Pogones outlasts Vogel for Casino Speedway DRC Street Stock Tour victory

The Dirt Race Central Street Stock Tour invaded the Casino Speedway in Watertown on Sunday night on a nice summer evening. After battling weather much of the summer the 1/4-mile Bullring was finally blessed with good weather.

Justin Vogel of Brooten entered the night as the DRC Street Stock Tour point leader with Cody Kummer of Medford, Wis., six points back.  While it was a good night for Vogel, it was not for Kummer, who ended up as DNF after a crash in turn four.

It was an interesting racetrack and by no means a one-laner, but it also had a couple of holes to try to navigate. To be honest it was a typical bullring type night with some contact and some beating and banging -- welcome to short-track racing. It definitely provided some entertainment.

Maria Broksieck of Goodwin edged ahead of Grady Myers of Winner for the lead in the Wissota Street Stock feature lead. Tommy Pogones of Princeton, who was involved in a wreck at Madison on Saturday, had worked quickly from sixth to third. Jayden Bogh of Huron climbed to fourth ahead of Zach Flickinger of Madison.

There was contact between Broksieck and Myers in turns three and four that sent the 14 spinning, and also collecting Lamb and the Wolverine Justin Vogel of Brooten. All three were able to continue; Myers was charged with the yellow.  Broksieck resuned up front with Pogones applying the pressure. Flickinger was battling Bogh for third while Vogel was working diligently on the high side to move up into the top five.

Broksieck built a 1.3 second lead on Pogones who had Bogh and Vogel all over him. Flickinger was fifth with Cody Kummer of Medford, Wis., fighting to get into the top five. Vogel and Pogones were racing very hard for second as Broksieck’s lead grew to 1.5 seconds. That lead would be erased with 11 to go as Kummer got crossed up and Flickinger and defending national champion Kolton Brauer of Eyota had nowhere to go. Kummer and Brauer were done. Flickinger had some damage but was able to continue.

On the restart Pogones went to the outside of Broksieck for the lead as Vogel was three-wheeling his 10 car around the 1/4-mile oval.   Pogones snagged the lead when the caution came out for Flickinger, who cut a right-rear tire. He changed the tire and continued at the back of the field.

Vogel moved into second on the restart and was all over Pogones for the lead. Broksieck was third, Bogh fourth and Josh Long of Canby moved into fifth.

Another car quietly making progress through the field was Kammron Rose of Wheeler, Wis., who had passed Long for fifth.  It was a bit of a chess match up front as Vogel poked underneath Pogones several times and it appeared Vogel was setting up for one last charge. He was, as he went to the outside and made a move in turns one and two on the white flag lap to take the lead, and it looked like he was on his way to a thrilling last lap win.

However, the caution waved for Flickinger, who stalled with this second flat tire of the race. It was a tough break for the 15F who had run well, but his luck sucked on this night.

The caution nullified Vogel’s pass as the race went back to the last completed lap, meaning Pogones would be back in the lead on a green-white-checkered finish. Pogones got a good restart which was the key as he prevailed over Vogel, who is the tour point leader.  The Wolverine, once again driving the wheels off of the 10 car, settled for second. Rose would edge Broksieck for third with Myers making a good comeback through the field to take fifth.  Long would go from 10^th to sixth.

Ryan Flaten of Madison was being challenged for the Wissota Midwest Modified feature lea by Tommy Nichols of Watertown. Luke Johnson of Miller and Todd Stark of Watertown made it a four-car breakaway at the front.

Jake Wranek climbed up to fifth ahead of Scott Hansen of Garden City. Nichols was working different lines working for a way around Flaten as Johnson stayed close in third.  Dobbs spun in turn two spun in turn two to bring out the first caution with 13 to go.

I didn’t see how this happened, but Johnson lost the bumper on the back of his 3 machine and rules state you cannot race without a bumper, so his night was done.  Stark moved into second on the restart as Nichols and Hansen fought for third with Wranek right there.

Stark was working a higher lane in pursuit of Flaten as Nichols had cleared Hansen for third. Darren Engesser of Gary made a pass of Wranek for fifth. As Stark pursued Flaten at the front, the second caution came out for Trevor Rush of Clear Lake, who got into the wall in turns three and four.

Stark went back to work on Flaten at the front as the racing for spots three through six intensified. There was an incident coming out of turn two that involved Hansen, Nichols, Wranek and Doug Neitzel that brought out the third caution.  Nichols went pitside with damage while Hansen was tagged with the yellow. I didn’t see it so I have no idea what triggered it.

On the restart things went three-wide for second between Stark, Engesser and Zabel, who had quietly worked int the top three.  With four to to Stark got a big run on the bottom and grabbed the lead. Flaten would slow moments later and pull into the infield.

Stark had a 1.7 second lead over Dawson Zabel of Selby at that point and would cruise to his second straight win. Zabel went from ninth to second while Engesser was a solid third. Wranek went from eighth to fourth. Scott Harrington of Waubay, driving the 28J, had a pretty decent season debut in fifth. Hansen made a good comeback to get up to sixth.

Jayson Good of Watertown moved in front of Thomas Weisgram of Northville for the early Wissota Late Model lead. Ryan Engels of Watertown was fighting Trevor Walsh of Watertown for third with Trevor Anderson of Watertown on the move running in the ditch.

It was a great three-car battle for third between Engels, Anderson and Walsh but that coole3d when Russell Beadle spun in turn four.  After Corey Seckerson spun on the ensuring restart, Weisgram made the move for the lead and got around Good with Anderson up to third. Superman Mike Stearns had climbed to fifth and was battling Walsh for the fourth spot.

There was a two-car incident involved Morgan Grosz of Watertown and Seckerson to bring out the third caution; Grosz was charged with the yellow.  Weisgram pulled away quickly on the restart as Anderson, Good and Stearns fought for second.  Walsh was fourth and Grosz had climbed back to sixth. The caution flew again, this time for a safety reason, as Grosz’s hood popped up and got wedged under the roof of her 37jr machine; the hood was removed and she was able to continue.

Weisgram  again opened a big lead as Anderson passed Good for second. Walsh worked around Good for third  Good broke with seven to go to end his hopes of a top three finish.  When the race got going again Walsh took over second from Anderson as Stearns was trying to pressure Anderson for third. Grosz had climbed back into the top five and was closing on Stearns.

When it came to the lead, Weisgram had things well in hand. By the time the white flag waved his lead was up to 2.2 seconds and he would roll to his first Casino win of the year. Walsh survived a hard-fought duel with Anderson for second while Stearns was fourth and Grosz, who made a nice recovery from some earlier incidents, was fifth.

Bradley Rossow of Florence was the eary leader of the Wissota Hornet feature but the caution would fly for Ryan Meeker of Ortonville, who broke a right rear wheel and left on the hook. On the restart Rossow’s 555 machine came to a stop by the wall on turns one and two. Rossow had a right-front flat.

Point leader Dylan Tirrel and Adam VanDerostyne of Canby raced hard side-by-side for the lead with Lindner in second. Jesse Lindner was fifthing Christian Kast for third as Paxton Tjaden of Boyd ran fifth.

VanDerostyne was working the bottom  and could get beside Tirrel coming out of turn two, but Tirrel had the momentum on the higher side each time.

VanDerostyne made one last charge on the low lane coming out of turn four but was unable to make the pass as Tirrel padded his point lead with another feature win.  VanDerostyne was second, while Christian Kast of Fairmount was a solid third. Lindner was fourth and Brett Moffenbier of Watertown was fifth. Tjaden actually crossed the line in the top five but was DQed postrace.

Sunday notes

--Congratulations to Brooke Erickson of Bagley who picked up her first career feature win in the Wissota Mod 4s Sunday night at Bemidji Speedway. Brennan Schmidt of Bemidji won the Wissota Midwest Modified feature.

—One of the hardest working people in racing is Mason Eisenzimmer. He does outstanding video work for tracks and drivers but also runs the DRC Street Stock Tour events. This past week he told me he put on 1,200 miles alone, starting Tuesday at the Little Dream in Rice Lake, Wis. He followed with a trip to Thunder City Speedway in Canada on Wednesday, Grand Rapids on Thursday, Brown County in Aberdeen on Friday, Madison on Saturday (before running back to Fargo to work audio at church on Sunday) and Casino on Sunday.

--Buffalo River Speedway near Glyndon has the night off, while Sheyenne Speedway in Lisbon cancelled earlier in the week because of the heat. Both tracks resume next Sunday.