by Gene Harmelink
With the racing rained out on Saturday night, Tomahawk Speedway held the second day of their two-day event on Sunday afternoon. With racing scheduled to begin at 3:00, rain delayed racing for an hour on a track that earlier in the day looked to be unmanageable due to continued showers up until 2:00.
A big day of racing did successfully happen with racing in five divisions plus mechanics’ races and powder puff races. Without the extra efforts of track personnel working together, this event would have never become reality.
Sixteen year old, Alex Van Natta, got his second feature win of the weekend in his WISSOTA/Amsoil Midwest Modified, while John Kallas did the same in his WISSOTA/Amsoil Street Stock. In the Tomahawk Pure Stocks, Bill Follstad tallied a win, while Mark Ryskoski won in the Tomahawk Four- Cylinder Bandit Division. In addition, Patrick Beeksma collected win number two of the weekend in his Ashland Six-Cylinder.
The WISSOTA/Amsoil Street Stocks were the first division to hit the track with Carolyn Nosser and John Kallas sharing the front row. Kallas was off like a shot as the green flag dropped, but Nosser was not going to roll over and play dead as she hounded Kallas for many laps.
As the race neared the midway point, Dennis LaCrosse, Jr. pulled into the pits with his race coming to an end after running fourth. A short time later, Heidi Karshbaum caused the only caution of the feature when she spun in turn four.
Kallas proved to just be too strong and went on for the second sweep of the weekend in his Coor Light-sponsored car. Nosser and Karshbaum rounded out the top three.
The Ashland Six Cylinders were up next, with Patrick Beeksma and Ron Lillie first to accept the green flag from Flagman Guy Carley. Beeksma showed his dominance early just as he had in the Friday night feature.
As the race reached the midpoint, Beeksma was stretching his lead, Bill Anderson continued to run second, Don Muzzy ran third and Ron Lillie ran fourth.
By race end, it was Beeksma with the second win of the weekend in his EAS Construction- sponsored car. Anderson, Muzzy and Lillie rounded out the other top spots.
Alex Van Natta and Bruce Belland started side-by-side for the WISSOTA/Amsoil Midwest Modified feature with Van Natta surging to the lead by the end of lap one.
By lap five, Van Natta continued to lead and Belland ran second three or four car lengths behind Van Natta. Meanwhile, Travis Friske followed closely in third. Running fourth at the time was CJ Hedges, Jr. with Dennis Mikkelson in fifth.
A caution after lap five occurred when Rob Weber’s car veered into the turn two wall after the rear axle let go.
When racing resumed, Van Natta once again grabbed the lead with Belland, Friske, Mikkelson and Hedges giving chase. Two laps latter Mikkelson drove off into the pits and his race was done.
By lap ten of the 20-lap feature, Van Natta still led, Belland was still in second, Friske was still in third, but Dan Melton had moved all the way to fourth after starting ninth and Scott Weber was running fifth after starting eighth.
Lap 15 saw the same running order. A couple of laps later Hedges slid up into the turn one wall and he was done.
In the end, it was Van Natta picking up win number two of the weekend in his Van Natta Plumbing-sponsored car. Belland, Friske, Melton and Steve Weber rounded out the top five.
The Tomahawk Pure Stocks were up next with Bill Follstad and Duke Leu on the front row. You could tell that Follstad was hungry for a win as he drove a determined first three laps with Mike Brown, Leu, Randy Conner and Wayne Eskola fighting it out for second.
With three laps in, two successive cautions occurred when Jason Melton spun out coming out of turn four and on the restart Keith Troutman got his car sideways coming out of turn two. Once racing resumed, Follstad again took the lead.
Follstad was still in the lead by the end of lap five and Conner had moved into the second spot as Brown ran third, Eskola ran fourth and Nate Langberg ran fifth.
By lap ten, Conner was on Follstad’s bumper as the remaining cars maintained their positions with Brown, Eskola and Langberg running a tight pattern right behind.
By race end, Follstad had claimed the win in his Tomahawk Sports Center sponsored car. Conner, Eskola, Brown and Langberg rounded out the top five.
The Tomahawk Four-Cylinder Bandits were up next with Mark Ryskoski and Zach Degner leading the way. Ryskoski, who is an excellent runner wherever he goes, showed his strength early taking the lead by the end of lap one, with Degner relegated to second.
During the first five laps Ryskoski received no real threat, but Degner, Brandon Langbecker, Adam Johnson and Richard Barlowski battled hard for second. It was after lap five that both Johnson and Langbecker dropped off into the pits changing the top five.
Ryskoski stretched the lead by lap ten, with Degner running in second, Barlowski in third, Tim Holleran in fourth and Elliot Marquardt in fifth.
By race end it was Ryskoski with yet another win. Rounding out the top five were Degner, Barlowski, Holleran and Linc Leu, who inherited fifth when Marquardt dropped out of that race with four to go.
That was not the end of the day’s activities, as there was a Cop and Robber race, several Powder Puff races and several Mechanics’ races.
Despite the weather, a good time was had by all in conclusion of the 2011 racing season.
Once again thanks to everyone who helped to keep the three-legged stool upright. The racers, the fans and everyone else associated with the track in one way or another.
SUMMARY
Tomahawk Speedway
September 4, 2011
WISSOTA/Amsoil Midwest Modified
Feature: Alex Van Natta, Bruce Belland, Travis Friske, Dan Melton, Scott Weber, Bill Muhlig, CJ Hedges, Jr.. Rob Weber, Dennis Mikkelson
Heat: R Weber, Van Natta, Friske, Mikkelson, Belland, Hedges, Jr., Muhlig, S Weber, Melton
WISSOTA/Amsoil Street Stocks
Feature: John Kallas, Carolyn Nosser, Heidi Karshbaum, Dennis LaCrosse, Jr.
Heat: Kallas, La Crosse, Jr., Nosser, Ron Van Dusen, Karshbaum, Jason Jensen
Tomahawk Pure Stocks
Feature: Bill Follstad, Randy Conner, Wayne Eskola, Mike Brown, Nate Langberg, Duke Leu, Steve Brown, Jason Melton, Terry Selmer, Keith Troutman, Josh Cole
Heat 1: Conner, Follstad, S Brown, Gunard Hoogland, Langberg, Melton
Heat 2: Leu, Eskola, M Brown, Cole, Selmer, Troutman
Tomahawk Four Cylinder Bandits
Feature: Mark Ryskoski, Zach Degner, Richard Barlowski, Tim Holleran, Linc Leu, George Brixius, Brett Oenning, Louis Malluege, Brandon Langbecker, Adam Johnson, Elliot Marquardt
Heat 1: Holleran, Johnson, Oenning, Brixius, Malluege
Heat 2: Langbecker, Degner, Barlowski, Ryskoski, Marquardt, Leu
Ashland Six Cylinders
Feature: Patrick Beeksma, Bill Anderson, Don Muzzy, Ron Lillie
Heat: Anderson, Muzzy, Beeksma, Lillie
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