(Racing Every Saturday Night)
Race Results
September 11, 1999
By Rob Ristesund
The much anticipated battle between Todd Sterzinger and Brad Wollman lived up to its pre-race hype as the pair thrilled a packed grandstand in two late model stock car feature events at the season championship Saturday night at Lake County Speedway. After entering the evening’s action tied for first in the points race, Sterzinger and Wollman started the feature side-by-side in the fifth row. After Sterzinger pulled slightly ahead in the early laps, Wollman battled back and the pair began battling late in the race. As the they took the white flag side-by-side, contact was made that slowed Sterzinger’s machine for just a moment, and it was all that Wollman needed as he pulled slightly ahead and went on to edge Sterzinger by a car length at the finish to claim his second consecutive points crown. At the front of the field, it was Rick Eich and Gus Clark waging their own battle most of the fifteen lap distance and at the finish it was Eich edging Clark for his first-ever late model stock car feature.
Also on tap was the Nordstrom’s Auto Recycling ten lap Dash for Cash and it was another battle between Sterzinger and Wollman. Sterzinger drew the pole starting spot for the event while Wollman lined up in the second row, and it was Sterzinger leading the entire way to take the win. The victory was anything but easy as a furious late race charge by Wollman saw him pull alongside Sterzinger at the finish but just come up a couple of feet short at the checkered. Sterzinger, who collected nearly $3000 from Nordstrom’s at Huset’s less than a week ago, picked up $1000 for his win while Wollman earned $500.
In the Pam Oil/Valvoline/AC Delco/Lewis/Pepsi 360 sprints, it was Mike Ellingson leading all the way to claim his sixth feature win of the year. Ellingson shot from his front row starting spot into the lead and was never seriously challenged during the fifteen lap event. Kim Muntefering held off Chuck McGillivray for second while points champion Gary Johnson was fourth ahead of Micah Schliemann.
Kevin Spurgin climbed into the #56t and promptly piloted it to the Nordstrom’s Sportsmen feature win. Spurgin, a former regular at the track who now only fills in only on occasions, took the lead on the second lap and cruised to his division-leading 34th career feature win. Russ Englund was second followed by Ryan Nelson, Jeff Hertel and Russ Peterson.
Nordstrom’s also sponsored a special race for the sportsmen and it was point champion Matt Steuerwald taking the $1000 win. Steuerwald went from sixth to second following the mandatory pit stop and passed J.J. Zebell with four laps to go take the win in spite of a machine that billowed large amounts of smoke due to a failing transmission.
The battle for the hobby stock point title was also deadlocked going into the final event as Dale Tomes and Tim Dann saw themselves tied for the lead. Tomes started one row ahead of Dann in the feature and quickly moved ahead at the start of the race, eventually earning a second place finish while Dann ended up seventh. Luck was also on Tomes’ side as he discovered his fan belt missing on his overheated engine following the race. Nick Grad scored his first ever feature win in the event as he led all the way.
The team of Schmidt and Grayson tacked an exclamation point onto their points title as they scored their fourth feature win of the year in the front-wheel drives. Second went to Fedeler and Tooker followed by Harmon and Ludwig.
The final race of the 1999 season at Lake County Speedway will be the annual Lake County Nationals next Saturday, September 18, at 7 p.m.
360 Sprint Cars
FIRST HEAT: 1. Chuck McGillivray, Madison; 2. Lee Goos, Jr., Sioux Falls; 3. Buck Wilson, Sioux Falls.
SECOND HEAT: 2. Mike Ellingson, Dell Rapids; 2. Gary Johnson, Madison; 3. Steve Haman, Egan; 4. Micah Schliemann, Sioux Falls.
THIRD HEAT: 1. Kim Muntefering, Mitchell; 2. Chad Meyer, Sioux Falls; 3. Kevin Ingle, Huron; 4. Bob Gillilland, Sioux Falls.
FEATURE: 1. Ellingson; 2. Muntefering; 3. McGillivray; 4. Johnson; 5. Schliemann; 6. Haman; 7. Paul Poncelet, Sioux Falls; 8. Goos; 9. Wilson.
Late Model Stock Cars
FIRST HEAT: 1. Rob Anderson, Chester; 2. Scott Freet, Madison; 3. Perry Tschetter, Bridgewater; 4. Todd Sterzinger, Colman; 5. Kent Plimpton, Lennox.
SECOND HEAT: 1. Rick Eich, Colman; 2. Don Bickett, Ramona; 3. Gus Clark, Sioux Falls; 4. Brad Wollman, Bridgewater; 5. Curt Bauman, Brookings.
FEATURE: 1. Eich; 2. Clark; 3. Wollman; 4. Sterzinger; 5. Bickett; 6. Dan Jensen, Humboldt; 7. Dale Furby, Sioux Falls.
NORDSTROM’S DASH FOR CASH: 1. Sterzinger; 2. Wollman; 3. Eich; 4. Larry Dixon, Ramona; 5. Furby; 6. Tschetter; 7. Clark; 8. Bauman.
Nordstrom's Sportsman
FIRST HEAT: 1. Rick Goth, Madison; 2. Brad Haas, Sioux Falls; 3. Ryan Nelson, Madison.
SECOND HEAT: 1. Chris Ellingson, Madison; 2. Russ Englund, Hartford; 3. Todd Voeltz, Madison.
THIRD HEAT: 1. Kevin Spurgin, Madison; 2. Russ Peterson, Sioux Falls; 3. Bob Hoan, Watertown.
FOURTH HEAT: 1. Jeff Hertel, Parker; 2. Darin Duffy, Dell Rapids; 3. Gary Gonyo, Madison.
FIRST B FEATURE: 1. J.J. Zebell, Parker; 2. Virgil Thiewes, Goodwin; 3. Matt Steuerwald, Madison; 4. Jim Phillips, Watertown; 5. Jeremy Johnson, Watertown.
SECOND B FEATURE: 1. Matt Ayres, Parker; 2. Don Brady, Sioux Falls; 3. Jerry Herden, Madison; 4. John Winge, Watertown; 5. Jeff Wittrock, Sioux Falls.
A FEATURE: 1. Spurgin; 2. Englund; 3. Nelson; 4. Hertel; 5. Peterson; 6. Ayres; 7. Zebell; 8. Hoan; 9. Thiewes; 10. Ellingson; 11. Voeltz; 12. Brady.
NORDSTROM’S DASH FOR CASH: 1. Steuerwald; 2. Zebell; 3. Peterson; 4. Englund; 5. Hertel; 6. Ayres; 7. Wittrock.
I.M.C.A Hobby Stocks
FIRST HEAT: 1. Curt Ottoson, Madison; 2. Dan Doyle, Flandreau; 3. Tim Dann, Lennox; 4. Ryan Van Emmerick, Salem.
SECOND HEAT: 1. Dean Dunkelberger, Hartford; 2. Aaron Egeberg, Brookings; 3. Nick Grad, Madison; 4. Clint Potter, Larchwood, Iowa.
THIRD HEAT: 1. Andy Ullom, Madison; 2. Jason Armstrong, Flandreau; 3. Justin Selken, Hartford; 4. Dale Tomes, Dell Rapids.
A FEATURE: 1. Grad; 2. Tomes; 3. Ullom; 4. Dunkelberger; 5. Dean Schoenwald, Madison; 6. Egeberg; 7. Dann; 8. Doyle; 9. Selken; 10. Potter; 11. Ryan Bickett, Ramona; 12. Potter; 13. Ottoson; 14. Armstrong.
Front Wheel Drives
FIRST HEAT: 1. Fedeler/Tooker, Nunda; 2. Fuller/Parish, Sioux Falls; 3. Huber/Hoffman.
SECOND HEAT: 1. Harmon/Ludwig, Canton; 2. Anderson/Michelke, Madison; 3. Prestrude/Prestrude.
THIRD HEAT: 1. Schmidt/Grayson, Brookings; 2. Ralfs/Ludwig, Inwood, Iowa; 3. Larson/Ryan, Madison.
B FEATURE: 1. White/Tieszen, Canistota; 2. Olson/Gluhn, Madison; 3. Boatwright/Gross, Hartford; 4. Bender/Nielson, Madison; 5. Scholl/Johnson, Madison.
A FEATURE: 1. Schmidt/Grayson; 2. Fedeler/Tooker; 3. Harmon/Ludwig; 4. Prestrude/Prestrude; 5. Harney/Lien, Brandon.