(Racing Every Friday Night)
By Rob Ristesund
After two consecutive rain-outs, the sun finally shined on Rapid Speedway on Hills Stainless Steel night Friday night. Although the track was baked by temps in the 90’s and buffeted by 30+ m.p.h. winds throughout the day and into the evening, the track held up remarkably well, providing at least two grooves of racing room throughout the feature events.
In the Pam Oil/Valvoline/AC Delco/Lewis Drug/Pepsi sprint feature, Gary Johnson outran the field to take the win. Johnson took the lead from his pole starting position at the start of the eighteen lap event and held it throughout the event that ran non-stop following a first lap caution. Brian Baker had a good run as he took over the second spot from Mark Slendy on the fifth circuit, and slowly cut into the huge lead that Johnson had built early in the race. While a late race caution was something that Baker and third place runner Chad Meyer were certainly wishing for, none was to be had as Johnson took the win four car lengths ahead of Baker with Meyer taking third ahead of Clint Garner and Butch Hanssen.
Terry Dieren made shambles of the late model stock car feature as he blew away the field for the feature win. Dieren shot from the fourth row to challenge Darrin Korthals for the lead on the fourth lap when he spun in turn four, sending him to the rear of the field on the restart and seemingly ending his chances for a win. But Dieren worked his way back towards the front, eventually into fourth place on a restart on lap nine of the fifteen lap event. On the restart, Dieren quickly disposed of Dale Furby and Korthals, and it took just one more lap for Dieren to overtake leader Mike Grevengoed for the lead which he stretched to a large advantage at the finish. Korthals took the runner-up spot ahead of Mike Noteboom, Furby and Pat Connell.
Jeff Hertel led all the way to take his second consecutive sportsman feature win. Hertel was never seriously challenged during the event which was slowed just once by a caution on lap two, eventually stretching his margin of victory to a straightaway’s advantage over runner-up Rick Goth. Right behind Goth at the finish was Chad Overgaard followed by J.J. Zebell and Jeff Wittrock.
Ken Roemen outdistanced the sixteen-car hobby stock field to take the “A” feature win. Roemen took the checkered flag eight car lengths ahead of runner-up Larry Kracht, who had an excellent run coming from a sixth row starting spot. Third went to Doug Brinkhaus followed by Steve Folkens, another driver who passed a bunch of cars in coming from the last starting spot.
SPRINT CARS
PAM OIL/VALVOLINE HEAT: 1. Gary Johnson, Madison, S. D.; 2. Micah Schliemann, Sioux Falls; 3. Brian Baker, Rock Rapids.
AC DELCO HEAT: 1. Chad Meyer, Sioux Falls; 2. Clint Garner, Renner, S.D.; 3. Bill Fredin, Windom, Minn.
LEWIS DRUG/PEPSI HEAT: 1. Butch Hanssen, Sioux Falls; 2. Tom Platt, Ashton; 3. Steve Ballenger, Harrisburg, S.D.
FEATURE: 1. Johnson; 2. Baker; 3. Meyer; 4. Garner; 5. Hanssen; 6. Mark Slendy, Sioux Falls; 7. Fredin; 8. Gordy Vogelaar; 9. Chuck McGillivray, Madison, S.D.; 10. Ballenger; 11. Buck Wilson, Sioux Falls; 12. Platt; 13. Brent Vande Weerde, Rock Rapids; 14. Dean Brown, Springfield, Minn.; 15. Shawn Van Wyhe, Lester; 16. Schliemann.
LATE MODEL STOCK CARS
FIRST HEAT: 1. Terry Dieren, Brandon, S.D.; 2. Wayne Kruger, Steen, Minn.; 3. Dale Furby, Sioux Falls.
SECOND HEAT: 1. Mike Grevengoed, Hull; 2. Darrin Korthals, Rock Rapids; 3. Mike Noteboom, Orange City
FEATURE: 1. Dieren; 2. Korthals; 3. Noteboom; 4. Furby; 5. Pat Connell, Luverne, Minn.; 6. David Mulder, Doon; 7. Grevengoed; 8. Rick Vander Weide, Sioux Falls; 9. Kruger; 10. Gus Clark, Sioux Falls; 11. Kevin Kremin, Lismore, Minn.; 12. Gary Bockorny, Sioux Falls.
SPORTSMAN
FIRST HEAT: 1. Jeff Hertel, Parker, S. D.; 2. Jess Akkerman, Luverne, Minn.; 3. Perry Klosterbuer, Rock Rapids.
SECOND HEAT: 1. Rick Goth, Madison, S.D.; 2. Brad Klaassen, Adrian, Minn.; 3. Jeff Wittrock, Sioux Falls.
FEATURE: 1. Hertel; 2. Goth; 3. Chad Overgaard, Luverne, Minn.; 4. J.J. Zebell, Parker, S.D.; 5. Wittrock; 6. Mike Koepke, Brandon, S.D.; 7. Jason DeBoer, Sioux Center; 8. Akkerman; 9. Mark Henry, Rock Rapids; 10. Lee Schlumbohm, Sioux Falls; 11. Russ Peterson, Sioux Falls; 12. Klaassen; 13. Klosterbuer.
I.M.C.A. HOBBY STOCKS
FIRST HEAT: 1. Robert Nolem, Ocheydan; 2. Dave Bosma, Allendorf; 3. Jeremy Heerde, Sioux Falls.
SECOND HEAT: 1. Tammy Kracht, Steen, Minn.; 2. Ken Roemen, Rock Rapids; 3. Doug Brinkhaus, Doon.
THIRD HEAT: 1. Clint Potter, Larchwood; 2. Randy Vander Weide, Sioux Center; 3. Larry Kracht, Magnolia, Minn.
FOURTH HEAT: 1. Mark Vanden Top, Rock Rapids; 2. Randy Van Engen, Doon; 3. Marlo DeJager, Doon.
FIRST B FEATURE: 1. Darwin Klaassen, Little Rock; 2. Paul Korthals, George. 3. Heath Warntjes, Boyden 4. Jeff Hoogendorn, Rock Rapids; 5. Mike Kiggins, Sioux Falls.
SECOND B FEATURE: 1. Kirk Maasdam, Orange City; 2. Steve Folkens, Lester; 3. Justin Selken, Hartford, S.D.
A FEATURE: 1. Roemen; 2. Kracht; 3. Brinkhaus; 4. Folkens; 5. Klaassen; 6. Vander Weide; 7. Bosma; 8. Van Engen; 9. DeJager; 10. Maasdam; 11. Kracht; 12. Vanden Top