July 25, 2016 at 2:37 p.m.
Grasse wins challenge race on wild night at ERS
Grasse wins challenge race on wild night at ERS
Multiple crashes and mechanical failure kept the wrecker running throughout this past Friday night's stock car races at the legendary Eagle River Speedway Tri-Oval.
The tow truck was especially busy during feature of the second leg of the three-race Eagle River Speedway WISSOTA Midwest Modified Challenge Series. Ironwood, Michigan's, Clay Passuello hit the wall coming out of the hairpin third turn, calling the wrecker out fo duty. A few laps late Wakefield, Michigan's Ron Lillie and Eagle River's James Koga made contact coming off the track's tight third corner.
Koga's car rolled over and ended up on its tires, while Lillie's car hit the outside wall by the flagstand. Neither driver was seriously injured though both cars received extensive damage, and leaked fuel on the track, which track officials had to set ablaze - once the disabled vehicles were a safe distance away - before racing could resume.
Early in the race, Eagle River's Tad Schoonover jumped out to a commanding lead, only to have mechanical problems force him out of the race. After getting Lillie and Koga's car to the pits, the tow truck had to make a return trip to push Schoonover's car from the infield to the pits.
After all of that, it was finally time to finish the race.
C.J. Hedges had the lead on the restart, followed by Duane Dunbar, Jerry Grasse, Jesse Aho, Marcus Dunbar and Jonathon Miller. Those were the only cars that remained on the track of the 12 that started the race.
When Hedges went wide between the first and second corner, it forced Duane Dunbar even wider. Grasse drove to the inside of both drivers to take the lead. He went on to claim the victory and go 2-for-2 in challenge series races this summer at Eagle River. Duane Dunbar and Jesse Aho rounded out the top three.
It was a special night for race fans from Phelps. While Grasse claimed the WISSOTA Midwest Modified feature, the young man who idolizes him did the same in the Junior Sprint class. Dustin Kangas held off Conover's Dayton Rein and Boulder Junction's Aaron Towne to take the checkered flag.
Earlier this year, when Eagle River's Ryan Valeria had problems with his WISSOTA Street Stock machine, he borrowed the ride normally driven by Bruce Crossing, Michigan's Jordan Kurtti and piloted it to victory lane.
Valeria was back in Kurtti's car again Friday night, and right in the mix for the feature win. Throughout the Street Stock main event he and Conover's Dustin White traded the lead with Eagle River's Brit Bromann and Frank Gasperini close behind. All four were in contention for the win until late in the race, when Gasperini spun out on the challenging third turn. Bromann made an excellent move to not hit Gasperini.
When the checkered flag flew, White held off Valeria for the win.
The Pure Stock feature looked to be solidly in the hands of Rhinelander's Jason Eisel. But mechanical problems took him out of the race. That gave the lead to the only gal who races at the 42-year old track, Isabelle Valeria of Eagle River. When Valeria left the inside line open, Dennis LaCrosse Jr., David Blackberg and Dustin Miller pounced to the inside.
Blackberg weaved his way around LaCrosse to get a lead he would not relinquish.
The Speedway Trucks made a return to Eagle River Speedway Friday night. An Eagle River driver, Jake Ison, spanked the field in the heat race, but Pelican Lake's Herb Dettman worked his way through traffic to get the lead midway through the feature. While Dettman moved through traffic, Ison charged from the back of the field.
With only two laps to go, Ison finally caught Dettman, but Dettman held on over the final circuits to claim the win.
Attrition whittled the field in the Micro Sprint 600s down to two cars by the time the checkered flag flew - Eagle River's Ty Springer and Shiocton's Dylan Larson. Larson's Suzuki held the lead for most of the race, but Springer's Honda surged to the front late to claim the win.
Eagle River's Spencer Duncan drove his Mercury Mountaineer to a win in the Spectator One-on-One event.
Track officials announced that the Milwaukee Bucks halftime show, the "Energy" cheerleaders, Rimrockers Acrobat Team, and Bango the mascot will put on a show for fans during the Aug. 5 races at the track.
Racing returns to Eagle River Speedway this coming Friday night. Hot laps start at 7 p.m., with racing at 7:30.
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