(Racing Every Friday Night)
Race Results
June 16, 2000
By Rob Ristesund
The wet weather that prevailed throughout the week gave way to some welcome rays of sun on Friday, just in time for the evening’s racing action at Rapid Speedway.
The added moisture that fell throughout the week made for the fastest track surface of the year, and it was Micah Schliemann who found the right set up as he flew to the sprint car feature win. Tom Platt shot from the front row into the lead at the start of the 18-lap event, and held a comfortable lead over the 15-car field for much of the race in spite of several caution flags. The final caution on lap ten for the stopped car of Butch Hanssen saw Platt holding the lead followed by Brent Vande Weerd, Gordy Vogelaar, Shawn Van Wyhe and Schliemann. The next two laps following the restart saw Schliemann swiftly move from fifth to second, but still almost a straightaway’s length behind Platt. It took Schliemann just three laps to catch the leader as he rode the top groove of the tacky surface like a rail, and on lap 15 Schliemann flew past Platt on the high side in turn four and quickly pulled away, taking the checkered three laps later by a straightaway’s length over Platt. Third went to Van Wyhe followed by Vande Weerd, Vogelaar, Dusty Ballenger and Brian Baker.
The late model stock car feature saw first-year driver Mark Henry lead all the way to score his first feature win ever. Henry took the lead from his front row starting spot and maintained a comfortable advantage throughout the 15-lap event, taking the checkered six car lengths ahead of Mark DeBoer. DeBoer, who passed David Kruger for second with five laps to go, made up some of the distance between himself and Henry but was unable to seriously challenge Henry’s Mopar-powered machine. Kruger settled for third ahead of Dale Furby and Darin Korthals.
Brad Haas came from the fourth row to take the lead on the first lap to win his first-ever sportsman feature. Two red-flags halted action during the restart-marred event, the first occuring on lap one when a multi-car pile-up occurred in the fourth turn. The red flew again at the halfway point when the cars of Chris Tilbury and Greg Roemen tangled on the backstretch, resulting with Roemen’s machine on its side on the track while Tilbury’s car found itself in the 20-foot deep ravine off the backstretch. No drivers were injured in either of the incidents. Taking second at the finish was Rick Goth followed by Jeff Coster and Bryan McKee. Perry Klosterbuer, who ran second nearly the entire event, slipped off the track on the final lap and ended up sixth.
After leading the two previous feature events only to lose the lead late in the race and settling for second place, Denton Potter found the third time was the charm for him as this time he led the entire way to take the hobby stock feature win. Potter also had a little luck on his side as he was actually passed for the lead by Ken Roemen with four laps to go, a move which was later negated when the caution flew on the same lap, giving the lead back to Potter on the restart. Kirk Maasdam came on to take second ahead of Roemen, Shawn Jurrens and point-leader Heath Warntjes.
Late Model Stock Cars
First Heat: 1. Mark Henry, Rock Rapids; 2. Dale Furby, Sioux Falls; 3. Chad Overgaard, Luverne, Minn; 4. Doug Brinkhouse, Doon.
Second Heat: 1. Mark DeBoer, Adrian, Minn.; 2. Darin Korthals, Rock Rapids; 3. David Kruger, Sioux Falls; 4. Dan Jensen, Humboldt, S.D.; 5. Pat Connell, Sioux Falls.
Feature: 1. Henry; 2. DeBoer; 3. Kruger; 4. Furby; 5. Korthals; 6. Overgaard; 7. Connell; 8. Gus Clark, Sioux Falls; 9. Brinkhouse.
360 Sprints
First Heat: 1. Shawn Van Wyhe, Lester; 2. Tom Platt, Ashton; 3. Troy Meyer, Sioux Falls; 4. Brent Vande Weerd, Rock Rapids.
Second Heat: 1. Chad Meyer, Sioux Falls; 2. Bill Fredin, Windom, Minn.; 3. Kevin Burd, Sioux Center; 4. Brian Baker, Rock Rapids.
Third Heat: 1. Gordy Vogelaar, Worthington, Minn.; 2. Randy Droescher, Larchwood; 3. Micah Schliemann.
Feature: 1. Schliemann; 2. Platt; 3. Van Wyhe; 4. Vande Weerd; 5. Vogelaar; 6. Dusty Ballenger; 7. Baker; 8. Butch Hanssen, Black Hawk, S.D.; 9. Droescher; 10. Fredin; 11. Mike McMahan, Sioux Falls; 12. Gerald Cressman, Hartford, S.D.; 13. Burd; 14. Chad Meyer; 15. Troy Meyer.
Sportsmen
First Heat: Brad Haas, Sioux Falls; 2. Jeff Coster, Sioux Falls; 3. Brad Klaassen, Adrain, Minn.; 4. Greg Roemen, Ellsworth, Minn.
Second Heat: 1. Perry Klosterbuer, Rock Rapids; 2. Marty Barber, Brandon, S.D.; 3. Randy Vander Weide, Sioux Center; 4. Chris Tilbury, Valley Springs, S.D.
Third Heat: 1. Rick Vander Weide, Sioux Falls; 2. Jeff Wittrock, Sioux Falls; 3. Rick Goth, Madison, S.D.; 4. Don Grems, Lester.
B Feature: 1. Ryan Nelson, Madison, S.D.; 2. Bryan McKee, Larchwood; 3. Larry Kracht, Magnolia, Minn.; 4. Gary Mulder, Canton, S.D.
A Feature: 1. Haas; 2. Goth; 3. Coster; 4. McKee; 5. Klaassen; 6. Klosterbuer; 7. Wittrock; 8. Rick Vander Weide; 9. Grems.
I.M.C.A. Hobby Stocks
First Heat: 1. Jeff Hoogendorn, Rock Rapids; 2. Steve Folkens, Lester; 3. Glen Wynia, Sioux Center; 4. Heath Warntjes, Boyden.
Second Heat: 1. Shawn Jurrens, Little Rock; 2. Kirk Maasdam, Orange City; 3. Craig Smith, Sioux Falls; 4. Robert Norem, Ocheydan.
Third Heat: 1. Anthony Mann, Luverne, Minn.; 2. Denton Potter, Larchwood; 3. Mark Vanden Top, Rock Rapids; 4. Ken Roemen, Rock Rapids.
B Feature: 1. Darwin Klaassen, Little Rock; 2. Dereck Vanderbrink, Rock Rapids; 3. Marlo DeJager, Doon; 4. Lyle DeVries, Sioux Falls; 5. B.J. Pelly, George.
A Feature: 1. Potter; 2. Maasdam; 3. Roemen; 4. Jurrens; 5. Warntjes; 6. Klaassen; 7. DeJager; 8. Folkens; 9. Vanden Top; 10. Hoogendorn; 11. Smith; 12. Wynia; 13. Vanderbrink; 14. Norem; 15. Mann; 16. DeVries.
Cruisers
Feature: 1. Ken Hoogendorn/Leroy Winter, 2. Bob/Stan DeBoer, 3. Clint Bruns/Seth Jurrens, 4. Dave/Brandon Lafrenz, 5. David Paulson/Mark Van Beek.