Lonnie Leu Memorial Champions Crowned at Eagle Valley Speedway By Gene Harmelink
Jim Falls, WI Sep 04, 2008 - On Sunday, August 31, Eagle Valley Speedway near Jim Falls, WI, held the Seventh Annual Lonnie Leu Memorial Race, sponsored by Southworth Chevrolet, honoring fallen Super Stock driver, Lonnie Leu.
New champions were crowned in every division this year, as none of the past champions were successful in defending their crowns. Mike Anderson of Colfax is the new Modified Champion, Aaron Wilson is the new champ in Super Stocks, Matt Leer wears the crown in Midwest Modifieds, Tommy Richards is the new champion in Street Stocks, Danny Richards reigns supreme in Tomahawk Pure Stocks, and Mark Ryskoski is the new Hornet Champion.
WISSOTA/Amsoil Modified action began with Steve Lavasseur and Mike Anderson on the front row. Anderson quickly charged to the lead with Lavasseur following closely behind. As lap two completed, Anderson continued to lead, but Kevin Adams, who had started fourth, passed Lavasseur to take second, as Dan Hesch ran fourth, and Bryan Nayes, who had started seventh, ran fifth.
A series of three cautions occurred after the completion of lap four, resulting in the loss of the cars of Dan Hesch and Paul Niznik for the night, both in separate incidents. When racing resumed, Anderson again led, with Adams ready for the challenge in second. Tony Bahr, who had started eighth, took advantage of the restarts and moved into third, while Nayes moved into fourth, and Mark Hanson moved into fifth after starting sixth.
Anderson received several challenges for the lead from Adams, but Anderson just had too much car on Sunday night and came home the winner, getting his seventh feature win of the year. Adams settled for second, Bahr for third, Nayes for fourth, and Keith Tourville, who had inherited fifth when Hanson pulled off after lap eleven, finished fifth.
In WISSOTA/Amsoil Super Stock action, Shane Kisling and Steve Hallquist made up the front row for the start of the Super Stock feature. Kisling was off to a quick start, with Eric Olson, who had started third, charging into second. Kisling and Olson ran first and second for the first four laps and then Halquist reclaimed second, dropping Olson to third. Aaron Wilson, who had started fifth, moved into fourth and Steve Keller, who had started seventh,
replaced Jeff Dregney, who had started fourth, in the fifth spot.
By mid-race, Kisling continued to lead. Hallquist ran second, Wilson ran third, Keller was fourth, and Olson dropped to fifth. The third caution of the night occurred after lap fifteen when Rich Bishop, who had moved up to fifth, slowed in the front stretch with a flat right rear tire. Bishop went to the pits and did not return.
When racing resumed, Kisling again was in the lead with Keller shooting into second and Wilson running third. It was during lap nineteen that Keller made a move on Kisling for the lead and got the lead, dropping Kisling to second. During the checkered flag lap, Kisling tried to regain the lead, but in his attempt to pass Keller, the two cars tangled and both went into the turn-four wall, leaving a giant opening for Wilson to pass and take the win. Both Kisling and Keller remained in turn four as the rest of the field passed them by. Wilson was credited with the win, Hallquist was second, Olson third, Mark Stender, who had started fifth, was credited with fourth, and Lance Leu finished fifth after starting ninth.
In WISSOTA/Amsoil Midwest Modified action, Shane Halopka and Wayne Dean led the
field to the green. It was Matt Leer, though, who had started fourth, who would be
the early race leader. A caution after lap one occurred when Halopka spun in turn
four and was sent to the back.
Once racing resumed, Leer again assumed the lead, with Dean running a strong second.
Another caution was called by race officials after lap three, when they stopped the
car of Jesse Glenz as his car experienced a safety problem and was sent to the pits.
Leer again led after the completion of lap four with Dean once again in second,
Mark Geth, who had started sixth moved up to third, while Michael Truscott, who had
started eighth picked his way through traffic to take fourth, and Dan Wheeler, who
had started twelfth, ran fifth.
Midway through the feature, Leer still was in the lead, Gerth had moved into second,
Dean fell to third, Truscott continued to run fourth, and Wheeler continued to run
fifth. The top five at the end of the race were: Leer taking the win, Gerth in
second, Truscott in third after passing Dean during lap ten, Dean in fourth, and
Wheeler in fifth.
With just five WISSOTA/Amsoil cars coming to the flag stand for their feature, it
probably didn't look like it was going to be much of a race to most people , but the
five cars were evenly matched, at least for the first half of the feature.
Gary Kasperek and Adam Soltis led the field to the green with Tommy Richards, who
had started third, off to a quick lead by the end of lap one. Jay Kesan edged out
Kasperek and Soltis to take second.
As Richards continued to lead, there was shuffling going on in the field, resulting
in the field eventually settling down to a mid-race order of: Richards, Kesan,
Clark Swartz, who had started fifth, Kasperek, and Soltis. Soltis dropped out of
the race with five laps to go leaving Richards, Swartz, Kesan, and Kasperek to
battle for the top spot and as it turned out, that was the order of the finish.
Eagle Valley Pure Stock action saw the father and son team of Wojcik & Wojcik on
front row with Jerry Wojcik, the dad, who hadn't raced for two years, piloting the
car of his son, Nick, on the pole, while his son, Doug, was on the outside of the
front row. It was Danny Richards, going for his 26th win of the year, who would
steal the show, leading all twelve of the feature laps.
With Danny Richards in the lead, all the rest of the field could do was watch and
hope for a rare miscue by Richards. That miscue never occurred and Richards went on
for the win with Doug Wojcik taking second, C. J. Waggner, who had started seventh,
finished third, George Richards, who appeared to have taken second, but was docked
two spots for jumping the start, in fourth, and Mike Knudtson, who had started
ninth, in fifth. Jerry Wojcik settled for sixth and was darn happy to have
survived!
Eagle Valley Hornet action was fast and furious for the early part of the feature, with Duke Leu and Mackenzie Olson on the front row. It was Mackenzie Olson in her sister's old turbo car who would take the early lead with Rocky Kempe, who had started fourth, giving chase along with the cars of Mark Ryskoski, who had started sixth, and Brittany Olson, who had started fifth joining in the fun.
Too much fun resulted in an early race caution prior to the completion of lap two when Kempe, Mackenzie Olson, and Brittany Olson got together in the backstretch. The entanglement resulted in the cars of Mackenzie Olson and Kempe going off on the hook.
Once racing resumed Ryskoski , who had inherited the lead, led the remainder of the feature with Brittany Olson doing all she could to get up to Ryskoski to challenge. In the end, it was Ryskoski with the win followed by Brittany Olson, Brandon Gleiter, who had started seventh, Travis Anderson, who had started eighth, and Jason Gaylord, who had started third.
This race marked the end of the 2008 racing season. Thanks to all the racers, fans, and sponsors who made 2008 a successful one for Eagle Valley Speedway!
