Chateau Raceway 7/8/16

July 8, 2016 | by Matthew Grage

It was the annual Fireworks night at Chateau Raceway in Lansing Friday night with the action not only in the sky after the races but on the track as well all night long. Added to the excitement was the presence of NASCAR driver Michael McDowell. The Glendale Arizona native drives part time for Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing. Coming into the week he had wheeled the car for 14 of the first 17 cup races this year and was off this weekend with Ty Dillon driving the car at Kentucky Speedway. McDowell was there much of the afternoon talking to fans and signing autographs as people checked out one of his NASCAR Machines. The evening was promoted by his sponsor Thrivent Financial as part of a fund raiser for the Boys and Girls Club of Blooming Praririe and also the Annual Paint The Town Pink Promotion to raise money for Cancer Research at the Hormel Instititue in Austin. Along with the 50/50 fundraiser there was a silent auction held before the races and at Intermission a live auction with several racing items. Among the items auction were autographed panels for a couple of Michaels NASCAR cars as well as the 6 panels that were pulled off his sponsored car for the nights dirt track racing that were signed for the winning bidders as well. Several autographed hats, shoes and more also went to the highest bidder along with a beautiful quilt that was made locally. Come evening though it was time to race as he got the a track prepared USRA A Mod to do battle on the dirt with the local boys. Michael told fans that he grew up racing in Arizona on asphalt in go carts and open wheeled road courses and had only driven on dirt a hand full of times in these promotional type events. Michaels first time out in his heat ended a little early as he went pit side with some mechanical issues before the end of it. However he was able to keep the car under him for all 25 laps of the main event as he finished 9th in a fast paced race that was only stopped once for an early caution on lap 3. Brandon Davis of Medford picked up his 5th feature win of the season at the track coming out of row 2 to move by early leader Doug Hillson of Blooming Prairie. Zach Vander Beek of New Sharon Iowa started back in row 5 and despite turning the fastest laps of the race had to settle for second as by the time he worked through traffic Davis had checked out on the field, Jason Cummins of New Richland had a nice run coming from row 4 up to third ahead of driver who started deep in the field, Steve Wetzstein of West Concord. Hillson rounded out the top 5. Vander Beek along with Greg Pfeifer JR of Brownsdale were the classes heat winners.

The Pure Stocks ran a caution free main event with some of the wildest action of the night with the top 5 cars racing 2 and 3 wide much of the race. McDowell who was in the tower after the race talking to the crowd was impressed with the show the drivers put on saying he did not think they could go around the track giving each other room to race and stay bunched up as they were. Brady Krohnberg of Walters, Jason Newkirk an Daniel Guttormson, both of Austin fanned out three wide behind early leader Troy Maas of Faribault with Stacy Krohnberg of Walters and Matt Brooks of Austin paired up behind them. Brady and Jason eventually pulled up to the inside of Maas and the battle for first was three wide for several laps. Brady eventually pulled to the front and left the others paired up behind him. Newkirk eventually broke free of that and put the pressure on for the lead. As the race wound down the leaders came up on the back of he field and Brady got hung up behind a car and Newkirk took advantage and slipped by for the lead and scored his third feature win of the year. Brady came home second followed by Brooks, Guttormson and Stacy Krohnberg. The Krohnberg brothers did scored the classes heat wins.

A caution on the initial start was the only thing that slowed the non stop action in the WISSOTA Midwest Modified feature event. Tammy Soma Clark of Rochester lead the initial two laps off the front row before Ryan Goergen of Stacyville Iowa came out of row three to take the lead. Ryan’s time at the front lasted just two laps as Dan Wheeler of Savage came roaring up from a row five starting spot to take over the top spot and proceed to race off to his third feature win of the season at Chateau. Jason Born of Medford picked his way up from a row six starting spot to come home runnerup ahead of Billy Steinberg of Kasson , Jared Boumeester of Waseca and Goergen. Wheeler also claimed a heat win on the night as did Boumeester.

In WISSOTA Street Stock action Bernie Adams of Stacyville Iowa claimed his first feature win of the year as he outdueled his son Kory for the top spot. Blake Adams of Stacyville Iowa but no relation who lead throughout the middle portion of the race came home third ahead of Zach Elward of Hayfield and Fred Prudoehl of Winona. Fred started on the front row and lead the first six laps of the race before giving way to Blake. Blake did have a heat win on the night as did Mike Blowers of Waseca.

A couple of drivers picked up there first career feature wins in the other two classes on the night. The first to do so was Taylor Ausrud of Hayfield in the USRA B Mod Class. Taylor lead flag to flag for the win but was under fire but several drivers throughout the race. The biggest threat came in the waning laps as he started lapping cars. AJ Zvorak of Blooming Prairie was running second and as Taylor was trying to lap cars he got a couple runs along side the leader but Ausrud held him off for the win. A.J., who picked up a heat win earlier in the night settled for second ahead of the classes other heat winner Mike Mehling of Grand Meadow.

In the Hornets it was Caylie (CJ) Blowers of Waseca’s turn to see what victory lane was all about. C.J. started outside front row and jumped to the front on the drop of the green. Her brother Bobby Blowers moved up from row four to the runnerup spot and followed tight behind his sister lap after lap. A late caution with four to go put the pressure on C.J. to get a good restart and she did the deed as she raced to her first career feature win. Bobby came home in second ahead of Alan Schmidt of Hayward and Corbin Giesler of West Concord.

Next weekend the 360 Sprint Cars of the Upper Midwest Sprint Series (UMSS) will be on hand to add to the nights racing. The series races at tracks throughout the upper Midwest all summer long. Also in 3 weeks the reschedule 19th Annual Mike Guttormson Memorial is on the schedule for July 29th with the USMTS touring Modified Series slated to be a part of that nights race for that big pay check. Racing action gets underway every Friday night at 7:00 as the 60th Anniversary season rolls on during the summer of 2016 at Chateau Raceway.

Pure Stock:

Feature: Jason Newkirk-Austin, Brady Krohnberg-Walters, Matt Brooks-Austin, Daniel Guttormson-Austin, Stacy Krohnberg-Walters, Chris Hotovec-Dodge Center, Cole Kroneman-Austin, Greg Lammers-Owatonna, Troy Maas-Faribault, Jim Briggs-Waseca. Shawn Morris-Waterville, Josh Nelson-Albert Lea, Trey Anderson-Janesville
Heat 1: S Krohnberg, Kroneman, Lammers, Guttormson, Briggs, Morris, Hotovec
Heat 2: Newkirk, Brooks, B Krohnberg, Maas, Nelson, Shaner, Anderson

WISSOTA Midwest Modified:

Feature: Dan Wheeler-Savage, Jason Born-Medford, Billy Steinberg-Kasson, Jared Boumeester-Waseca, Ryan Goergen-Stacyville IA, Garitt Wytaske-Lansing, Adam Martinson-Plymouth, Michael Wytaske-Lansing, Brayten Cisneros-Blooming Prairie, Casey Trom-Zumbrota, Jeremy Misgen-Ellendale, Matt Stark-Austin, Tammy Soma Clark-Rochester, Harland Morehart-Rochester, Daryl Hainka-Wannamingo, Johnny Magnum-Lakeville, Tianna Mithun-Freeborn, Jaiden Bastyr-Austin, Luke Hainka-Wannamingo, Brad Minske-Northfield, Jesse Hernandez-Blooming Prairie
Heat 1: Boumeester, Clark, G Wytaske, Minske, Steinberg, Hernandez, Magnum
Heat 2: Wheeler, Cisneros, Misgen, Born, Stark, L Hainka, D Hainka
Heat 3: Goergen, Trom, Martinson, M Wytaske, Morehart, Mithun, Bastyr

WISSOTA Street Stock:

Feature: Bernie Adams-Stacyville IA, Kory Adams-Stacyville IA, Blake Adams-Stacyville IA, Zach Elward-Hayfield, Fred Prudoehl-Winona, James Connors-Waseca, Kyle King-Hastings, Brent Holland-Glenville, Noah Grinstead-Austin, Mike Blowers-Waseca
Heat 1: Bl Adams, Prudoehl, Grinstead, King, Connors
Heat 2: Blowers, Be Adams, K Adams, Elward, Holland

USRA B Mod:

Feature: Taylor Ausrud-Hayfield, AJ Zvorak-Blooming Prairie, Michael Mehling-Grand Meadow, Kylie Kath-Owatonna, Cole Lonergan-Dexter, Kadden Kath-Owatonna, Mark Wytaske-Austin, Kenny Wytaske-Lansing, AJ Johnston-Hayfield, Anthony Condit-Austin, Jesse Baer-Minnesota City, Nick Zago-Austin, Raey Hastings IV-Austin, Morgan Schrage-Cresco IA, Anton Nelson-Hayfield
Heat 1: Mehling, Lonergan Ky Kath, Condit, M Wytaske, Schrage, Hastings IV
Heat 2: Zvorak, K Wytaske, Johnston, Ausrud, Ka Kath, Baer, Nelson

USRA A Mod:

Feature: Brandon Davis-Medford, Zach Vander Beek-New Sharon IA, Jason Cummins-New Richland, Steve Wetzstein-West Concord, Doug Hillson-Blooming Prairie, Darwyn Karau-Kasson, Joe Horgdal-Kasson, Greg Pfeifer JR-Brownsdale, Michael McDowell-Glendale AZ, Alex Hanson-Northwood IA, Matt Stark-Austin, Al Wagner-Orchard IA
Heat 1: Vander Beek, Karau, Hillson, Horgdahl, Stark, McDowell
Heat 2: Pfeifer JR, Wetzstein, Davis, Cummins, Wagner, Hanson

Hornet:

Feature: Caylie Blowers-Waseca, Bobby Blowers-Waseca, Alan Schmidt-Hayward, Corbin Giesler-West Concord, Justin Murray-Waseca, Tommie Cruz-Waseca, Ryan Timm-Austin, Nikolas Aasen-Hayfield, Nick Silman-Minnesota Lake, Cale Giesler-West Concord, Jacob Bennett-Austin, Ralph Hanks-Waseca
Heat 1: Silman, Schmidt, Bennett, Timm, Co Giesler, Aasen
Heat 2: Hanks, B Blowers, Cruz, C Blowers, Murray, Ca Giesler