TNT SPEEDWAY

Jeremy Mayo
Editor-in-Chief, HodagSports.com

THREE LAKES – Snap-on Tools night saw a little bit of everything on Sunday at TNT Speedway in Three Lakes. There was a thrilling finish in the WISSOTA Midwest Mods, a sweep by one of WISSOTA’s best in the Street Stocks, and first time winners in the Bombers and Stingers.  St. Germain’s Chad Boettcher passed Jason Zdroik on the outside to become the first driver, not named Zdroik, to win a Mod feature this year at TNT Speedway. John Kallas from Hurley, WI scored his second feature win in as many nights in the Street Stocks. Ben Pitlik of Sugar Camp and Brandon Ross of Bruce Crossing, Michigan took home their first career TNT features in the Bombers and Stingers respectively.

Zdroik looked poised to make it 4-for-4 to start the season at Three Lakes. After starting eighth, Zdroik picked his way through the field and passed Bruce Belland for the lead on lap 12. Chad Boettcher, who started along side Zdroik in the fourth row, was picking his way through the field as well.  By lap 14, Boettcher passed Belland for second and began to reel in Zdroik. A caution for a Charlie Jackson spin on lap 18 put the battle on hold for a moment, but when the green flag came out again, the fight for the win was on.  Zdroik held the low line, forcing Boettcher to make a pass on the outside. Boettcher did just that, pulling alongside as the white flag flew. Boettcher inched in front through turns one and two, but Zdroik made one more push on the inside in the final corners. At the line it was Boettcher by three feet over Zdroik. Belland finished third followed by Dennis Mikkelson and Will Roffers.

John Kallas, who sits 21^st in WISSOTA National Points and 2^nd in Wisconsin State Points, will certainly see a jump in his standings following a nearly perfect 4^th of July weekend. Kallas finished second in Tomahawk on Friday night, won at ABC Raceway in Ashland Saturday night and followed up with a win at TNT in his first start of the season Sunday.  Kallas inherited the lead on lap nine when Jeff Klopstein’s car slowed with distributor problems. Kallas cruised the final 12 laps for the win. Cliff Houle came home second, followed by Kevin Maulson Jr. and Fritz Scharf. Track point leader Jordan Kurtti dealt with power steering issues but still finished fifth and extended his lead to seven points over Klopstein.

Ben Pitlik started the TNT Bomber feature from the pole. That proved to be the only safe place in a 16-car main event. After three fairly clean races to start the season, the Bombers truly returned to their crash and bash form on a full moon Sunday night. Eight cautions cut the race short by three laps due to the time limit.  Six cautions in the first six laps of the race kept the drivers from getting into any rhythm. Once the drivers were able to string some green flag laps together, Pitlik was able to maintain a lead over Joe Wolfe and Denny Tushoski. Caution flew again with on lap 13 for a spin involving Jesse Votis. With the 20-minute time limit expired, the caution set up a green-white-checkered finish.  That two-lap dash never really developed though. Caution was given to the field right after the white flag flew for debris in turn one handing Pitlik his first TNT feature win. Wolfe took second followed by Tushoski, Jeff Fannin and Wayne Nylund.

Brandon Ross claimed his first TNT Feature win in dominating fashion in the Stingers. Ross led the final 13 laps of the main event. Phil Malouf, 2003 champion at Eagle River Speedway, made a rare start at TNT and passed Shawn Depies for second on the final lap. Bill Martin and John Aschenbrenner completed the top five.

TNT Speedway goes back to its customary Saturday time slot next week with racing sponsored by NAPA of Rhinelander and 94.5 FM WRJOldies. Hot Laps begin at 7:00 PM, with racing at 7:45.

RESULTS: TNT Speedway – Sunday, July 5, 2009

WISSOTA Amsoil Dirt Track Series Midwest Modifieds

Heat 1: 1. 1Z-Jason Zdroik; 2. 25-Jesse Aho; 3. 8-Chad Boettcher; 4. 52-Terry Stebbeds; 5. 22-Charlie Jackson; 6. 11-John Johnson Jr.

Heat 2: 1. 22B-Bruce Belland; 2. 7-Joe Kin; 3. 41-Dennis Mikkelson; 4. 88-Clay Montgomery; 5. 13R-Will Roffers

Feature: 1. 8-Boettcher; 2. 1Z-Zdroik; 3. 22B-Belland; 4. 41-Mikkelson; 5. 13R-Roffers; 6. 25-Aho; 7. 52-Stebbeds; 8. 22-Jackson; 9. 7-Kin; 10. 11-Johnson Jr.; 11. 88-Montgomery

WISSOTA Amsoil Dirt Track Series Street Stocks

Heat 1: 74-Cliff Houle; 2. 26-Jordan Kurtti; 3. 21-Jeff Klopstein; 4. 1-Fritz Scharf; 5. 3-Jake Mullins

Heat 2: 1. 99-John Kallas; 2. 8-Ron Van Dusen; 3. 23M-Kevin Maulson Jr.; 4. 11-John Johnson Sr.; 5. 101-Leif Gunderson

Feature: 1. 99-Kallas; 2. 74-Houle; 3. 23M-Maulson Jr.; 4. 1-Scharf; 5. 26-Kurtti; 6. 8-Van Dusen; 7. 11-Johnson Sr.; 8. 101-Gunderson; 9. 21-Klopstein; 10. 3-Mullins

TNT Bombers

Heat 1: 1. 04-Jeff Fannin; 2. 50-Al Dantes; 3. 11-K.J. Fox; 4. 95-Kevin Hartman; 5. 01Z-Dennis Lacrosse; 6. 16-Scott Johnson

Heat 2: 1. 57-Wayne Nylund; 2. 21-Denny Tushoski; 3. 8W-Joe Wolfe; 4. 32-Jesse Collins; 5. 18-Mike Bukovic

Heat 3: 1. 190-Ben Pitlik; 2. 28-Lee Bradley; 3. 4-Jesse Votis; 4. 81-Dan Melton; 5. 7-Kevin Bauer

Feature: 1. 190-Pitlik; 2. 8W-Wolfe; 3. 21-Tushoski; 4. 04-Fannin; 5. 57-Nylund; 6. 11-Fox; 7. 50-Dantes; 8. 95-Hartman; 9. 32-Collins; 10. 28-Bradley; 11. 16-S. Johnson.; 12. 4-Votis; 13. 18-Bukovic; 14. 7-Bauer; 15. 81-Melton; 16. 01Z-Lacrosse

TNT Stingers

Heat 1: 1. 13-John Barlowski; 2. 44-Fred Feger; 3. 44C-Jim Gryczkowski; 4. 70-Mike Bocek; 5. 26B-Brit Bromann; 6. 97-Leo Nippa; 7. 32-Phil Malouf

Heat 2: 1. 2-Brandon Ross; 2. 13X-Shawn Depies; 3. 27-Bill Martin; 4. 4-John Aschenbrenner; 5. 30V-Nick Visser; 6. 31-Richard Barlowski; 7. 9-Logan Lannet

Feature: 1. 2-Ross; 2. 32-Malouf; 3. 13X-Depies; 4. 27-Martin; 5. 4-Aschenbrenner; 6. 9-Lannet; 7. 26B-Bromann; 8. 44-Feger; 9. 97-Nippa; 10. 30V-Visser; 11. 44C-Gryczkowski; 12. 13-J. Barlowski; 13. 31-R. Barlowski