Amazing Finishes in All Four Classes at TNT Speedway By Jeremy Mayo

August 2, 2008; Three Lakes, WI -  Collectively, they were most likely the four greatest finishes to feature races in a single night at TNT Speedway. Mole Lake Casino & Lodge Night at the track left everybody on the edge of their seats with two last lap, last corner passes, an emotional first career victory and a feature that saw the lead officially change twice in the final three laps.

When the dust settled Lac du Flambeau’s Kevin Maulson, Jr., in the Mole Lake Casino car, won his first Street Stock Feature of the season. Rhinelander’s Will Roffers scored a long awaited triumph in the WISSOTA Midwest Mods. Newcomer Jonathan Pepin from Escanaba, Michigan took home the Stinger feature and Rhinelander’s Denny Tushoski made it two in a row in the TNT Bombers.

The battle for the majority of the WISSOTA/Amsoil Dirt Track Series, Street Stock Division feature was a duel between a pair of drivers looking for their first win of the season. Merrill’s Bill Froehlich took the lead from Dave Williams on lap four and Maulson, Jr. moved to second.

Those two put some distance on the remainder of the field until a lap eight caution. After a couple of green flag laps following the restart, points leader Jordan Kurtti worked his way into third spot and reeled in the leaders, setting up a three-way fight to the finish.

Froehlich and Maulson, Jr. went side-by-side on a number of occasions in the closing laps. Froehlich, using the higher line was able to hold the lead. Then on the final lap, Maulson, Jr. made one more move to the inside. Froehlich pushed a little in turn four, opening the door for Maulson, Jr. to sneak underneath and take the win.

Kurtti had a front row view for all the action, but could not find a way by Maulson, Jr. or Froehlich and had to settle for his second consecutive third place finish. His lead in the standings continued to grow, however, as he sits 56 points clear of second place Dave Williams with three races to go.

Will Roffers made a huge dent in Bruce Belland’s WISSOTA Midwest Mod point lead, trimming it from 30 all the way to 17 thanks to a clean sweep on Saturday night.

Belland was involved in a lap one wreck that caught half of the 10-car field. It was a break for Roffers, who had gotten a poor start from the inside of row two and had drifted back to seventh.

Roffers inherited the pole thanks to the accident and took the lead on the restart. He put some distance on second place Troy Smart in the first ten laps. On lap 11, Jerry Grasse worked his way past Smart for second and Roffers lead began to dwindle.

It turned into the classic battle of youth and exuberance against old age and treachery as the mod-veteran Grasse closed in. He put pressure on the second year mod driver, but Roffers never blinked, running the higher line to perfection to maintain the lead.

Grasse tried to make a move to the inside on the final lap, al la Maulson, Jr., but Roffers again stayed true to his line and claimed his first feature victory of any kind at TNT Speedway.

You know you’ve had an awesome night when you can say a feature that saw two lead changes in the final four laps and four cars battling two-by-two for the win was the least exciting of all the finishes.

Bobby Sheldon was looking to become a first time feature winner, just like his buddy Roffers had done moments before. He had an excellent shot, leading the first 12 laps of the race. He also had company at the front in the form of Leo Nippa and Pepin. Point leader Bill Martin slowly reeled in the leaders from fourth, making in a four car tussle in the final five laps.

Coming to two laps to go, Nippa made his move, taking advantage as Sheldon went high in turn two and gaining the lead for the first time in the race. That lead was short-lived as Pepin stormed by on the penultimate lap and held off Nippa and Sheldon for the win.

Martin’s fourth place finish, coupled with a 12th place finish for Jason Isaacson gives Martin a big 37-point lead in the standings.

The TNT Bombers perhaps topped them all with their dramatic finish. Ben Hendricksen led from the pole and built a comfortable lead over the first ten laps. Tushoski started seventh but moved into second on lap 11 as Todd Brass popped a right-rear tire.

Things got interesting with three laps to go. Michael Votis spun, bringing out the caution. They got one more lap in before Lee Bradley lost a wheel, setting up a green-white-checkered finish. On the restart Michael Votis lost a wheel, meaning take two on the green-white-checkered.

Hendricksen got a great restart, opening three car lengths on Tushoski, but Tushoski reeled him in again and made his move on the last lap down the backstretch. Tushoski went low as Hendricksen went high through turn three. Hendricksen got loose and spun into the side of Tushoski.

Tushoski was able to keep the car straight and hold off Jake Ison to the line for the win. Hendricksen had to settle for third.

Brass, thanks to all the problems late in the race came back to finish fifth, while John Johnson, who cut a right front tire earlier in the feature, finished eighth. Johnson had the better showing in the heat races and still has a four-point lead over Brass in the race for the championship.

It will be difficult to top this week’s racing action, but TNT Speedway will try again next Saturday night with Yellow Book sponsoring the action. Fans, remember to bring in two non-perishable food items to receive a dollar off admission as TNT Speedway races against hunger in the month of August. Donations will benefit the Three Lakes Food Pantry.

As always, Hot Laps will begin at 7:00 PM, with racing at 7:45.



RESULTS: TNT Speedway – Saturday, August 2, 2008



WISSOTA Midwest Mods

Heat 1: 1st 52-Terry Stebbeds; 2nd 5-Jerry Grasse; 3rd 14-Troy Smart; 4th 22B-Bruce Belland; 5th 7M-Jeff McDonald

Heat 2: 1st 13R-Will Roffers; 2nd 1-Jason Zdroik; 3rd 101-Leif Gunderson; 4th 22-Charlie Jackson; 5th 65-Larry Gasperini

Feature: 1st 13R-Roffers; 2nd 5-Grasse; 3rd 14-Smart; 4th 52-Stebbeds; 5th 22-Jackson; 6th 7M-McDonald; 7th 1-Zdroik; 8th 101-Gunderson; 9th 65-Gasperini; 10th 22B-Belland


WISSOTA Street Stocks

Heat: 1st 23M-Kevin Maulson, Jr.; 2nd 26-Jordan Kurtti; 3rd 17-Dave Williams; 4th A8-Bill Forehlich; 5th 11-John Johnson, Jr.; 6th 2-Neal Slizewski; 7th 3-Jake Mullins; 8th 21-Jeff Klopstein

Feature: 1st 23M-Maulson; 2nd A8-Froehlich; 3rd 26-Kurtti; 4th 11-Johnson, Jr.; 5th 21-Klopstein; 6th 17-Williams; 7th 3-Mullins; 8th 2-Slizewski

TNT Bombers

Heat 1: 1st 001-Jake Ison; 2nd 11-John Johnson, Sr.; 3rd 88-Michael Votis; 4th 21-Denny Tushoski; 5th 2T-Todd Brass

Heat 2: 1st 1-Ben Hendricksen; 2nd 28-Lee Bradley; 3rd 25-Jay Wilberding; 4th 4-Jesse Votis

Feature: 1st 21-Tushoski; 2nd 001-Ison; 3rd 1-Hendricksen; 4th 25-Wilberding; 5th 2T-Brass; 6th 88-M. Votis; 7th 28-Bradley; 8th 11-Johnson; 9th 4-J. Votis


TNT Stingers

Heat 1: 1st 18-Bobby Sheldon; 2nd 30V-Nick Visser; 3rd 27-Bill Martin; 4th 2W-Chad Schinke; 5th 88-Will Lundberg

Heat 2: 1st 44-Fred Feger; 2nd 87-Jason Isaacson; 3rd 13-John Barlowski; 4th 30-Dennis Zuelke; 5th 127-Matt Scarzynski

Heat 3: 1st 97-Leo Nippa; 2nd 711-Jonathan Pepin; 3rd 2-Brandon Ross; 4th 75-Cory Dickman

Feature: 1st 711-Pepin; 2nd 97-Nippa; 3rd 18-Sheldon; 4th 27-Martin; 5th 30V-Visser; 6th 44-Feger; 7th 13-Barlowski; 8th 2W-Schinke; 9th 88-Lundberg; 10th 2-Ross; 11th 127-Scarzynski; 12th 87-Isaacson; 13th 30-Zuelke; DNS: 75-Dickman