Halopka Doubles In Big Rice Lake Speedway Show; Adams and Hanson also score wins
Rice Lake WI, August 13 – It was a big night of racing Saturday night at the Rice Lake Speedway with a twenty three race program that included ten feature races, five of which were left over from the July 30th rain shortened program that track officials were finally able to complete after rain washed out the entire show last Saturday.
On a night when three drivers earned their first feature wins of the year at Rice Lake and another driver became the first double digit feature winner at Rice Lake since the 2005 racing season, the only double winner was Shane Halopka who swept both ends of the Midwest Modified action with eight other drivers also visiting victory lane.
Rain still remained a factor in the racing program Saturday as two separate rain systems hit the speedway during the day Saturday, the last one ending at 3:30 p.m. However, hard work by the track prep crew and some cooperative by the competing drivers allowed the racing program to start with only a twenty minute delay. After that it was virtually nonstop racing for the rest of the evening.
Halopka won the makeup Midwest Modified feature after a late race caution benefited him greatly. Zach Manley had led the race from the start, with pressure by both Travis Anderson and Matt Leer in the early going. Halopka worked his way into contention along with Cory Crapser. Crapser did the best charge as he moved up from the third row to edge past Manley and take over the lead, with Halopka eventually moving into the third slot. Halopka was battled Anderson for second when they got together, with Anderson tagged for the caution and Halopka gaining the second spot.
On the green, Crapser babied his car into the first turn and to his surprise, the car then pushed up the track and Halopka was able to duck under him and take over the lead. Crapser scrambled to catch up, but it was too late and Halopka drove on for the win over Crapser, Leer, Ryan Viltz and Manley.
The second main event saw Anderson and Manley again battling in the early going for the lead until Leer moved up to the cushion and drove into the lead. Leer looked to be in good shape as the race continued under the green, but Halopka got hooked up on the bottom and made a great charge, tracking down Leer and driving into the lead. Once in front, he pulled away to complete his double win with Manley, Anderson and Crapser chasing him home.
Mark Hanson won his second Modified feature race of the year in the Make up event as he started on the outside pole and led all twenty laps. Hanson quickly moved to the cushion where he fought to hold of Eric Pember in the early going. After Pember spun just past the halfway point, Mike Anderson took up the charge to catch Hanson. Kevin Adams was working his way toward the front as he slipped into third in the late going. However, Hanson had the field covered, and while Anderson made it close at the end, it was Hanson in victory lane. Paul Brust also came charging up at the end and when Adams jumped the cushion, Paul took over the third place and finished there ahead of Adams and Scott Miller.
Adams became the first double digit feature winner since the 2005 racing season when he won the regular Modified feature after a classic charge up from the ninth starting spot in the field. Mark Hessler led the first half of the race, looking for his first win at Rice Lake in 2011. Jason Gross and Jesse Glenz pressured Hessler in the early going, as Adams used both the low and high side to drive up through the field in the nonstop main event. Eventually Adams moved past Glenz for second and then began working on the leader. After several attempts, Adams was able to nose under Hessler down the back chute and slide up in front of him exiting turn four. Once in front, Adams pulled away in the late going. Jason Miller, wheeling the car normally driven by Jeremy Gross, made a big charge also as he drove into the second spot and actually closed somewhat on Adams in the late going. Hessler held on for a fine third place finish ahead of Brust and Glenz.
This coming week will be a big one for the track. On Thursday, Aug. 18th, the highly anticipated first ever appearance of the United States Modified Touring Series will occur. National driving stars from literally all over the country will be on hand for this show, featuring the open Modified driver taking on the area competitors in what should be a very interesting event. Approximately forty Modifieds are expected to be in competition that night. Along with the open Modifieds, WISSOTA sanctioned Super Stocks and the Rice Lake Pure Stocks will also be racing. Those classes will be running for their regular payoff, with no track points but national points for the Super Stocks using the draw/redraw format. Race time is 7:30 p.m.
On Saturday, August 20th, it will be the final track point night of the 2011 season with several of the point battles still being very close as drivers work to position themselves for the Season Championship races, which will be held on August 27th . It will also be Hall of Fame night, with the first group of inductees to the new, Rice Lake Speedway Hall of Fame introduced during the evening. Race time is 6:30 p.m.
SUMMARY
Rice Lake Speedway
Rice Lake WI
August 13, 2011
WISSOTA Modifieds
20 lap Feature – Kevin Adams(Cameron), Jason Miller(Osceola), Mark Hessler(Menomonie), Paul Brust(Rice Lake), Jesse Glenz(Cadott), Jason Gross(Cushing), Dave Baxter(Eau Claire), Mike Anderson(Colfax), Scott Miller(Rice Lake), Eric Pember)Pittsville), Tim McMann, Rick Kobs, Buddy Mayala, Pat Hoffman, Shaun Kreyer, Aric Lindberg, Destin Lorimor, Kevin Marlett
20 lap Makeup Feature from July 30 – Mark Hanson(Chippewa Falls), Anderson, Brust, Adams, Miller, Hoffman(Rice Lake), Pember, Lindberg(Dallas), Kreyer(Hayward), Chad Manor(Monroe), McMann, Baxter, Glenz, Mayala
10 lap Heat 1 – Brust, Baxter, Glenz, Kreyer, Lindberg, Marlett, Manor
Heat 2 – S. Miller, Gross, Hessler, Hanson, Pember, Kobs, Mayala
Heat 3 – Adams, J. Miller, McMann(Duluth MN), Anderson, Hoffman, Lorimor
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
15 lap Feature – Shane Halopka(Greenwood), Matt Leer(Bruce), Zach Manley(Cameron), Travis Anderson(Colfax), Cory Crapser(Chippewa Falls), Kerry Halopka(Wheeler), Terry Sirek(Rice Lake), Joe Chaplin Jr(Cameron), Doug Toepper(Wyoming MN), Ryan Viltz(Chetek), Will Fisher, Dusty Brown, Darren LaBlonde, Joe Eckland, Josh Olson
15 lap Makeup Feature from July 30 – S. Halopka, Crapser, Leer, R. Viltz, Manley, LaBlonde(Baldwin), Anderson, Tito Viltz(Rice Lake), Brown(Rice Lake)
10 lap Heat 1 – Manley, S. Halopka, Anderson, LaBlonde, Sirek, Eckland, Fisher, T. Viltz, Brown
Heat 2 – Leer, Crapser, R. Viltz, K. Halopka, Chaplin Jr, Toepper, Jake Stai, Olson
