Chateau Raceway 9/2/16

September 2, 2016 | by Matthew Grage

The 60th Anniversary Season of Racing came to an end Friday Night at Chateau Raceway in Lansing with the crowning of the final three Track Champions and the running of the Race 14 in the USMTS Hunt Championship Series. The track will host one more event next weekend with the running of an Enduro Race. Jason Hughes of Watts Oklahoma rolled into the track leading the Hunt Points Standings and coming off a big win the night before in Fairmont. Hughes win was his third in the hunt, one less than Cade Dillard of Robeline Louisiana who sat second in the points coming into the night. Eyes were on those two as favorites for the nights action but also in that mix of favorites should have been Zach Vander Beek. The New Sharon Iowa driver was making his third trip to the track this year and could have had feature wins in his first two trips. The first night he came from deep in the field, and was clearly the fastest car on the track, only to finish second in a race that went caution free. His second visit, the Guttormson Memorial race he lead for most of the race until a flat tire in the warning laps left him on the outside looking in again. So with the big USMTS show on the line and Track Championships to be decided in WISSOTA Street Stock, WISSOTA Midwest Modified and USRA B Mod an even 100 cars filled the pits for the final Friday Night of the Summer of 2016.

As it turned out all three drivers who came in leading there respective points races came away with there Championships for the year. Only one of the three managed to finish the season with a feature win. That honor went to Mike Blowers in the WISSOTA Street Stock Class. Mike claimed his fifth Track Championship at Lansing having won the Senior Hornet Class in 2009 and has now put together a run of four straight Championships in the Street Stock Class. Blowers came out of row four and came out ahead in a wild three wide battle for the lead with early leader Fred Prudoehl of Winona and Blake Adams of Stacyville Iowa. Blake ended up coming home second ahead of Fred. The class ran two heat races with those wins going to Prudoehl and Kory Adams of Stacyville Iowa. Kory ended up second in the points chase.

Kylie Kath of Owatonna racked up his fourth Track Title at Lansing in the USRA B Mod Class. Kylie won a Pure Stock Championship in 2009 and claimed the B Mod Title last year as well as in 2012. Kath started last in the field of the 19 cars which took the green for the start of the feature but still managed to come home in fifth. The night belonged to a driver making his first visit to the track this year, Troy Hovey of Decorah Iowa. Troy drew a front row starting spot for the feature and lead flag to flag for the win in the race that was slowed by numerous cautions. Cole Lonergan of Dexter who had a pass for the lead wiped out by a caution come home in second ahead of the Defending National Champion in the Class Andy Bryant of Fort Stock Kansas who made his first visit to the track. Heat winners for the class were Dustin Kruse of Brandon South Dakota, Brian Mahlstedt of Ionia Iowa, and Andrew Bleess of Chatfield.

Ryan Goergen of Stacyville Iowa had the biggest scare of the three drivers leading there respective divisions coming into the night. Ryan had a slim six point lead over Garitt Wytaske of Lansing in the WISSTOA Midwest Modified Class. And after Wytaske took home a head win while Ryan managed just a second in his heat that lead dipped to five heading to the feature. That meant Ryan had to stay with in four positions of Wytaske or risk losing the title or being possible tied. The two drivers started side by side in row three with Ryan getting to fourth on the drop of the green and Wytaske falling to sixth. However Garitt recovered quickly and pulled back up behind Ryan as they ran third and fourth three laps into the 18 lap main event. On lap six Garitt pulled past Ryan but one spot wasn’t going to be enough to change the standings. A couple of cautions however shook things up. While Garitt managed to continue running third Ryan slipped back to 7th and suddenly the difference was effectively one point. As Garitt fell back to fourth when Nick Koehler of Bloomer Wisconsin came by him the difference went back to two. Ryan was shuffling back and fourth in a group of cars as the final laps wound down. Wytaske made a late pass for third and Goergen came out of a mad scramble to come home seventh and grab the Championship by one point. Ryan has two other Track Championships to his title winning IMCA Stock Car Championships at the track in 2011 and 2012. Up front meanwhile Casey Trom of Zumbrota, who stated on the pole was more interested in getting her second feature win of the year and she did just that. Casey lead flag to flag for the win surviving several restarts to claim the win. Koehler ended up in second.

In the USMTS Chase Main Event Zach VanderBeek grabbed the lead at the drop of the green and proceeded to stretch out a lead over Jesse Glenz of Cadott Wisconsin who started on the front row with him. The track rubbered up just like it had for the Memorial Race and the caution flew just three times during the main event. However when the caution flag came out with six laps to go for a driver with a blown right rear tire Zach had to be hoping he would not see that fate for the second time this season at Chateau. One more tire did go down over the final two restarts but Zachs held up and took him to victory lane with his third feature win in the Chase. Zach also claimed a heat win earlier in the night to cap a perfect night. Johnny Scott of Las Cruces New Mexico came from back in row six to finish in the runner up spot. Cade Dillard tightened up the Chase Points Standings with a third place finish as the leader coming into the night, Jason Hughes was stuck in traffic and managed just a 12th place finish. Jason started in the back of his heat and managed just a fifth place finish. Without enough passing points he had to qualify for the feature through a Consy and wound up starting in row 11 for the feature while Dillard started in row 4 after getting a second place finish in his heat. Heat winners on the night along with VanderBeek were Steve Wetzstein of West Concord, Glenz, Rodney Sanders of Happy Texas who finished fourth in the feature, and Travis Saurer of Elizaabeth. The Consy events went to Jacob Bleess of Chatfield and Jason Cummins of New Richland. Bleess lead flag to flag off the front row for his win while Cummins made a nice run from row three to take his. Jason worked to third on lap three of his consy and up to second a lap later than passed early leader Joe Duvall of Prior Oklahoma on lap nine of the 15 lap event.

The Enduro Race is schedule for next Saturday with the green flag dropping at noon on the $1200 to win event to conclude activities at the track for the year.

WISSOTA Street Stock :

Feature: Mike Blowers-Waseca, Blake Adams-Stacyville IA, Fred Prudoehl-Winona, Kory Adams-Stacyville IA, Noah Grinstead-Austin, Jason Newkirk-Austin, Zach Elward-Hayfield, Brady Krohnberg-Walters, Bernie Adams-Stacyville IA, Tim Bustad-Austin, Stacy Krohnberg-Stacyville IA, Jim Briggs-Waseca, Brent Holland-Glenville (DNS: Kyle King-Hastings)
Heat 1: Prudoehl, B Krohnberg, Holland, S Krohnberg, Briggs, King, Elward
Heat 2: K Adams, Newkirk, Bl Adams, Blowers, Be Adams, Grinstead, Bustad

WISSOTA Midwest Modified:

Feature: Casey Trom-Zumbrota, Nick Koehler-Bloomer WI, Garitt Wytaske-Lansing, Billy Steinberg-Kasson, Jason Born-Medford, Allen Stettner-Newport, Ryan Goergen-Stacyville IA, Jarod Boumeester-Waseca, Scott Splittstoesser-Cottage Grove, Jesse Hernandez-Blooming Prairie, Brayten Cisneros-Blooming Prairie, Jeremy Misgen-New Richland, Tammy Soma Clark-Rochester, Jay Clark-Rochester, Dustin Steinbrink-Austin, Matt Stark-Austin, Tianna Mithun-Freeborn, Brad Minske-Northfield, Luke Hainka-Wannamingo, Michael Wytaske-Lansing, Adam Martinson-Plymouth, Don Schaefer-Eyota, Daryl Hainka-Wannamingo (DNS: Jaiden Bastyr-Austin)
Heat 1: Koehler, Boumeester, Trom, Stark, Splittstoesser, Mithun, J Clark, Martinson
Heat 2: G Wytaske, Misgen, Steinberg, Schaefer, Minske, Stettner, J Hainka, Bastyr
Heat 3: Born, Goergen, T Clark, Steinbrink, M Wytaske, Cisneros, Hernandez, D Hainka

USRA B Mod

Feature: Troy Hovey-Decorah IA, Cole Lonergan-Dexter, Michael Bryant-Fort Stock KS, Kyle Anderson-Burr Oak IA, Kylie Kath-Owatonna, Andrew Bleess-Chatfield, Zac Pruner-Sioux Falls SD, Matt Brooks-Austin, Bill Engler-Hixton WI, Blake Arndt-Brownsdale, Morgan Schrage-Cresco IA, Derek Clement-Spring Valley, Taylor Ausrud-Hayfield, Kadden Kath-Owatonna, Darren Jonsgaard-Fountain City WI, Dustin Kruse-Brandon SD, Raey Hastings IV-Austin, Brian Mahlstedt-Ionia IA, Charles Eckl JR-New Prague (DNS: Jayden Larson-Mankato, Jett Sorensen-Rochester)
Heat 1: Kruse, Hovey, Larson, Brooks, Ausrud, Pruner, Engler
Heat 2: Mahlstedt, Anderson, Jonsgaard, Lonergan, Hastings, Eckl, Ky Kath
Heat 3: Bleess, Clement, Ka Kath, Bryant, Arndt, Sorensen, Schrage

USRA Modified

Feature: Zach VanderBeek-New Sharon IA, Johnny Scott-Las Cruces NM, Cade Dillard-Robeline LA, Rodney Sanders-Happy TX, Brandon Davis-Medford, Steve Wetzstein-West Concord, Travis Saurer-Elizabeth, Jason Cummins-New Richland, Ricky Thornton JR-Chandler AZ, Cody Bauman-Eureka IL, Jacob Bleess-Chatfield, Jason Hughes-Watts OK, Nate Wasmund-Rochester, Lucas Schott-Chatfield, Dereck Ramirez-Woodward OK, Mike Densberger-Lincoln NB, Mason Big Eagle-Manor Saskatchewan Canada, Jesse Sobbing-Malvern IA, Joe Duvall-Claremore OK, Jake Hartung-Elmwood WI, Jesse Glenz-Cadott WI, Mike Jergens-Plover IA, Daniel Hilsabeck-Adel IA, Brent Dutenhoffer-Watertown SD, Darwin Karau-Kasson, Doug Hillson-Blooming Prairie
Consy 1: Bleess, Hartung, Thornton JR, Schott, M Big Eagle, Karau, Adam Kates-Tonganoxie KS, Densberger, Ryan Mikkelson-Jamestown ND, Brett Bumgardner-Hawkeye IA, Hilsabeck, Pat Graham-Ankeny IA, Jett Big Eagle-Manor Saskatchewan Canada, Josh Angst-Winona
Consy 2: Cummins, Duvall, Bauman, Wasmund, Hughes, Ramirez, Brad Waits-Rochester, Joe Horgdahl-Kasson, Ron Ver Beek-Oskaloosa IA, Greg Jensen-Albert Lea, Brock Bauman-Eureka IL, Keith Tourville-Webster WI, Jake Timm-Winona, Jacob Stark-Austin, James Parker-Brownsdale
Heat 1: Wetzstein, Hillson, C Bauman, Bleess, Schott, Hughes, Jensen, B Bauman, Parker
Heat 2: Glenz, Dillard, Hartung, Ramirez, Horgdal, Timm, Bumgardner, Hilsabeck
Heat 3: VanderBeek, Jergens, Davis, Wasmund, Cummins, M Big Eagle, Kates, Waits
Heat 4: Sanders, Scott, Thornton Jr, J Big Eagle, Angst, Ver Beek, Karau, Stark
Heat 5: Saurer, Sobbing, Dutenhoffer, Duvall, Densberger, Mikkelson, Graham, (DQ: Tourville / finished 2nd)