By Gene Harmelink
Despite there being quite a number of new drivers visiting the track and increased car counts, there were repeat winners in every division at Tomahawk Speedway on Friday night, July 10. A warm night with showers threatening didn’t dampen the spirits as a large crowd was treated to extremely fast and exciting racing action.

On a very fast track, Jason Zdroik once again dominated the WISSOTA Midwest Modified division after winning his heat race and starting eighth in the feature. Just five laps into the twenty-lap feature, Zdroik snatched the lead from early leader, Jeff McDonald. McDonald started second and had led laps two through four. John Johnson Jr., who had started on the pole, led lap one.

Halfway through the feature, Zdroik continued to lead with McDonald in second, heat winner, Mickey Nosser, who had started seventh, in third, Duane Dunbar, who had started sixth, in fourth, and Bruce Belland, who had started fourth, in fifth. Despite several restarts, due to cautions, Zdroik was able to hold off challenges from McDonald and Dunbar to take the win. Rounding out the top five were: Dunbar, Nosser, Belland, and McDonald.

The WISSOTA Street Stocks had a difficult time getting their feature going, as there were three cautions prior to the completion of lap one. With the early cautions out of the way, the race then ran caution-free with pole sitter, Cliff Houle, taking the lead after lap one. It was John Kallas, though, after starting fourth, who would move up early to take the lead at the end of lap two.

With Kallas in the lead, a great battle ensued for second through fifth. At the half-way point of the race, Houle and Jim Maki, who had started fifth, were battling it out for second as Jeff Hoogland, who had started sixth, and Matt Cleary, who had started seventh, fought it out for fourth. As Kallas continued to lead and took the win, the rest of the field was left to sort itself out with Hoogland taking second; Houle in third; heat winner, Matt Troutman in fourth, after running dead last early; and Bill Froelich, who had started eighth, in fifth.

Tomahawk Pure Stock action was fast and furious with KJ Fox the early leader after starting second. By lap ten, Fox continued to lead, but heat two winner, Wayne Eskola, who had started seventh, was on the move. With three laps to go, Eskola made a move down the backstretch to take the lead and from that point on, Eskola never looked back to take the win. Rounding out the top five were: Fox, track point’s leader, Ken Schram, Chris Nylund, who had started sixth, and Dan Melton, who had started ninth.

Tomahawk Bandit action saw Bob Schult and heat winner, Kasey Gross, on the front row. Gross made his presence felt early, taking the lead and taking the win as he left the rest of the field in the dust for the first eight laps. Schult’s night ended early when he spun coming out of turn four collecting a number of cars. The resulting collection sent Marcus Dunbar to the pits with a badly damaged car as only five of the fourteen competitors remained in action. Paul Malouf put on a burst of speed and led laps eleven through thirteen, but track point’s leader, Gross, would have no part of it, passing Malouf during the white flag lap and going on for the win. Rounding out the top five were: Malouf, Brit Bromann, who had started tenth, Mike Warga, who had started twelfth, and Kurt Komarek, who had started sixth.

Racing resumes on Friday, July 17, when once again the Midwest Modifieds, Street Stocks, Pure Stocks, and Bandits will be in action. Scouts, keep July 24 open on your schedule as that will be Scout night at Tomahawk Speedway. Hot laps are at 7:00 with racing at 7:30.

SUMMARY

Tomahawk Speedway, Tomahawk, WI

July 10, 2009

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds

20-Lap Feature: Jason Zdroik, Duane Dunbar, Mickey Nosser, Bruce Belland, Jeff McDonald, Charley Jackson, Dennis Mikkelson, John Johnson, Jr., Mark Kralicek, Cody Schmidt

Heat 1: Zdroik, Dunbar, Belland, Johnson, Jr., Jackson

Heat 2: Nosser, McDonald, Schmidt, Mikkelson, Kralicek

WISSOTA Street Stocks

20-Lap Feature: John Kallas, Jeff Hoogland, Cliff Houle, Matt Troutman, Bill Froelich, Matt Cleary, Jim Maki, Keith Troutman

Heat: M Troutman, Maki, K Troutman, Kallas, Houle, Hoogland, Cleary, Froelich

Tomahawk Pure Stocks

15-Lap Feature: Wayne Eskola, KJ Fox, Ken Schram, Chris Nylund, Dan Melton, Heidi Karshbaum, Devin Wilson, Matt Smith, Alex Durand, Ryan Huff, Austyn Booth, Travis Friske

Heat 1: Huff, Fox, Schram, Karshbaum, Booth, Durand

Heat 2: Eskola, Wilson, Nylund, Smith, Melton, Friske

Tomahawk Four Cylinder Bandits

15-Lap Feature: Kasey Gross, Phil Malouf, Brit Bromann, Mike Warga, Kurt Komarek, Jay Wilberding, Dustin Smith, Marcus Dunbar, Andrew Mosher, Jason Rademacher, John Barlowski, Gunard Hoogland, Bob Schult, Travis Smith

Heat 1: Dunbar, Hoogland, Malouf, Barlowski, T Smith, Mosher, Wilberding

Heat 2: Gross, Schult, Komarek, D Smith, Bromann, Warga, Rademacher