By: Tami Jo Kuehn
Princeton, MN (July 26) – It was a hot and breezy night at the Princeton Speedway, but a huge crowd of fans gathered to watch WISSOTA Dirt Track Race Action take place at the ¼ mile bullring. It was Kids Night - meet the drivers night so although everyone got to take home extra treats, Tommy Pogones, Bud Martini, Jordan Henkemeyer, JT Johnson, Tommy Bawden and Payson Patrin went home with hardware.
The WISSOTA Street Stocks took the clay for the first feature of the night with Braedyn Fleck and Rachel Boston on row one. They battled door to door as the green waved with Charlie Shiek close behind. After some laps, the first caution waved, and Charlie Shiek brought the drivers back to green with Tommy Pogones applying pressure. Pogones made the move to the top point as Levi Randt took second and Kyle Howland slid into third. With just two laps to go, another caution was triggered and Pogones’ comfortable lead was erased. Tommy Pogones brought the drivers back to green, and held the position to take the win. Remaining top points went to Kyle Howland, Levi Randt, Charlie Shiek and Steve Eggersgluess.
The Crystal Cabinets WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds rolled on the track for the night’s next feature with Scott Splittstoesser and Bud Martini on row one. Splittstoesser grabbed the lead at the end of lap one with Martini right behind. Drivers battled two and three-wide for points as Martini took first. Martini separated himself from the competition as Jason VandeKamp moved his way to third, after starting the race in ninth. With a handful of laps to go, the yellow flag waved and the field of drivers was sorted and reset. As the race resumed, Splittstoesser and VandeKamp kept close to the leader and Martini held on to the point by a thread. A final caution was triggered and when the green reappeared, Splittstoesser raced door to door with Martini. They were nose to nose at the line, and when the checkers waved, Bud Martini took the win with Scott Splittstoesser, Jason VandeKamp, Adam Bohlman and Landyn Randt rounded out the top five drivers.
Max Nelson and Jordan Henkemeyer brought the WISSOTA Super Stocks to green, and Henkemeyer grabbed the immediate lead. A quick caution was triggered, and drivers were slowed, but on the restart drivers in points two through six kept close. Dustin Nelson moved into second with Austin Niemeyer and Dexton Koch in a battle for third. Henkemeyer stretched his lead as the laps went by with Nelson in a comfortable second. Koch secured the third point and looked ahead at the leaders with a few laps to go. Dustin Nelson, Dexton Koch, Austin Niemeyer and Max Nelson grabbed points two through five as the checkers flew with Jordan Henkemeyer snagging the win.
The WISSOTA Modifieds were next on the agenda with Jeff Patchen grabbing the early lead. Brennan Gave put pressure on Patchen and they were door to door for first as Eric Lamm moved into battle. A couple cautions reset the field but Gave was in command as the race resumed. JT Johnson challenged Gave and soon nosed ahead with the lead. Johnson slowly stretched the lead as Gave and Lamm remained glued to one another for second. They raced close the closing laps as the checkers were raised. JT Johnson took the win with Brennan Gave, Eric Lamm, Zach Benson and Dave Cain in the top five points.
A solid field of 21 WISSOTA Mod Fours took the green with Doug Frederick and Robert Holtquist leading the way. Holtquist jumped to the early lead but had Connor Bruss and Tommy Bawden on his rear. Bruss, the youngest driver on the field, edged out the lead as he moved around Holtquist. Bawden rode the rear of Bruss and dove low to take the lead. Bruss held onto the lead, but Bawden soon moved ahead and grabbed the point. Drivers covered the entire race surface as a yellow was triggered, and just as the race resumed, contact occurred between multiple drivers and the red light flickered on. After the incident was cleared, Tommy Bawden brought the drivers back to green and led the remaining laps and took the win. Connor Bruss, Casey Traxler, Dustin Holtquist and Dean Larson wrapped up the top drivers.
The WISSOTA Hornets closed out the night with Russell Kiker, Jr. and Payson Patrin on row one. Patrin took the lead at the end of lap one with Kiker, Jr. holding second. Tony Jenson and Jenna Hagemann put pressure on Kiker, Jr. but he held the second point. Patrin stretched the lead as Hagemann made the pass for second and Jenson soon followed. As the race ended, Payson Patrin remained in charge and took the win with Jenna Hagemann, Tony Jenson, Russell Kiker, Jr. and Brandon Nyberg rounded out the top points.
Next Friday, the Princeton Speedway will have the night off, however we will be back in action twice the following week. Monday August 5th, the XR Northern Storm will kick off their weeklong race event at the Princeton Speedway and the WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series will be on hand along with Midwest Modifieds and Modifieds. We will also race Friday August 9th as part of the Mille Lacs County Fair with the NVSR Vintage Cars and MN Micro Sprints joining our program, alongside the WISSOTA Mod Fours, Super Stocks, Hornets and Street Stocks. Two big nights of racing are coming up next at the Princeton Speedway, and we look forward to having you join us.