Chateau Raceway Guttormson Memorial

July 29, 2016 | by Matthew Grage

It’s one of the nights that gets highlighted on the schedule every year for Chateau Raceway, the Mike Guttormson Memorial. After being rained out back on Memorial Day weekend Friday night was the running of the 19th annual event with everyone waiting to see who would add there name to the list of past winners or possibly see if a driver could add another to there resume. Eleven drivers have shared the previous 18 titles lead by Todd Scharkey’s 5 and Brandon Davis’s 3. The only other multiple Champion was Jimmy Davis with 2. Other winners have been Jason Slegh, Neil Eckhart, Brad Waits, Jason Krohn, Mike Sorenson, Jason Cummins, Ryan Gustin and last years winner Rodney Sanders. The yearly event recognizes the memory of the former multi track champion and WISSOTA 100 Champion driver Mike Guttormson of Austin who passed away shortly after winning his final feature race May 30th 1997 at the track. Also on hand for the nights action were the tracks regular classes, the USRA B Mods, the WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds and Street Stocks along with the Pure Stocks and Hornets. All together a solid field of just under 90 cars were on hand for the nights action with the $2000 dollar paycheck the big prize waiting at the end of the night for the Champion.

A full night of exciting racing action with drives from six states and Canada lead up to the final race of the night for the Memorial Championship. It was Zach VanderBeek of New Sharon Iowa who grabbed the early lead starting on the outside of the front row. Zach was actually suppose to start in row two but when pole sitter Mason Big Eagle of Manor Saskatchewan Canada pulled into the pits before the race even started he inherited the front row spot. Event though Mason returned to the track before the green flag flew he had to start tail end on the 22 car field. While VanderBeek went to the point the other front row starter, Jesse Sobbing of Malvern Iowa fell in line second ahead of Cade Dillard of Robeline Louisiana, Lucas Schott of Chatfield and Brandon Davis of Medford. The field ran caution free for the first 31 laps of the 42 lap main event with just a pair of changes in the top five. Dillard moved up to second and Jason Hughes of Watts Oklahoma moving past Davis into the top 5. However at lap 31 tire issue became a big problem for several drivers. As the track took on rubber right rear tires started to wear out and so did the luck of several drivers running in the top 5. First to have problems was Dillard, who was running second. As his tire went down and he slowed a couple cars spun in turn one bringing out that first caution of the race. Next to have problems were Sobbing who was running third at the time, than it was Jacob Bleess of Chatfield who had worked his way to sixth. The leader of the race Zach VanderBeek was two laps from the win when he too had his right rear tire go down ending his bid for the win as he slowed and went to the pits. Schott, who had moved up to second during the second half of the race and had been dogging Zach for several laps took over the lead and was able to drive home to the win. Lucas also had a heat win on the night giving him a sweep for the evening. Hughes came home second ahead of Davis for second. Steve Wetzstein of West Concord and Clayton Wagamon of Blaine rounded out the top five after starting back in rows six and seven. Passing the most cars on the night however was the driver who was suppose to start on the pole, Mason Big Eagle. Mason drove from the twenty-second starting spot all the way up to a solid sixth place finish. Wagamon and Wetzstein finished first and second in the consy event that set the back half of the field after having a rough go of things in there heats. Wagamon started outside front row in the consy and lead flag to flag for that win while Wetzstein worked from row three for the runnerup finish. The classes other two heat winners on the night were Dillard and VanderBeek.

There were a pair of first time visitors to victory lane on the night, the first of which was Marissa Wolff of Janesville in the Hornet Feature. With the car count of less than 10 the field ran just a feature on the night and Wolff started in the back of the eight car field. After a solid first lap she ran third behind Nick Silman of Minnesota Lake and Caylie Blowers of Waseca. She moved past Caylie on lap four and picked off Silman for the lead on lap six. After three second place finishes this year an excited Marissa celebrated in victory lane with her family. Bobby Blowers of Waseca moved past his sister for second while Bailey Wolff of Janesville made her way up to fourth after starting in the back with her sister.

In WISSOTA Street Stock action Fred Prudoehl of Winona jumped from the outside of row two to the front to pace their main event early. A lap three caution which saw Blake Adams of Stacyville Iowa get spun around brought out the only yellow flag of the race. Off the restart Kory Adams of Stacyville Iowa got to the outside of Fred and moved to the lead. Fred slipped back to fourth as Blake Adams, who got his spot back after being spun in the early caution, and Mike Blowers of Waseca battled side by side for the runnerup spot. Blake took control of the spot and set his sights on the leader. Pulling up to the inside of Kory on lap nine Blake moved to the point and set sail for his first feature win of the season. Blowers moved by Kory for second while Prudoehl came home fourth ahead of Kyle King of Hastings. Kory Adams took one of the classes heat wins on the night while Noah Grinstead of Austin claimed the other.

Garitt Wytaske of Lansing put together a good night as he scored a sweep in the WISSOTA Midwest Modified class taking home not only the heat win but his second feature win of the season. Wytaske came out of row two and moved to the front on lap two moving by pole sitter Brad Minske of Northfield. Dustin Steinbrink of Austin made a nice charge from row four up to second and was threatening the leader for much of the first half of the race before Garitt stretched it out a bit. Brayten Cisneros of Blooming Prairie came home third followed by Jason Born of Medford. Born had a nice run as he came from row six for a solid finish ahead of Ryan Goergen of Stacyville Iowa. Goergen, along with Michael Wytaske of Lansing claimed the other two heat wins.

A front row starting spot played right into the hands of Kylie Kath of Owatonna who scored his fifth feature win of the season in the USRA “B” Mod class. Jayden Larson of Mankato and Blake Arndt of Brownsdale had there best feature finishes of the year coming home second and third. Five cautions slowed the pace of the race. Kath also took one of the three heat wins for the class for a sweep while the other two went to Jesse Baer of Minnesota Lake and Derek Clement of Spring Valley. For Baer and Clement it was there first wins of the year at the track.

In Pure Stock action Jason Newkirk of Austin scored feature win number five on the season. Newkirk broke free from a three wide battle on the first lap with Jim Briggs of Waseca and Cole Kroneman of Austin to drive off to the win. Bandon Shaner of Owatonna charged from a row five starting spot to a runnerup finish ahead of Matt Brooks of Austin, Daniel Guttormson of Austin, and Chris Hotovec of Dodge Center. Hotovec and Brooks had the classes heat wins.

The 60th Anniversary season of racing action at Chateau Raceway continues next Friday night at 7:00.

Pure Stock

Feature: Jason Newkirk-Austin, Brandon Shaner-Owatonna, Matt Brooks-Austin, Daniel Guttormson-Austin, Chris Hotovec-Dodge Center, Cole Kroneman-Austin, Troy Maas-Faribault, Zach Ehmke-Dexter, Jim Briggs-Albert Lea, Tyler Nelson-Albert Lea, Dalton Ludington-Zumbrota
Heat 1: Hotovec, Shaner, Guttormson, Kroneman, Briggs, Ludington
Heat 2: Brooks, Newkirk, Ehmke, Maas, Nelson

WISSOTA Midwest Modified:

Feature: Garitt Wytaske-Lansing, Dustin Steinbrink-Austin, Brayten Cisneros-Blooming Prairie, Jason Born-Medford, Ryan Goergen-Stacyville IA, Billy Steinberg-Kasson, Jacob Toepper-Hugo, Tammy Soma Clark-Rochester, Matt Stark-Austin, Michael Wytaske-Lansing, Brad Minske-Northfield, Daryl Hainka-Wannamingo, Zach Sonnek-Apple Valley, Jason Hobbs-Ham Lake, Elizabeth Toepper-Hugo, Casey Trom-Zumbrota, Jesse Hernandez-Blooming Prairie, Jeremy Misgen-New Richland, Luke Hainka-Wannamingo
Heat 1: Goergen, Minske, Trom, J Toepper, Steinberg, L Hainka, Sonnek
Heat 2: G Wytaske, Cisneros, Steinbrink, Born, Misgen, Stark
Heat 3: M Wytaske, Hobbs, Clark, Hernandez, Minske, D Hainka

WISSTOA Street Stock:

Feature: Blake Adams-Stacyville IA, Mike Blowers-Waseca, Kory Adams-Stacyville IA, Fred Prudoehl-Winona, Kyle King-Hastings, Ryan Jacobsen-Rochester, Zach Elward-Hayfield, Bernie Adams-Stacyville IA, Brent Holland-Glenville, Noah Grinstead-Austin (DNS: Mike Chisholm-Osage IA)
Heat 1: K Adams, Blowers, Elward, Bl Adams, King, Chisholm
Heat 2: Grinstead, Prudoehl, Jacobsen, Holland, Be Adams

USRA B Mod

Feature: Kylie Kath-Owatonna, Jayden Larson-Mankato, Blake Arndt-Brownsdale, Taylor Ausrud-Hayfield, Kadden Kath-Owatonna, Kenny Wytaske-Lansing, Mark Wytaske-Austin, Anthony Condit-Austin, Cole Lonergan-Dexter, Morgan Schrage-Cresco IA, Raey Hastings IV-Austin, Christian Warner-Owatonna, Jesse Baer-Minnesota Lake, Derek Clement-Spring Valley, Andrew Bleess-Chatfield, Anton Nelson-Hayfield, Scott Demmer-Ellendale
Heat 1: Baer, Demmer, M Wytaske, Schrage, Nelson, Hastings
Heat 2: Ky Kath, Arndt, Bleess, Condit, Ausrud, Lonergan
Heat 3: Clement, Ka Kath, K Wytaske, Larson, Warner

Hornets:

Feature: Marissa Wolff-Janesville, Bobby Blowers-Waseca, Caylie Blowers-Waseca, Bailey Wolff-Janesville, Nick Silman-Minnesota Lake, Ralph Hanks-Waseca, Alan Schmidt-Hayward
Heat – No Heats Low Car Count

USMTS Modified

Feature: Lucas Schott-Chatfield, Jason Hughes-Watts OK, Brandon Davis-Medford, Steve Wetzstein-West Concord, Clayton Wagamon-Blaine, Mason Big Eagle-Manor Saskatchewan Canada, Cade Dillard-Robeline LA, Jason Cummins-New Richland, Greg Pfeifer JR-Brownsdale, Mark Motl-Owatonna, Jesse Sobbing-Malvern IA, Jacob Bleess-Chatfield, Cody Bauman-Eureka ILL, Zach VanderBeek-New Sharon IA, Brock Bauman-Eureka ILL, Mike Densberger-Lincoln NB, Jett Big Eagle-Manor Saskatchewan Canada, Dustin Sorensen-Rochester, Cory Crapser-Chippewa Falls WI, Greg Jennings-Albert Lea, Darwyn Karau-Kasson, Jacob Stark-Austin
Consy 1: Wagamon, Wetzstein, C Bauman, Cummins, Densberger, J Big Eagle, Motl, Sorensen, Jensen, Stark
Heat 1: Dillard, M Big Eagle, Pfeifer JR, Karau, Wagamon, Jensen, Stark, J Big Eagle
Heat 2: VanderBeek, Crapser, Sobbing, B Bauman, C Bauman, Sorensen, Motl
Heat 3: Schott, Bleess, Davis, Hughes, Densberger, Wetzstein, Cummins