Proctor Speedway

By Jerry O’Brien

7-1-12

Neil Balduc of Bessemer, MI won the Midwest Modified feature at the Proctor

Speedway Sunday night. Balduc started on the pole but got snookered by veteran

Bill Matzdorf at the start. Matzdorf bolted from the outside of the second row and

took the lead which he held until the white flag lap when Balduc who had been

dogging Matzdorf’‘s tire tracks since the restart after the caution for Dan Wilson’s

spin early in the 20 lap event, sailed by to the lead and took home his second

feature win of the season. Deven VanHouse and Loren Inman lurked in the top

five for the entire event but couldn’t muster enough steam to challenge the two

leaders. Balduc had his own battle for several laps as he had to let Matzdorf go

while he battled with Kingsley to keep second. Balduc finally broke away from

Kingsley, closed on Matzdorf and those two broke away to duke it out for the win.

In the closing laps the top five pulled away from the pack which was led by Josh

Heaviland.

Kevin Salin put in a stout run in the 20 lap Super Stock main event. Salin

started inside the second row and got a great run off turn two on the initial lap to

take the lead. Scott Lawrence charged through from the third row to join outside

pole sitter Donnie Lofdahl in persuit of Salin in the early going. Lawrence made a

move to the outside off turn four to take second and edge ahead but the veteran

Salin was up to the task and regained the point off turn two. A caution flag slowed

the action and, at the green, Salin led Lawrence, Lofdahl, Rick Simpson and Andy

Davey. Dave moved to third but the caution flew again for Simpson at the exit of

turn two and the veteran racer was out. This all happened in the first five laps and

with fifteen to go, Lawrence grabbed the lead at the restart and drove away from

the second place battle. The caution flag flew again for Roy Pumala. At the same

time Mike Bellefeuille suffered extensive damage in turn one and was also

through. Lawrence maintained the lead as Salin, Davey, Lofdahl and Pat

Heikkinen squabbled for second. Just before the mid point of the race a pair of

caution flags slowed the action and set up a single file restart. At the half way

mark Lawrence led Salin and Davey but the caution flag seemed to appear more

than the green flag. Davey finally secured the second spot and battled with

Lawrence for the win in the waning laps and was able to get close using the hight

side. The white flag appeared and Davey had one circuit to get it done but couldn’t

quite make it as Lawrence took the win. Davey had to settle for second, Salin hung

around got third Heikkinen was fourth and Lofdahl got back to fifth after being

one of the cautions.

It was 20 laps for the Modifieds and pole sitter E. J. Hietala took the lead with

Darrell Nelson hot on his heels along with Ryan Aho and Kevin Eder. Hietala lost

control in turn four and spun collecting Nelson in a minor collision. This left

Nelson in the catbird seat at the front as Eder shot forward into second surprising

Aho while Jody Bellefeuille ran in fourth. Aho recovered and pulled up to Eder

and they went wheel to wheel for second. Nelson was in command and was never

challenged until near the end when the caution flag appeared and Eder was tagged

setting up a green/white/checkered finish. Nelson easily held off Aho for the win.

Scott Heikkinen was third, Hietala made it back to fourth and Nick Musel hung

around and finished fifth. It was the first time in several years that Musel had been

behind the wheel of a race car.

Kyle Peterlin was on his game in the 25 lap WISSOTA Late Model feature as

he started in the third row. It eventually came down to a hare and hound race

between he and Darrell Nelson. At the green flag Joey Ogston took the lead with

Tim McMann second and Peterlin quickly into third. Nelson ran fourth as Peterlin

moved to the outside of McMann for second and made the pass. Peterlin then ran

down Ogston and made the move to the lead. Nelson soon disposed of Ogston and

set out after Peterlin trying everything he could to get around the young driver. It

looked as though a lapped car might play a part but they both navigated around it

and continued the cat and mouse game. Harry Hanson brought out the only caution

of the event with a spin in turn three. Nelson tried to get by Peterlin on the restart

but failed and Peterlin led the rest of the way though Nelson was never very far

away. After the race Peterlin said his inside tires had really gone away and he was

just hugging the marker tires in the corners and hoping for the best. It was a sweep

for Peterlin. Nelson was second, McMann held onto third,Ogston was fourth and

Aaron Lillo finished fifth.

The finale of the evening was 15 laps for the Proctor Pure Stocks. Former track

champion Josh Loucks won the event, or rather it fell into his lap. Eric Anderson

had planned to start the 7A at the back and just take the green flag but repairs were

made to the ailing water pump and Anderson started in his planned start up near

the front. At the start there occurred a mess in turn four on the first lap as several

cars tried to fit in a limited space. With no laps in, the restart saw Craig Horak take

the multi hued green station wagon to the point. Anderson was second, Esten

Nelson who won the make up feature was third, Loucks was fourth and Glenn

Dammer ran fifth. Horak continued to lead, Anderson maintained second and

Loucks moved moved to third and Dammer, Nelson and Mike Blevins were in a

struggle for fourth. Horak was flummoxed by a lapped car and spun bringing out

the caution. Officials went back a lap and Horak was restored to the front. Horak

stayed in front for several laps until Anderson and Loucks shouldered by with

Anderson in the lead. Horak then brought out the caution flag when he spun in

turn one taking himself out of contention. This left a green/white/checkered dash

to the finish. Prior to the Horak spin Anderson’s car began to emit heavy smoke.

Coming down the front stretch for the white flag Anderson headed the heavily

smoking #7A off the pit exit falling to a 14th place finish while a surprised and

elated Loucks steered the #8L to the checkered flag and the victory lane. Blevins,

Nelson Dammer and Keith Koski finished in the top five.

Results Proctor Speedway 7-1-12

WISSOTA Late Model (9 cars)

Feature (25 laps) Kyle Peterlin Hibbing; Darrell Nelson Hermantown; Joey

Ogston Duluth; Harry Hanson Eveleth; Aaron Lillo Duluth; Kevin Carlson

Hermantown; Todd Frank Mellen; Robbie Cooper South Range DNF Tim

McMann

Heat (10 laps): Peterlin; Nelson; McMann; Ogston; Lillo; HANson; Carlson;

Frank; Cooper

WISSOTA Modified (8 cars)

Feature (20 laps) Darrell Nelson Hermantown; Ryan Aho Chisholm; Scott

Heikkinen Eveleth; E. J. Hietala Cloquet; Nick Musel Duluth; Cory Sersha

Eveleth; Kevin Eder Ashland DNF Jody Bellefeuille

Heat (10 laps): Aho; Nelson; Eder; Hietala; Bellefeuille; Sersha; Heikkienen;

Musel

WISSOTA Super Stock (13 cars)

Feature (20 laps) Scott Lawrence Superior; Andy Davey Hibbing; Kevin Salin

Iron; Pat Heikkinen Eveleth; Donnie Lofdahl Proctor; Ashley Smith Superior AL

Rapp Saginaw; Willie Johnsen Superior; Roy Pumala Mason; Mike Bellefeuille

Duluth; Nick Oreskovich Mason; Rick Simpson Thunder Bay; Brian Carl Duluth

Heat (10 laps): Oreskovich; Lawrence; Lodfahl; Carl; Rapp; Pumala; Smith

Heat 2 (10 laps): Davey; Simpson; Bellefeuille; Salin; Johnsen; Heikkinen

WISSOTA Midwest Modified (18 cars)

Feature (20 laps) Neil Balduc Bessemer; Bill Matzdorf Grand Rapids; Dan

Kingsley Superior; Deven VanHouse Silver Bay; Loren Inman Proctor; Josh

Heaviland Cloquet; Don Craig Thunder Bay; Dan Doran Hermantown; Brian

Youderin Superior; Tyler Luger Iron River; Norm Anderson, Jr. Duluth; chris

Bretting Washburn DNF Andrew Inman Hermantown; Al Stettner Newport; David

Simpson Thunder Bay; Dan Wilson Hibbing; Danny Vang Brainerd; Adam Shinn

Duluth

Heat 1 (10 laps): Kingsley; Vang; Balduc; Matzdorf; Anderson; A. Inman; Craig;

Luger; Bretting

Heat 2 (10 laps): VanHouse; L. Inman; Wilson; Heaviland; Youderin; Doran;

Stettner; Simpson; Shinn

Pure Stock (28 cars)

Feature (15 laps) Josh Loucks Carlton; Mike Blevins Hibbing; Esten Nelsen

Grand Marais; Glenn Dammer Duluth; Keith Koski Chisholm; Corey Lonetto

Duluth; Justin Bassa Hermantown; Derek Ament Barnum; Steve Udeen Superior;

Jeff Engelmeier Saginaw; Craig Horak Grand Marais; Rita Anderson South

Range; Annika Hammitt Cloquet; Eric Anderson Buhl; Chad Nikstad Superior;

Zene Anderson; Superior; Kyle House Cloquet; Dustin Follett Cloquet; Shaina

Rapp Saginaw; Josh Danielson Carlton

B Feature (8 laps) Ament; House; B. Anderson; Brandle Pupp Ashland; Brett

Leino Barnum; Andy Leino Barnum; Branden Westerberg Barnum; Jon Hammitt

Cloquet

Heat 1 (8 laps): Horak; Follett; E. Anderson; Loucks; Koski; A. Hammitt; House;

A. Lieno; Westerberg

Heat 2 (8 laps): Nelson; Dammer; Bassa; Lonetto; Udeen; Z. Anderson; Ament;

Pupp; J. Hammitt

Heat 3 (8 laps): Blevens; Danielson; Engelmeier; Rapp; nikstad; R. Anderson; B.

Anderson; B Leino

Make up feature from 6-24 Esten Nelson Grand Marais; Craig Horak Grand

Marais; Dustin Follett Cloquet; Jon Hammitt Cloquet; Mike Blevins Hibbing;

Glenn Dammer Duluth; Jeff Engelmeier Saginaw; Steve Udeen Superior; Eric

Anderson Hibbing; Chad Nikstad Superior; Josh Loucks Carlton; Keith Koski

Chisholm; Andy Leino Barnum; Josh Danielson Carlton; Rita Anderson South

Range; Shaina Rapp Saginaw; Corey Lonetto Duluth DNF Bob Anderson Iron

River; Derek Ament Barnum; Justin Bassa Hermantown DNS Scott Shober

Wrenshall