For the second straight Tuesday night, I found myself at the Eagle River Speedway near Eagle River Wisconsin for their weekly Tuesday night show. They have been busy over here with this being their third show in just a week as they had a special holiday Sprint Car show over the weekend.
However, on this night they were back to their normal five classes of racing with the Pure Stocks, who were off last Tuesday because of the IMCA Mod special, back in racing action. That's not to say that there wasn't anything special going on this week, because it was the turn for the IMCA Stock Cars to run for extra money with tonight's feature winner racing for $750 to win in a balanced purse that saw everyone taking the green earning at least $125. In response to the extra money offered, a strong field of nineteen drivers was on hand to race for the extra money.
It turned out to be an excellent night for local driver Dustin White as not only did he win the Stock Car feature and the extra money, he was also the winner of the open competition B Mod feature too. Other winners on Tuesday included Lucas Peterson in the USRA Late Models, Nick Allard in the Street Stocks and Devin Fries in the Pure Stocks.
For the second straight week, it was hot and steamy here in the Northwoods with temperatures climbing close to that ninety degree mark and plenty of humidity to go along with it, making for a steamy night at the races.
Eagle River does very limited hot lapping and always rolls into their racing program right at 7 pm with heat races for all classes, a quick break and then feature racing. In between, they also merge in two classes of Micro Sprints which they have raced at this track as long as I can remember. Some of the weekly competitors come a long distance to race in this class also.
The Stock Car feature saw Mitch Stankowski lead the opening lap before White, who started in row two, was able to duck under him and take over the top spot. However, one lap later Stankowski returned the favor to regain the lead. In between, the first two of four yellows in total slowed the early action.
Two laps later White again made the pass for the lead and this time it stood firm but he wasn't safe yet as Hot Rod Snellenberger, who started fifth, moved into the second spot and put the pressure on White. Both drivers were running the cushion of the track so Hot Rod dropped down a lane, knowing he had to do so if he was to make a pass for the lead. He nearly pulled that move off, coming close on a couple occasions of edging past White who then dropped down slightly on the track himself.
It almost looked like Snellenberger was trying to bait the leader because then he moved back up the track to the top side, but White was just a little too quick for him to make a pass there. The final yellow waved one lap past the halfway point and when racing resumed, something had changed as White pulled away from Snellenberger who was never a able after that to provide a challenge.
In fact, he had to fight off Stankowski for second as White drove on for an uncontested win. Mark Eswein and Dave Bouche completed the top five.
Previously, White had gotten his night off to a good start, having also won the B Mod feature race after starting in the third row of that event. Rookie driver Braedyn Kirtland had a strong run early, leading a number of laps as he worked the second groove of the track.
White worked his way forward though, and just at the halfway point of the race was able to duck under Kirtland and take over the lead. And once in front, he built up a strong lead with nonstop racing the order of business. After a spin before a lap was completed, this event would go green to checkers for twenty laps and White used the nonstop racing to move away from the field.
Dave Dishaw started eighth and eventually would work his way into the second spot and he set off after White but without a yellow to aid him, All White had to do was make good laps which he did for the win. Frank Gasperini finished third.
A late race pass would see Nick Allard top the Street Stock feature. Jeremy Joslin took the early lead from the outside pole and led the opening few laps. Allard quickly moved up from the second row to challenge and made a pass for the lead, only to see the yellow wave when Kim Brown clobbered the front stretch wall, badly damaging her car.
Joslin got his lead back but it didn't last long as Allard again made an inside pass to take over the top spot and this time it stuck, as the rest of the race would go green.
After starting seventh, point leader Jason Eisel worked his way up to second and tried to close on the leader and while he gained some ground, he ran out of time as Allard continued putting down solid laps on his way to the win. Joslin settled for third.
Lucas Peterson pulls a considerable distance to race at Eagle River every week with his USRA Late Model and on this night he was rewarded with a hard fought win over another driver from the western part of the state, Jason McFadden.
They went at it in a good two driver battle for most of the contest with Peterson getting the jump from the pole but McFadden using the upper lane to drive past Peterson and then pull away from him.
After last week's winner Chad Lederer was run into the wall and suffered heavy damage to his car, the final seventeen laps ran off unstopped. McFadden continued to hold his lead using the second lane but at about the halfway point it seemed like Peterson picked up speed hugging the low line and then he quickly began to reel in the leader.
McFadden stayed with what had worked for him but Peterson found the inside to be much faster and with about six laps to go, drove under McFadden to take over the lead and then drove away from him for the win. Jason Zdroik came home third.
Ken Wilson led the small field of Pure Stocks for one lap before Devin Fries drove past him and then gradually lengthened his advantage. Roger Walker battled Cole Bennett for second in the last half of the race, eventually gaining that position but not being able to close much on Fries who took the win.
The crowd was not quite as large as last week's fireworks crowd but still mostly filled the grandstand. The racing was completed at about 10:30 pm. Tuesday night programs will continue here up until nearly Labor Day with their big race, an open competition ten grand to win B Mod show scheduled for early August.
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