Carlson and Wimmer close in on Haseleu for the Championship

By: Kevin Ramsell
ELKO, MN (Saturday, September 26, 2009) - It was a night of great racing and many story lines at Elko Speedway. Dan Fredrickson finally returns to victory lane in the American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment, Steve Holzhausen wins the Race for the Gold Championship and there will be a battle for the championship at the season finale.

Dan Fredrickson started on the outside of the front row for the 125-lap main event and he quickly got the lead over current ASAMT point leader Nathan Haseleu, who started on the pole.

Haseleu, who had a top-ten in every event so far this season, would see his streak end on lap 37. As he was battling with Chris Wimmer and Jason Schneider for second place coming down the frontstretch, Haseleu had something happen in his transmission causing him to spin going into turn one. The point leader’s night ended as it went off on the hook and he would finish 26th.

By: Kevin Ramsell
It’s been a while since Steve Holzhausen raced at Elko Speedway in Elko, MN. In fact, its been over 20 years according to the veteran driver from Bangor, WI who hopes that his return will be a golden one.

“I believe so, I haven’t gone back to look and see exactly when it was but its got to be somewhere around there,” Holzhausen said when asked if his last visit to the 0.375-mile facility was in 1985 but a Google search shows that his last visit may have been on July 3, 1989, when he won the sixth Annual Minnesota State Championship ARTGO event holding off Mark Lamoreaux, Jim Weber, Dick Trickle and Joe Shear for the win.

Holzhausen’s return will come this Saturday night, September 26, when he competes in the American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment’s Race for the Gold - Gold Race. The third event in the summer long three-race series where he is the current points leader after a pair of runner-up finishes at Dells Raceway Park. On Saturday, May 30 he finished second to Steve Carlson in the Bronze Race and then finished behind Frank Kreyer in the Silver Race on July 18th.

Following a grueling 3-day swing which included an extremely successful inaugural 2-day headline appearance at the Elko Dirt Nationals in Minnesota, and an annual visit to Eagle Valley Speedway in Wisconsin, the Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series heads to Wilmot (WI) Raceway this Saturday night (Aug. 1) for the annual running of the Al & Marie Winker / Wayne Daun Memorial.

34 teams were on hand at Elko, all uncertain on what to expect as the top notch 3/8 pavement track was coated with dirt for the weekend. The racers were greeted with an ultra-smooth surface that far exceeded most expectations, and an event that will not soon be forgotten. One thing for certain that both racers and the HUGE throng of fans that turned out for this inaugural event discovered, the Elko Speedway is a spectacular facility. They also discovered improvement with each night, beginning with IMCA Sprint action which began on Wednesday to Saturday's IRA Sprint / USMTS Mod finale.

One week ago, Bill Balog stood in victory lane at Deer Creek Speedway after winning the IRA event. Tonight, as Elko Speedway in Elko, Minnesota, wrapped up their inaugural Dirt Nationals, the 2008 champion did it again. Balog, from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, started outside the first row and trailed polesitter Steve Meyer for the first three circuits before taking the top spot.

On lap four, Brett Geldner brought out the yellow with a soft flip in turn four. On the restart, Travis Whitney edged past Meyer to take the second spot. Balog continued to lead as Whitney dueled with eigth-starting Scott Winters through the early part of the race. A lap 14 yellow flag period for a tangle between Matt Vandevere and Andy Hunt set up a shootout as the top three cars lined up nose-to-tail on the restart. Balog, however, proved to be too strong as he pulled away from Whitney to take his third win of the season in IRA competition. Winters held third while Meyer fended off Jerry Richert Jr. for fourth.

The Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series has a HUGE 3-day weekend planned July 24-26. The action begins Friday night at Elko Speedway, just south of the twin cities off I-35. Saturday has IRA back at Elko, with Eagle Valley Speedway in Jim Falls, WI (just north of Eau Claire) the site for Sunday. The transformation of Elko from one of the nation's premier paved tracks to dirt is complete and the big 2-day IRA show is ready to go green. Elko may very well have the nicest grandstand side of any short-track in the country, the place is absolutely first class. Following the dirt debut at Elko, IRA heads to the 3/8 highbanked Eagle Valley for its' annual stop. Jerry Richert Jr and Brooke Tatnell have captured IRA's 2 previous visits. Mufflers are required this weekend, with early drivers meetings planned Friday & Sunday.