(Racing Every Friday Night)
By Rob Ristesund
Clint Garner, Mark DeBoer, Jeff Wittrock and Randy Vander Weide took feature wins in racing action Friday night at Rapid Speedway.
Garner took the lead on the fourth lap and led the rest of the eighteen lap event to take his first Pam Oil/Valvoline/AC Delco/Lewis Drug/Pepsi feature of the year at the track. For the second week in a row, turn two proved to be a rough spot at the beginning of the race as Dean Brown’s second trip to the track this year found him getting upside down shortly after the green flag flew. When the race restarted, it was Mike Ellingson outrunning fellow front row starter Garner to the first turn and taking the early lead. The race was red-flagged on the fourth circuit when Brian Baker rode out a vicious flip down the backstretch after hitting the infield berm and making hard contact with the infield guard rail. Although his car was heavily damaged Baker, like Brown, was able to walk away uninjured. For the second week in a row Ellingson was forced to pull to the infield while leading, this time with motor problems, when he pulled in on the restart giving the lead and eventually the win to Garner. Brent Vande Weerd had his best run of the year as he finished second while Gordy Vogelaar edged point leader Butch Hanssen by a foot for third.
For the second week in a row, Mark DeBoer led wire-to-wire to win the late model stock car feature. DeBoer actually lost the lead when Dale Furby got by him with four laps to go, but a caution on the same lap gave DeBoer the restart lead which he held to the finish. Terry Dieren came from the sixth row to pass Furby on the last lap for second while Furby settled for third. Moose Schuldt had a strong run after sliding off the track on the first lap and dropping to last before battling back to take fourth.
Jeff Wittrock led all the way to take his first sportsmen feature of the year. Right on Wittrock’s bumper at the finish was Jason DeBoer followed by J.J. Zebell, Don Brady and Brian McKee as the attrition-plagued field saw less than half the starters finish the race.
Randy Vander Weide came from the fifth row to pass leader Robert Norem with just over a lap to go to become the eighth driver to win a hobby stock “A” feature in nine nights of racing at the track this year. Vander Weide’s margin of victory was two car lengths over Norem at the finish with Clint Potter, Doug Brinkhaus and Marlo DeJager rounding out the top five.
SPRINT CARS
FIRST HEAT: 1. Clint Garner, Renner, S.D.; 2. Butch Hanssen, Sioux Falls; 3. Randy Droescher, Larchwood; 4. Chuck McGillivray, Madison, S.D.
SECOND HEAT: 1. Mike Ellingson, Dell Rapids, S.D.; 2. Gordy Vogelaar, Worthington, Minn.; 3. Bill Fredin, Windom, Minn.; 4. Brent Vande Weerd, Rock Rapids.
THIRD HEAT: 1. Dusty Ballanger, Harrisburg; 2. Chad Meyer, Sioux Falls; 3. Gary Johnson, Madison, S.D.; 4. Buck Wilson, Sioux Falls.
FEATURE: 1. Garner; 2. Vande Weerd; 3. Vogelaar; 4. Hanssen; 5. Meyer; 6. Dusty Ballanger; 7. Steve Ballanger, Harrisburg; 8. Wilson; 9. Joe Peterson, Sioux Falls; 10. McGillivray; 11. Shawn Van Wyhe, Lester; 12. Ellingson; 13. Brian Baker, Rock Rapids; 14. Jim Smith, Bigelow, Minn.; 15. Brent Vonk, Hudson, S.D.; 16. Fredin; 17. Dean Brown, Springfield, Minn.
LATE MODEL STOCK CARS
FIRST HEAT: 1. Mark DeBoer, Adrian, Minn.; 2. Moose Schuldt, Sioux Falls; 3. Rick Vander Weide, Sioux Falls; 4. Mike Grevengoed, Hull; 5. Mike Noteboom, Orange City.
SECOND HEAT: 1. Wayne Kruger, Luverne, Minn.; 2. Dale Furby, Sioux Falls; 3. Gus Clark, Sioux Falls; 4. Pat Connell, Sioux Falls; 5. David Mulder, Doon.
FEATURE: 1. DeBoer; 2. Terry Dieren, Brandon, S.D.; 3. Furby; 4. Schuldt; 5. Connell; 6. Vander Weide; 7. Darrin Korthals, Rock Rapids; 8. Kruger; 9. Grevengoed; 10. Noteboom; 11. Gary Bockorny, Sioux Falls; 12. Bob Dafoe, Sioux Falls; 13. Mulder; 14. Clark.
SPORTSMAN
FIRST HEAT: 1. Jeff Wittrock, Sioux Falls; 2. Mark Henry, Rock Rapids.
SECOND HEAT: 1. Jeff Hertel, Parker, S.D.; 2. Jesse Akkerman, Luverne, Minn.; 3. Rick Goth, Madison, S.D.; 4. Russ Peterson, Sioux Falls; 5. Jason DeBoer, Sioux Center.
FEATURE: 1. Wittrock; 2. DeBoer; 3. J.J. Zebell, Parker, S.D.; 4. Don Brady, Sioux Falls; 5. Brian McKee, Larchwood; 6. Akkerman; 7. Chad Overgaard, Luverne, Minn.; 8. Henry; 9. Peterson; 10. Hertel; 11. Aaron Olson, Porter, Minn.; 12. Goth.
I.M.C.A. HOBBY STOCKS
FIRST HEAT: 1. Shawn Jurrens, Little Rock; 2. Denton Potter, Larchwood; 3. David Bosma, Allendorf; 4. Jeff Hoogendorn, Rock Rapids.
SECOND HEAT: 2. Craig Smith, Sioux Falls; 2. Clint Potter, Larchwood; 3. Kirk Maasdam, Orange City; 4. Larry Kracht, Magnolia, Minn.
THIRD HEAT: 1. Robert Norem, Ocheydan; 2. Randy Vander Weide, Sioux Center; 3. Steve Folkens, Lester; 4. Marlo DeJager, Doon.
B FEATURE: 1. Doug Brinkhaus, Doon; 2. Heath Warntjes, Boyden; 3. Randy Van Engen, Doon; 4. Mark Vanden Top, Rock Rapids; 5. Paul Korthals, George.
A FEATURE: 1. Vander Weide; 2. Norem; 3. Clint Potter; 4. Brinkhaus; 5. DeJager; 6. Hoogendorn; 7. Bosma; 8. Folkens; 9. Smith; 10. Vanden Top; 11. Jurrens; 12. Denton Potter; 13. Warntjes; 14. Van Engen; 15. Maasdam; 16. Kracht.
CRUISERS
FEATURE: 1. DeBoer/DeBoer, Little Rock; 2. Woelber/Van Beek, Hull; 3. Roemen/Dressman, Rock Rapids; 4. Hoogendorn/Winters, Boyden.