TNT SPEEDWAY

Jeremy Mayo, Editor-in-Chief, HodagSports.com

THREE LAKES – It would be very easy to dust off the race report from three weeks ago at TNT Speedway. That’s because the high banks saw the same winners in the WISSOTA AMSOIL Dirt Track Series Midwest Modifieds and Street Stocks and the TNT Bombers as it did back on July 18.  Eagle River’s Bruce Belland scored his second feature win of the season at TNT in the WADTS Midwest Mods. Baraga, Michigan’s Jeff Klopstein padded his track point lead in the WADTS Street Stocks and Crandon’s Lee Bradley notched his fourth feature of the season in the Bombers, throwing him right back into title contention.  Bruce Crossing, Michigan’s Brandon Ross notched his second feature win of the season in the TNT Stingers on Auto Value night at the track, which featured the ASCI Trucks from Langlade Country Speedway. Birnmawood’s Sean Thayer took the main event in that class.

Aside from winning three weeks ago, there was another common thread for Belland, Klopstein and Bradley. Each of them had a serious challenge to their lead in the second half of the race, but following trouble for their pursuers, won going away.  Belland’s test came from Jason Zdroik, who was looking for his sixth feature of the season at TNT. On lap eight and again on lap ten, Zdroik was in the process of passing Belland for the lead when the caution flag flew, both times for spins involving Larry Gasperini.  During that second caution, the rear end seized on Zdroik’s car, knocking him out of the race. Belland led the final six laps to take the win. Terry Stebbeds, Joe Kin, Dennis Mikkelson and John Johnson Jr. rounded out the top five. Thanks to high attrition, Zdroik still wound up seventh and has a 19-point edge over Belland with three nights remaining.

Klopstein’s challenger in the Street Stocks was friend Kevin Maulson Jr. The two staged an entertaining eight-lap battle for second the week prior and were ready to duke it out for the win after getting by leader Fritz Scharf on lap nine.   The caution flew with three laps to go as Jake Mullins lost hit left front wheel. But while the wrecker was taking care of Mullins’ car in turn three, Maulson’s car stalled in turn one, knocking him out of the race.   Klopstein led the rest of the way with ease, but there were some fireworks on the last lap as Ron Van Dusen got into Scharf as they battled for second. Scharf spun, but was awarded second. Dennis Lacrosse took third, Bill Froehlich was fourth and Van Dusen was penalized to the tail end of the lead lap for causing the spin. He wound up fifth and is now 24 points behind Klopstein.

Lee Bradley had a world of pressure from Ben Pitlik and Denny Tushoski in the final laps as the three tussled for the win in the Bombers. With three laps to go, Pitlik went to the bottom in turn two while Tushoski went high. Bradley went to the bottom to block Pitlik. The two made contact, but Bradley held on to the lead.  The impact of the contact became apparent a lap later as Pitlik went up the track in turn three with a cut right front tire. Tushoski, who was to Pitlik’s outside, got taken up the track as well leaving clear sailing for Bradley.  Bradley moved up one spot to third in the points, just ten points behind Tushoski, who finished second in the race. Jeff Fannin finished fourth and is now three points back. Pitlik was the biggest loser on the night, finishing eight because of the cut tire and falling to fourth in the points, 12 off the lead.

Ross took the lead from Brit Bromann on lap four of the TNT Stinger Feature and never looked back. Bromann held off point leader Bill Martin for second in the caution-free 12-lap main event. Martin maintained his 12-point advantage over Ross by virtue of a heat race win earlier in the evening.

The Trucks made their lone appearance to TNT Speedway for 2009 on Saturday and Thayer was clearly the class of the field. He led all 12 laps of the main event from the pole. Josh Peterson, Dusty Brandt, Tom Fleischman and Forrest Crandall rounded out the top five.

The Trucks were supposed to race twice at Three Lakes, but Mother Nature washed out their first scheduled appearance back on June 27. She nearly washed them out again Saturday as a rain shower passed over the track 15 minutes before race time. The track crew and the drivers worked diligently to get the track back into racing shape and the races began after a 56-minute delay.

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

RESULTS: TNT Speedway – Saturday, August 8, 2009

WISSOTA AMSOIL Dirt Track Series Midwest Modifieds

Heat 1: 1. 8-Chad Boettcher; 2. 1Z-Jason Zdroik; 3. 52-Terry Stebbeds; 4. 22B-Bruce Belland; 5. 33-Bill Gryczkowski; 6. 11-John Johnson Jr.

Heat 2: 1. 7-Joe Kin; 2. 41-Dennis Mikkelson; 3. 65-Larry Gasperini; 4. 88-Clay Montgomery; 5. 16-Cory Dickman; DNS. 17-Dave Williams

Feature: 1. 22B-Belland; 2. 52-Stebbeds; 3. 7-Kin; 4. 41-Mikkelson; 5. 11-Johnson Jr.; 6. 88-Montgomery; 7. 1Z-Zdroik; 8. 65-Gasperini; 9. 8-Boettcher; 10. 16-Dickman; 11. 33-Gryczkowski

WISSOTA AMSOIL Dirt Track Series Street Stocks

Heat: 1. 11- John Johnson Sr.; 2. 23-Kevin Maulson Jr.; 3. 1-Fritz Scharf; 4. 21-Jeff Klopstein; 5. 3-Jake Mullins; 6. 8-Ron Van Dusen; 7. A8-Bill Froehlich; 8. 78-Dennis Lacrosse; 9. 101-Leif Gunderson

Feature: 1. 21-Klopstein; 2. 1-Scharf; 3. 78-Lacrosse; 4. A8-Froehlich; 5. 8-Van Dusen; 6. 23M-Maulson Jr.; 7. 11-Johnson Sr.; 8. 3-Mullins; 9. 101-Gunderson

TNT Bombers

Heat 1: 1. 97-Travis Friske; 2. 28-Lee Bradley; 3. 04-Jeff Fannin; 4. 17-Tim Miller; 5. 4-Jesse Votis; 6. 33-Mike Terry

Heat 2: 1. 190-Ben Pitlik; 2. 81-Dan Melton; 3. 01-Austyn Booth; 4. 21-Denny Tushoski; 5. 18-Mike Bukovic

Feature: 1. 28-Bradley; 2. 21-Tushoski; 3. 4-Votis; 4. 04-Fannin; 5. 97-Friske; 6. 01-Booth; 7. 81-D. Melton; 8. 190-Pitlik; 9. 33-Terry; 10. 17-T. Miller; 11. 18-Bukovic

TNT Stingers

Heat 1: 1. 32-Phil Malouf; 2. 26B-Brit Bromann; 3. 31-Richard Barlowski; 4. 44-Fred Feger; 5. 9-Logan Lannet

Heat 2: 1. 27-Bill Martin; 2. 81M-Steve Melton; 3. 47-Brandon Miller; 4. 2-Brandon Ross; 5. 818-Travis Smith

Feature: 1. 2-Ross; 2. 26B-Bromann; 3. 27-Martin; 4. 32-Malouf; 5. 31-Barlowski; 6. 47-B. Miller; 7. 44-Feger; 8. 9-Lannet; 9. 81M-S. Melton; 10. 818-Smith

ASCI Trucks

Heat: 1. 8-Sean Thayer; 2. 11P-Josh Peterson; 3. 15-Forrest Crandall; 4. 26-Dusty Brandt; 5. 1X-Ton Fleischman; 6. 3-Tim Rose

Feature: 1. 8-Thayer; 2. 11P-Peterson; 3. 26-Brandt; 4. 1X-Fleischman; 5. 15-Crandall; 6. 3-Rose