Proctor Speedway

By Jerry O’Brien
7-22-12
Proctor, MN

Darrell Nelson was looking for a back to back double feature wins Sunday

night at the Proctor Speedway but Jody Bellefeuille had other ideas as he was able

to stay ahead of Nelson to the Modified feature checkered flag. Nelson took

advantage of a caution flag with five laps remaining in the Late Model feature to

overhaul Kevin Carlson who had led from the green flag. In other divisions Scott

Lawrence put an exclamation point on another stellar weekend as he won his

second Super Stock feature to go along with a second place. Danny Vang won his

third Midwest Modified feature since he made the Proctor Speedway his Sunday

night home a few weeks ago. Esten Nelson won his second career Pure Stock

feature by passing Jon Hammitt in the closing laps.

Despite the truncated numbers, the opening laps of the WISSOTA Late Model

main event featured a wild scramble to get the lead. Outside pole sitter Kevin

Carlson was the one who took the lead shortly after the opening green flag and

Darrell Nelson worked his way quickly from his outside third row starting spot to

second and set out in pursuit of Carlson. Carlson found his groove on the high side

forcing Nelson to attempt to pass in the middle. Carlson was just a little bit

stronger in the high line and was able to stymie Nelson. A caution flag for a Joey

Ogston spin in turn one set Nelson up for a pass but he couldn’t quite pull it off as

Carlson got a good jump back up into is preferred line. Dave Esse spun in turn one

bringing the caution flag back as others scattered. The restart saw Nelson make

another run on Carlson down the back stretch but Carlson pushed hard into turn

three and it stuck to the bottom propelling him out front again. Carlson tried to

hold Nelson back but Nelson proved too strong and Carlson dropped to third as

Harry Hanson got by into second. Esse’s second spin of the event brought out the

caution flag with five laps remaining. At the green nelson was out front but found

himself under pressure from Hanson as Carlson continued his backward slide

trying to hold onto fifth. Nelson took the win over Hanson as Tim McMann and

Kyle Peterlin got by a struggling Carlson into third and fourth.

Again it was the outside pole sitter who got the jump as the Modifieds took the

green for their 20 lap feature. Scott Heikkinen led ahead of Nick Musel and Jody

Bellefeuille. They were followed by E. J. Hietala and Darrell Nelson. Belllefeuille

burst through and blew into the lead while Nelson was marching into third. With

no caution flags the laps clicked off quickly and at the mid point Bellefeuille held

the point with Heikkinen, Nelson, Musel and Hietala holding the top five

positions. Nelson burst past Heikkinen into second and set out after Bellefeuille

with ten more laps to make up over half a straight away deficit. Nelson gave it a

valiant effort and closed within a couple of car lengths on the white flag lap bot

could not get by for the win. Bellefeuille won his second Modified main event of

the season at the trackHeikkinen, Musel, Tim McMann in the #67 formerly driven

by Jeff Tardy was fifth. Hietala and Paul Schultz occupied the remaining

positions. Destin Lorimor did not start the feature.

For once it was the pole sitter that took the early lead in the 20 lap Super Stock

main. Ronnie Malecki led Al Rapp, Pat Heikkinen and Mike Bellefeuille as point

leader Scott Lawrence appeared in fifth from the outside of the fourth row. Ashley

Smith spun in turn one bringing out the caution with a single lap in. At the restart

Bellefeuille and Lawrence overwhelmed the early front runners and popped out of

the pack with Bellefeuille leading and Lawrence in hot pursuit. Rapp, Malecki and

Kevin Salin followed and Andy Davey found himself locked up in traffic for a

couple of laps before finally breaking free to run fourth. Kyle Oman brought out

the caution with another spin in turn one, a turn that was proving to be

treacherous. At the green the front runners drove away from malecki who

continued his strong run in third. Once again the caution flag flew this time for a

tangle between Heikkinen and Shane Hawkinson in turn one. Bellefeuille was still

holding off Lawrence for the lead at the green while Davey had moved into third.

Lawrence began moving in on Bellefeuille as they approached the half way point.

It appeared that the only way Lawrence was going to pass Bellefeuille was if he

made a mistake and he did slipping the right side tires off the back stretch. Before

he could recover Lawrence sailed by into the lead. The roles were then reversed

and Bellefeuille need to get past with the laps swiftly winding down. The only

chance for Bellefeuille was if Lawrence made a mistake in turn and that almost

came to pass as Lawrence had a bit of trouble lapping a back marker. Lawrence

got the win to extend his point lead. Bellefeuille, Davey, Salin and Malecki

finished in the top five.

Lance Solem made what has become a rare appearance at the speedway and

started the Midwest Modified feature from the pole. He had the early lead dogged

by Dan Larsen, Danny Vang, and Josh Heaviland. Vang wasted no time as he blew

into second, tracked down Solem and took over the lead looking for win number

three on the season. The caution flag came out when Solem spun in turn one. The

green came back out with six of 20 recorded and Vang got a great run off turn two

into the lead by four car lengths. Another caution period occurred when Jeff Lien,

Jr was involved in a turn one tangle. Vang held the point at the restart as Neil

Balduc and Larsen battled for second. Still another caution flag appeared, this time

for a tangle between Lein and Cody Carlson in turn two. Lien was sent off for his

second cause of a caution. Vang again got he jump at the green and this time Dan

kingsly broke free of the pack in pursuit. At the mid point the order stood at Vang,

Kingsley, a charging point leader Deven VanHouse, Balduc, Heavirland, Larsen,

Andrew Inman, Carlson, Chris Bretting and Jake Gondik. Vang was crusing out

front when the final caution flag flew for an Imnan breakdown in turn two. Vang

hung on for his third win as VanHouse took second. Kingsley, Larsen and

Heaviland rounded out the top five.

The first lap of the Pure Stock 15 lap feature sort of set the tone for the race as

Dustin Follett went off the first turn and rolled the car up on its side. It came back

down and he drove it away with a flat left front tire. Jon Hammitt took the lead at

the restart as Follett just made it back on track after the tire change. Jeff

Engelmeier, Esten nelson and Erik Pederson followed. Another caution flag flew

as Craig Horak was spun out in turn two. By the mid point Jon Hammit still led

over Engelmeier, Nelson and Matt Hammitt. Follett spun around on the top of turn

two bringing out another caution flag as Matt Hammitt went off the back stretch.

The restart saw Nelson sail by Jon Hammitt and drive off to a long lead. Nelson

grabbed his second career Pure Stock feature win over Jon Hammitt. Justin Bassa

moved from row number four to finish third, Engelmeier ran in the top five all race

and finished fourth ahead of fifth place Josh Loucks.

Results Proctor Speedway 7-22-12

WISSOTA Late Model (9 cars)

Feature (25 laps) Darrell Nelson Hermantown; Harry Hanson Eveleth; Tim

McMann Duluth; Kyle Peterlin Hibbing; Kevin Carlson Hermantown; Joey

Ogston Duluth; Dave Esse Cloquet; Terry Lillo Duluth; Todd Frank Mellen

Heat (8 laps): Hanson; Carlson; Frank; Ogston; Peterlin; Nelson; McMann; Lillo;

Esse

WISSOTA Modified (8 cars)

Feature (20 laps) Jody Bellefeuille Duluth; Darrell Nelson Hermantown; Scott

Heikkinen Eveleth; Nick Musel Duluth; Tim McMann Duluth; E. J. Hietala

Cloquet; Paul Schultz Grand Rapids; Destin Lorimor Superior

Heat (8 laps): Bellefeuille; Nelson; Hietala; Heikkinen; musel; Schultz; McMann;

Lorimor

WISSOTA Super Stock (12 cars)

Feature (20 laps) Scott Lawrence Superior; Mike Bellefeuille Duluth; Andy Davey

Hibbing; Kevin Salin Iron; Ronnie Malecki Superior; Al Rapp saginaw; Pat

Heikkinen Eveleth; Kyle Oman Chisholm; Ashley Smith Superior; D. J. Keeler

Superior; Shane Hawkinson Grand Rapids; Brian Carl Duluth

Heat 1 (8 laps): Davey; Lawrence; Hawkinson; Heikkinen; Oman; Keeler

Heat 2 (8 laps): Salin; Bellefeuille; Rapp; Malecki; Carl; Smith

WISSOTA Midwest Modified (16 cars)

Feature (20 laps) Canny vang Braineerd; Deven VanHouse Silver Bay; Dan

Kingsley Superior; Dan Larsen Hermantown; Josh Heavirland Cloquet; Cody

carlson Superior; Jake Gondik Foxboro; Chris Bretting Washburn; Corr Ziebol

Cloquet; Neil Balduc Bessemer; Andrew Inman Hermantown; Jeffery Lien, Jr.

Mora; Dan Doran Hermantown; Lance Solem Duluth; Dale Suomala Hermantown;

Ross Siiter Duluth

Heat 1 (8 laps): Kingsley; VanHouse; Solem; Heaviland; Carlson; Suomala;

Inman; Siiter

Heat 2 (8 laps): Lien, Jr.; Vang; Larsen; Balduc; Doran; Bretting; Gondik; Ziebol

Pure Stock (20 cars)

Feature (15 laps) Esten nelson Grand Maris; Jon Hammitt Cloquet; Justin Bassa;

Hermantown; Jeff Engelmeier Saginaw; Josh Loucks Carlton; Glenn Dammer

Duluth; Keith Koski Chisholm; Erik Pederson Saginaw; Tyler Carlson Cloquet;

Corey Lonetto Duluth; Matt Hammitt Cloquet; Annika Hammitt Cloquet; Mike

Sirois Hermantown; Shaina Rapp Saginaw; Andy Leino Barnum; Brett Leino

Moose Lake; Craig Horak Grand Marais; Zene Anderson Superior; Randy lonetto

Duluth; Dustin Follett Cloquet

Heat 1 (8 laps): Loucks; M. Hammitt; Pederson; Loski’ Follett; Z. Anderson;

Carlson

Heat 2 (8 laps): H. Hammitt; Bassa; Engelmeier; Sirois; A. Hammitt; A. Leino;

Lonetto

Heat 3 (8 laps): Dammer; Nelson; Horak; Rapp; R. Lonetto; B. Leino