Four Drivers Sweep at TNT Opener By Jeremy Mayo

May 23, 2008; Three Lakes, WI -  Four drivers busted out the broomsticks on opening night at TNT Speedway in Three Lakes. Bruce Belland, Robin Procknow, John Johnson and Shaina Aho all gained maximum points by winning the heat and feature in their respective classes.

Conditions were favorable for the sweep as the lineup for the features based on how drivers finished their heat races.

Several new drivers took to the track in the WISSOTA Midwest Mod division, including TNT Bomber graduates Shawn Bialas, Charlie Jackson and Leif Gunderson, but predictably the Mod veterans were the ones that rose to the top.

Belland had the good fortune of drawing the pole for the heat race, and capitalized by leading every lap of the heat and every lap of the feature.

Belland got some late-race pressure from second-year Mod driver Will Roffers, but Roffers’ bid for his best career feature finish fell short with a spin in turn four with two laps to go. Roffers finished eight.

Fellow mod veterans Jeff McDonald and Troy Smart completed the top three for the feature. Leif Gunderson was the best of the newcomers, finishing fourth.

Two-time TNT Bomber Champion John Johnson swapped rides with his son John, Jr. for the 2008 season. That put Johnson back into the Bombers. He returned to the class in championship form.

His third place finish in the heat turned into a first when the top two cars failed to report to the scales. Johnson led every lap of the feature. Early on, Johnson felt the heat from Todd Brass. Brass looked for the lead on lap five but spun to the inside out of turn four. He would eventually make his way back to second place, but did not have enough time to reel in Johnson.

There will likely be a new Truck champion at TNT Speedway in 2008. Jeff Becker moved to the lead of the heat race on lap six, but moments later the engine expired on the 88 truck. Robin Procknow inherited the lead and took the win.

In the feature, Procknow, Harold Harvey and Forrest Crandall battled for the top spot in the final laps. The three were separated by less than two truck-lengths with three laps to go, but Procknow pulled away as Crandall and Harvey went side-by-side for second. Crandall eventually got by, but had no shot to catch Procknow.

Shaina Aho brought her familiar white and pink 22S down from Michigan for the TNT Opener and walked away with another Three Lakes checkered flag, beating up on the 14 men who challenged her in the Stinger feature.

As the winner of the third heat race, Aho started third for the feature. It took her five laps to work around Nick Visser for the lead. Visser hung tight, closing back to two car lengths with two laps to go, but he did not have enough to make a pass. 2007 Stinger Champ Matt Troutman took third.

15 cars took part in the Stinger feature and despite plenty close racing there was only one caution. It occurred on lap eight when Cory Dickman lost a right front tire.

WISSOTA Street Stock driver Jordan Kurtti was the only one to win the feature, despite losing his heat. He edged out Ron Van Dusen at the line on lap five. Moments later, the caution flew for a problem on the Dave Williams automobile.

On the restart Jermey Wolfe moved to second and quickly challenged for the lead. He and Kurtti battled side-by-side for the next five laps. It was Kurtti who eventually got the best of the battle and pulled away to a four car-length win.

Racing continues at TNT Speedway next Saturday night, sponsored by Coyote 93.7 FM. Hot Laps begin at 7:00 PM, with racing at 7:45.

RESULTS: TNT Speedway – Saturday, May 24, 2008

WISSOTA Midwest Mods

Heat: 1st 22B-Bruce Belland; 2nd 13R – Will Roffers; 3rd 7M-Jeff McDonald; 4th 14-Troy Smart; 5th 22-Charlie Jackson; 6th 35-Shawn Bialas; 7th 25-Jesse Aho; 8th 101-Leif Gunderson; 9th 65-Larry Gasperini

Feature: 1st 22B-Belland; 2nd 7M-McDonald; 3rd 14-Smart; 4th 101-Gunderson; 5th 22-Jackson; 6th 25-J. Aho; 7th 65-Gasperini; 8th 13R-Roffers; 9th 35-Bialas

WISSOTA Street Stocks

Heat: 1st 04-Ron Van Dusen; 2nd 50-Jermey Wolfe; 3rd 17-Dave Williams; 4th 26-Jordan Kurtti; 5th 11-John Johnson, Jr.; 6th 2-Neal Slizewski; 7th 3-Jake Mullins

Feature: 1st 26-Kurtti; 2nd 50-Wolfe; 3rd 04-Van Dusen; 4th 11-Johnson, Jr.; 5th 2-Slizweski; 6th 17-Williams

Trucks

Heat: 1st 99-Robin Procknow; 2nd 43-Robert Tullberg; 3rd 44-Harold Harvey; 4th 15-Forrest Crandall; 5th 88-Jeff Becker

Feature: 1st 99-Procknow; 2nd 15-Crandall; 3rd 44-Harvey; 4th 43-Tullberg

TNT Bombers

Heat: 1st 11-John Johnson; 2nd 01Z-Ron Reese; 3rd 7-Jason Melton; 4th 2T-Todd Brass; 5th 28-Lee Bradley; 6th 23-Devin Wilson

Feature: 1st 11-Johnson; 2nd 2T-Brass; 3rd 7-J. Melton; 4th 001-Jake Ison; 5th 23-Wilson; 6th 1-Ben Hendrickson; 7th 28-Bradley; 8th 01Z-Reese

TNT Stingers

Heat 1: 1st 30V-Nick Visser; 2nd 29T-Matt Troutman; 3rd 18-Bobby Sheldon; 4th 81M-Steve Melton; 5th 75-Cory Dickman

Heat 2: 1st 27-Bill Martin; 2nd 13X-Shawn Depies; 3rd 97-Leo Nippa; 4th 72-Chris Nylund; 5th 2-Brandon Ross

Heat 3: 1st 22S-Shaina Aho; 2nd 87-Jason Issacson; 3rd 58-Jason Gaylord; 4th 13-John Barlowski; 5th 88-Will Lundberg

Feature: 1st 22S-S. Aho; 2nd 30V-Visser; 3rd 29T-Troutman; 4th 27-Martin; 5th 13X-Depies; 6th 87-Issacson; 7th 72-Nylund; 8th 58-Gaylord; 9th 18-Sheldon; 10th 88-Lundberg; 11th 13-Barlowski; 12th 81M-S. Melton; 13th 2-Ross; 14th 97-Nippa; 15th 75-Dickman