(Racing Every Friday Night)
Race Results
May 7, 2004
Ballenger, DeBoer repeat wins at Rapid Speedway
By Shawn Neisteadt
(May 7, 2004-Rock Rapids, IA) The racing action was hot once again on a chilly Friday evening at Northwest Iowa's premier racing facility, Rapid Speedway.
Dusty Ballenger took the initial lead of the NMRA 360 sprint car feature. Shawn Van Wyhe, who dominated a heat race, drove into the top five from ninth with just one lap counted. The first caution of the event waved with four laps counted as the #21V of Brent Vonk stalled on the speedway.
One lap after the racing resumed, Butch Hanssen drove the #8K into fifth place. Hanssen continued his charge forward on the sixth lap as he drove past Rob Danielson and Van Wyhe followed to take fourth. Ballenger was still pacing the field as lap traffic appeared on lap ten. The field work working the eleventh lap when Jordan Martens took second from Kevin Flowers in turn three. That pass was negated however as the caution flag waved for debris on the speedway.
Hanssen drove past Martens and into third on the ensuing restart. Hanssen then took second from flowers with six laps to go. Van Wyhe took third on lap thirteen from Flowers. The field was bunched up with four laps remaining as the caution flag again waved over the speedway. This time it was Martens slowing on the speedway to draw the yellow.
Hanssen lined up on the bumper of Ballenger, but Ballenger, the 2000 track champion, would hold off the hard charger to take his second win in as many weeks. Hanssen came from eleventh to take second with Van Wyhe third. Mike Sandvig drove from ninth to fourth and Flowers rounded out the top five. Danielson, Van Wyhe and Randy Droescher won the heat races. Steve Ballenger took the win of the "B" feature.
Scott Overgaard look to have the field covered in the Late Model Stock Car feature, but a slight mistake would cost him the win. Overgaard has nearly a 15 car length lead over the rest of the field when he drove too high into turn one. The result was a yellow flag for the lead car spinning in turn two. That set up a three lap dash to the finish, and exciting it was.
Darrin Korthals, a four-time and defending champion, lined up with Mark DeBoer, a three-time champion, on his bumper for the finish. The two top runners ran side by side over the next few laps battling for the lead. On the final lap DeBoer nosed ahead of Korthals off turn tow, and drove into the lead in the final set of turns. That gave DeBoer his second straight win at Rapid Speedway. This time DeBoer came from eighth for the win. Korthals took second with Don Bickett in third. Justin Glaser finished fourth and Doug Brinkhous rounded out the top five. Overgaard and DeBoer took the heat race wins.
Billy Sprock led all 12 laps of the Sportsmen feature to claim his first win of the year, and career seventh, at Rapid Speedway. Don Gerritsen, Jr. charged for the lead, but found himself battling with Rick Vander Weide and Anthony Mann for second. Gerritsen, the Sportsmen sophomore, held off the veterans to take second. Mann overtook Gerritsen on the seventh lap, but slipped back to third one lap later. Mann crossed the line third with Mel Elsberry fourth. Vander Weide took fifth. The Sportsmen heat race winners included Jamie Tieszen and Nick Beyenhof.
Luck was not on the side of Colter Deutsch as the two-time Huset's Hobby Stock champion suffered a flat tire in the feature costing him the top spot. Josh Klay led the first lap through lap six when Deutsch took the top spot. Three laps later the right rear lost pressure for Deutsch giving the lead back to Klay. Klay led the rest of the way for his first Rapid Speedway victory. Jon DeBoer came from fifth to second with Thomas Doeden running from seventh to third. Mark Vanden Top drove from ninth to finish fourth and Troy Woelber took fifth. Klay Doeden and Seth Stegenga won the heat races. Kevin Joachim won the "B" feature for the Hobby Stocks.
Rapid Speedway races each Friday night at eight throughout the summer.
NMRA 360 Sprints
Heat #1: 1. Randy Droescher, Larchwood; 2. Dusty Ballenger, Harrisburg, S.D.; 3. Jody Rosenboom, Rock Rapids; 4. Ryan Bickett, Ramona, S.D.; 5. Terry Chester, Parker, S.D.; 6. Brandon Buysse, Luverne, Minn.; 7. Justin Jacobsma, Hull.
Heat #2: 1. Robert Danielson, Sioux Falls, S.D.; 2. Brent Vonk, Hudson, S.D.; 3. Mike Sandvig, Spencer; 4. Butch Hanssen, Sioux Falls, S.D.; 5. Ben VanVooren, Sioux Falls, S.D.; 6. Jeremy Fey, Sioux Falls, S.D.; 7. Randy Rosenboom, Rock Rapids.
Heat #3: 1. Shawn VanWyhe, Lester; 2. Kevin Flowers, Hartford, S.D.; 3. Gordy Vogelaar, Worthington, Minn.; 4. Jordan Martens, Harrisburg, S.D.; 5. Jesse Drost, Worthington, Minn.; 6. Brian Baker, Rock Rapids; 7. Steve Ballenger, Harrisburg, S.D..
B Feature: 1. Steve Ballenger, Harrisburg, S.D.; 2. Jeremy Fey, Sioux Falls, S.D.; 3. Brian Baker, Rock Rapids; 4. Randy Rosenboom, Rock Rapids; 5. Justin Jacobsma, Hull; 6. Brandon Buysse, Luverne, Minn..
A Feature: 1. Dusty Ballenger, Harrisburg, S.D.; 2. Butch Hanssen, Sioux Falls, S.D.; 3. Shawn VanWyhe, Lester; 4. Mike Sandvig, Spencer; 5. Kevin Flowers, Hartford, S.D.; 6. Gordy Vogelaar, Worthington, Minn.; 7. Robert Danielson, Sioux Falls, S.D.; 8. Ryan Bickett, Ramona, S.D.; 9. Steve Ballenger, Harrisburg, S.D.; 10. Randy Droescher, Larchwood; 11. Brian Baker, Rock Rapids; 12. Jody Rosenboom, Rock Rapids; 13. Jesse Drost, Worthington, Minn.; 14. Terry Chester, Parker, S.D.; 15. Jordan Martens, Harrisburg, S.D.; 16. Ben VanVooren, Sioux Falls, S.D.; 17. Jeremy Fey, Sioux Falls, S.D.; 18. Brent Vonk, Hudson, S.D..
NMRA Late Model Stock Cars
Heat #1: 1. Scott Overgaard, LuVerne, Minn.; 2. Don Bickett, Ramona, S.D.; 3. Brad Klaassen, Adrian, Minn.; 4. Doug Brinkhous, Rock Rapids; 5. Heath Warntjes, Boyden.
Heat #2: 1. Mark DeBoer, Adrian, Minn.; 2. Darrin Korthals, Rock Rapids; 3. Mark Van Voorst, Sioux Center; 4. Justin Glaser, Sioux Falls, S.D..
A Feature: 1. Mark DeBoer, Adrian, Minn.; 2. Darrin Korthals, Rock Rapids; 3. Don Bickett, Ramona, S.D.; 4. Justin Glaser, Sioux Falls, S.D.; 5. Doug Brinkhous, Rock Rapids; 6. Scott Overgaard, LuVerne, Minn.; 7. Mark Van Voorst, SiouxCenter; 8. Heath Warntjes, Boyden; 9. Brad Klaassen, Adrian, Minn..
NMRA Sportsmen
Heat #1: 1. Jamie Tieszen, Marion, S.D.; 2. Donald Gerritsen Jr, Rock Rapids; 3. Mel Elsberry, Orange City; 4. Jeff Hoogendoorn, Rock Rapids; 5. Marty Halouska, Worthing, S.D.; 6. Travis Schueller, Primghar; 7. Chris Huisman, Rock Rapids.
Heat #2: 1. Nick Beyenhof, Rock Rapids; 2. Anthony Mann, Brandon, S.D.; 3. Billy Sprock, George; 4. Rick Vander Weide, Sioux Falls, S.D.; 5. Kevin Broesder, George; 6. Greg Roemen, Ellsworth, Minn..
A Feature: 1. Billy Sprock, George; 2. Donald Gerritsen Jr, Rock Rapids; 3. Anthony Mann, Brandon, S.D.; 4. Mel Elsberry, Orange City; 5. Rick Vander Weide, Sioux Falls, S.D.; 6. Jamie Tieszen, Marion, S.D.; 7. Kevin Broesder, George; 8. Nick Beyenhof, Rock Rapids; 9. Chris Huisman, Rock Rapids; 10. Greg Roemen, Ellsworth, Minn.; 11. Jeff Hoogendoorn, Rock Rapids; 12. Marty Halouska, Worthing, S.D.; 13. Travis Schueller, Primghar.
NMRA Hobby Stocks
Heat #1: 1. Thomas Doeden, Sibley; 2. Jon DeBoer, Little Rock; 3. Colter Deutsch, Kanaranzi, Minn.; 4. Anthony DeHaan, Alton; 5. Kevin Joachim, Larchwood; 6. Alicia Ahrendt, Inwood.
Heat #2: 1. Seth Stegenga, LuVerne, Minn.; 2. Dereck VanDerBrink, Rock Rapids; 3. Mike Deutsch, Ellsworth, Minn.; 4. Marlo De Jager, Doon; 5. Justin Arends, Little Rock; 6. A.J. DeBoer, Little Rock.
Heat #3: 1. Josh Klay, Magnolia, Minn.; 2. Mark VandenTop, Rock Rapids; 3. Denton Potter, Larchwood; 4. Troy Woelber, Hull; 5. Travis Jansma, Hudson, S.D..
B Feature: 1. Kevin Joachim, Larchwood; 2. Justin Arends, Little Rock; 3. A.J. DeBoer, Little Rock; 4. Alicia Ahrendt, Inwood; 5. Travis Jansma, Hudson, S.D..
A Feature: 1. Josh Klay, Magnolia, Minn.; 2. Jon DeBoer, Little Rock; 3. Thomas Doeden, Sibley; 4. Mark VandenTop, Rock Rapids; 5. Troy Woelber, Hull; 6. Colter Deutsch, Kanaranzi, Minn.; 7. Anthony DeHaan, Alton; 8. Kevin Joachim, Larchwood; 9. Dereck VanDerBrink, Rock Rapids; 10. Marlo De Jager, Doon; 11. Justin Arends, Little Rock; 12. Seth Stegenga, LuVerne, Minn.; 13. Denton Potter, Larchwood; 14. Mike Deutsch, Ellsworth, Minn..