TNT SPEEDWAY

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

THREE LAKES – Jason Zdroik was up to his old tricks again, toying with the field for a while before asserting his strength and notching yet another feature win at TNT Speedway in the WISSOTA AMSOIL Dirt Track Series Midwest Modifieds. The Eagle River driver took the lead with six laps to go and held off Chad Boettcher for the win Saturday on WRJO/NAPA of Rhinelander Night at the track. 2007 TNT WISSOTA Street Stock Champion Tom Waara of Lake Linden, Michigan took the win in that class. Lee Bradley of Crandon and Antigo’s Shawn Depies picked up win number two of the season in Bombers and the Stingers, respectively.

Zdroik was in the process of passing polesitter Terry Stebbeds for the lead with six laps to go, when Bill Gryczkowski spun in the back of the pack, bringing out a yellow on lap 14. On the restart, Zdroik blew by and pulled away. Chad Boettcher, the man who beat Zdroik last week, passed Stebbeds for second and got to Zdroik’s back bumper bar when the yellow flew with five laps left for a spin involving Clay Montgomery. But unlike last Sunday, Zdroik had too much car for Boettcher. He pulled away on the final restart and notched his fourth feature in of the season at TNT in just five races. Boettcher, Bruce Belland, Jeff McDonald and Dennis Mikkelson rounded out the top five. Stebbeds suffered mechanical problems on the final restart and fell to tenth.

Baraga’s Jeff Klopstein was in position to inherit the point lead after Jordan Kurtti did not show on Saturday. While Kurtti was a no-show, Klopstein’s distributor problems returned. Klopstein had a straightaway lead with seven laps to go when his car began to sputter and misfire badly. It was the second straight week that Klopstein had distributor problems knock him out of the race while leading. That handed the lead to Waara who led the final seven laps to notched his first feature win of the season in his first start of the year at TNT. John Johnson finished second, followed by Fritz Scharf. The four-time TNT Street Stock champ has now become a serious contender for a fifth, snatching the point lead from Klopstein by a single point.

Half the field meant half the mayhem in the TNT Bombers on Saturday. After 16 cars crashed and bashed last Sunday, one driver remarked that he was entering the “demolition derby” class when he signed in Saturday. But things were a lot more tranquil this time around. Lee Bradley led flag-to-flag for his second feature win of the season. There was only one caution on the night as Ben Pitlik spun Jeff Fannin with five laps to go. Fannin, who was given his spot back, finished second followed by Denny Tushoski. But it was Rhinelander’s Tushoski, on the strength of a heat race win, who broke the tie with Fannin at the top of the Bomber points and now enjoys a one-point lead.

Depies took the lead from Richard Barlowski at the halfway point of the Stinger feature and led the final eight laps for his second win of the season. The battle won up being for second as Barlowski got the best of a three-wide battle and held on to the runner-up spot. Bill Martin finished third and maintained a seven-point lead over Depies. Brit Bromann finished fourth.

Racing continues next Saturday at TNT Speedway, sponsored by Miller Beer of the Northwoods. Also fans, mark your calendars for July 25 when motorcycle racing returns to the high banks as the Badger Racing Association joins the WISSOTA Midwest Mods and Street Stocks, and the TNT Bombers and Stingers. As always, Hot Laps will start at 7:00 PM, with racing at 7:45.

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RESULTS: TNT Speedway – Saturday, July 11, 2009

WISSOTA AMSOIL Dirt Track Series Street Stocks

Heat: 1. 23M-Matt Cleary; 2. 1-Fritz Scharf; 3. 101-Leif Gunderson; 4. 21-Jeff Klopstein; 5. 11-John Johnson Sr.; 6. 06-Tom Waara; 7. 3-Jake Mullins; 8. 8-Ron Van Dusen

Feature: 1. 06-Waara; 2. 11-Johnson Sr.; 3. 1-Scharf; 4. 23M-Cleary; 5. 101-Gunderson; 6. 8-Van Dusen; 7. 3-Mullins; 8. 21-Klopstein

TNT Bombers

Heat: 1. 21-Denny Tushoski; 2. 190-Ben Pitlik; 3. 04-Jeff Fannin; 4. 81-Dan Melton; 5. 28-Lee Bradley; 6. 23-Devin Wilson; 7. 01Z-Ron Reese; 8. 189-Wilton McGhee

Feature: 1. 28-Bradley; 2. 04-Fannin; 3. 21-Tushoski; 4. 81-Melton; 5. 190-Pitlik; 6. 01Z-Reese; 7. 23-Wilson; 8. 189-McGhee

WISSOTA AMSOIL Dirt Track Series Midwest Modifieds

Heat 1: 1. 1Z-Jason Zdroik; 2. 8-Chad Boettcher; 3. 7-Joe Kin; 4. 13R-Will Roffers; 5. 41-Dennis Mikkelson; 6. 22-Charlie Jackson; 7. 88-Clay Montgomery

Heat 2: 1. 52-Terry Stebbeds; 2. 22B-Bruce Belland; 3. 7M-Jeff McDonald; 4. 11-John Johnson Jr.; 5. 33-Bill Gryczkowski; 6. 17-Dave Williams; 7. 65-Larry Gasperini

Feature: 1. 1Z-Zdroik; 2. 8-Boettcher; 3. 22B-Belland; 4. 7M-McDonald; 5. 41-Mikkelson; 6. 22-Jackson; 7. 17-Williams; 8. 88-Montgomery; 9. 7-Kin; 10. 52-Stebbeds; 11. 33-Gryczkowski; 12. 11-Johnson Jr.; 13. 13R-Roffers; 14. 65-Gasperini

TNT Stingers

Heat 1: 1. 27-Bill Martin; 2. 31-Richard Barlwoski; 3. 2-Brandon Ross; 4. 75-Cory Dickman; 5. 26B-Brit Bromann; 6. 70-Mike Bocek

Heat 2: 1. 13X-Shawn Depies; 2. 9-Logan Lannet; 3. 44C-Carl Feger; 4. 18-Bobby Sheldon

Feature: 1. 13X-Depies; 2. 31-Barlowski; 3. 27-Martin; 4. 26B-Bromann; 5. 18-Sheldon; 6. 75-Dickman; 7. 44-Fred Feger; 8. 70-Bocek; 9. 9-Lannet; 10. 2-Ross