(Racing Every Friday Night)
Race Results
May 19, 2000
By Rob Ristesund
After two weeks of less than desirable weather conditions for racing, the season's third night of racing action saw a beautiful night for racing and a lightning-fast track at Rapid Speedway Friday night.
In the 360 sprint car feature, it was "Screamin" Micah Schliemann outrunning the field to take the win. It took Schliemann seven laps to work his way up from his fourth row starting spot, overtaking the second place car of Dusty Ballenger and then the lead car of rookie Kevin Burd on the seventh circuit. Schliemann then checked out on the field, taking the win by a large margin. Ballenger, a second generation driver from Harrisburg, S.D., had an impressive run as he came home second ahead of defending champion Butch Hanssen and Lee Goos.
The late model stock car feature saw Pat Connell lead all fifteen laps to take his first win of the season. Although the rest of the field was never far behind, Connell didn't make a mistake the entire race, keeping his car in the fast groove and taking the win ahead of Dale Furby. Third went to David Kruger, who ran second the entire race until three laps to go, followed by Mark DeBoer and Darin Korthals.
The sportsman feature was a restart-marred event that was capped by an exciting finish. Rick VanderWiede came from the fourth row to snatch the lead from Don Grems with three laps to go. Fifth row starter Brad Klaassen was right behind VanderWiede when he made the pass and the pair battled side-by-side the final lap before VanderWiede pulled slightly ahead at the finish. Third went to Jeff Wittrock ahead of Jeff Hertl and Larry Kracht. The red flag flew on the first lap when Bryan McKee hit the infield berm hard coming out of the fourth turn and causing his car to roll. McKee was uninjured in the incident.
The hobby stock feature saw a driver win his first ever feature as Craig Smith took the win. Smith took the lead on lap three and led the rest of the way for the victory. Second went to Ken Roemen followed by Marlo DeJager, Glenn Wynia and Heath Warntjes. The race was red flagged on lap eight when Sioux City's Kent Husted rolled his car on the backstretch. Husted was uninjured in the incident but his car sustained major damage.
Late Model Stock Cars
FIRST HEAT: 1. David Kruger, Sioux Falls; 2. Chad Overgaard, Luverne, Minn.; 3. Marlin Hoffman, Westfield; 4. Kevin Kremin, Lismore, Minn.; 5. Doug Brinkhouse, Doon.
SECOND HEAT: 1. Darin Korthals, Rock Rapids; 2. Dale Furby, Sioux Falls; 3. Pat Connell, Sioux Falls; 4. Jeff Mott, Sioux Falls; 5. Mark Henry, Rock Rapids.
FEATURE: 1. Connell; 2. Furby; 3. Kruger; 4. Mark DeBoer, Adrian, Minn.; 5. Korthals; 6. Overgaard; 7. Brinkhouse; 8. Gus Clark, Sioux Falls; 9. Mott.
360 Sprints
FIRST HEAT: 1. Kevin Burd, Sioux Center; 2. Dusty Ballenger, Harrisburg, S.D.; 3. Brent Vande Weerd, Rock Rapids; 4. Micah Schliemann, Sioux Falls; 5. Gerald Cressman, Hartford, S.D.
SECOND HEAT: 1. Lee Goos, Jr., Sioux Falls; 2. Butch Hanssen, Rapid City, S.D.; 3. Mark Slendy, Sioux Falls; 4. Randy Droescher, Larchwood; 5. Troy Meyer, Sioux Falls.
FEATURE: 1. Schliemann; 2. Ballenger; 3. Hanssen; 4. Goos; 5. Droescher; 6. Meyer; 7. Slendy; 8. Cressman; 9. Buck Wilson, Sioux Falls; 10. Shawn Van Wyhe, Lester; 11. Vande Weerd; 12. Burd; 13. Bill Fredin, Windom, Minn.
Sportsmen
FIRST HEAT: 1. Brad Klaassen, Adrian, Minn.; 2. Perry Klosterbuer, Rock Rapids; 3. Larry Kracht, Magnolia, Minn.; 4. Jeff Hertl, Parker, S.D.; 5. Jeff Coster, Sioux Falls.
SECOND HEAT: 1. Rick Vander Weide, Sioux Falls; 2. Todd Huisman, Rock Rapids; 3. Brad Haas, Sioux Falls; 4. Bryan McKee, Larchwood.
FEATURE: 1. Vander Weide; 2. Klaassen; 3. Jeff Wittrock, Sioux Falls; 4. Hertl; 5. Kracht; 6. Huisman; 7. Don Grems, Lester.
I.M.C.A. Hobby Stocks
FIRST HEAT: 1. Glen Wynia, Sioux Center; 2. Mark Vanden Top, Rock Rapids; 3. Jeff Hoogendorn, Rock Rapids; 4. David Bosma, Allendorf.
SECOND HEAT: 1. Marlo DeJager, Doon; 2. Heath Warntjes, Boyden; 3. Steve Folkens, Lester: 4. Kent Husted, Sioux City.
THIRD HEAT: 1. Craig Smith, Sioux Falls; 2. Darwin Klaassen, Little Rock; 3. Ken Roemen, Rock Rapids; 4. Mike Deutsch, Ellsworth, Minn.
B FEATURE: 1. Robert Norem, Ocheydan; 2. Clint Potter, Sioux Falls; 3. Kirk Maasdam, Orange City; 4. Anthony Mann, Luverne, Minn.; 5. Dereck Vanderbrink, Rock Rapids.
A FEATURE: 1. Smith; 2. Roemen; 3. DeJager; 4. Wynia; 5. Warntjes; 6. Bosma; 7. Vanden Top; 8. Folkens; 9. Maasdam; 10. Potter; 11. Klaassen; 12. Mann; 13. Hoogendorn.