Park Jeff Results 050209

Familiar faces in Victory Lane at Park Jefferson Speedway
May 2, 2009
Jefferson, SD
LeRoy Beck

Each new season brings the chance for change, but the first points paying night of the season saw some familiar faces in victory lane as Conklin Distributing presented the NASCAR Whelen All American Series at Park Jefferson Speedway. When the final checkers flew, Mike Hansen, Mark Wenzlaff, Harvey VandeWeerd, Vince Trometer and Rusty Montagne all crossed the line first.

The VerHoef Automotive NASCAR Modified feature could simply be called an instant classic as two separate battles were waged on the speedway. At the front of the field, Jay Noteboom and Mike Hansen would be the class of the field. Just past the half way point Noteboom and Hansen would trade slide jobs through the corners; entering low, sliding high, each driver trading the top spot on either end of the speedway. Hansen would take the lead for good with five to go and never look back. The battle for the third spot was just as intense with cars getting three wide exiting the corners as Bob Moore, Dirk Kirk, Denny Johnson and Chris Abelson would all battle for the third spot. A great battle would go to the finish line with Moore getting the spot over Kirk and Abelson.

Harvey VandeWeerd would try to make it two wins in as many nights in the Motor Parts Central 360mod division. Under constant pressure from VandeWeerd, Karl Brewer would control the point during the first 12 circuits of the fourth tenths mile race track. VandeWeerd would look for the rookie to make a mistake and hope to capitalize. That mistake came as Brewer would enter turn one a little too high and would lose his momentum allowing VandeWeerd to slide by. The driver on the move in the closing laps of the race was Dan VanBruggen as “Dan the Man” would make a charge from deep in the pack. Coming to the white flag VandeWeerd was having trouble working around a lapped car and VanBruggen was closing in. VandeWeerd was able to get past the lapped car on the back stretch and hold off VanBruggen at the line with Brewer crossing in third ahead of Jeff Brunssen and Nick Lakes.

As a leader of a race, every bump is magnified; every puff of smoke looks ominous. As the leader of the B&B Salvage Stock Car feature, Mark Wenzlaff knew exactly what that smoke trailing from his car was and he was just hoping to hold on for the win. Wenzlaff waged a race long battle with Jeff Larson for the top spot which Wenzlaff was able to take over just past the half way point. Each lap as the race continued, the smoke continued to grow. Wenzlaff was able to reach the finish line with a substantial transmission fluid leak and hold off Larson for the win one week after his birthday. Curt VanBeek, Eli Zevenbergren, and Jason Ward would follow the top two to the line.

For most likely the only time this season Rusty Montagne would start from the front row of the Yankton Automotive Machine Hobby Stock Feature. Speedway rules call for an invert of the top 12 cars qualified for the feature based on a one week point average system. Montagne would take advantage of his front row starting spot and cruise away for a win by nearly a straightaway over the fight for the remainder of the spots in the top five. Jake McClure, Justin Regnerus, John Cain, Casey Jones, and Bill Woehler would trade spots every lap in a race that had many fans on their feet during the action. Woehler, Regnerus, Cain, and Jones would cross the line behind the feature winner.

The cars built in the Cass Motors shop are always some of the best in the Steve’s Roofing Hornet division. This night would highlight the quality of the cars built in that speed shop. At one point during the race, four of the top five cars all came from Cass Motors. The namesakes of the shop, Randy and Tim Cass raced inside the top five the entire race, but never mounted as serious challenge to the race leader before finishing third and fourth respectively. Vince Trometer would move to the top spot at the drop of the green flag and would hold the top spot the entire way. In the waning laps, Trometer would face a stiff challenge from Chuck Rose who debuted a new car with great success finishing in the runner up spot.

Next Saturday Night, the Sioux City Journal presents the 2009 NASCAR Whelen All American Series at Park Jefferson Speedway. For more information on Park Jefferson Speedway visit http://www.parkjeffersonspeedway.com or visit the NASCAR Home Tracks page at http://localracing.nascar.com/tracks

RESULTS
VerHoef Automotive NASCAR Modified
Heat Winners
Rich Hesse, Reese Coffee
Feature
1. Mike Hansen, Alton, IA
2. Jay Noteboom, Hinton, IA
3. Bob Moore, Sioux City, IA
4. Dirk, Kirk, Sloan, IA
5. Chris Abelson, Sioux City, IA
6. Reese Coffee, Hinton, IA
7. Denny Johnson, Council Bluffs, IA
8. Jesse Cowles, Council Bluffs, IA
9. Jason Edwardson, Sioux City, IA
10. Bo Lundquist, Sioux City, IA

Motor Parts Central 360Mods
Heat Winners
Rich Headid, Dan VanBruggen
Feature
1. Harvey VandeWeerd, Granville, IA
2. Dan VanBruggen, Hospers, IA
3. Karl Brewer, Vermillion, SD
4. Jeff Brunssen, LeMars, IA
5. Nick Lakes, Sergeant Bluff, IA
6. Chad TenNapel, Ireton, IA
7. Rich Headid, North Sioux City, SD
8. Kirk Beatty, Sioux City, IA
9. Nate Mosterd, Ireton, IA
10. Ty Merrill, Salix, IA

B&B Salvage Stock Cars
Heat Winners
Jeff Larson
Feature
1. Mark Wenzlaff, Mission Hill, SD
2. Jeff Larsen, Worthington, MN
3. Curt VanBeek, Sioux Center, IA
4. Elijah Zevenbergren, Ocheyeden, IA
5. Jason Ward, Sioux City, IA
6. Glenn Wynia, Sioux Center, IA
7. Mark Stanley, Storm Lake, IA
8. Ryan Harris, Homer, NE
9. Lenny Tucker, Sioux City, IA

Yankton Automotive Machine Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners
Rusty Montagne, Bill Woehler
Feature
1. Rusty Montagne, North Sioux City, SD
2. Bill Woehler, Sioux City, IA
3. Justin Regnerus, Sioux Center, IA
4. John Cain, Dakota City, NE
5. Casey Jones, Sioux City, IA
6. Paul Menard, Hinton, IA
7. Paul Wenzlaff, Yankton, SD
8. Jake McClure, Sergeant Bluff, IA
9. Matt Sheley, Sioux City, IA
10. Josh Grimsley, Sioux City, IA

Steve’s Roofing Hornets
Heat Winners
Randy Cass, Zach Ankrum
Feature
1. Vince Trometer, Onawa, IA
2. Chuck Rose, Sioux City, IA
3. Randy Cass, Onawa, IA
4. Tim Cass, Onawa, IA
5. Kyle Davis, Merrill, IA
6. Zach Ankrum, Sioux City, IA
7. Marlis Boggs, Sioux City, IA
8. Zach Denney, Sioux City, IA
9. Jeff Goodier, Dakota City, NE
10. Luke Jackson, Sioux City, IA