Friske fends off Nelson to win Eagle River Late Model main

Tomahawk’s Zack Friske dodged several cautions and a late-race rally from defending USRA Late Model national champion Cade Nelson to win that division’s feature at Eagle River Speedway Tuesday, June 24.

Friske outraced fellow front row starter Dustin White to the lead of the 20-lap contest. Several yellows slowed the action in the first half of the race. In the first half of the contest, Friske felt pressure from both Dave Bennett and Jesse Aho. Meanwhile by lap 10, Nelson had sliced his way through the field from his 10th starting position into third by lap 13.

Nelson motored past Bennett into second by lap 15 and chased down Friske. Nelson was able to pull alongside of Friske in the final circuits, but the Tomahawk racer kept his car in the tacky high groove and hung on for his first feature flag here of 2025. Nelson settled for second at the pay window, followed by Lucas Peterson, Bennett and Aho.

Wakefield, Michigan visitor George Dalbeck inherited the lead after leader Dustin White left the pits during a caution to capture the B-Modified feature. Trailing Dalbeck at the checkers were Dave Dishaw, Ryan Brown, last week’s winner Charlie Hoffman and Judd Skubal.

Pulaski’s “Hot Rod” Snellenberger came out on top of a dogfight with hometown racer Jason Zdroik to win the IMCA Stock Car feature. The win was the 231st sanctioned win for Snellenberger in the division. Zdroik took second, followed by Ryan Glembin, Dustin White and Jonathan Miller.

Hometown driver Quentin “Iceman” Morrison slipped past Wyatt McIntyre for the lead on lap eight and cruised to victory in the caution-filled, Street Stock feature.

Phillips’ Devin Fries went wire-to-wire, winning the Pure Stock feature.

Minnesotan Tyler Pelofske led every lap en route to victory in the 600 Micro Sprint feature. The contest went caution free.

Wausau’s Bentley Seliger won the Pro 300 Micro Sprint feature while hometown driver Myia Ewert won the semi-pro feature.

In the semi-pro 300 micro sprint feature, rookie Graham Van Natta flipped his mount on it’s side on the frontstretch. Van Natta was unhurt, and waved to the crowd, which drew a hearty round of applause for the five-year-old.

The next race at the third-mile, clay oval will be Tuesday, July 1. The IMCA stock cars will take the spotlight during the Mark Zdroik Memorial race. A massive fireworks display will cap off the evening’s festivities. The first green flag dropping at 7 p.m.