The tightest point race entering Sunday Night’s show was the battle in the Miller Lite WISSOTA Midwest Mods in which Troy Smart clung to a slim one-point advantage over Bob Richardson. It didn’t take the two long to battle side-by-side for position. Smart did a good job of holding of Richardson for a while, but Richardson snuck by in the waning laps to take away the second position. Smart came home third, meaning that the points were tied heading into the final feature.

The season for Bob Richardson had been marred by bad luck. From having the steering break while leading, to reoccurring transmission problems, gremlins have robbed him of points all season. Despite all that, he fought his way back to a tie for the point lead, only to have one more gremlin jump up and grab him at the least opportune time.

The starter failed on Richardson’s mod as the field readied for the feature. Despite a feverish attempt, Richardson’s crew could not get his car fired and Richardson was forced to watch from the pits as his chance for a title slipped away.

Jerry Grasse dominated the 20-lap feature for the Miller Lite WISSOTA Midwest Mods and went on to claim his class-leading sixth feature, and despite missing the opening night finished second in the points, seven points behind Troy Smart, who claimed his first WISSOTA Midwest Modified track championship crown. Richardson’s misfortunes took him from tied for the point lead to third in the final standings.

Three drivers entered the night with a shot at winning the Fire-Up fireworks WISSOTA Street Stock Championship. John Kallas’s chances did not last long as a poor run in his heat race and mechanical problems in the feature eliminated him from contention.

The battle was then between two drivers, Bruce Belland and Mark Schuenemann. The two drivers battled for second in their heat race with Belland holding off Schuenemann for position.

Belland held a four-point cushion entering the feature, but that lead was soon in jeopardy, as he got loose in front of Chad Lederer and brought out the caution. Schuenemann sat in third for the restart, while Belland restarted ninth faced with the compromise of having to race hard to gain position, but also having to race conservatively to avoid a race-ending second caution.

Belland used the form that he has used to race his way to ninth in the WISSOTA National Points and two straight championships in Three Lakes to pick his way through the field to fourth place.

Lee Christjohn held of Roger Walker to win his second consecutive feature in the Fire-Up Fireworks WISSOTA Street Stocks, but the big winner was Bruce Belland who finished three points ahead of Mark Schuenemann in the final points standings. It is Belland’s second track championship at Riverside. His first was in 2001 in the Bandits.

After a fourth place by Pete Luedke in his heat race, all Rob Rodziczak had to do was start the heat and feature to claim the 2004 Pure Stock crown. Rodziczak would end up needing that cushion after being pinched into the wall by Ron Reese in the feature and shearing of the right portion of his rear axle. Rodziczak claimed his first track championship at Riverside.

The other main story in the Pure Stocks was the Pure Stock Special. Wayne Nylund, driving Lee Schuppler’s car, got loose in turn four on the opening lap, triggering a six-car pileup. Nylund would fight his way back through the field and went on to win the $200 top prize. Ryan Valeria and Pete Luedke battle fiercely for second, with Luedke edging out Valeria by less than a foot at the line.

The goal of an overall Bandit championship for Steve Justin was dashed in the makeup feature as he was tagged from behind by point leader Eli Gustafson, and for the second time in three races, slammed hard into the concrete on the front stretch. Justin was unable to make the start for the remainder of the Bandit program and the regular Bandit champion dropped second to fourth in the overall standing.

With Justin out of contention, the rest of the night was dominated by KGL Racing, with Jordan Kurtti winning both features and Eli Gustafson winning the heat race. Gustafson wins the Super Bandit championship by 14 points over teammate Jordan Kurtti.

Riverside Raceway wraps up it’s 2004 season with Fan Appreciation Night on Tuesday, September 14. There will be great racing and fun events through out the night and the awards presentation during intermission. As always, fan will get in for free. The show begins one hour early with hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:00.

Riverside Raceway Results: September 5, 2004

Miller Lite WISSOTA Midwest Mods:
Heat: 1st 5-Grasse; 2nd 2-Richardson; 3rd 14-Smart
Feature: 1st 5-Grasse; 2nd 30-Carley; 3rd 14-Smart; 4th 27T-Frantz; 5th 0-Kleinschmidt
Points: 1st 14-Smart; 2nd 5-Grasse; 3rd 2-Richardson; 4th 30-Carley; 5th 0-Kleinschmidt

Fire-Up Fireworks WISSOTA Street Stocks:
Heat 1: 1st 55-Tarsi; 2nd 23-Maulson; 3rd 1C-Lederer
Heat 2: 1st 5-Boettcher; 2nd 22B-Belland; 3rd 96-Schuenemann
Feature: 1st 93-Christjohn; 2nd 5W-Walker; 3rd 96-Schuenemann; 4th 22B-Belland; 5th 5-Boettcher
Points: 1st 22B-Belland; 2nd 96-Schuenemann; 3rd 76-Kallas; 4th 55-Tarsi; 5th 23-Maulson

Pure Stocks
Heat 1: 1st 5-R.Valeria; 2nd 15S-C.Schmidt; 3rd 63-LaCrosse
Heat 2: 1st 15-Rodziczak; 2nd 8-Roskinski; 3rd 57-Nylund
Pure Stock Special: 1st 57-Nylund; 2nd 7-Luedke; 3rd 5-R.Valeria; 4th 8-Rosinski; 5th 63-LaCrosse
Points: 1st 15-Rodziczak; 2nd 7-Luedke; 3rd 5-R.Valeria; 4th 190-Jackson; 5th 63-Durand/LaCrosse

Bandits/Super Bandits
Makeup Feature: 1st 26-Kurtti; 2nd 27-E.Gustafson; 3rd 37-D.Miller; 4th 10-Schinke; 5th 88-Placek* (out)
Heat: 1st 27-E.Gustafson; 2nd 26-Kurtti; 3rd 37-D.Miller
Feature: 1st 26-Kurtti; 2nd 27-E.Gustafson; 3rd 127-A.Gustafson* (-1); 4th 88-Placek* (-1); 5th 10-Schinke (out)
Overall Points: 1st 27-Gustafson; 2nd 26-Kurtti; 3rd 37-D.Miller; 4th 49-Justin*; 5th 10-Schinke