(Racing Every Saturday Night)
Race Results
September 2, 2000
By Rob Ristesund
This year, it was Todd Sterzinger’s turn. After losing the point title to Brad Wollman by one point last season, Sterzinger turned the tables by taking the late model stock car feature win and in the process edging Wollman for the title by a single point before a packed grandstand Saturday night at Lake County Speedway. Sterzinger snatched the lead from Lee Schlumbohm with four laps to go and went on to take the feature win. But a win wouldn’t guarantee Sterzinger the title as he entered the race trailing Wollman by two points. Wollman needed to finish one position behind Sterzinger to win the title outright or two positions back to tie. Unfortunately for Wollman, he came up just a couple of feet of tying for the title as he came within a fender’s length of passing the third place car of Curt Bauman at the finish line. Sterzinger was running in second and Wollman fourth midway through the race when Wollman jumped a restart and was sent to the back of the field, a move which eventually cost him the title.
The other big race on the evening’s program was the Nordstrom’s Auto $1000-to-win sportsmen race. The unique race features a pit stop halfway through the 20-lap event, and it was Russ Peterson holding the lead at the halfway mark. Matt Steuerwald’s crew had by far the quickest stop giving him the lead on the restart ahead of Peterson and Rick Vander Weide, who improved from eighth to third during the tire changes. When the race resumed, Vander Weide overtook Peterson for second and then passed Steuerwald following a restart late in the race to take the $1000 win. Steuerwald picked up $250 for second and another $250 for the fastest pit stop.
After passing Josh Schmidt on the final lap to take the win last week, Mike Husman made his move a little earlier this week as he passed Schmidt on lap five and went on to win the 15-lap sportsman feature. The win was Husman’s fourth in a row at the track and fifth of the year. Schmidt settled for second ahead of Chuck Harming and Gary Gonyo, while Chris Ellingson won the points title.
Andy Ullom inherited the lead when John Hurley launched his car off the turn two wall late in the race and went on to win his first hobby stock feature of the year. Mike Kiggins finished a close second ahead of Curt Ottoson and Dale Tomes. Jeff Beck won the hobby stock points title.
The front-wheel drive feature had another close finish as Rinehart and Vetsch took the win. Ryan and Larson took the point title by just three points over Anderson and Michelke.
The 360 sprint feature was postponed due to heavy fog that rolled onto the track during the Nordstrom sportsmen race. The sprint feature will run Friday night as part of the two-day Lake County Open Sept. 8-9.
Late Model Stock Cars
First Heat: 1. Lee Schlumbohm, Garretson; 2. Rob Anderson, Chester; 3. Brad Wollman, Bridgewater; 4. Kent Plimpton, Lennox; 5. Dale Furby, Sioux Falls.
Second Heat: 1. Perry Tschetter, Bridgewater; 2. Todd Sterzinger, Colman; 3. Curt Bauman, Brookings; 4. Rick Eich, Colman.
Feature: 1. Sterzinger; 2. Schlumbohm; 3. Bauman; 4. Wollman; 5. Anderson; 6. Scott Freet, Madison; 7. Tschetter; 8. Furby; 9. Eich; 10. Plimpton.
Points Champion: Sterzinger.
360 Sprints
First Heat: 1. Steve Haman, Egan; 2. Mike Ellingson, Dell Rapids; 3. Ron Dobesh, Brookings; 4. Kevin Droll, Sioux Falls; 5. Korey Rawstern, Wentworth.
Second Heat: 1. Justin Saathoff, Bruce; 2. Kim Muntefering, Mitchell; 3. Joe Riedel, Ramona; 4. Kevin Ingle, Huron; 5. Bill Martens, Flandreau.
Feature: Postponed to Friday, Sept. 8.
Nordstrom's Sportsmen
First Heat: 1. Mike Husman, Madison; 2. Rick Vander Weide, Sioux Falls; 3. Dean Schoenwald, Marion; 4. Ryan Nelson, Madison.
Second Heat: 1. Chuck Harming, Elkton; 2. Matt Steuerwald, Madison; 3. Russ Peterson, Sioux Falls; 4. Russ Englund, Hartford.
Third Heat: 1. Jeff Wittrock, Sioux Falls; 2. Josh Schmidt, Marion; 3. Rick Goth, Madison; 4. Gary Gonyo, Madison.
B Feature: 1. Randy Vander Weide, Sioux Center, Iowa; 2. Jeff Hertel, Parker; 3. Darren Duffy, Dell Rapids; 4. Matt Ayres, Parker; 5. Jerry Herndon, Madison.
A Feature: 1. Husman; 2. Schmidt; 3. Harming; 4. Gonyo; 5. Steuerwald; 6. Peterson; 7. Chris Ellingson, Madison; 8. Nelson; 9. Wittrock; 10. Schoenwald; 11. Rick Vander Weide; 12. Hertel.
Nordstrom’s “$1000-to-Win” Race: 1. Rick Vander Weide; 2. Steuerwald 3. Peterson; 4. Ayres; 5. Gonyo; 6. Hertel. Fastest Pit Stop: Steuerwald.
Points Champion: Ellingson.
I.M.C.A. Hobby Stocks
First Heat: 1. Justin Lebahn, Dell Rapids; 2. Dean Dunkelberger, Hartford; 3. Dustin Evink, Colton; 4. Adam Thjelbar, Madison.
Second Heat: 1. John Hurley, Madison; 2. Andy Ullom, Madison; 3. Jeff Beck, Howard; 4. Johnny Monsees, Brookings.
Third Heat: 1. Curt Ottoson, Chester; 2. Mike Kiggins, Sioux Falls; 3. Jason Fedeler, Chester; 4. Walter Kiggins, Sioux Falls.
B Feature: 1. Nick Grad, Madison; 2. Ryan Van Emmerick, Salem; 3. Dale Tomes, Dell Rapids; 4. Dan Doyle, Flandreau; 5. Ryan Bickett, Ramona.
A Feature: 1. Ullom; 2. Mike Kiggins; 3. Ottoson; 4. Tomes; 5. Beck; 6. Dunkelberger; 7. Grad; 8. Van Emmerick; 9. Walter Kiggins; 10. Lebahn; 11. Monsees; 12. Thjelbar; 13. Fedeler.
Points Champion: Beck.
Front-Wheel Drive
First Heat: 1. Ryan/Larson, Madison; 2. Whitlock/Thormahlem, Watertown; 3. Van Engen/Ludwig, Canton.
Second Heat: 1. Rinehart/Vetsch, Canistota; 2. Harmon/Klarenbeck, Canton; 3. Ellingson/Page, Sioux Falls.
Third Heat: 1. Anderson/Michelke, Madison; 2. Olson/Gluhm, Madison; 3. Claussen/Emery, Salem; 4. Delfs/Delfs, Madison; 5. Kampmann/Block, Watertown.
B Feature: 1. Delfs/Delfs; 2. Jensen/Jensen; Madison; 3. Prouty/Huber, Alexandria; 4. Perkins/Johnson, Madison; 5. Abraham/Millard, Madison; 6. Mack/Nerison, Watertown.
A Feature: 1. Rinehart/Vetsch; 2. Ryan/Larson; 3. Anderson/Michelke; 4. Whitlock/Thormahlem; 5. Olson/Gluhm; 6. Claussen/Emery; 7. Jensen/Jensen.
Points Champions: Ryan/Larson