(Racing Every Friday Night)
Race Results
August 17, 2001
Wessels takes second Rapid Speedway win of season
By Shawn Neisteadt
Rock Rapids, IA-- One week after being involved in an accident, Todd Wessels returned to victory lane for the second time this season. Wessels jumped from the pole position and would never look back as he led all 16 laps of the NMRA 360 Sprint feature. Defending track champion, Dusty Ballenger, moved into the second position on lap two and was running with Wessels, but a mechanical problem ended Ballenger's night on lap eight. While working lap traffic and battling for the fourth position, Brian Baker and Shawn Van Whye bumped wheels in turn four. The cars would slow momentarily, but both drivers stood on the gas and continued. Following the two-time track champion, Wessels, to the finish was Mike McMahan. Baker finished third. Clint Garner came from eighth to finish fourth and Van Whye rounded out the top five. Wessels and Van Whye won heat races.
Doug Brinkhous captured the early lead of the Late Model Stock Car feature. Racing was slowed with one lap completed when Chad Overgaard suffered a mechanical failure and stalled on the speedway. On the resulting restart, Dale Furby moved from fourth to second by picking off Jason DeBoer and Heath Warntjes. Mark DeBoer moved from his tenth starting position into the top five on lap twelve. On the next two laps, Mark DeBoer would pass two more cars and secure the third place, but it was to late to catch Brinkhous and Furby, who had checked out from the rest of the field. Coming to the checkereds, Furby would make one last dive for the lead, but wouldn't be able to take the win away from Brinkhous. Furby finished second. Mark DeBoer, Jason DeBoer, and Darrin Korthals rounded out the top five. "I was softening up in the middle of the race," said Brinkhous after picking up his third win of the season. "I heard someone coming; I didn't know it was Furby. I was definitely on it at the end. Heat race wins went to Brinkhous and Furby.
Scott Overgaard jumped into the lead of the Sportsmen feature at the drop of the green flag. Just behind the leader, a great battle was happening. On lap two, Rick Vander Weide passed Todd Huisman for third. On the next lap Vander Weide took second away from Billy Sprock, but Huisman would charge by both Sprock and Vander Weide to steal second. On the following lap, Rick Goth joined the party and challenged Vander Weide for the third position, but Vander Weide slipped off the track entering turn three and slid back to the eighth position. The racing for the second and third positions allowed Overgaard to stretch his lead, but it was erased when two cars made contact and one spun out on lap six. When the race returned to green, the battling resumed, and again Overgaard began to open a lead. On lap nine, while exiting turn four, Overgaard lost the handle of his cars and introduced it to the inside of the speedway. The car would come close to rolling over, but would come back down to all four wheels. Overgaard's misfortune gave the lead to Huisman, who would go on to put the #63 into victory lane for the first time this season. Goth finished second, followed by Brad Haas and Sprock. Vander Weide charged back to finish in the top five. "Feels good. It's been a long time coming for me," said Huisman after the win. "His (Overgaard's) car was starting to push a little bit at the end. He just lost it and that's how I got to the front," he added on the lap nine incident. Heat race wins went to Haas and Sprock.
Mark Vanden Top came out of a lap five three way battle for the lead with the top spot and would never relinquish it to put the #81 into the winner's circle for the first time this year. Darwin Klaassen, Chris DeHaan, Anthony Mann, and Jeff Hoogendoorn rounded out the top five. Justin Selken won the "B" feature. Joe Schueller, Bob DeBoer, and Mann won heat races.
NMRA 360 Sprints
Heat #1: 1. 28W Todd Wessels; 2. 2D Dusty Ballenger; 3. 4K Kory Rawstern; 4. 47 Brent VandeWeerd; 5. 24 Randy Droescher; 6. 11x Joe Riedel; 7. 33 Jim Smith
Heat #2: 1. 99 Shawn Van Whye; 2. 25 Brian Baker; 3. R19 Mike Mc Mahan; 4. 17 Clint Garner; 5. 77 Troy Vink
A Feature: 1. 28W Todd Wessels; 2. R19 Mike Mc Mahan; 3. 25 Brian Baker; 4. 17 Clint Garner; 5. 99 Shawn Van Whye; 6. 47 Brent VandeWeerd; 7. 24 Randy Droescher; 8. 8 Jeremy Fey; 9. 77 Troy Vink; 10. 11x Joe Riedel; 11. 4K Kory Rawstern; 12. 2D Dusty Ballenger; 13. 33 Jim Smith
NMRA Late Model Street Stocks
Heat #1: 1. 10 Dale Furby; 2. 11K Darrin Korthals; 3. 97 David Kruger; 4. 44 Jason De Boer; 5. 22W Heath Warntjes; 6. 87 Jesse Akkerman; 7. 35 John De Groot
Heat #2: 1. 17 Doug Brinkhous; 2. 23 Mark De Boer; 3. 27 Randy Brands; 4. 43 Mark Henry; 5. 42 Chad Overgaard; 6. 7 Steve DeKam
A Feature: 1. 17 Doug Brinkhous; 2. 10 Dale Furby; 3. 23 Mark De Boer; 4. 44 Jason De Boer; 5. 11K Darrin Korthals; 6. 22W Heath Warntjes; 7. 97 David Kruger; 8. 27 Randy Brands; 9. 35 John De Groot; 10. 43 Mark Henry; 11. 42 Chad Overgaard; 12. 7 Steve DeKam; 13. 87 Jesse Akkerman
NMRA Sportsmen
Heat #1: 1. 72 Brad Haas; 2. 45K Brad Klaassen; 3. 6 Rick Vander Weide; 4. 90 Rick Goth; 5. 25 Rick Tarbox; 6. 36 Glenn Wynia
Heat #2: 1. 27B Billy Sprock; 2. 66 Marty Halouska; 3. 40 Scott Overgaard; 4. 5 Mel Elsberry; 5. 63 Todd Huisman
A Feature: 1. 63 Todd Huisman; 2. 90 Rick Goth; 3. 72 Brad Haas; 4. 27B Billy Sprock; 5. 6 Rick Vander Weide; 6. 5 Mel Elsberry; 7. 36 Glenn Wynia; 8. 45K Brad Klaassen; 9. 40 Scott Overgaard; 10. 25 Rick Tarbox; 11. 66 Marty Halouska
NMRA Hobby Stocks
Heat #1: 1. 20x Joe Schueller; 2. 91 Jeff Hoogendoorn; 3. 7x Chris DeHaan; 4. 21X Mike Deutsch; 5. 42 Steve Eliason; 6. 17 Jared VanEngen; 7. 10 Paul Korthals
Heat #2: 1. 20 Anthony Mann; 2. 80 James Brower; 3. 45 Darwin Klaassen; 4. 15 Tammy Kracht; 5. 111 Justin Selken; 6. 4 Travis Jansma; 7. 99 Kevin Frodermann
Heat #3: 1. 9B Bob DeBoer; 2. 81 Mark VandenTop; 3. 24 Randall Kurth; 4. 17S James Slawson; 5. 21 Larry Kracht; 6. 2 Dereck Van Der Brink
B Feature: 1. 111 Justin Selken; 2. 42 Steve Eliason; 3. 17 Jared VanEngen; 4. 10 Paul Korthals; 5. 4 Travis Jansma; 6. 21 Larry Kracht; 7. 99 Kevin Frodermann; 8. 2 Dereck Van Der Brink
A Feature: 1. 81 Mark VandenTop; 2. 45 Darwin Klaassen; 3. 7x Chris DeHaan; 4. 20 Anthony Mann; 5. 91 Jeff Hoogendoorn; 6. 21X Mike Deutsch; 7. 9B Bob DeBoer; 8. 15 Tammy Kracht; 9. 20x Joe Schueller; 10. 42 Steve Eliason; 11. 80 James Brower; 12. 111 Justin Selken; 13. 24 Randall Kurth; 14. 17S James Slawson