(Racing Every Saturday Night)
Race Results
August 28, 1999
By Rob Ristesund
Hollywood couldn’t have done it any better. With the season-long points battle in the late model stock cars becoming a two-car battle for the top spot in recent weeks, Todd Sterzinger held a slim one-point lead over Brad Wollman going into Saturday night’s racing action at Lake County Speedway. Couldn’t get any closer than that, right? Wrong! When the checkered flag flew after another of the thrilling feature events, the pair found themselves deadlocked in a tie for the point lead, setting up what promises to be a much anticipated, winner-take-all feature event at next week’s season championships. The feature was another classic battle that Lake County fans have become accustomed to. Kent Plimpton took the early lead in the fifteen lap event with a hard-charging Gus Clark right behind. The middle stages of the race saw Clark move alongside Plimpton, and the pair battled side-by-side for several laps until a caution on lap ten for a spin by Ross Dixon slowed the action momentarily. On the restart it was Clark slipping under Plimpton for the lead, which he held for just one circuit until Wollman finished his charge to the front from the his fifth row starting spot by overtaking Clark and assuming the lead that he would hold to the finish. Also on the move was Sterzinger, who had started alongside Wollman, and it was the Colman driver getting by Clark on the final lap for the runner-up spot and the much-needed points that would tie him with Wollman.
Mike Ellingson became the first driver at the track this year to win five features as he ran away with the Pam Oil/Valvoline/AC Delco/Lewis/Pepsi 360 sprint feature. Ellingson took the lead at the start and was never seriously challenged as he led the entire way throughout the twelve lap, non-stop event. Point leader Gary Johnson was a straightaway behind in second and just needs to start next week’s feature to clinch his first ever track championship. Chad Meyer came from the last row to take third followed by Steve Haman and Chuck McGillivray.
The Nordstrom’s Sportsmen feature saw Jeff Ellingson take his first feature win ever in the class. Ellingson, who moved up to the sportsmen class from the hobby stocks midway through the season, took the lead on the fourth lap and held off a late race challenge by Russ Peterson to score the win. Third went to J.J. Zebell while Matt Steuerwald locked up the point championship with a fourth place finish. In the hobby stocks, Josh Schmidt was the first one to the checkered flag but was later disqualified after refusing an engine claim, giving Dale Tomes his first feature win of the year. Kevin Konda was second ahead of Curt Ottoson and Doug Van Liere. Point leader Tim Dann was sixth and just needs to start next week’s feature to win the point title.
In the Deuces Wild front-wheel drives, it was the team of Rose and Dafoe piloting their new car to their first feature win ever. Although leading the point race nearly the entire season, point leaders Schmidt and Grayson still have to qualify for the A feature next week to win the point battle.
Along with season championships next week, it will also be the night for Nordstrom’s Auto Recycling special year-end races. Fourteen sportsman cars will race twenty laps with the winner getting a whopping $1000 while the runner-up will receive $500. The race features the popular pit stop contest with $250 going to the team with the quickest stop. The late model stock cars will also run a twenty lap feature with the winner also pocketing $1000.
360 Sprint Cars
PAM OIL/VALVOLINE/AC DELCO HEAT: 1. Kim Muntefering, Mitchell; 2. Mike Ellingson, Dell Rapids; 3. Chuck McGillivray, Madison; 4. Lee Goos, Sioux Falls.
LEWIS/PEPSI HEAT: 1. Chad Meyer, Sioux Falls; 2. Steve Haman, Egan; 3. Brad Nelson, Brookings; 4. Gary Johnson, Madison.
FEATURE: 1. Ellingson; 2. Johnson; 3. Meyer; 4. Haman; 5. McGillivray; 6. Goos; 7. Muntefering; 8. Nelson.
Late Model Stock Cars
FIRST HEAT: 1. Gus Clark, Sioux Falls; 2. Curt Bauman, Brookings; 3. Brad Wollman, Bridgewater; 4. Rick Eich, Colman; 5. Dale Furby, Sioux Falls.
SECOND HEAT: 1. Kent Plimpton, Lennox; 2. Todd Sterzinger, Colman; 3. Scott Freet, Madison; 4. Perry Tschetter, Bridgewater; 5. Don Bickett, Ramona.
FEATURE: 1. Wollman; 2. Sterzinger; 3. Clark; 4. Bauman; 5. Plimpton; 6. Freet; 7. Furby; 8. Eich; 9. Tschetter; 10. Larry Dixon, Ramona; 11. Ross Dixon, Ramona; 12. Rob Anderson, Chester; 13. Jeff Machovsky, Aurora; 14. Bickett.
Nordstrom's Sportsman
FIRST HEAT: 1. Russ Peterson, Sioux Falls; 2. Jeff Hertel, Parker; 3. Brad Haas, Sioux Falls.
SECOND HEAT: 1. Jeff Ellingson, Madison; 2. Matt Steuerwald, Madison; 3. Jeff Coster, Sioux Falls.
THIRD HEAT: 1. Rick Goth, Madison; 2. Al Barnhart, Madison; 3. Ryan Nelson, Madison.
FOURTH HEAT: 1. J.J. Zebell, Parker; 2. Jeff Wittrock, Sioux Falls; 3. Darin Duffy, Dell Rapids.
FIRST B FEATURE: 1. Matt Ayres, Parker; 2. Kevin Spurgin, Madison; 3. Russ Englund, Hartford; 4. Gary Gonyo, Madison.
SECOND B FEATURE: 1. Chris Ellingson, Madison; 2. Todd Holter, Humboldt; 3. Mike Husman, Madison.
A FEATURE: 1. Jeff Ellingson; 2. Zebell; 3. Steuerwald 4. Barnhart; 5. Peterson; 6. Goth; 7. Spurgin; 8. Duffy; 9. Chris Ellingson; 10. Nelson; 11. Coster; 12. Hertel; 13. Haas.
I.M.C.A Hobby Stocks
FIRST HEAT: 1. Josh Schmidt, Marion; 2. Chad Lemme, Wentworth; 3. Dale Tomes, Dell Rapids; 4. Ryan Bickett, Ramona.
SECOND HEAT: 1. Doug Van Liere, Madison; 2. P.J. Stoner, Sioux Falls; 3. Kevin Konda, Marion; 4. Jason Armstrong, Flandreau.
THIRD HEAT: 1. Andy Ullom, Madison, 2. Justin Selken, Hartford; 3. Rick Wibeto, Sioux Falls; 4. Curt Ottosn, Madison.
B FEATURE: 1. Dan Doyle, Flandreau; 2. Jeff Beck, Winfred; 3. Tim Dann, Lennox; 4. Mark Janke, Madison; 5. Dean Dunkelberger, Hartford.
A FEATURE: 1. Tomes; 2. Konda; 3. Ottoson; 4. Van Liere; 5. Beck; 6. Dann; 7. Janke; 8. Ullom; 9. Lemme; 10. Stoner; 11. Doyle; 12. Armstrong; 13. Bickett.
Front Wheel Drives
FIRST HEAT: 1. Rose/Dafoe, Sioux Falls; 2. Anderson/Michelke, Madison; 3. Fuller/Parish, Sioux Falls.
SECOND HEAT: 1. Fedeler/Tooker, Nunda, 2. Schmidt/Grayson, Brookings; 3. Larson/Ryan, Madison.
THIRD HEAT: 1. Haynes/Walter, Bridgewater; 2. Boatright/Friend, Hartford; 3. Schneider/Miles, Colman.
FIRST B FEATURE: 1. Olson/Gluhn, Madison; 2. Harney/Lien, Brandon; 3. White/Tieszen, Canistota.
SECOND B FEATURE: 1. Cain/Taylor, Egan; 2. Herlyn/Nelson, Marion; 3. Harmon/Ludwig, Canton.
A FEATURE: 1. Rose/Dafoe; 2. Fuller/Parish; 3. Fedeler/Parish; 4. Anderson/Michelke; 5. Haynes/Walter; 6. Schmidt/Grayson; 7. Boatright/Friend.