May 6, 2005; Columbus, WI. -  The Columbus 151 Speedway kicked off the 2005 season Friday night despite threatening rain showers. Drivers and fans were treated to warm weather, hot racing and the addition of new announcer Randy Kamernick. The name may sound familiar if you've attended Jefferson Speedway in recent seasons.

Photo Highlights

Kyle Jarlesberg (#87) won the season openeing feature event in the Late Model division at Columbus 151 Speedway. Andy Wendt #18  takes to the high side to try to get around #87 Kyle Jarlesberg but, Jarlesburg holds on to win the Limited Late Model Feature. Kris Schoonover beat #7 Ryan Zielski to the line to win the Street Stock Feature. #10 Larry Moen tries to chase #27 Jime Tate Jr.  down for the Hobby Stock Feature win but comes up short. Mark Remsik won the Back- Up Feature. #83 Mark Remsik took an early lead and went on to capture his first Back-Up Feature win.

In a near mirror image of the 2004 Opener Kyle Jarlsberg of Cambridge escaped with a victory despite the advances of defending champion, Andy Wendt. Jarlsberg grabbed the early lead while the field shuffled to single file by lap ten. Jason Thoma made the upper groove work and Wendt followed suit soon after challenging Chris Ratajczyk of West Bend for third. Thoma would later make contact with Tyler James and sustain significant nose damage.

Caution fell on lap 30 for the #46 of Al Weishoff as he slid sideways through the infield. After the late race caution Wendt dispatched the second place car belonging to Charlie Mierendorf. Too little too late Jarlsberg held on for the win. As they crossed the line it was Jarlsberg, Wendt, Mierendorf, Ratajczyk and Wasserburger of Poynette rounding out the top five.

The Semi Feature winner Jerry Auby moved on to the Late Model Feature along side Tim Woollen. Late model heat race victories were earned by Mike Taylor, Al Weishoff and Clayton Braaksma of Beaver Dam. Fast time on the evening belonged to Don Gaserude of Fort Atkinson who turned in a 13.564.

Ken Morris of Madison and Kris Schoonover of Janesville brought the Street Stock feature to the line. Schoonover jumped out front early and led the race nearly uncontested until the waning laps when the resurgent Oconomowoc native Ryan Zielski applied pressure. On the final lap Schoonover left the lower groove open but Zielski wisely backed off potentially saving two vehicles and coming in second. After Schoonover and Zielski it was Ken Morris, Dustin Ward of Beaver Dam and Dale Weatherwax of Columbus at the checkers.

The street stock heat races provided some of the closest races of the evening with Don Trush beating out Dale Weatherwax and John Remsik getting the nod after battling door to door with Grant Lindner of Poynette. Kevin Anderson who always has a great looking car proved it's not about style over substance as he set quick time in the street stock division with a lap time of 14.061.

In Hobby Stock action Jim Tate Jr took the lead by taking the front runners three wide. Tate was then chased by Larry Moen. While the leaders built up a sizable lead Moen never challenged for the lead. Lapped traffic lead to a caution on lap sixteen. Gary Haarklau in the thick of a battle for the third position collected the lapped #11 car of Joe Fredrickson of Fall River. During the caution #52 Mike Amador blew an oil line causing the first big track clean-up of the 2005 season. At the line Tate and Moen were followed by Lincoln Keeser, Nick Newton, and Gary Haarklau who fought his way back to fifth after being sent to the rear for being involved in an earlier caution.

Hobby Stock heat races were won by Nick Newton and Mike Amador. Feature winner Jim Tate Jr. also set fast time in the Hobby Stock division with a lap time of 15.515.

Proving the 2004 season wasn't a fluke Bryan Johnson picked up a clean sweep in Bandit racing action. The entertaining fifteen lap Bandit Feature had Ryan DeStefano as it's leader in the early going until he made contact with the lapped car of Britney Boyce of Marshall. Johnson took the lead shortly thereafter. As the crossed the line it was Johnson, Nick Nolden of Lodi, DeStefano, Shaun Scheel of Johnson Creek and Bryan Paulson who edged out Scott Johnson after a long battle.

In addition to Bryan Johnson, Ryan DeStefano picked up a heat race win and Ryan Hart of Edgerton scored a victory in the Bandit Semi Feature. Johnson also set a new track record breaking his existing mark with a lap time of 15.968.

2004 Defending Champion Mark Remsik easily scored a victory in the Back-up division. Second place went to George Wachuta followed by Dave Moore and Ryan Oetzel.

Next week Friday May 13th is Q106 Night at the Races. There will be a Piñata at intermission and Blindfold Races in addition to a full program of racing.

For complete results from the RACESTAT computer click here