(Racing Every Friday Night)
Race Results
May 17, 2002
By Shawn Neisteadt
Clint Garner looked to stay unbeaten as the Rapid Speedway season entered its third week of action. A full field of sprint cars was looking to end the streak, but would not be able to top Garner.
As the green flag dropped for the start of the NMRA 360 Sprint Car feature, many cars tangled to bring the red flag over the speedway. Included in the incident was the #56 of Johnn Cressman. Cressman was sitting upside down at the exit of turn four, when Chase Wilson joined the incident by tagging Cressman's flipped machine. Both cars went to the infield and both drivers walked away without assistance.
The remaining field came to a complete restart. Dusty Ballenger shot from the front row to take the lead of the event. As the field raced down the back stretch, cars ran wheel to wheel and three wide. Racing slowed with one lap completed when Mike Sandvig lost control while running in second place and spun his #7 around in the first turn. Shawn Van Whye was collected in the incident and also spun out. Both cars retired due to damage.
Ballenger led the field to the restart followed now by Mike McMahan. Clint Garner had already shot from seventh to third. While racing down the backstretch, Garner went a off the top of the track, but was able to pull his #17v back onto the track without losing a position. Caution resumed on the speedway with three laps completed when Gary Winter looped his car in the fourth turn.
On the resulting restart, Garner passed McMahan for second. Ballenger entered turn one on the high side, while Garner drove to the bottom. Garner exited turn two with the lead and never slowed to lead the final 12 laps and take his third win of the season. Ballenger, the 2000 track champion, held on for second. McMahan finished third with Tom Platt taking fourth. Randy Droescher rounded out the top five.
Heat race wins went to Ballenger, Droescher, and Van Whye.
It only took three laps for Darrin Korthals to move from his sixth starting position to take the lead of the Short Track Stock Car feature. Korthals would never relinquish the position to take his first win of the season. Mark DeBoer came from thirteenth to finish second. John DeGroot finished third after staring eleventh. Fourth went to Randy Brands and Chad Overgaard came to the line fifth. The race ended on "yellow-checkered" as several cars tangle in turn four as the race came to the checkereds.
Korthals and Howard Baartman took wins in the heat races.
Mel Elsberry led the opening five laps of the Sportsmen main event, but lost the lead to Rick Vander Weide on a lap five restart. Elsberry ran the middle of the first and second turn on the restart. Exiting two, Vander Weide ran from the top to the bottom to overtake the lead on the backstretch. Vander Weide led the remaining seven laps the put the PC Doctor #6 into victory lane for the first time this season. "It feels real good. We've had a couple of bad weeks, and I needed something to get the season going," commented Vander Weide, the defending track champion, after the win.
Brad Haas charged from ninth to take second. Anthony Mann came from twelfth to finish third. Elsberry finished fourth with Don Grems in a close fifth. Heat wins went to Vander Weide, Jeff Hoogendoorn, and Daryl Reverts.
James Brower took the lead of the NMRA Hobby Stock "A" feature one lap into the event and held on to take his first win of the season. Mark VandenTop finished second. Dereck Van Der Brink finished third. Darwin Klaassen ran from the twelfth starting spot to take fourth, and Chris DeHaan rounded out the top five. Heat race wins went to Brower, Van Der Brink, DeHaan, and Bob DeBoer. The "B" features were won by Klaassen and James Slawson.
NMRA 360 Sprints
Heat #1: 1. 2D Dusty Ballenger; 2. 7 Mike Sandvig; 3. 3b Buck Wilson; 4. 1Z Justin Zitterich; 5. 76 Butch Evink; 6. 2 Gary Winter
Heat #2: 1. 24 Randy Droescher; 2. 17V Clint Garner; 3. 25X Tom Platt; 4. 35 Eric McGillivray; 5. 3c Chase Wilson
Heat #3: 1. 99 Shawn Van Whye; 2. 56 Johnn Cressman; 3. 28 Mitch Runge; 4. R19 Mike Mc Mahan; 5. 9S Ron Smith
A Feature: 1. 17V Clint Garner; 2. 2D Dusty Ballenger; 3. R19 Mike Mc Mahan; 4. 25X Tom Platt; 5. 24 Randy Droescher; 6. 28 Mitch Runge; 7. 3b Buck Wilson; 8. 9S Ron Smith; 9. 35 Eric McGillivray; 10. 1Z Justin Zitterich; 11. 76 Butch Evink; 12. 2 Gary Winter; 13. 7 Mike Sandvig; 14. 99 Shawn Van Whye; 15. 25 Brian Baker; 16. 3c Chase Wilson; 17. 56 Johnn Cressman
NMRA Short Track Stock Cars
Heat #1: 1. 82 Howard Baartman; 2. 42 Chad Overgaard; 3. 8 Randy Vander Weide; 4. 28 Mark Van Voorst; 5. 17 Doug Brinkhous; 6. 35 John De Groot; 7. 44 Jason De Boer
Heat #2: 1. 11K Darrin Korthals; 2. 43 Mark Henry; 3. 90 Rick Goth; 4. 22W Heath Warntjes; 5. 27 Randy Brands; 6. 23 Mark De Boer
A Feature: 1. 11K Darrin Korthals; 2. 23 Mark De Boer; 3. 35 John De Groot; 4. 27 Randy Brands; 5. 42 Chad Overgaard; 6. 8 Randy Vander Weide; 7. 28 Mark Van Voorst; 8. 43 Mark Henry Rock; 9. 22W Heath Warntjes; 10. 82 Howard Baartman; 11. 17 Doug Brinkhous; 12. 44 Jason De Boer; 13. 90 Rick Goth
NMRA Sportsmen
Heat #1: 1. 91 Jeff Hoogendoorn; 2. 21 Don Grems; 3. 72 Brad Haas; 4. 20 Anthony Mann; 5. 00 Gary Mulder; 6. 15 Pete Kracht
Heat #2: 1. 7 Daryl Reverts; 2. 5 Mel Elsberry; 3. 40 Scott Overgaard; 4. 3J Jeremiah Jordahl; 5. 36 Glenn Wynia; 6. 21X Mike Deutsch
Heat #3: 1. 6 Rick Vander Weide; 2. 45K Brad Klaassen; 3. 7x Evan DeHaan; 4. C4 Casey Hurney
A Feature: 1. 6 Rick Vander Weide; 2. 72 Brad Haas; 3. 20 Anthony Mann; 4. 5 Mel Elsberry; 5. 21 Don Grems; 6. 45K Brad Klaassen; 7. 00 Gary Mulder; 8. 15 Pete Kracht; 9. 91 Jeff Hoogendoorn; 10. 40 Scott Overgaard; 11. 7x Evan DeHaan; 12. 3J Jeremiah Jordahl; 13. 7 Daryl Reverts; 14. C4 Casey Hurney; 15. 21X Mike Deutsch; 16. 36 Glenn Wynia
NMRA Hobby Stocks
Heat #1: 1. 80 James Brower; 2. 3 Walter Kiggins; 3. 5 Colter Deutsch; 4. 15 Mike McGillivray; 5. 28 Denton Potter; 6. 89 Gary Dieren
Heat #2: 1. 2 Dereck Van Der Brink; 2. 55t Terry Penning; 3. 81 Mark VandenTop; 4. 45 Darwin Klaassen; 5. 21 Larry Kracht; 6. 2J Shaun Jurrens
Heat #3: 1. 9B Bob DeBoer; 2. 28 Denton Potter; 3. 20 Adam Thielbar; 4. 17 Jason Wohlford; 5. 72J Clint Potter; 6. 33 Nick Bahr
Heat #4: 1. 7x Chris DeHaan; 2. 8 Matt Hagedorn; 3. Y4 David Beman Jr.; 4. 16J Jon De Boer; 5. 17 Jason Wohlford
B Feature #1: 1. 17S James Slawson; 2. 28 Denton Potter; 3. 72J Clint Potter; 4. 89 Gary Dieren; 5. 15 Mike McGillivray
B Feature #2: 1. 45 Darwin Klaassen; 2. 33 Nick Bahr; 3. 21 Larry Kracht; 4. 2J Shaun Jurrens; 5. 16J Jon De Boer; 6. 17 Jason Wohlford
A Feature: 1. 80 James Brower; 2. 81 Mark VandenTop; 3. 2 Dereck Van Der Brink; 4. 45 Darwin Klaassen; 5. 7x Chris DeHaan; 6. 55t Terry Penning; 7. 9B Bob DeBoer; 8. 17S James Slawson; 9. 3 Walter Kiggins; 10. Y4 David Beman Jr.; 11. 20 Adam Thielbar; 12. 28x Josh Klay; 13. 8 Matt Hagedorn; 14. 5 Colter Deutsch