(Racing Every Saturday Night)
Race Results
May 20, 2000
By Rob Ristesund
Another large crowd was on hand at Lake County Speedway Saturday night, and even a brief rain shower couldn't dampen a wild and exciting night of racing action at the track.
As rain fell lightly for about fifteen minutes prior to the late model stock car feature, Brad Wollman showed that the moisture made the fast track even faster as he rocketed from the fourth row to take the feature win, his twenty-fourth career victory at the track. Wollman ran down race leader Scott Freet on lap seven of the fifteen-lap event and, after battling side-by-side for two laps, Wollman eventually took over the point and pulled away, winning the non-stop event by a straightaway. Freet held off Howard Baartman for second while Rob Anderson and Rick Eich rounded out the top five. Todd Sterzinger, the point leader going into the evening's action, suffered mechanical problems during hot laps and didn't start the main event.
Steve Haman came from the third row to take the lead from rookie Kory Rawstern on lap seven and went on to win the twelve lap sprint car feature. Fourth row starter Kim Muntefering came on to take second followed by Mike Ellingson and Rawstern. The good news for Rawstern was that he finished the race, after crashing each of the last two weeks, including while leading the feature last Saturday.
Moose Schuldt took advantage of a couple of breaks to take the win in the Nordstrom's Sportsmen feature. Schuldt moved up to a front row starting spot after a first lap restart and took the lead at the start. On lap six Jeremy Van Wyhe passed Schuldt for the lead, but a caution flew on the same lap, giving the point back to Shuldt, which he held the rest of the way. Van Wyhe settled for second ahead of Rick Goth, Chris Ellingson and Rick VanderWiede. The red flag stopped the race on the first lap when, while battling side-by-side, front row starters Jeremy Heerde and Josh Schmidt had their cars lock together and head straight towards the turn two wall. Schmidt was able to stop his car atop the wall, but Heerde's sailed over, going high in the air before landing nose-first on the road outside the track. Heerde was uninjured but his car was heavily damaged.
Joe Fitzpatrick, in just his third night ever on the track, led all the way to take the win in the crash-marred hobby stock feature. Fitzpatrick survived a couple of six-car pile-ups as only six cars out of fourteen finished the event. "B" feature winner Rick Wibeto came through the field to take second followed by Dean Dunkelberger and Ryan Bickett.
The team of Anderson and Michelke continued their domination in the front-wheel drives as they captured their third feature win of the year. Rose and Dafoe took a close second ahead of Claussen and Emery.
Late Model Stock Cars
FIRST HEAT: 1. Brad Wollman, Bridgewater; 2. Scott Freet, Madison; 3. Howard Baartman, Sioux Falls; 4. Rob Anderson, Chester; 5. Perry Tschetter, Bridgewater.
SECOND HEAT: 1. Bruce Bortnem, Brookings; 2. Rick Eich, Colman.
FEATURE: 1. Wollman; 2. Freet; 3. Baartman; 4. Anderson; 5. Eich; 6. Bortnem; 7. Tschetter; 8. Kent Plimpton, Lennox; 9. Dale Furby, Sioux Falls; 10. Don Bickett, Ramona; 11. Curt Bauman, Brookings.
360 Sprints
FEATURE: 1. Steve Haman, Egan; 2. Kim Muntefering, Mitchell; 3. Mike Ellingson, Dell Rapids; 4. Kory Rawstern, Wentworth; 5. Shawn Van Wyhe, Lester, Iowa; 6. Joe Riedel, Ramona; 7. Kevin Ingle, Huron.
Nordstrom's Sportsmen
FIRST HEAT: Josh Schmidt, Marion; 2. Moose Schuldt, Sioux Falls; 3. Al Barnhart, Madison; 4. Chris Ellingson, Madison.
SECOND HEAT: 1. Jeremy Heerde, Sioux Falls; 2. Gary Gonyo, Madison, 3. Darren Duffy, Dell Rapids; 4. Russ Peterson, Sioux Falls.
THIRD HEAT: 1. Rick Goth, Madison; 2. Jeremy Van Wyhe, Larchwood, Iowa; 3. Jeff Hertl, Parker; 4. Rick Vanderweide, Sioux Falls.
B FEATURE: 1. Russ Englund, Hartford; 2. Ryan Nelson, Madison; 3. Jerry Herndon, Madison; 4. Josh Lamer, Colton; 5. Kenny Berens, Parker.
A FEATURE: 1. Schuldt; 2. Van Wyhe; 3. Goth; 4. Ellingson; 5. Vanderweide; 6. Hertl; 7. Peterson; 8. Steuerwald; 9. Englund; 10. Barnhart; 11. Gonyo; 12; Berens; 13. Duffy; 14. Nelson; 15. Schmidt; 16. Heerde.
I.M.C.A. Hobby Stocks
FIRST HEAT: 1. Ryan Van Emmerick, Salem; 2. Dean Dunkelberger, Hartford; 3. Joe Tieszen, Canistota; 4. Andy Ullom, Madison.
SECOND HEAT: 1. Mike Kiggins, Sioux Falls; 2. Nick Grad, Madison; 3. Dan Doyle, Flandreau; 4. Ryan Bickett, Ramona.
THIRD HEAT: 1. Joe Fitzpatrick, Sioux Falls; 2. Dale Tomes, Dell Rapids; 3. Dean Schoenwald, Marion; 4. Curt Ottoson, Chester.
B FEATURE: 1. Rick Wibeto, Sioux Falls; 2. Jeff Beck, Howard; 3. John Hurly, Madison; 4. Justin Labahn, Dell Rapids.
A FEATURE: 1. Fitzpatrick; 2. Wibeto; 3. Dunkelberger; 4. Bickett; 5. Doyle; 6. Grad; 7. Kiggins.
FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE
FIRST HEAT: 1. Van Engen/Ludwig, Canton; 2. Ryan/Larson, Madison; 3. Prouty/Huber; 4. Ever/Haase.
SECOND HEAT: 1. McGillivray/Paugh, Madison; 2. Harmon/Klarenbeck, Canton; 3. Klinkhammer/Acker, Sioux Falls; 4. Bender/Nielson, Madison.
THIRD HEAT: 1. Anderson/Michelke, Madison; 2. Claussen/Emery, Salem; 3. Dafoe/Rose, Sioux Falls; 4. Gluhm/Olson, Madison.
B FEATURE: 1. Gluhm/Olson; 2. Vetsch/Almont, Sioux Falls; 3. Ever/Haase; 4. Prestrude/Rose, Sioux Falls.
A FEATURE: 1. Anderson/Michelke; 2. Dafoe/Rose; 3. Claussen/Emery; 4. Gluhm/Olson; 5. Van Engen/Ludwig; 6. Ryan/Larson; 7. McGillivray/Paugh.