The first race of the season was also the most action-packed of the evening. On the first lap of the Miller Lite WISSOTA Midwest Mod Heat, second year driver Tim Frantz pushed high in turn three, catching the outside guardrail and causing the machine to gently roll over.

Frantz’s mod stayed on the racing surface, but reminded many of Neal Slizewski’s crash over the guardrail in turn three last season. The race was red flagged for about five minutes as Frantz, unhurt in the incident, worked his way out of his upside down machine.

When the race resumed Guy Carley held a contested lead over Chuck Gross. Gross made several attempts for the lead, but his best came on the final lap as he darted low out of turn four and ended up a foot behind Guy Carley, and victory at the finish line.

Not to be outdone, the Bandit/Super Bandit division staged a whale of a heat race. Tomahawk’s Vince Lofquist led the majority of the race, but KGL Racing teammates Jordan Kurtti and Eli Gustafson charged from behind to battle Lofquist for the win on the final lap.

Kurtti and Gustafson split Lofquist off of turn four coming to the checkered. Kurtti using the high line had enough momentum to get up and take the win. Lofquist was able to hold off Gustafson’s advances to the inside and hold on to second. The final margin between first and third was a half a car length.

Guy Carley had an easier trip when the Miller Lite WISSOTA Midwest Mods came back for their feature. He led all twenty laps to earn the sweep. Pat Zdroik finished second and Troy Smart was third.

Clearly, if the was a hard luck award on this night, it would go to Eagle River’s Bob Richardson. After hot laps, Richardson discovered he had engine problems in his Midwest Mod, which kept him from making the start for the heat race. He and his crew worked diligently to get his car ready for the feature, only to have a flat tire on the fourth lap knock him out of contention.

The biggest stories of the off-season occurred in the WISSOTA Street Stock class. With long time on-track rivals Fritz Scharf and Ken Valeria, both appearing to hang up the helmets, at least for a while, and the addition of a new title sponsor, the Fire Up Fireworks WISSOTA Street Stocks promise to be an unpredictable class in 2004.

That promise was exemplified in the first night of racing. Chad Boettcher made a return to Riverside Raceway after two seasons off and nearly won the opening heat race. Roger Walker had a stout car on this night however, and worked his way past Boettcher in the waning laps of the heat race and took the win.

Roger Walker looked to parlay his performance in the heat race in to a Fire Up Fireworks WISSOTA Street Stock feature victory, but two things stood in his way, last year’s Street Stock points runner-up Bruce Belland and rookie Mark Schuenemann.

Bruce Belland showed the form in the feature race that has put him up to seventh in current WISSOTA Street Stock National Points. Belland got the jump from the outside pole to lead the field off of turn two. Belland soon pulled away from the pack, but he had some help. Roger Walker, who looked to have the best car on this night, could not put away Mark Schuenemann for second position.

Walker, and the rookie Schuenemann battled door to door for nearly half of the 20-lap feature. When Walker finally got around Schuenemann with seven laps to go, he was nearly five seconds behind Belland. Though Walker was able to trim the deficit, Belland had a large enough lead to cruise to victory. Schuenemann wound up in the third position with Dan Zelten and Boettcher rounding out the top five.

The Pure Stocks were also missing two of their top point earners from 2003, but there were plenty of drivers to fill the void in what is perennially one of Riverside’s most competitive classes. Pete Luedke looked to be the man who would take advantage early on as he picked his way through the field to win the heat race, but mechanical problems early in the feature ended all hopes for a sweep.

2003 Riverside Raceway Most Popular Driver Rob Rodziczak benefited and dominated the race. The battle throughout the race was for second between Ron Reese and Ryan Valeria. While Rodziczak cruised to victory, the second place battle grew to four cars and Charlie Jackson snuck past Reese claim the position. Dennis LaCrosse came up for fourth as after a good run, Valeria faded back to fifth.

The Bandits and Super Bandits came back for the nightcap and the lone Bandit driver in the field nearly pulled off an upset.

At the beginning of the race, it looked like it was going to be a KGL runaway with teammate Jordan Kurtti and Eli Gustafson battling for the lead. The two young guns from Bruce Crossing raced hard for the first ten laps of the race, but Kurtti’s Pontiac gave up the ghost with five laps remaining in the feature, bringing out the race’s only caution.

On the restart Gustafson had company in the form of Steven Justin and his underpowered Volkswagen. Justin took the only Bandit in the field and put it to the back bumper of Gustafson in the final laps, but Gustafson had a strong enough car to hold on to for the win. Dustin Miller, Vince Lofquist and Nick Smart rounded out the top five.

Despite an early start, Riverside Raceway is still racing on it’s customary Memorial Day Sunday race date. Coca-Cola will be on board as the sponsor as hot laps begin at 7:30. Racing gets underway at 8:00. 

RIVERSIDE RACEWAY RESULTS: Tuesday, May 25, 2004

Miller Lite WISSOTA Midwest Mods

Heat: 1^st 30-Carley; 2^nd 2C-Gross; 3^rd 0-Kleinschmidt

Feature: 1^st 30-Carley; 2^nd Z1-Zdroik; 3^rd 14-T.Smart; 4^th 2C-Gross; 5^th 74-Schoonover

Fire Up Fireworks WISSOTA Street Stocks

Heat: 1^st 5W-Walker; 2^nd 5-Boettcher; 3^rd 22B-Belland

Feature: 1^st 22B-Belland; 2^nd 5W-Walker; 3^rd 96-Schuenemann; 4^th 17Z-Zelten; 5^th 5-Boettcher

Pure Stocks

Heat: 1^st 7-Luedke; 2^nd 15-Rodziczak; 3^rd 01Z-Reese

Feature: 1^st 15-Rodziczak; 2^nd 190-Jackson; 3^rd 01Z-Reese; 4^th 63-LaCrosse; 21-N.Slizewski

Bandits/Super Bandits

Heat: 1^st 26-Kurtti; 2^nd 97-Lofquist; 3^rd 27-Gustafson

Feature: 1^st 27-Gustafson; 2^nd 49-Justin*; 3^rd 37-D.Miller; 4^th 97-Lofquist; 5^th 18-N.Smart

* Denotes Bandit