TNT SPEEDWAY

 Jeremy Mayo
Editor-in-Chief, HodagSports.com

THREE LAKES, WI – Jason Zdroik has left little doubt as to who had the machine to beat in the WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds at TNT Speedway. The Eagle River driver put a hurting on the field in the feature Saturday, winning his second in a row to start the season.  He was the only repeat winner at the high-banks. Jordan Kurtti of Bruce Crossing, Michigan returned to championship form in the WISSORA Street Stocks. Crandon’s Jesse Votis notched his first win in the TNT Bombers and Bruce Crossing’s Shane Johnson won in his first start of the season in the TNT Stingers.

Zdroik started fifth in the feature and needed only five and a half laps to work his way past Chad Boettcher for the lead. From there, the only thing that kept him from a major margin of victory was a caution that came out with three laps to go. Still, Zdroik took any drama out of a three-lap dash, pulling away from Boettcher and Bruce Belland on the restart for the win. Joe Kin and John Johnson, Jr. rounded out the top five.

For the second straight week Jordan Kurtti was passed for the win on the final lap of his heat race. Kurtti came into the feature wanting to prove he was still TNT’s top dog.  He ascended to the lead on lap nine, passing John Johnson, who spun moments later with a flat right rear tire.  Kurtti’s main rival was Baraga, Michigan’s Jeff Klopstein, who pulled off the last lap pass in the heat. But Kurtti’s big advantage came on the restarts, which there were several of in a caution-riddled feature.  Kurtti consistently pulled three to four car lengths once the green flag flew every time, including the final restart on lap 19 as he claimed his first win of 2009. Klopstein finished second. Leif Gunderson finished third in his second Street Stock start at TNT. Ron Van Dusen and Fritz Scharf completed the top five.

Votis scored a breakthrough win in the TNT Bombers. Votis was dialed in on Saturday, moving from fifth starting spot to the lead in just two laps. Jeff Fannin, who he passed for the lead stayed close and closed to within a half of a car length on the final lap, but had to settle for second. Mike Bukovic, last week’s winner Lee Bradley and Denny Tushoski rounded out the top five.  Curiously enough there was only one caution in the Bomber feature on Saturday after a caution-free feature in the opener. It didn’t appear it was going to be that way during the heats. Ben Pitlik and Dan Melton took each other out with contact battling for the top spot in heat one.  Bradley was penalized for aggressive driving in a final lap attempt to pass Denny Tushoski for the win in heat two. Tushoski hit the wall on the front stretch, came back down the stretch and hit the side of Mike Bukovic, ripping virtually all of the right side sheet metal off of Bukovic’s car.

 Shane Johnson led the final 12 laps of the TNT Stinger feature in his first Three Lakes victory. He beat Bill Martin by nearly a full straightaway. Logan Lannet was third followed by Brandon Ross and David Scott. Last week’s feature winner Nick Visser suffered tired problems and finished tenth.

Racing resumes next Saturday night at TNT Speedway with the WISSOTA Midwest Mods, WISSOTA Street Stocks, TNT Bombers and TNT Stingers back on the high-banked third-mile clay oval. Hot Laps begin at 7:00 PM, with racing at 7:45.

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RESULTS: TNT Speedway – Saturday, May 30, 2009

WISSOTA Midwest Mods

Heat 1: 1. 1Z-Jason Zdroik; 2. 22B-Bruce Belland; 3. 7M-Jeff McDonald; 4. 33-Bill Gryczkowski; 5. 52-Terry Stebbeds

Heat 2: 1. 8-Chad Boettcher; 2. 7-Joe Kin; 3. 41-Dennis Mikkelson; 4. 11-John Johnson, Jr.; DQ 7D-Charlie Derickson (did not scale)

Feature: 1. 1Z-Zdroik; 2. 8-Boettcher; 3. 22B-Belland; 4. 7-Kin; 5. 11-Johnson, Jr.; 6. 41-Mikkelson; 7. 7D-Derickson; 8. 33-Gryczkowski

WISSOTA Street Stocks

Heat: 1. 21-Jeff Klopstein; 2. 26-Jordan Kurtti; 3. 11-John Johnson, Sr.; 4. 44-Dave Dishaw; 5. 1-Fritz Scharf; 6. 8-Ron Van Dusen; 7. 101-Leif Gunderson; 8. A8-Bill Froehlich; 9. 3-Jake Mullins

Feature: 1. 26-Kurtti; 2. 21-Klopstein; 3. 101-Gunderson; 4. 8-Van Dusen; 5. 1-Scharf; 6. A8-Froehlich; 7. 44-Dishaw; 8. 11-Johnson, Sr.; 9. 3-Mullins

TNT Bombers

Heat 1: 1. 04-Jeff Fannin; 2. 95-Kevin Hartman; 3. C1-Bryan Edwards; 4. 190-Ben Pitlik; 5. 81-Dan Melton

Heat 2: 1. 21-Denny Tushoski; 2. 18-Mike Bukovic; 3. 4-Jesse Votis; 4. 28-Lee Bradley

Feature: 1. 4-Votis; 2. 04-Fannin; 3. 18-Bukovic; 4. 28-Bradley; 5. 21-Tushoski; 6. 190-Pitlik; 7. 95-Hartman; 8. C1-Edwards

TNT Stingers

Heat 1: 1. 97-Leo Nippa; 2. 31S-David Scott; 3. 13X-Shawn Depies; 4. 44-Fred Feger; 5. 13-John Barlowski; 6. 8-Randy Charbarneau

Heat 2: 1. 30V-Nick Visser; 2. 27-Bill Martin; 3. 97J-Shane Johnson; 4. 2-Brandon Ross; 5. 9-Logan Lannet; 6. 31-Richard Barlowski

Feature: 1. 97J-S. Johnson; 2. 27-Martin; 3. 9-Lannet; 4. 2-Ross; 5. 31S-Scott; 6. 8-Charbarneau; 7. 13-J. Barlowski; 8. 44-Feger; 9. 13X-Depies; 10. 30V-Visser; 11. 31-R. Barlwoski