Proctor Speedway

By Jerry O’Brien
8-19-12 Proctor, MN

The final weekly event of the 2012 racing season is in the books and the track

champions have been named.

On the WISSOTA Late Model side, Kyle Peterlin of Hibbing, MN took home

the Late Model championship for the season. Peterlin entered the final feature

event with a four point lead over fellow Iron Ranger Harry Hanson of Eveleth.

Peterlin’s second place finish behind winner Todd Gehl coupled with Hanson’s

fifth place finish was enough to insure the track title for him.

Despite a Did Not Finish for Darrell Nelson in the 20 lap WISSOTA Modfiied

feature, his point lead was enough to ensure the Modified title for the veteran

driver at the Proctor Speedway for 2012.

Scott Lawrence of Superior, WI won his Super Stock heat race and drove to a

second place finish in the 20 lap feature which was more than enough to make

sure the 2012 Super Stock crown would be his.

Deven VanHouse’s heat race win along with a third place finish in the 15 lap

main event was enough to lock down his Midwest Modified track title at the

Proctor Speedway Sunday night.

Esten Nelson held enough of an edge in the Pure Stock point standings that a

DNF and 17th place finish in the evening’s 15 lap feature was not enough to cost

the Grand Marais resident his first track title at the Proctor Speedway.

Dale Suomala made a strong move at the start of the Midwest Modified feature

and took the lead, but some slipping and sliding cost him the lead before he could

cross the stripe to finish t he first lap. It was national points hunter Cory Crapser

that came out at the head of the pack and sailed off to the big lead. Danny Vang,

who had started inside the fourth row soon vaulted into second and gave chase.

Dan Kingsley ran third and point leader Deven VanHouse slid into fourth past

Andrew Inman. Meanwhile, as the event progressed without a caution flag,

Crapser and Vang did battle way ahead of the second and third place runners and

found themselves in a tight pack of cars doing battle for position. Vang and

Crapser found themselves behind a car soon to be lapped and each chose a side to

pass. Vang came out on top with Crapser stymied and suddenly five car lengths

behind the new leader. Vang went on to take his fourth feature win at Proctor

Speedway. Crapser finished second with VanHouse in third one place ahead of

Kingsley who had been his closest competitor for the track title.

Darrell Nelson just needed to take the green flag in the 20 lap WISSOTA

Modified feature to nail down the track crown in the division. Rick Cannata drove

out to the early lead from outside of the front row. Nelson made his way into the

second spot and began to cut into Cannata’s big lead. He quickly tracked him

down and raced out front bent on putting an exclamation point on his 2012 track

title. But those plans went by the wayside as he suddenly dived into the infield out

of the event. Cannata was left at the head of the field with a huge lead again. At

the half way point Cannata was cruising along well out in front of Brad Hanson,

Scott Heikkinen, Nick Musel, E. J Hietala and Ken Hron all running in a pack.

Cannata continued to cruise along and Hanson was unable to cut into the lead

despite his best efforts. Hron burst out of the pack to finish third ahead of Jody

Bellefeuille and Musel.

Scott Lawrence didn’t need to take the green flag in the 20 lap WISSOTA

Super Stock feature in order to win the 2012 crown. It was Mike Bellefeuille who

jumped out to the lead at the green flag with Kevin Salin, Jeremy Fink, Nick

Oreskovich and Tom Cianni trailing. Bellefeuille was cruising in the high groove

and pulling away when Bob Preble took a spin in turn four. Bellefeuille

maintained his lead at the restart with 14 laps remaining and Lawrence up to

fourth. Another caution flag appeared when Ashley Smith spun in turn three.

Bellefeuille got a good restart as the half way point was reached with Fink, Cianni,

Salin and Lawrence following. With nine laps remaining another caution period

occurred when Salin found the front stretch wall. Now it was Bellefeuille hoping

to hold back the charge of Lawrence who had advanced to second. Bellefeuille

was up to the task and went on to take his first feature win at the speedway.

Lawrence, Fink, Slin and Pat Heikkinen finished in the top five.

Kyle Peterlin entered the final regular season WISSOTA Late Model main

event with a four point lead on Harry Hanson. Todd Gehl, who was racing in his

eighth feature of the season after recovering from an illness that kept him out of

the car for most of the season, took the lead at the outset and was determined not

to give it up. Peterlin ran in second as Hanson was stuck in ninth. Gehl pulled out

five car lengths on Peterlin who was just ahead of Tim McMann, Darrell Nelson

and Zach Wohlers. Meanwhile further back Hanson was struggling as he was

boxed in by Dave Esse and Kevin Carlson as the three raced for position. The

caution flag flew when Wohlers turned around in turn three. Gehl was up to the

task on the restart and kept the lead as Hanson made his way to fifth at the half

way point. The top five positions did not change the remainder of the event with

Peterlin’s second place finish enough to take the track title from Hanson. Gehl,

Peterlin, McMann, Nelson and Hanson rounded out the top five.

Esten Nelson had a good enough point lead in the Pure Stock standings that an

early caution flag charged to the Grand Marais, MN driver and a subsequent 17th

place feature finish still wasn’t enough to take the 2012 track title away from him.

Fellow Grand Marais driver and good friend Craig Horak took over the lead in the

15 lap event and drove the green #26H Station Wagon to the win. Meanwhile

Nelson was making a charge through the field and had made it up to sixth when a

flat right front tire sidelined the #77. Despite the trials and tribulations, Nelson

was crowned the 2012 Pure Stock champion.

Results “Championship Sunday” Proctor Speedway 8-19-12

2012 Track Champions

WISSOTA Late Model Kyle Peterlin Hibbing, MN

WISSOTA Modified Darrell Nelson hermantown, MN

WISSOTA Super Stock Scott Lawrence Superior, WI

WISSOTA Midwest Modified Deven VanHouse Silver Bay, MN

Pure Stock Esten Nelson Grand Marais, MN

WISSOTA Late Model (11 cars)

Feature (20 laps) Todd Gehl Solon Springs; Kyle Peterlin Hibbing; Tim McMann

Duluth; Darrell Duluth; Harry Hanson Eveleth; Dave Esse Cloquet; Kevin Carlson

Hermantown; Zach Wohlers Hibbing; Robbie Cooper South Range; Joey Ogston

Duluth; Aaron Lillo Duluth

Heat 1 (8 laps): McMann; Gehl; Esse; Ogston; A. Lillo; Cooper

Heat 2 (8 laps): Nelson; Carlson; Peterlin; Wohlers; Hanson

WISSOTA Modified (11 cars)

Feature (20 laps) Rick Cannata Hibbing; Brad Hanson Mt. Iron; Ken Hron

Nashwauk; Jody Bellefeuille Duluth; Nick Musel Duluth; Scott Heikkinen

Eveleth; Destin Lorimor Superior; E. J. Hietala Cloquet; Paul Schultz Grand

Rapids; Chris Bretting Washburn; Darrell Nelson hermantown

Heat 1 (8 laps): Nelson; Heikkinen; Bellefeuille; Musel; Lorimor; Bretting

Heat 2 (8 laps): Hanson; Schultz; Cannata; Hietala; Hron

WISSOTA Super Stock (13 cars)

Feature (20 laps) Mike Bellefeuille Duluth; Scott Lawrence Superior; Jeremy Fink

Hibbing; Kevin Salin Iron; Pat Heikkinen Eveleth; Tom Cianni Chisholm; Al

Rapp Saginaw; Ronnie Malecki Superior; Ashley Smith Superior; Bob Preble

Grand Rapids; Brian Carl Duluth; Nick Oreskovich Mason; Eric Pierzina chisholm

Heat 1 (8 laps): Lawrence; Oreskovich; Salin; Pierzina; Heikkinen; Preble;

Malecki

Heat 2 (8 laps): Bellefeuille; Cianni; Fink; Smith; Rapp; Carl

WISSOTA Midwest Modified (20 cars)

Feature (15 laps) Danny Vang Brainerd; Cory Crapser Chippewa Falls; Deven

VanHouse Silver Bay; Dan Kingsley Superior; Andrew Inman Hermantown; Mark

Kangas Eveleth; Neil Balduc Bessemer; Dan Larsen Hermantown; Josh

Heavirland Cloquet; Dale Suomala Hermantown; Dan Doran Hermantown; Chris

Bretting Washburn; Adam Shinn Duluth; Norm Anderson, Jr.; Duluth; Ross Siiter

Duluth; Cory Ziebol Cloquet; Jim Inman Duluth; Cody Carlson Superior; David

Simpson Thunder Bay; Jeff Forseen Mt. Iron

Heat 1 (8 laps): VanHouse; Kingsley; A. Inman; Carlson; Simpson; Heavirland;

Larsen; Anderson; Balduc; Kangas

Heat 2 (8 laps): Crapser; Vang; Suomala; Siiter; Shinn; Bretting; Ziebol; J. Inman;

Forseen; Doran

Pure Stock (18 cars)

Feature (15 laps) Craig Horak Grand Marais; Dustin Follett Cloquet; Justin Bassa

Hermantown; Jeff Engelmeier Saginaw; Lucas carlson Cloquet; Jon Hammitt

Cloquet; Tyler Carlson Cloquet; Glenn Dammer Duluth; Matt Hammitt Cloquet;

Rita Anderson South Range; Shaina Rapp Saginaw; Erik Pederson Saginaw; Jon

Tichy Hibbing; Dale Reynolds Cloquet; Brett Leino Moose Lake; Annika

Hammitt Cloquet; Esten Nelson Grand Marais; Nick Olson Chisholm

Heat 1 (8 laps): Follett; Engelmeier; Bassa; Rapp; T. Carlson; Reynolds; J.

Hammitt; Olson; Leino

Heat 2 (8 laps): Horak; Nelson; Anderson; L. Carlson; M. Hammitt; A. Hammitt;

Tichy; Dammer; Pederson