(Racing Every Friday Night)
Race Results
April 25, 2003
By Shawn Neisteadt
(April 25, 2003-Rock Rapids, IA) Friday night fans and cars poured into the historic Rapid Speedway for the first time in 2003. The packed stands enjoyed the lovely weather and were treated to some great racing action.
Joe Riedel jumped into the lead as the green flag waved on the NMRA 360 sprint car feature. Outside pole sitter, Rob Danielson was strong in the heat race, but slipped off the top of turn two and dropped the middle of the field. Six laps into the race, Mike Sandvig took third place from Dusty Zomer as they traveled down the backstretch. Butch Hanssen piloted his way into the top five on the seventh circuit of the race as he took the spot form Jim Smith entering the third turn.
The first yellow flag waved at the halfway point of the 18 lap affair when Chase Wilson took his car off turn two and looped around. When racing resumed, Sandvig set his sights on the second position and took it from Brent Vonk as they entered turn one. Also on the tenth lap, Zomer passed Vonk for third. Another caution waved on lap 11 when Danielson spun in turn two.
The field bunched up, but Riedel was too fast to pass as Riedel led flag to flag for his first ever Rapid Speedway win. Sandvig was second. The 17 year old Zomer finished third in his first ever event at the speedway. Hanssen and Vonk rounded out the top five. Heat race wins went to Hanssen and Shawn Van Wyhe.
Mark DeBoer made the most of his front row start in the Late Model Stock Car feature and led all 15 laps for the victory. Mark Henry gave several challenges for the top spot but crossed the line second. Chad Overgaard came from seventh to finish third. JJ Zebell piloted his #29z to a fourth place finish and Darrin Korthals made a late race charge to finish fifth. The race was slowed three times. The first caution waved on lap eight when Randy Vander Weide slowed on the track. Vander Weide then spun on the restart. The last caution waved on lap 12 when Rick Goth lost the handle of his #90 in turn two. DeBoer and Korthals were the heat race winners.
Anthony Mann jumped from the pole and started to check out from the field in the Sportsmen feature race. The lead diminished on lap five when he bobbled in turn two. At that point Rick Vander Weide had already charged from his ninth starting position and was running second. Vander Weide then took the second place from Evan DeHaan. On the eighth lap Vander Weide pulled door to door with Mann and as they entered turn one, Vander Weide was the new leader. The next lap saw Mann slip out of the second spot when Randy Brands overtook the position.
Casey Hurney bought the caution out on lap nine when he spun out. On the restart the night's only red flag waved when 16 year old Nick Beyenhof flipped his #11 in turn four. Buyenhof walked away unharmed. The race resumed, but Vander Weide and his PC Doctor #6 was too strong for the field as he took the win. Brands settled second and Mann was third. Mel Elsberry finished fourth and DeHaan crossed the line fifth. Mann and Elsberry won the heat races.
It took seven laps for Coulter Deutsch to find the top spot in the Hobby Stock feature. Deutsch, the defending NMRA hobby stock national champion led five laps to score the win. Mark VandenTop finished a close second with Denton Potter third. Troy Woelber was fourth and Bob DeBoer rounded out the top five. Deutsch and VandenTop won the heat races.
Rapid Speedway will race again next Friday night. The action at the Lyon County Fairgrounds heats up at 8 pm sharp.
NMRA 360 Sprints
Heat #1: 1. 8k Butch Hanssen, Sioux Falls, SD; 2. 46 Robert Danielson, Sioux Falls, SD; 3. 24 Randy Droescher, Larchwood, IA; 4. 11JR Joe Riedel, Ramona, SD; 5. 17B Ryan Bickett, Ramona, SD; 6. 8C Casey Abbas, Parker, SD; 7. 28 Mitch Runge, Sioux Falls, SD; 8. 3 Steve Ballenger, Harrisburg, SD
Heat #2: 1. 99 Shawn Van Wyhe, Larchwood, IA; 2. 2D Dusty Ballenger, Harrisburg, SD; 3. 7 Mike Sandvig, Spencer, IA; 4. 1 Dusty Zomer, Brandon, SD; 5. 33 Jim Smith, Sheldon, IA; 6. 21V Brent Vonk, Hudson, SD; 7. 3c Chase Wilson, Sioux Falls, SD; 8. 56 Johnn Cressman, Hartford, SD
A Feature: 1. 11JR Joe Riedel; 2. 7 Mike Sandvig; 3. 1 Dusty Zomer; 4. 8k Butch Hanssen; 5. 21V Brent Vonk; 6. 6 Jody Rosenboom; 7. 2D Dusty Ballenger; 8. 33 Jim Smith; 9. 17B Ryan Bickett; 10. 24 Randy Droescher; 11. 99 Shawn Van Wyhe; 12. 8C Casey Abbas; 13. 46 Robert Danielson; 14. 3c Chase Wilson; 15. 56 Johnn Cressman; 16. 28 Mitch Runge; 17. 3 Steve Ballenger
NMRA Late Model Stock Cars
Heat #1: 1. 11K Darrin Korthals, Rock Rapids, IA; 2. 90 Rick Goth, Madison, SD; 3. 17X Don Bickett, Ramona, SD; 4. 44 Jason De Boer, Sioux Center, IA; 5. 22W Heath Warntjes, Boyden, IA; 6. 29Z JJ Zebell, Parker, SD; 7. 4 Kevin Larson, Sioux Falls, SD
Heat #2: 1. 23 Mark DeBoer, Adrian, MN; 2. 43 Mark Henry, Rock Rapids, IA; 3. 40 Scott Overgaard, Ellsworth, MN; 4. 42 Chad Overgaard, Luverne, MN; 5. 97 David Kruger, Sioux Falls, SD; 6. 8 Randy Vander Weide, Sioux Center, IA; 7. 35 John De Groot, Sioux Center, IA
A Feature: 1. 23 Mark DeBoer; 2. 43 Mark Henry; 3. 42 Chad Overgaard; 4. 29Z JJ Zebell; 5. 11K Darrin Korthals; 6. 44 Jason De Boer; 7. 97 David Kruger; 8. 90 Rick Goth; 9. 22W Heath Warntjes; 10. 35 John De Groot; 11. 8 Randy Vander Weide; 12. 17X Don Bickett; 13. 4 Kevin Larson; 14. 40 Scott Overgaard
NMRA Sportsmen
Heat #1: 1. 20 Anthony Mann, Brandon, SD; 2. 6 Rick Vander Weide, Sioux Falls, SD; 3. 7x Evan DeHaan, Alton, IA; 4. 80 James Brower, Sanborn, IA; 5. C4 Casey Hurney, Brandon, SD; 6. 11 Nick Beyenhof, Rock Rapids, IA
Heat #2: 1. 5 Mel Elsberry, Orange City, IA; 2. 91 Jeff Hoogendoorn, Rock Rapids, IA; 3. 63 Chris Huisman, Rock Rapids, IA; 4. 27 Randy Brands, Boyden, IA
A Feature: 1. 6 Rick Vander Weide; 2. 27 Randy Brands; 3. 20 Anthony Mann; 4. 5 Mel Elsberry; 5. 7x Evan DeHaan; 6. 63 Chris Huisman; 7. 91 Jeff Hoogendoorn; 8. 80 James Brower; 9. C4 Casey Hurney; 10. 11 Nick Beyenhof; 11. 93 Kevin Broesder
NMRA Hobby Stocks
Heat #1: 1. 5 Colter Deutsch, Kanaranzi, MN; 2. 9B Bob DeBoer, Little Rock, IA; 3. 96 Troy Woelber, Hull, IA; 4. 22X Brad Cowell, Luverne, MN; 5. 4 Travis Jansma, Hudson, SD
Heat #2: 1. 81 Mark VandenTop, Rock Rapids, IA; 2. 28x Josh Klay, Magnolia, MN; 3. 11D Shannon VanWyk, Sioux Center, IA; 4. 28 Denton Potter, Larchwood, IA; 5. 2J Shaun Jurrens, Little Rock, IA; 6. 16J Jon De Boer, Little Rock, IA; 7. 2 Dereck Van Der Brink, Rock Rapids, IA
A Feature: 1. 5 Colter Deutsch; 2. 81 Mark VandenTop; 3. 96 Troy Woelber; 4. 9B Bob DeBoer; 5. 22X Brad Cowell; 6. 11D Shannon VanWyk; 7. 28x Josh Klay; 8. 2 Dereck Van Der Brink; 9. 33 Brent Holstein; 10. 2J Shaun Jurrens; 11. 4 Travis Jansma; 12. 16J Jon De Boer; 13. 28 Denton Potter