TNT SPEEDWAY

Jeremy Mayo
Editor-in-Chief, HodagSports.com

THREE LAKES, WI – It’s been three weeks, but it was worth the wait for the fans, and the drivers. After rain washed out the last two races, TNT was back and better than ever on a glorious Saturday night in Three Lakes.  It was especially worth the wait for Bruce Crossing, Michigan’s Jordan Kurtti who won his second straight feature at TNT Speedway in the WISSOTA Street Stocks. Meanwhile Jason Zdroik of Eagle River continued his WISSOTA Midwest Mod dominance. Mike Bukovic of Hiles, Wisconsin took the win in the TNT Bombers and Shawn Depies of Antigo came out on top of a frantic final lap scramble in the TNT Stingers.

It wasn’t an easy night for Kurtti, who missed the pre-race draw and had to start his heat race in the back. He finished fifth in the heat, staring at Jeff Klopstein’s back bumper for much of the race. During the feature, Kurrti had Klopstein’s front bumper burned into his vision.  The Baraga, Michigan driver hounded Kurtti from the third lap of the 20-lap A-Main on. Kurtti, who car seemed better on the short run pulled two car lengths on Klopstein on restarts on laps six and 12. Each time, Klopstein crawled right back.  But as the adage goes, catching a driver is one thing, passing him is another.  That’s the problem Klopstein ran into. Twice in the final five laps, Klopstein put a fender to the inside, but he could never make the move stick. Ron Van Dusen, John Johnson and heat race winner Fritz Scharf rounded out the top five.

Jason Zdroik has owned Northern Wisconsin’s racetracks with a total of 12 feature wins in 13 starts this season combined at TNT, Eagle River Speedway and Tomahawk Speedway. He put the latest feature feather in his cap with another pasting of the WISSOTA Midwest Mod Field on Saturday Night.  Zdroik’s high point average put him eighth on the starting grid and he had to show patience moving up through the field. He was tempted to make a four-wide move on the second lap, but backed off. Instead he slowly picked cars off one at a time until he reached second by lap eight.  By lap 11, Zdroik disposed of Chad Boettcher for the lead and was gone again, claiming his third feature win in three starts at TNT. Boettcher, John Johnson, Jr., Joe Kin and Terry Stebbeds completed the top five.

Mike Bukovic picked up his first win of the season at TNT in dominant fashion, leading all 15 laps in a race that featured only one caution. Lee Bradley passed Jeff Fannin for second late in the going. Fannin held off Ben Pitlik and Denny Tushoski, who went three-wide under the checkered flag for third, fourth and fifth. 

Bukovic was nearly joined in the first time winner’s club by Rhinelander’s John Barlowski, who kept Antigo’s Shawn Depies at bay for 14 laps in the TNT Stinger Feature. Logan Lannett, Bill Martin and Brit Bromann joined the battle in the final laps.  Unfortunately for Barlowski, the Stinger Feature was 15 laps. He cut down a right front tire less than a lap from a finish, making the race for the win a mad dash. Depies took the win, in front of a closing Martin, who extended his point lead. Lannet took third followed by Bromann. Barlowski wound up sixth.

TNT Speedway welcomes the Supertrucks form Langlade Country Speedway in Antigo back to the Three Lakes high-banks on Saturday, June 26 on Snap-On Tools Night at the track. Hot Laps begin at 7:00 PM, with racing at 7:45.

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RESULTS: TNT Speedway – Saturday, June 20, 2009

WISSOTA Midwest Modifies

Heat 1: 1. 41-Dennis Mikkelson; 2. 11-John Johnson, Jr.; 3. 8-Chad Boettcher; 4. 33-Bill Gryczkowski; 5. 88-Clay Montgomery; 6. 52-Terry Stebbeds

Heat 2: 1. 1Z-Jason Zdroik; 2. 7M-Jeff McDonald; 3. 7-Joe Kin; 4. 25-Jesse Aho; 5. 22B-Bruce Belland

Feature: 1. 1Z-Zdroik; 2. 8-Boettcher; 3. 11-Johnson, Jr.; 4. 7-Kin; 5. 52-Stebbeds; 6. 22B-Belland; 7. 7M-McDonald; 8. 25-Aho; 9. 41-Mikkelson

WISSOTA Street Stocks

Heat: 1. 1-Fritz Scharf; 2. 11-John Johnson, Sr.; 3. 21-Jeff Klopstein; 4. 101-Leif Gunderson; 5. 26-Jordan Kurtti; 6. 8-Ron Van Dusen; 7. 3-Jake Mullins

Feature: 1. 26-Kurtti; 2. 21-Klopstein; 3. 8-Van Dusen; 4. 11-Johnson, Sr.; 5. 1-Scharf; 6. 101-Gunderosn; 7. 3-Mullins

TNT Bombers

Heat 1: 1. 21-Denny Tushoski; 2. 04-Jeff Fannin; 3. 01-C.J. Hedges, Jr.; 4. 28-Lee Bradley; 5. C1-Bryan Edwards; 6. 01Z-Ron Reese; 7. 7-Kevin Bauer

Heat 2: 1. 4-Jesse Votis; 2. 321-Travis Juedes; 3. 190-Ben Pitlik; 4. 18-Mike Bukovic; 5. 81-Dan Melton; 6. 88-John Jarrett, Jr.

Feature: 1. 18-Bukovic; 2. 28-Bradley; 3. 04-Fannin; 4. 190-Pitlik; 5. 21-Tushoski; 6. 321-Juedes; 7. 81-Melton; 8. C1-Edwards; 9. 4-Votis; 10. 01-Hedges; 11. 88-Jarrett; 12. 01Z-Reese; 13. 7-Bauer

TNT Stingers

Heat 1: 1. 27-Bill Martin; 2. 97-Leo Nippa; 3. 44-Fred Feger; 4. 9-Logan Lannet; 5. 44C-Carl Feger; 6. 70-Mike Bocek; 7. 30V-Nick Visser

Heat 2: 1. 26B-Brit Bromann; 2. 18-Bobby Sheldon; 3. 31-Richard Barlowski; 4. 13X-Shawn Depies; 5. 2-Brandon Ross; 6. 37-Joe LaFreniere

Feature: 1. 13X-Depies; 2. 27-Martin; 3. 9-Lannet; 4. 26B-Bromann; 5. 2-Ross; 6. 31-Barlowski; 7. 44C-C. Feger; 8. 37-LaFreniere; 9. 30V-Visser; 10. 44-F. Feger; 11. 97-Nippa; 12. 18-Sheldon