Keith Cumming, Greenbush, MN (May 27) Opening night for the 2017 WISSOTA PolyDome dirt track series at Greenbush Race Park saw 61 cars check in at the pit gate. It was a good turnout despite the questionable weather forecast for the area. But the rain held off and fans were treated to a great night of racing.
The WISSOTA Modifieds sent 21 cars to the feature as 15 year old Nathan Sletto of Brandon, MN lead them to green. Sletto led the first lap before the first caution flew on lap two for the spinning car of Ryan Kereluk. On the restart Fannystelle, MB driver, Jerome Guyot got by Sletto and lead the next seven laps before a caution came out again. On this restart third place runner, Ward Imrie of Winnipeg, MB took second spot from Aaron Holtan of Newfolden, MN. Two laps later, Imrie passed Guyot on the high side exiting turn four. Meanwhile Dustin Strand of Grand Forks, ND was quietly working his way to the front and passed Guyot for second on lap 14. With two laps to go Strand, took the lead from Imrie driving out of turn four, as both drivers were working through lapped traffic. Imrie made one last charge but fell about a bumper short as Strand collected up the win. Guyot finished third. Heat wins went to Sletto, Holtan, Kereluk, and Gavin Paull.
Kyle Dykoff of Perham, MN led the 10 car Street Stock feature to green. The race was slowed by only two cautions – the first on lap 10 when rookie Taylor Jacobson spun in corner three and collected second place runner Jeremy Gust of Strathcona, MN. Gust sustained a lot of right side damage but was able to continue. Three laps later Gust brought out the last caution as he spun in four setting up a green, white, checkered finish. aron Blacklance of Thief River Falls, MN tried to make a run for the win, but Dykoff was able to hold the lead and earn the the sweep with Blacklance finishing second, while Ryan Johnson of Karlstad, MN who won his heat, finished third.
12 cars formed the starting grid in the Midwest Modified feature and Nate Reynolds of Edinburg, ND picked up the win and the sweep as the race went caution-free. Zach Dockter of Norwich, ND earned the other heat win.
Jerome Berger of Roseau, MN took the early lead in the nine car Pure Stock feature, with the first caution taking place on lap six after Ethan Larson of Newfolden, MN right rear tire began smoking. On the restart, third place runner, Larry Niebel of Ile des Chenes, MB got by Jared Palm of Warroad, MN coming out of corner two. With two laps to go, Cory Peterson of Red Lake, MN came to a stop on the front stretch bringing out the last caution, and would also send leader Berger to the tire change area with a flat right rear. This set up a green, white, checkered, finish – handing the lead to Niebel. On the restart Niebel’s car appeared to sputter and Palm took advantage of it – grabbing the lead and picking up the win and the sweep. Niebel recovered to finish second, and A.J. Lane of Williams, MN, third.
Kelly Steele of International Falls, MN led 14 of the 15 laps in the Outlaw Mini-Mod feature. For those 14 laps, Tyler Jonson of International Falls, MN never let Steele get more than a car length ahead. With the checkers in the air, Jonson was able to get under Steele exiting turn four and beat him to the line for the win. Steele won the heat.
Greenbush Race Park wraps up the Memorial weekend holiday with racing on Sunday Evening.
Up next for the fastest 1/4 mile dirt track in northwestern Minnesota will be Saturday, June 3 with all six classes running; Modifieds, Street Stocks, Midwest Modifieds, Pure Stocks, Lightning Sprints, and 4 Cylinder Stocks. Gates open at 4pm, cutoff for the draw is at 6pm with the green flag flying at 7pm sharp. Reminder to all racers transponders are MANDATORY, and if you plan on racing at GRP, you need to claim your drivers profile at MyRacePass.
Race Summaries
WISSOTA Modifieds
Feature: 1 (20 Laps): 1. 71-Dustin Strand[9]; 2. 10W-Ward Imrie[5]; 3. 48-Jerome Guyot[3]; 4. 2-Aaron Holtan[4]; 5. 16-Gavin Paull[7]; 6. 74-Dustin Wahl[12]; 7. 3S-Nathan Sletto[1]; 8. 1R-Rick Delaine[6]; 9. 92-Justin Bronk[11]; 10. 81-Jordan Duray[13]; 11. 57-Michael Tiani[8]; 12. 29K-Ryan Kereluk[2]; 13. 75-Jamen Foss[10]; 14. 18J-Tyler Jonson[17]; 15. 39-Shawn Teunis[15]; 16. 21J-Joe Chaplinski[19]; 17. 7F-Bryton Foss[16]; 18. 33-Murray Temple[20]; 19. 64-Shane Wahl[14]; 20. 95-Mark Esala[18]; 21. 33H-Ryan Hagen[21]
Heat 1: (8 Laps): 1. 16-Gavin Paull[4]; 2. 57-Michael Tiani[2]; 3. 71-Dustin Strand[3]; 4. 81-Jordan Duray[5]; 5. 18J-Tyler Jonson[1]; 6. 33H-Ryan Hagen[6]
Heat 2: (8 Laps): 1. 29K-Ryan Kereluk[2]; 2. 1R-Rick Delaine[3]; 3. 75-Jamen Foss[5]; 4. 64-Shane Wahl[4]; 5. 95-Mark Esala[1]
Heat 3: (8 Laps): 1. 3S-Nathan Sletto[5]; 2. 48-Jerome Guyot[3]; 3. 92-Justin Bronk[2]; 4. 39-Shawn Teunis[4]; 5. 21J-Joe Chaplinski[1]
Heat 4: (8 Laps): 1. 2-Aaron Holtan[2]; 2. 10W-Ward Imrie[3]; 3. 74-Dustin Wahl[4]; 4. 7F-Bryton Foss[5]; 5. 33-Murray Temple[1]
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
Feature 1: (15 Laps): 1. 6R-Nate Reynolds[2]; 2. 188-Hunter Hougard[1]; 3. 6Z-Zach Dockter[4]; 4. 85-Jamie Davis[7]; 5. 169-Justin Olson[5]; 6. 40-Patrick Sobolik[3]; 7. 64-Shane Wahl[6]; 8. 35-John Halvorson[9]; 9. 00-Steve Hougard[8]; 10. 5BA-Aaron Blacklance[10]; 11. 47-Jordan Wahl[11]; 12. 4B-Brandon Rehill[12]
Heat 1: (8 Laps): 1. 6R-Nate Reynolds[4]; 2. 188-Hunter Hougard[1]; 3. 169-Justin Olson[5]; 4. 85-Jamie Davis[2]; 5. 35-John Halvorson[3]; 6. 47-Jordan Wahl[6]
Heat 2: (8 Laps): 1. 6Z-Zach Dockter[4]; 2. 40-Patrick Sobolik[2]; 3. 00-Steve Hougard[1]; 4. 64-Shane Wahl[3]; 5. 5BA-Aaron Blacklance[5]; 6. 4B-Brandon Rehill[6]
Outlaw Mini Mods
Feature: 1 (15 Laps): 1. 1-Tyler Jonson[1]; 2. 69-Kelly Steele[5]; 3. 14F-Blake Ferris[2]; 4. 19J-Jack Rivord[3]; 5. 71-Dave Zaren[7]; 6. 78-Nate Erickson[8]; 7. (DNF) 4AL-Dane Olson[6]; 8. (DNF) 81-Jerry Larson[4]
Heat 1: (8 Laps): 1. 69-Kelly Steele[4]; 2. 19J-Jack Rivord[1]; 3. 1-Tyler Jonson[6]; 4. 14F-Blake Ferris[2]; 5. 81-Jerry Larson[3]; 6. 4AL-Dane Olson[5]; 7. 71-Dave Zaren[7]; 8. 78-Nate Erickson[8]
Pure Stock
Feature: 1 (15 Laps): 1. 11X-Jared Palm[4]; 2. 42L-Larry Niebel[6]; 3. 87-Alan Lane Aj[2]; 4. 65-Jerome Berger[3]; 5. 2-Ryan Weston[1]; 6. 0-Chad Hagen[8]; 7. 68B-Austin Brekkestran[9]; 8. (DNF) 7-Cory Peterson[7]; 9. (DNF) 50-Ethan Larson[5]
Heat 1: (8 Laps): 1. 11X-Jared Palm[1]; 2. 65-Jerome Berger[4]; 3. 87-Alan Lane Aj[2]; 4. 2-Ryan Weston[6]; 5. 50-Ethan Larson[8]; 6. 42L-Larry Niebel[3]; 7. 7-Cory Peterson[7]; 8. 0-Chad Hagen[5]; 9. 68B-Austin Brekkestran[9]
WISSOTA Street Stocks
Feature: 1 (15 Laps): 1. 11-Kyle Dykhoff[1]; 2. 39-Aaron Blacklance[5]; 3. 25-Ryan Johnson[6]; 4. 2L-Art Linert[7]; 5. 35-John Halvorson[10]; 6. 70-Jesse Teunis[8]; 7. 87M-Dave Meyer[3]; 8. 96-Jeremy Gust[2]; 9. 48-Paul Boen[4]; 10. (DNF) 4J-Taylor Jacobson[9]
Heat 1: (8 Laps): 1. 25-Ryan Johnson[2]; 2. 48-Paul Boen[3]; 3. 70-Jesse Teunis[4]; 4. 87M-Dave Meyer[5]; 5. 4J-Taylor Jacobson[1]
Heat 2: (8 Laps): 1. 11-Kyle Dykhoff[2]; 2. 2L-Art Linert[1]; 3. 39-Aaron Blacklance[4]; 4. 96-Jeremy Gust[3]; 5. (DNF) 35-John Halvorson[5]
