of Bemidji, Ryan Johnson of Karlstad and Peterson. Jacobson had a flat as a result while Aukland and Johnson left on the hook with significant damage.
After another caution, things got crazy up front as Thomas made a run at Gronwold up front as did Johnson. Thomas made the pass with eight to go but Johnson was working on him on the high side. Imrie was also in contention in third.
Johnson inched ahead with six to go and shortly after, the caution would wave when Gronwold spun in turn two. In my opinion, the caution flags were Gronwold’s undoing over the final 10-12 laps; had the race stayed green I think he likely wins it.
Johnson got off to a great start as Imrie fought Thomas for third. Stearns had been running in the top five all night and was fighting with Jake Smith of St. Joseph – who started 15th -- for fourth.
It turned into a big night for the Millenial Farmer as he repeated as the Delaine Memorial champion by 1.291 after getting a great jump on the final restart. Thomas settled for second as Imrie capped off a great run in third. Smith topped Stearns for fourth in a feature race that lasted 40 minutes.
Brandon Duellman of St. Charles, Minn, and Shawn Wagemann of Breezy Point led the Wissota Super Stocks – who were racing for $1,992 to win – to the green. It was the first trip by the super stocks to the bullring in 17 years. The late John Seitz, for whom the event is named, was a former Wissota Super Stock national champion.
Wageman built a good lead over Duelleman as Trevor Nelson of Warner, S.D., was running third. After an abundance of water put on the track before the race – which left the track a bit slimy before it finally got worked in – the track was fast and tacky for the supers.
Wageman didn’t take long to reach lapped traffic, and that allowed Duellman to cut the gap substantially.
With 11 to go Duellman surged past Wageman for the lead, and Nelson followed. Wageman now had Matt Sparby of Bemidji to contend with. Doug Koski of Hibbing, a good runner on the Iron Range, was running fifth.
Nelson was giving Duellman fits up front but couldn’t get the momentum to make a pass, and Sparby was closing on them both.
Duellman survived the challenge and opened a few car lengths by the checkered to pick up the win by .657 seconds. Nelson settled for second, while Sparby capped off a nice run in third after starting eighth. Wageman was fourth and Koski was fifth. After the initial caution on the first lap where a couple of cars went around, the race went from green to checkered.
The Go Hard or Go Home Pole Dash was held for the Wissota Late Models, which sets the starting order for Saturday’s $9,200 to win. Defending Wissota national champion Cole Searing led from start to finish to pick up the $920 and ensured himself a front row start for Saturday’s 92-lap main event.
Cole Schill of Hawley was second with three-time NLRA champion Mike Greseth of Harwood third. Former Seitz champion Chad Mahder was fourth. National point leader Tyler Peterson, three-time Seitz winner A.J. Diemel of Elk Mound, Shane Edginton of East St. Paul, Man., and Jeff Massingill of Keewatin rounded out the field; that will be the top eight starters for tomorrow’s main event.
The Wissota Midwest Modifieds and Wissota Street Stocks ran their qualifying heats on Friday night and will race their features on Saturday.
Friday notes
Nate Reinke of Lisbon topped his brother Zach for the Wissota Midwest Modified feature win at the first night of the Sauerkraut 500 at Tri-County Speedway in Wishek. Brennon Weight of LaMoure was third, Jarod Klein of Jamestown was fourth and Jaren Wibstad of Jamestown was fifth.
Kasey Ussatis of Nome topped Tucker Pederson of East Grand Forks for the Wissota Street Stock feature win.
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