(Racing Every Friday Night)
Race Results
July 14, 2000
By Rob Ristesund
Close finishes were the order for the night as another evening of exciting racing action was held Friday night at Rapid Speedway.
In the sprint car feature, it was Ashton’s Tom Platt leading all the way to score his first feature victory ever at the track. Platt jumped out to the lead from his pole starting spot at the start of the 18-lap event, and maintained a comfortable lead over the rest of the field throughout most of the race in spite of several cautions. Troy Meyer came from the third row to pass Mike McMahan for second on lap six, and a final caution for the race flew two laps later, putting Meyer on Platt’s rear nerf bar on the restart. Platt quickly pulled away on the restart, however, eventually opening a lead of almost a straightaway’s advantage. Meyer was able to make up a bunch of ground on the final lap, but he still came up a car length short at the finish. Following Platt and Meyer across the finish line were last week’s winner Gordy Vogelaar and Micah Schliemann, who charged back through the field after slipping off the track on lap five and falling to the thirteenth position.
The late model stock car feature was a real thriller that saw Dale Furby and Darin Korthals wage an exciting battle for the lead throughout the last half of the race. With Furby holding the point most of that time, it was Korthals repeatedly challenging for the front spot, often pulling alongside or slightly ahead but never able to make a complete pass. On the final turn of the final lap, after a number of close but failed attempts to pass Furby low, Korthals went to the high side. The move was successful and Korthals made the pass just before the finish line. David Kruger followed the pair at the finish in third ahead of Mark DeBoer and Pat Connell.
The sportsmen feature finish was even closer as Perry Klosterbuer and Brad Klaassen battled side-by-side the last several laps of the race. Although Kloserbuer held the lead throughout most of the final circuits, it was Klaassen pulling alongside as the pair roared out of the final turn for the checkered. In a photo finish, Klaassen was declared the winner by inches. Third went to Larry Kracht followed by Jeff Wittrock and Randy Vander Weide.
Glen Wynia passed Anthony Mann for the lead on lap six and went on to win the non-stop hobby stock feature. The win was Wynia’s first of the year at the track and made him the ninth different feature winner in ten nights of racing. David Bosma came from the fifth row to finish second right behind Wynia’s bumper, while point leader Darwin Klaassen was third and Mark Vanden Top fourth.
Late Model Stock Cars
First Heat: 1. Mark Henry, Rock Rapids; 2. David Kruger, Sioux Falls; 3. Mark DeBoer, Adrian, Minn.; 4. Chad Overgaard, Luverne, Minn.; 5. J.J. Zebell, Parker, S.D.
Second Heat: 1. Dale Furby, Sioux Falls; 2. Darin Korthals, Rock Rapids; 3. Doug Brinkhouse, Doon.
Feature: 1. Korthals; 2. Furby; 3. Kruger; 4. DeBoer; 5. Connell; 6. Overgaard; 7. Zebell; 8. Brinkhouse; 9. Henry; 10. Pete Kracht, Steen, Minn.
360 Sprints
First Heat: 1. Tom Platt, Ashton; 2. Shawn Van Wyhe, Lester; 3. Dusty Ballenger, Harrisburg, S.D.; 4. Gordy Vogelaar, Worthington, Minn.
Second Heat: 1. Troy Meyer, Sioux Falls; 2. Mike McMahan, Sioux Falls; 3. Brian Baker, Rock Rapids; 4. Randy Droescher, Larchwood.
Third Heat: 1. Todd Wessels, Hills, Minn.; 2. Micah Schliemann, Sioux Falls; 3. Kevin Burd, Sioux Center.
Feature: 1. Platt; 2. Meyer; 3. Vogelaar; 4. Schliemann; 5. Van Wyhe; 6. Brent Vande Weerd, Rock Rapids; 7. McMahan; 8. Baker; 9. Ballenger; 10. Burd; 11. Buck Wilson, Sioux Falls; 12. Dan Goosman, Sioux City; 13. Wessels; 14. Droescher; 15. Eric Lutz, Sioux
Sportsmen
First Heat: 1. Perry Klosterbuer, Rock Rapids; 2. Jamie Tieszen, Parker, S.D.; 3. Glen Krejci, Canton, S.D.; 4. Brad Haas, Sioux Falls.
Second Heat: 1. Rick Vander Weide, Sioux Falls; 2. Don Grems, Lester; 3. Jeff Wittrock, Sioux Falls; 4. Jeff Coster, Sioux Falls.
Third Heat: 1. Larry Kracht, Magnolia, Minn.; 2. Marty Barber, Brandon, S.D.; 3. Randy Vander Weide, Sioux Center; 4. Rick Goth, Madison, S.D.
Feature: 1. Klaassen; 2. Kosterbuer; 3. Kracht; 4. Wittrock; 5. Randy Vander Weide; 6. Billy Sprock, George; 7. Rick Vander Weide; 8. Grems; 9. Bryan McKee, Larchwood; 10. Tieszen; 11. Goth; 12. Barber.
I.M.C.A. Hobby Stocks
First Heat: 1. Anthony Mann, Luverne, Minn.; 2. Mark Vanden Top, Rock Rapids; 3. David Bosman, Allendorf; 4. Heath Warntjes, Boyden.
Second Heat: 1. Mike Deutsch, Ellsworht, Minn.; 2. Shawn Jurrens, Little Rock; 3. Kirk Maasdam, Orange City; 4. Ken Roemen, Rock Rapids.
Third Heat: 1. Lyle DeVries, Sioux Falls; 2. Marlo DeJager, Doon; 3. Glenn Wynia, Sioux Center; 4. Darwin Klaassen, Little Rock.
B Feature: 1. Jason Bradley, Sioux Falls; 2. Jeff Hoogendorn, Rock Rapids; 3. Mike Kiggins, Tea; 4. Craig Smith, Sioux Falls.
A Feature: 1. Wynia; 2. Bosma; 3. Klaassen; 4. Vanden Top; 5. Mann; 6. Jurrens; 7. DeJager; 8. Hoogendorn; 9. Roemen; 10. Smith; 11. Deutsch; 12. Kiggins; 13. DeVries; 14. Warntjes.
Cruisers
Feature: 1. Bob/Stan DeBoer; 2. David Paulson/Mark Van Beek; 3. Glen DeVos/Leroy Winter.