RICE LAKE, Wis. – After a one week break to allow the demolition derby drivers in the area a chance to practice their craft, the dirt track racers returned to the Rice Lake Speedway on Saturday night for a five division program.
The action was highlighted by outstanding runs by Travis Hazelton and Andrew Hanson, who earned hard fought feature wins. Also visiting victory lane were Simon Wahlstrom (Midwest Modifieds), Eric Olson (Super Stock) and Jason Gross (Modifieds).
Hazelton performed a miracle back to front run to win the Pure Stock feature while Hanson won a physical race to grab the Street Stock main event win.
The Pure Stock feature saw four different leaders during this twelve lap main and winner Hazelton didn’t take over the front spot until the last two laps of the race. The early part of the race was especially wild with four yellow flags in the first two laps of racing action. Front row rookies Bryar Zimmerman and Max Prusak led the early charge but it was veterans Hazelton and Bob Wahlstrom that triggered the first yellows. Hazelton started in the third row but went around with only one lap completed and was sent to the back of the twenty car field. Shortly after, Wahlstrom also went around and caught a piece of Randy Graham’s car which eliminated him from further action.
Zimmerman led through the first two yellows but on the restart Prusak got the jump and took over the lead, only to see the yellow wave again one lap later. However, Prusak was judged to have jumped the previous restart and was set back two positions which gave the new lead to Tristan Scheuermann with Zimmerman now second ahead of Prusak.
However, now on the move was George Richards as the successful Pure Stock racer was making his first start of the 2021 racing season at Rice Lake. He drove past Scheuermann just at the halfway point of the race to take over the lead. Once again the yellow waved and by this time Hazelton had done a masterful job of working his way back up through the field as he ran fourth at this point.
The final five laps would go green to checkered and while Richards held off a closely following Scheuermann and Prusak, Hazelton elected to move up the track and he found immediate success as he drove past both contenders and closed on leader Richards.
Continuing to use the same tactic, he pulled up beside Richards and with a strong move down the back chute drove past the leader as the field reached the two laps to go point. Richards tried to fight back but he was unable to mount a charge and Hazelton drove home for a very impressive win, his third of the year here at Rice Lake. Richards, Prusak, Scheuermann and Zimmerman would complete the top five.
The Street Stock feature was just as hardly fought and in fact the winning margin was be even less than that of Hazelton.
Things started badly for the Street Stocks early when front row starters Will Fisher and Adam Soltis tangled while battling for the lead in turn two on the opening round sending the field scattering. Fisher was judged at fault, sent to the back and the race was restarted with Soltis then leading the opening lap.
Hanson was flying on the outside though and he would drive up to and then past Soltis by lap three to take over the lead. As Hanson gained some distance, a big battle was going on behind him as Soltis, Hunter VanGilder, Travis Loew and Kolby Kiehl were all fighting hard for position.
This race remained under the green after two first lap yellows and when VanGilder finally got past Soltis for second, he really started to close on leader Hanson quickly. Within a few laps he was on Hanson’s rear bumper where he looked for a path past the leader. Things got a bit physical at this point with some contact between the two in the corners. VanGilder shouldered his way under Hanson and with two laps to go, VanGilder edged into the lead. However, Hanson refused to give in. Despite the fact he was on the outside, he hung tough and moved back beside VanGilder as the two saw the white flag.
Hanson made a great run through turn one and edged back into the lead as they continued to run side by side down the back chute. They remained side by side as they raced to the line and at the wire, it was Hanson who took the win by .066 seconds in what was an outstanding Street Stock race. It was Hanson’s first win of the year as this class remains the most competitive at the track so far with six different winners in seven nights of racing. Soltis finished a strong third with Loew and Kiehl next in line.