By Gene Harmelink
As Mother Nature, spitting off and on, toyed with the emotions of drivers and fans alike. Owner Ron VanDusen made the decision to race on Friday night at Tomahawk Speedway and his decision turned out to be a good one. In any event, the racing faithful were treated to a night of entertainment and fun!

In WISSOTA Midwest Modified racing, Cody Schmidt and Mickey Nosser were on the front row as the cars approached the green flag. Mickey Nosser took advantage of a good start to take the lead, leading for the first four laps of the feature with Duane Dunbar, who started third, and Bruce Belland, who started fifth, giving chase. Two cautions, one for a spinning Robert Laskowski, Jr. and one for Jason Zdroik’a car losing body tin, realigned the field with Duane Dunbar taking quick advantage, charging to the lead.

As the race continued, caution free for the duration of the race, Dunbar pulled away from the field, with Nosser doing his best to keep up and Zdroik running solidly in third. By race end, Dunbar had taken the checkered to complete a sweep for the night. Rounding out the top five were: Nosser, Zdroik, Schmidt, and Laskowski, Jr.

Keith and Matt Troutman lined up on the front row for the start of the WISSOTA Street Stock feature. Matt Troutman took the early lead with brother and heat winner, Keith, following in second. The Troutman brothers ran first and second for the first eight laps until there was a caution for a spinning Butch Kummer, whose car came to rest in turn four.

When racing resumed, Matt Troutman still hung onto the lead, but track point’s leader, John Kallas, who had started third, moved up to take the second spot with Keith Troutman dropping to third. Jeff Klopstein, Jr., who started fourth, and Butch Kummer, who started fifth, and who had moved back up after starting in the rear, due to the earlier caution, fought it out for fourth.

With the laps winding down, Kallas kept the pressure on Matt Troutman, got to within less than a car length, and then waited for Troutman to make a miscue as the cars were very evenly matched. With two laps to go, Troutman’s car drifted up just enough to allow Kallas to take the lead. In the end, Kallas had picked up his twenty-second win with Matt Troutman having to settle for second. Rounding out the top five were: Keith Troutman, Klopstein, Jr., and Kummer.

In Tomahawk Pure Stock action, Alex Durand and Travis Friske started on the front row with Friske taking the early lead. As Friske led, Durand, Heidi Karshbaum, who started third, and heat winner, Ken Schram, who started fifth, fought it out for second. Four laps into the feature, Durand spun coming out of turn one. On the restart, Schram spun in turn three. Once racing resumed, Friske once again assumed the lead, with Cody Kummer, who started eighth, giving chase.

A caution after lap eight for a spinning Matt Smith realigned the field with Friske once again taking the lead, leading to the end of the feature to take the win and complete the sweep. Rounding out the top five were: Cody Kummer; track point’s leader, Schram; Ryan Valeria, who started seventh; and Dan Melton, who started fourth.

Travis Smith and Brit Bromann were on the front row for the start of the Four-Cylinder Bandit feature with Bromann taking the early lead. Heat winner, Jay Wilberding, who started third, quickly moved up to the second spot and a great battle for first ensued for the remainder of the feature. Bromann led the first seven laps of the feature and then was passed by Wilberding who lead lap eight, but Bromann would have no part of that and once again assumed the lead as the cars came to the flag stand for the end of lap nine.

Wilberding was not to be denied, as he once again passed Bromann to take the lead by the end of lap ten. In the end, Wilberding held on to take the win, with Bromann finishing second. Track point’s leader, Kasey Gross, who started eighth, took third, with Smith and Mike Warga, who started fifth, rounding out the top five.

SUMMARY

Tomahawk Speedway, Tomahawk, WI

August 7, 2009

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds

20-Lap Feature: Duane Dunbar, Mickey Nosser, Jason Zdroik, Cody Schmidt, Robert Laskowski, Jr., Dennis Mikkelson, Bruce Belland, Steve Brown

Heat: Dunbar, Zdroik, Schmidt, Belland, Nosser, Brown, Laskowski, Jr., Mikkelson

WISSOTA Street Stocks

20-Lap Feature: John Kallas, Matt Troutman, Keith Troutman, Jeff Klopstein, Jr., Butch Kummer, Kevin Maulson, Chad Boettcher, Jeff Hoogland

Heat: K. Troutman, M. Troutman, Kallas, Kummer, Klopstein, Jr., Hoogland, Boettcher, Maulson

Tomahawk Pure Stocks

15-Lap Feature: Travis Friske, Cody Kummer, Ken Schram, Ryan Valeria, Dan Melton, Austyn Booth, Heidi Karshbaum, Tim Miller, Brian Edward, Chris Nylund, Matt Smith, Alex Durand

Heat 1: Friske, Melton, Duran, Nylund, Miller, Smith

Heat 2: Schram, Kummer, Valeria, Karshbaum, Booth, Edward

Tomahawk Four Cylinder Bandits

15-Lap Feature: Jay Wilberding, Brit Bromann, Kasey Gross, Travis Smith, Mike Warga, Phil Malouf, John Barlowski, Rory Radtke, Brandon Miller, Marcus Dunbar

Heat 1: Wilberding, Bromann, Warga, Malouf, Miller

Heat 2: Gross, Barlowski, Smith, Dunbar, Radtke