By: Paul Reichert July 24, 2020
A warm summer night welcomed another fantastic race crowd to Tomah-Sparta Speedway to witness some of the most exciting racing that has not been seen in quite some time at ‘Daytomah’. The night was filled with a crazy and unbelievable finish to one feature, a first time visitor from Rockford nearly winning another feature and a driver’s return to TACU Credit Union Victory Lane in another feature. The highlight of the evening was Jordan Finch getting around Amelia Marshall late in the Hornet feature to score her inaugural feature win.
Last year’s Hornet rookie champ Amelia Marshall took the lead at the start of their feature. For the first ten laps of the race, Marshall was doing everything she could to hold back the field while maintaining the lead. Marshall’s biggest challenger for the lead was Jordan Finch, who battled with Marshall on the outside groove. The likes of Paul Finch, Bryan Wallace and Scott Mahlum were all looking for an opening to get around both cars, but never got that chance to go for the top spot. As the field was coming up on the slower car of Ryan Premo, Marshall may have checked up with Premo in her lane. That allowed Finch to power past Marshall to take over the race lead with four laps to go . Paul Finch moved to the outside to get around Marshall for second with three laps remaining. Jordan kept Paul in her rear view mirror over the final few laps to go from a DNF late in last week’s feature to scoring her first ever feature win this week.
Derrin Salo bolted to the lead at the start of the Twisted Tea Modified feature. Veteran Elko racer Brent ‘Freight Train’ Kane debuted his new modified race car and he was trying to keep pace with Salo in the early laps. As Salo began pulling away, Nick Quinnell was catching Kane. Quinnell looked high and then low several times to try to get around Kane, but Quinnell was unable to get that opportunity to pass Kane for second. It was also a night of struggle for reigning track champ Brad Wildes. ‘The Wild Man’ was struggling to keep pace with the field all night long. However, it was not the usual pace he has had that always gets him to the front. Back up front, Salo was unstoppable this night as he claimed his third checkered flag of the season.
Making his first ever visit to Tomah, Rockford regular Cody Houseweart took the lead early on in the Coors Light Sportsmen feature. As Houseweart began to open up his advantage on the field, defending track champ David Borntrager and Jake Schiller were making their way to the front. They got up to second and third by lap four and tried to close the gap on Houseweart. Borntrager ran wide in turn four on lap seven, allowing Schiller to dive under Borntrager for second. Both drivers again worked together to catch Houseweart over the next several laps. Schiller moved to the outside with three laps to go and powered his way around Houseweart to take over the top spot. Houseweart got very loose in turn three, allowing Borntrager and Mark Challet to drop Houseweart back to fourth. Schiller lef tthe field in his dust down the stretch to score his second win of the year.
It was a sibling rivalry at the start of the Hobby Stock feature as Kyle Lockington got around sister Shelby for the lead. Elko racer Ben Gannon took second on lap three and quickly began to catch up to Lockington. Gannon power his way around Lockington for the lead on lap seven. The yellow flew a lap later when Alex Rud, Aaron Hendricks and Mark Challet tangled coming out of turn two. Rud spun out and Hendricks suffered a flat tire as a result. On the restart, Brandon Riedner charged by Gannon to assume control of the race. Andy Moore got around Gannon for second, and the battle was on once again. Just like a month ago, Riedner and Moore battled tooth and nail for the lead over the final six laps. In the end, the same result occurred as Riedner held off Moore to score his second win of the year and proudly rang the Victory Bell.
Tim Murphy, Sr. took the lead at the start of the TACU Credit Union Six Shooters feature. While the other drivers were battling with each other, Murphy, Sr. opened up his lead. One driver that was making big strides to get to the lead was Tristan Drazkowski. ‘Draz Jr.’ was on a rail using the outside groove to make his way to the front. Depsite a yellow flag for debris on the back straight on lap nine, that would not slow down Drazkowski’s charge to the front. A lap after the restart, Drazkowski used the outside lane again to power by Murphy, Sr. and into the top spot. Two laps later, Dan Frye wrestled second away from Murphy, Sr. Frye would not be able to make a late charge to the front this night as Drazkowski powered his way to the victory.
After suffering with a mechanical issue in his heat race, Dawsynn Richmond took the lead early on in the High School Racing Association feature. Monica Stuber lost a wheel bearing and hit the turn four wall hard on lap three. Stuber was a little shaken up, but was okay after taking that hard shot. Mitchell Berg tried to pass Richmond for the lead on lap seven, but things got a bit rough between those two drivers. They tangled down the back straight and Berg spun out in turn three. Ashton Kinsey took over the lead on the restart, but Berg was quickly on the move back to the front. Berg got around Kinsey with two to go, but things got real interesting coming to the finish. Berg and Kinsey tangled, while Richmond and Joey Miller got mixed up with each other. Berg was the first to get back on the gas after that mayhem to win a wild ending to their feature.
Action continues next Friday, July 31 with the Tim Myer Memorial as we remember the diriver to beat at Tomah-Sparta Speedway in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Modifieds, Sportsmen, Hobby Stocks, Hornets and Six Shooters will be out to claim a big win and a big trophy as well. The Wisconsin Mighty Bandos Traveling Series make a return visit for a trophy bigger than their race cars. For more information about Tomah-Sparta Speedway or the 2020 schedule of events, please call the office at 608-461-1920 or visit our web site at tomahspartaspeedway.com.
RESULTS
Twisted Tea Modifieds
Feature: 1. Derrin Salo, 2. Brent Kane, 3. NIck Quinnell, 4. Brad Wildes, 5. Antonio DeVito Heat #1: 1. Salo, 2. Quinnell, 3. Wildes, 4. Kane, 5. A. DeVito
Qualifying: 1. Quinnell 16.241, 2. Kane, 3. Salo, 4. DeVito
Coors Light Sportsmen
Feature: 1. Jake Schiller, 2. David Borntrager, 3. Mark Challet, 4. Mitch Lyden, 5. Bill Schott Heat #1: 1. Cody Houseweart, 2. Borntrager, 3. B. Schott, 4. Schiller, 5. Lyden
Qualifying: 1. Borntrager 16.489, 2. Lyden, 3. Schiller, 4. Houseweart, 5. Schott
Hobby Stocks
Feature: 1. Brandon Riedner, 2. Andy Moore, 3. Ben Gannon, 4. Kaleb Hardy, 5. Kyle Lockington Heat #1: 1. Alex Rud, 2. Kaleb Hardy, 3. Brandon Riedner, 4. Landon Lockington, 5. Mark Challet Heat #2: 1. Andy Moore, 2. Aaron Hendricks, 3. Ben Gannon, 4. Austin Schott, 5. Kyle Lockington Qualifying: 1. An. Moore 17.734, 2. B. Riedner, 3. Gannon, 4. Hardy, 5. Challet
Hornets
Feature: 1. Jordan Finch, 2. Paul Finch, 3. Amelia Marshall, 4. Scott Mahlum, 5. Bryan Wallace Heat #1: 1. Marshall, 2. Sammy Linnehan, 3. P. Finch, 4. Andrew Lamb, 5. Mason Morphy Heat #2: 1. Mahlum, 2. Shawn McCarthy, 3. Wallace, 4. Chandler Turner, 5. Ryan Premo Qualifying: 1. McCarthy 18.861, 2. P. Finch, 3. Turner, 4. Morphy, 5. Mahlum
TACU Credit Union Six Shooters
Feature: 1. Tristan Drazkowski, 2. Dan Frye, 3. Dustin McCracken, 4. Sean Worman, 5. Tim Murphy, Sr. Heat #1: 1. Landon Lockington, 2. Clayton Haessig, 3. Traton Winecke, 4. Cameron Riggs, 5. Zach Schadde
Heat #2: 1. McCracken, 2. Rick Buss, 3. Frye, 4. Steve Mueller, 5. Jestin DeLap, Sr.
Heat #3: 1. Drakowski, 2. John Clauson, 3. Zacharias, 4. Worman, 5. Murphy, Sr. Qualifying: 1. McCracken 19.215, 2. Tristan Drazkowski, 3. Frye, 4. Worman, 5. Mueller
High School Racing Association
Feature: 1. Mitchell Berg, 2. Ashton Kinsey, 3. Joey Miller, 4. Dawsynn Richmond, 5. Jestin DeLap, Jr. Heat #1: 1. Berg, 2. Miller, 3. Monica Stuber, 4. DeLap, Jr., 5. Richmond
