Vol. 4 Issue 10
OCTOBER 2013
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OWNER PRESIDENT – Scott Robinson scott@wheelsofthunder.net 612-730-3719
OFFICE STAFF AR/AP – Stacy Robinson 763-421-4400 SALES SUPPORT – Vince Griffith vince@wheelsofthunder.net 651-280-8658 JUNIOR BOSS – Zack Robinson 763-421-4400
EDITORIAL STAFF
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Final Race for Raceway Park .......................42
Hot Rods & Harleys.....................................46
Princeton Speedway ...................................50
Photographers/Writers
Cedar Boat Club Drag Races .......................56
Eve of Destruction .......................................58
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SUBSCRIPTIONS $34.99 - PHONE: 763-421-4400 www.wheelsofthunder.net All content published herein is owned exclusively by Midwest Wheels of Thunder Magazine. Reproduction or further dissemination of the content herein is strictly prohibited without the express written authorization of Midwest Wheels of Thunder Magazine.
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NHRA Lucas Oil Drags................................62
Volga City Truck Cruise ...............................68
Rally’s & Shows
American Victory Rally ...............................12
NORTHERN SALES – Scott Robinson scott@wheelsofthunder.net 612-730-3719 SOUTHERN SALES - John Lentzkow John.lentzkow@mchsi.com 319-239-1375
Craig Dollansky ............................................4 Hare Scrambles ..........................................22
EDITOR/CREATIVE DIRECTOR Betty Schurmann editor@wheelsofthunder.net 763-421-4400
MYLIE LAVOLD TOM EDWARDS JESSICA KANKE JENNA OSTERLUND MATT PETERSON STEVE CASPER JOHN KRUEGER JOHN LENTZKOW
Special Features
Hastings Saturday Cruise-in..........................18 Terracross/Haydays....................................28 Lake of Ozarks Shootout .............................34
Howies Mud Bog ........................................40
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Route 65 Classics ........................................54
BIR.............................................................66
Departments
Garage Built.................................................8 ABATE of MN.............................................49
Game On!..................................................65
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It’s a performance driven business. You have to show progress. Fortunately I had some good people who helped me along the way.” ~ Craig Dollansky
Written by Mylie Lougheed
print car driver Craig Dollansky is a favorite on the World of Outlaws Sprint Series. Known for his aggressive and impressive style of driving, Dollansky has been dubbed “The Crowd Pleaser.” When speaking with Dollansky, he plays down the nickname, but announcers and fans will tell you he has earned title.
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Craig Dollansky “The Crowd Pleaser”
Dollansky’s story is one of determination, hard work and perseverance. He didn’t come from a wealthy family (no sprint car for this guy’s 16th birthday) but he did come from a racing family. His father raced in The Midwest Sprint Association and Dollansky remembers traveling to races across the five state area and Canada. Growing up Dollansky definitely developed a love for the sport but he learned early on that it takes more than love to play in this game, it takes money. “I ran a car a couple of times in my teenage years,” re-
calls Dollansky. “But we didn’t really have the means for me to go run a car.” That wasn’t stopping him. Hitting the road to Knoxville in his early 20’s, Dollansky went in pursuit of his dream. “Knoxville was the premier race track in the county, so I headed down there to see if I could maybe hook up with a team that would give me a shot to drive their car.” Dollansky got his shot with Duane Roebuck and kicked off his racing career. Dollansky spent about 4 years racing regularly in Knoxville and making a name for himself. He drove for different teams, including driving the #55 Jensen Construction car. Eventually he joined brothers, Dean & DJ Lindsey out of Illinois and hit the road with the All Stars Circuit of Champions. Dollansky says that was his spring board to the World of Outlaws. Since joining the World of Outlaws fulltime in 2001, Dollansky has seen some notable success, including winning his 50th career World of Outlaws race. He raced for Karavan Motorsports, Larry Woodward Racing, and Kasey Kahne before teaming up with his current team, Big Game Motorsports, in 2010. Together, Dollansky and Big Game have won 31 races; 29 World of Outlaw shows, an All Star show and a World Challenge Race at the Knoxville Nationals. Dollansky says he is appreciative all the support he
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did really well.” Peyton wasn’t the only one who did well this year. Younger son Garret (19) was named Rookie of the year in Knoxville. “I’ve got three great kids,” beams Dollansky. “And I’m proud of all three of them. “ We can’t talk about the Dollansky family and racing without talking about mom/wife Julie, who drives the apparel line for team Dollansky. Offerings range from family friendly swag to the racier “Crowd Pleaser” bootie shorts.
gets from Big Game Treestands and owner, Tod Quiring. “Things continue to progress and we get stronger,” says Dollansky. “He really does a lot for me personally as well as for the team.”
His favorite races aren’t just limited to his own. “All three of my kids race,” he says. “And they all have great potential.”
I asked Dollansky to share a story about one of his favorite races. He took me back to 2001 in Fargo, ND. “It was a 3 day event and we ended up winning the finale. But to win, I had to pass Steve Kinser and Sammy Swindell. At the end of that race being congratulated by those two icons was a
Dollansky and his oldest son Lucas have run and won several races together. Lucas has also gained some experience on the other side of the wheel as a member of the #7 crew. Daughter Peyton (15) took the wheel and ran mini-sprints this year. “It’s a learning process,” says Dollansky. “And she
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pretty big moment in my career.”
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As the 2013 season nears its end, Dollansky is holding his own ranking 5th in points. Coming off the strong 2012 season, 5th was not what he had envisioned but Dollansky plans to make the most out of the last six races and position the team for 2014. Fans can catch up with Dollansky on October 18th at the Wheels of Thunder All Motorsports Show at the Minneapolis Convention Center. He will also be running in the St. Jude’s Race for the Cure the day before. “It’s a great event for a great cause,” says Dollansky. “I’m happy to be a part of that.” For more information visit: www.dollanskyracing.com
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1934 2-Door Sedan
“Without my wonderful wife Kay, my children Jeremy, Jason, and Kristina, my dream would not have come true, and I would like to give them a special Thank You!”
Car Owner/Enthusiast:
Randy Evers
Stock Original This is where it all started!
Sound Familiar? Do you have a story of your custom ride? E-mail editor@wheelsofthunder.net and you could be featured with your ride in the next issue!
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Randy Evers of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota bought his 1934 2 door sedan ‘shell’ in the fall of 1991. It was a bare shell with no chassis underneath and in rough shape, but a long time dream of Randy’s. Well, a car trailer and two pick up loads of parts later it arrived at the house. It was the night before the big Halloween Blizzard of 1991 when they decided it should be put in the garage. Only one factor…with no chassis it proved to be a little more difficult of a job than they thought. With the help of family and friends (along with a few choice words), it made its way inside. It was a good thing, because the next morning they woke up to a foot of snow covering the ground. Randy bought a 1973 Valiant and used the chassis, motor, and transmission for the 1934 project, and the steering column came from a 1989 Dodge Shadow. Randy’s dream was to have it running in time for the Minnesota Street Rod Association’s (MSRA) ‘Back to the 50s’ show in June, held at the fairgrounds in Saint Paul. With many long nights and tons
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of work, it was drivable by the time the show came. Only in primer, with two bucket seats bolted in, but he reached his dream of taking it to show! That following winter he finished this beautiful family car with completing the touches on a 360 Mopar engine, auto 727 tranny, self made interior, and heat and air for comfort on their travels. It sports a bright metallic red paint with black cherry accents and ghost flames on the front fenders. He says their kids ‘grew up’ in the back seat of the car as it took them on many family vacations and camping trips. They are happy to have made so many friends from all over the United States while traveling to different events. Now they are having a blast doing the same thing with their grandchildren, Blake, Logan, Gavin….and another little one on the way, traveling in the back seat of Grandpa and Grandma’s Garage Built Beauty…but it looks like ‘Papa’ will have to start another project soon to be able to take all the Grandkids!
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Written and Photography by Michael Mihalevich
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he 11th Annual American Victory Rally celebrated the 15th anniversary of Polaris building Victory motorcycles in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Polaris offered a full schedule of events for the August 16th and 17th weekend rally. You could begin your day at 6:30 am with an all-you-can-eatbreakfast sponsored by the local Knights of Columbus, and end your day with a spectacular fireworks display over the waters of Lake Okoboji.
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Lake Okoboji is Iowa’s #1 vacation destination. There are the five Iowa Great Lakes, recreational trails, fishing, hunting, boating, marinas, swimming, beaches, golf, shops, restaurants, free concerts, museums, amusements, and the list goes on. However, there was even more happening with Polaris’ American Victory Rally weekend. Polaris’ American Victory Rally included plant tours, demo rides, official event merchandise, vendor displays that included Rick Fairless of Strokers Dallas on site and a selection of Arlen Ness Victory motorcycles, dynos, scavenger hunt, bike wash, Victory police demonstrations, boat ride aboard the “Queen II”, Victory games, “Ride for the Red” benefiting the American
Red Cross, bike show, Riders’ Social, riders tech talks, live bands (Josh Turner and O.A.R.), and fireworks. The activities were held at Polaris Industries facility in Spirit Lake and Preservation Plaza in Arnolds Park, only four miles south of the Polaris facility. Arnolds Park, “the city of five lakes”, is home to the actual Arnolds Park. Arnolds
Park Amusement Park complex has been a popular Iowa vacation spot since the 1880s, and is situated on the east shore of West Lake Okoboji. The park offers more than thirty rides including the famous “Legend” wooden rollercoaster, the log flume ride, a 63-foot tall Ferris wheel, and fast go-karts. In addition to the amusement park, there is an Iowa State Visitor Center on site, stocked full of maps and brochures for you to plan out your adventures around the Iowa Great Lakes area, and the rest of the state of Iowa. The Iowa Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame Museum is right there in Arnolds Park. The museum exhibits include a recording studio, radio booth, posters, albums, and the Hall of Fame Wall of Fame featuring a number of autographed guitars. October 2013
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More than $7,000.00 was raised for the American Red Cross this rally weekend. Other local charities benefited from other charity rides during the American Victory Rally weekend as well.
The Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum is a not-to-be-missed attraction for the motorheads among you. There are exhibits showcasing the days of steamboats, motor launches, and wooden cruisers. There are at least two-dozen beautifully handcrafted wooden runabouts, canoes, and sailboats on display. There are also a couple dozen vintage outboard motors on racks and in displays in one section of the museum.
tory Police bikes are capable of when turning in an 18-foot diameter circle. It was interesting to see that even when the bike was laid over on its forged highway bars and bag rail protectors, the tires maintained contact with the pavement. All you had to do was keep your feet on the floorboards and give it a little throttle and the bike would right itself again. Pretty amazing. Saturday morning, the American Red Cross “Ride for the Red” drew a hundred and ten registered riders. They were led on the three-hour ride by Victory enthusiast and spokesperson R. Lee “Gunny” Ermey, a retired Marine drill instructor and actor, probably best know for his role in “Full Metal Jacket”, or more recently, as a drill instructor turned therapist in a Geico commercial.
Vendors were set up among the trees in the grassy Preservation Plaza park adjacent to the West Lake Okoboji shore. Rick Fairless, an extraordinary bike builder of Strokers Dallas fame, was in attendance live-and-inperson at the rally. Fairless’ long hair and colorful attire made him easy to spot in a crowd. His Victory motorcycle that was on display could easily be spotted, owing to Rick’s unique paint schemes. Fairless was available to talk about motorcycle projects or pose for photos with his bikes and fans. Arlen Ness was represented with a selection of his Victory motorcycles on display. Of course you could purchase official event merchandise, and even join the Victory Rider’s Association riding club. There were a number of other vendors offering a variety of biker accessories and services.
Polaris provided the opportunity for riders to cruise the Okoboji lakes on the historic “Queen II—Flagship of the Iowa Navy”, launched in 1986 to replace the original 1880s “Queen” of Lake Okoboji. There was a scavenger hunt that was essentially a
Polaris plant tours attracted more than 2,000 visitors during the rally weekend. If you want to tour the plant it is best to make plans to get there during the week when the assembly lines are in operation, that way you can watch new Victorys and Indian motorcycles rolling off the line. Yes, the new Indian motorcycles are being manufactured in the Spirit Lake, Iowa facility. Production began about the first part of August. There are around sixty employees working on each of the two assembly lines in the facility, and a new motorcycle is completed on each line about every four hours. Outside the plant you could watch the Victory Police Motorcycle Demonstrations that showed the metal scraping turns the VicPage 14
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twenty-mile loop around West Lake Okoboji with stops at seven different locations. Different Victory parts were placed in each location for riders to locate; such as a green Victory fender in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Museum. Victory Games were held at Preservation Plaza. The games included a Keg Toss, Saddlebag Race, Bean Bag Toss, and a Slow Ride Contest. The Riders’ Social, Saturday evening, was quite an event. Riders were greeted with a necklace of Mardi Gras beads and instructed to grab a cupcake. Some of the cupcakes had star-shape stickers on the bottom that stated ‘PRIZE’. The prizes were nice Okoboji souvenirs and Victory goodies. You were also given a ticket for a free drink—alcoholic or non-alcoholic, and could purchase a pulled pork sandwich with sides and a dessert for only $5. “Gunny” addressed the crowd. He extolled the virtues of small town American hospitality, and expressed how much he enjoyed the rally. There were more drawings for more prizes, and $25 gift cards taped to the bottom of a number of chairs—a nice bonus if you happened to be sitting in one of the lucky chairs. This year’s American Victory Rally weekend weather was ideal—mid 70ºs during the days, with blue skies, white puffy clouds, and cool breezes, and dropping to the low 60ºs during the nights. It made for a wonderfully comfortable environment for an outdoor lakeside free concert. Country music singer Josh Turner was the headline entertainment for Saturday night’s
than 12,000 people were there to enjoy the free concert sponsored by Polaris in Arnolds Park. In addition to the crowd sitting in the grass, there were multitudes of people in boats on West Lake Okoboji enjoying the wonderful evening concert in the park. A fireworks display over the lake provided the appropriate grand finale. The American Victory Rally was a fun event. Everything was convenient in the Arnolds Park Amusement Park and Preservation Plaza area. The twenty-four acre setting provided plenty of entertainment options for an enjoyable day—amusement park, marina, beach, shops, restaurants, the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum, Iowa Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame Museum, free evening concerts, and spectacular fireworks. “We’ve received lots of great comments from local businesses and residents about our very successful American Victory Rally,” Cory Knudtson, Director of Operations, Victory Motorcycles, expressed. “There were a number of riders from all over the U.S., and from overseas as well. This was a factory run rally with more than 2,000 visitors on the plant tours during the weekend, and more than 12,000 guests attending the free nightly concerts. The
weather was wonderful, and thankfully, there were no safety issues with the riders at the rally. This year’s American Victory Rally couldn’t have been much better. We’d like to express our tremendous thanks to all the employees and area residents that volunteered their time and efforts to make this a great weekend. Now we’re back to business as usual building outstanding Victory and Indian motorcycles.”
You should probably make your plans early to attend next year’s American Victory Rally. That way you have a better chance of reserving close in lodging to be near all the action.
concert. The American Victory Rally was one of Turner’s stops on his national “Punching Bag” tour. Enthusiastic fans had staked out front-of-the-stage-spots in the early afternoon before his scheduled 7 pm concert. It was an exciting show and more October 2013
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Written by Kevin Hoeschen
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eautiful Historic Downtown Hastings Minnesota has been the site for the annual Historic Hastings Saturday Night Cruise-In’s for 8 years. The Downtown Business Association (DBA) was approached in 2005 by classic car enthusiasts to start a car show in downtown Hastings on Saturdays in the summer. The DBA thought it was worth looking into. They knew in order for this to work—a group of people needed to take ownership in this venture and plan, finance and run these shows
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The DBA decided to take the challenge and so a committee was formed to plan, get sponsorships to finance the shows and volunteers to help with the actual show. It was decided to name this show The Historic Hastings Saturday Night Cruise-In, and hold it every other Saturday from June to October. It comes out to be 9 to 10 shows. The committee wanted to make sure and not hold a show during Rivertown Days which has been a Hastings festival for many many years so planning needs to make sure the Rivertown Days Event would not also be a cruise-in night.
The committee also needed to check with the City of Hastings to make sure this would be feasible and to request the downtown area streets to be blocked off to only allow classic cars 1976 or older. Sponsorships were requested from local businesses and merchants and dash plaques and advertising was arranged for all of the sponsors of the show. There is a lot of work behind the scenes that take place before the show can go on including obtaining sponsorships, advertising, meetings with city officials for street blocking, obtaining food and merchandise vendors, committee planning sessions and volunteer training. The Historic Hastings Saturday Cruise-in’s have been a tremendous success from the start and they just keep growing every year. They average anywhere from 600 plus classic cars per show with up to 12 food vendors and between 2000 to 5000 spectators attending. Most downtown shops and restaurants are open and most offer specials or sales with the show running from 5 pm to 9 pm. An Information Booth for the Cruise-in is run by volunteers and is set up in the middle of 2nd street. The DBA also sells Tshirts with sponsorship logos and a new creative Cruise-in design every year at this booth.
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Hastings Minnesota
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Aaron Boatman (Yamaha) leads KTM mounted #125 Colton Reschke outof a very wet Spring Creek sand wash during the Premier Class race. Page 22
ept, 14th, Millville MN DRY, DRY, DRY! Sept 15th (Raceday) WET, WET, WET! When track workers were prepping the course for the fall edition of the District 23 Spring Creek Hare Scrambles race on Saturday, conditions were super dry due to sparse rainfall for weeks previous, so it was decided to apply copious amount of water to the starting area for the racers and spectators benefit. After the starting line area was thoroughly prepped, later that evening the rains came, and kept coming, all night! By morning on race day, the starting line was a quagmire of 6-9 inched of soupy mud. Deep enough to swallow the mini racers in the blink of an eye, and give all others fits at the beginning of their races.
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KTM rider Chad Tupper #41 splashing his way to a third place finish at the road crossing in Vet-A action.
Out came the bulldozer s and bobcats. Even though Spring Creek Motocross Park is in a “No Wake Zone” that didn t stop the graders from generating some swells that rival the waves seen at “The Pipeline” on the island of Oahu.
Written and photographed by Keith McKenna
The decision was made to move the start line to the first grass track area, which ended up delaying the first race of the day by 1.5 hours. No big deal! While the start area was a mess, the trail through the woods were in mint condition, tacky with no dust and very fast.
The first class to run were the Premier Class and the Girls. With the racers warming up their 65cc and 85 and 105cc two strokes along with a sprinkling of four strokes, a light breeze with cool temps set the stage for an epic battle that would see youth motocross champ and first time hare scramble competitor, YZ85 mounted Aaron Boatman engaged in an epic battle royale that would see him running bar to bar through the infamous Spring Creek sand wash elbow to elbow with Colton Reschke who was on his expertly tuned Reschke Racing KTM SX 105. At the checkered flag #106 Collin Maynard on his Powerband Racing prepared KTM SX105 splashed and slid his way to the top of the podium with Reschke second and Boatman, 20 seconds adrift, rounding out the podium. The second race of the day was for the PeeWee, Micro and Macro speedsters. The #198 KTM if Travis Illies would kiss the trophy girl (figuratively speaking) at the end of the Macro race with Charlie Siebenaler finishing in second place.
This show could be called Minnesota s Got Talent! AA class starting line, #37 AMA ProMotocross Rookie hot shoe Alex Martin, #112 Multi-time ISDE racer and factory racer Matt Stavish, #11 Dylan Debel multi-time national champ October 2013
Next up was the C-Class and the Women s Class. Early into the first lap of the Women s race, in the first woods section, District 23 motocross fast gal but first time Hare Scrambles racer #24 Shay Anna Wilson got hung up behind a stalled rider from an earlier wave, which saw her great start evaporate as everyone in her class got around her on the inside while she worked to extricate her Yamaha YZ250F from between the dormant bike and rider and the www.WheelsofThunder.net
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deep. One knew that things were going to be very exciting indeed. On the line with 5 time USA representative at the International Six Day Enduro and former factory rider for ATK, KTM, GasGas and Husaberg, Matt Stavish, there also sat National enduro champ Kyle Nelson on his Yamaha YZ 125, Champ Dylan Debel on his #11 Honda CRF 450, former champ Jesse “Junior” Blomberg, Multi-time District 23 champion #63 Nate Ferderer on a Husqvarna and many more very talented racers, including 2013 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross racer Alex Martin on his Rock River Yamaha
#45 Honda mounted David Spizman grabs the hole-shot and locks the throttle en-route to a second place finish in Senior-A racing.
Osseo Powersports, Checkpoint Off-Road Honda CRF 450 mounted race winner #11 Dylan Debel in his natural habitat, open woods, on the gas, leading the race on his way to victory in the AA class.
the Motocross of Nations, where he will be representing for Puerto Rico in the MX2 division.
trees on the outside of the corner. Wilson had to set the dial to “boil” to make up the deficit, but would pour on the coals to ultimately finish in the third position behind former D-23 Women s H.S. champs Mary Schreiner in second and Kristi Grote who was the winner of the day. The last race of the day, the AA, A and B class was set to be a barn burner of a race, with the talent on the AA line sooo very “Beef, It s what s for...good lap times” as evidenced by Senior-B racer #371 Steve Lindeman, sponsored by Lindey s Steak House (theplaceforsteaks.com) who finished in 4th place in the Spring Creek fall classic.
YZ250F, to give the racers and spectators an extra treat, before having to leave to get to practice for his upcoming appearance at
It seems that the apple didn t fall far from the tree, as Martin, son of multi-time AMA national hare scrambles champ and former factory racer and current owner of the Spring Creek Motocross Park John Martin, put his stamp on his intention to show that not only is he fast at getting around a moto track, but also very quick at snaking his way through the woods. At the end of the second lap, Alex had a commanding lead of more than 1 minute over the rest of the field. Mid-way through the 2+ hour race and after a long season of Pro motocross racing, the engine on his YZ-250 finally cried “uncle”, ending his day on the trailer. That would leave #11 Dylan Debel to battle for the lead with a hard charging Kyle
Ya all heard of Jerry Robin The vintage CR250 racing motocross phenom? Meet Jerry Robin the wood racing phenom. The dude can bust-a-move in the woods and I don t mean maybe. Page 24
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Nelson on his YZ125. Nelson apparently didn t cruse around in “economy mode”, as he would need to refill the stock fuel tank at the end of every lap. He would-
spend the time lost in the refueling area catching up to the leader Debel, only to give it up again at the end of the next lap. On the last lap, Debel stopped to help #63 Nate Ferderer who in a racing incident got his boot wedged between the rear tire and swingarm of his Husquvarna, all without coming off of the bike. Even with the delay, the #11 Debel went on to finish in first place with Ferderer in second place and Nelson on his freshly fueled YZ125 coming home in third.
MN, off-road racing community. Big thanks to Mike Quinn and his crew for putting together a race that AA winner Dylan Debel remarked, could quite easily be the “Hare Scramble of the Year”.
So, Ya all heard of a motocross racer named Jerry Robin? Made quite a name for himself for making it to the Loretta Lynn s Motocross National Championships riding a very vintage Honda CR250? Well, meet Jerry Robin the woods racer! Before the race Robin stated that he has only raced a few off-road events and he was looking forward to today s race. In a class that is deep in talent, Robin went on to smoke his class, winning by more than 7 minutes and finishing 5th overall in the AA,A&B rankings. Yamaha mounted #2362 racer Marcus Koester, snaking his way under the “Big Tipped Over Tree” in the 200-C race to end the day in 6th place.
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What started out looking like what would be a day of total misery turned out to be a great day of racing and fellowship in the
KTM racer David Peterson flying to a 6th place finish in Senior-C action.
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W
hile the mud, rocks, logs and jumps might be the same one thing’s for sure, the stakes have never been higher on the Mystik Lubricants Terracross Championship. After two events new names have risen to the forefront of the series along with ones fans might find familiar. Maybe the biggest new name is off-road star and Walker Evans Racing driver RJ Anderson, who has taken a commanding lead in Pro TX SXS racing, sweeping the first event which took place at ERX Motor Park in Elk River, Minnesota, August 10-11, and then taking a win at the SnoBarons Haydays race this past September 7-8 in Sunrise, Minnesota. Page 28
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Written and photographed by Joe Wiegele
Anderson, who hails from Riverside, California, became the first Terracross driver to sweep the Side-X-Side class at a Terracross event besting a talented field that included Daryl Rath (Mystik Lubricants), Nick Nelson (ATV World Magazine), X Games talent Chris Burandt (FOX) and past Terracross winner Andrew Carlson (Sportech). He faltered at Haydays getting taken out in one of the opening laps which opened the door for Zac Zakowski (Zakowski Motorsports) to take his first Pro Terracross win. Carlson kept himself in the points mix taking two seconds at Haydays despite having undergone sugery on his knee just a week prior.
man (FOX) would run away with the class after the first race at ERX, Doug Gust quickly changed the scenario winning the second race. Daryl Rath put his quad back up front at Haydays after having a rough outing at ERX Motor Park where a crash left him unable to race and he just took starts. Rath won one of the FOX Pro TX Quad 4x4 Stock races giving up the other one to Beckman, who also claimed a win at ERX. Zakowski took two second place finishes.
Pro TX Quad has been just as exciting and, while it looked like frontrunner Rory Beck-
Speeding With Style riders will compete for Caleb’s Cup, a trophy named after the late Caleb Moore who passed away from injuries suffered from a crash jumping a snowmobile at the Winter X Games. Speeding With Style looked up for grabs headed into ERX as no one had really stepped up. Marco Picado won the comp at ERX but newcomer JR Hinds ran away with it at Haydays, winning both SWS events. In addition to racing, Terracross Championship has put together a family of sponsors who help make the racing the best it October 2013
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can be. In addition to the Mystik Lubricants found in all the race vehicles, Terracross has welcomed GBC Tires and Walker Evans as sponsors. Walker Evans supplies the shocks found on all the Polaris RZR XP 1000s as well as the bead lock wheels used on all the race vehicles. These wheels combined with GBC Kanati Mongrel tires have greatly reduced the frequency of tires rolling off rims, something the circuit saw a lot of last season. “Last year we saw a lot of failures with flat tires and tires rolling off rims,” said Terracross’ Joe Duncan. “Thanks to GBC and Walker Evans wheels those problems have virtually been eliminated. When we look for sponsors for Mystik Lubricants Terracross Championship we look for the best in the industry,” continued Duncan. “So, to put it bluntly, if you see
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our brands together you know you’re getting the best.” One race remains on the Mystik Lubricants Terracross Championship schedule. Watch www.terracrossracing.com for schedule announcements regarding this event. The Mystik Lubricants Terracross Championship features the best off-road and action sports athletes competing on Quads and Side-X-Sides on a rough, muddy course complete with obstacles such as rocks, logs, jumps and tight turns. Races are aired on CBS Sports Network. For more information on the Terracross Championship visit www.terracrossracing.com. Facebook: www.facebook.com/Terracrossracing Twitter: twitter.com/Terracrossrace YouTube: www.youtube.com/TerracrossRacing
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AKE OF THE OZARKS, MO – 224 MPH in one mile. Bill Tomlinson’s My Way 50- foot Mystic powerboat with 6000 horsepower twin turbine motors smoked the all-time Lake of the Ozarks Shootout record on Sunday, Aug. 25, 2013, with runs of 215 mph and 224 mph to set a new standard for speed on the water.
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Written by John Lentzkow
In My Way’s first trip to the Shootout in 2011, Tomlinson won his first Top Gun Trophy tying the new course record of 208 mph set by Dave Scott in 2010. Tomlinson vowed to return in 2012 to eclipse that run, but crashed into a large cruiser wake during the 1,000 Islands Poker Run rendering My Way incapable of racing only weeks before the Shootout.
enthusiasts at the 25th Anniversary of the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout.
One year later, after 1000 man-hours of hard work – not to mention plenty of relamination and hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs, Tomlinson made good on his word with a world-class run of 224 mph before thousands of screaming powerboat
Another Top Gun award went to Mikd D’Anniballe in his 36 foot Skater for the Top Cat – Professional title with a speed of 195 mph.
My family and friends have been attending this event for several years now, and I can assure you it is one big party on the water. Boats are tied up together for the entire length of the 1 mile race course 2 and 3 rows deep. You are going to make new friends and have the opportunity to get up close to view some of the most awesome performance boats in action attempting record runs.
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Now read this very carefully. The Top Pontoon went to Brad Rowland with a speed of 114 mph. Are you kidding me? I was there and was blown away like everyone else with when this “TOON” powered by three Mercury outboards came through the lights. The crowd went wild! Another very impressive run for Top PWC title was awarded to Dan O’Keefe with a speed of 95 mph. Wow! Racers from all over the United States and Canada came to do battle for the title of Top www.WheelsofThunder.net
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was held Thursday, Aug. 22 at Cannon Smoked Saloon’s The Stables venue in Sunrise Beach. A number of the Shootout’s longtime contributors, racers and others were honored with many being the first inductees with nameplates added to the new memorial at Captain Ron’s. Additional events included the Fourth Annual Coors Light and Miller Light Mini-Shootout, Showcase Publishing Shootout Benefit Golf Tournament, the Great Shootout Treasure Hunt, Shootout PWC Dam Run, Shootout Volleyball Tournament, Shootout in the Park Meet and Greet, Make-A-Wish Powerboat Rides, Stereo Shootout and Poly Lift Poker Run.
The Top Pontoon went to Brad Rowland with a speed of 114 mph.
Gun at the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout. Again this year’s event was held at Captain Ron’s Bar & Grill in Sunrise Beach where fans could view the race from the shore at Captain Ron’s, from private boats or from the luxurious Celebration Cruises yacht, located right on the finish line. Last year, the Shootout drew a crowd of 75,000 and attracted 121 racers. So it’s no surprise the Shootout is the largest unsanctioned boating race in the U.S. and is noted as one of the nation’s eight “must-see” boating events. Each competitor races individually against the clock rather than other boats. With lots of activities for kids and adults, the Shootout is more than just a race weekend; it’s an eight-day celebration. The festivities start, with The Great Shootout Treasure Hunt at Captain Ron’s. The Hunt includes dinner, drinks and a dig for treas-
ure chests containing fabulous prizes. As part of the weeklong events leading up to the 25th Annual Lake of the Ozarks
Shootout powerboat races Saturday and Sunday, a Bob Morgan Memorial Shootout Hall of Fame induction ceremony dinner
A momentous event helped jumpstart the main Shootout events Saturday – the unveiling of the Bob Morgan Memorial Shootout Hall of Fame monument. More than 50 attendees watched as Sue Morgan and her daughter Amanda Snyder, who flew from Virginia Beach, Va. to attend the ceremony, helped unveil the newly constructed memorial of Sue’s late husband and Amanda’s father. As part of the Shootout’s silver anniversary, the memorial was designed and constructed to honor Morgan, who passed away along with his teammate his teammate, Jeff “JT” Tillman when the men’s 46-foot Skater, also known as Bad Moon Risin’, crashed during the Super Boat International Championships November 2011 in Key West, Fla. Morgan has been a long time Shootout icon, wining Top Gun honors in 1991 and 1995 under his Big Thunder name. Tillman joined up with Morgan, racing together for the first time during the 2008 Offshore Super Series Championships at Lake of the Ozarks with Bad Moon Risin’
The memorial features a metal statue of Bob Morgan and his No. 100 “Big Thunder” race boat; the opposite wall honors the new Hall of Fame inductees with nameplates. EightPage 36
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wood Animal Shelter, Laurie Elks Lodge, Habitat for Humanity, Knights of Columbia Council at St. Patrick’s Church, Lake of the Ozarks Watershed Alliance, Lake Ozark Elks Club, Lake of the Ozarks Fire Protection District, Ozarks Coast Kiwanis, Lake of the Ozarks Shriners, Lake West Chamber of Commerce, Laurie/Sunrise Beach Rotary Club, Make-a-Wish Foundation, Mid-County Fire Protection District, Master Naturalists, Northwest Fire Protection District, Osage Beach Fire Protection District, Camden County Saddle Club, Share the Harvest Food Pantry, Sunrise Beach Fire Protection District and Lake of the Ozarks Water Safety Council. The new record is now in the books, another boat racer immortalized. The only question: who’s next?
TOP GUNS 1989-2013 Sue Morgan and her daughter Amanda Snyder, who flew in from Virginia Beach, Va. to attend the event, unveil the Bob Morgan Memorial Hall of Fame monument during a special ceremony Saturday morning during Lake of the Ozarks Shootout at Captain Ron’s
by-eight inch bricks also make up the memorial and 4-by-8 inch bricks line the walkway to the memorial, which both can be purchased to help go toward the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout’s charitable contributions given to more than 20 local organizations and emergency responders from its proceeds. Following this memorial unveiling ceremony, three U.S. Air Force flyovers were conducted to honor Morgan and Tillman before their friends and former fellow Shootout competitors took to the water for Saturday’s first round of competition and qualifying time trial rounds.
One of the twin turbine boats firing up the motors at night for a fire show. The Lake of the Ozarks Shootout is the largest unsanctioned boat race in the country, featuring some of the top racers and offshore racing powerboats in the U.S. and Canada. Most importantly, however, the donations to local charities benefitting from the event continue to grow. That's what it's really all about. Last year's Shootout raised $100,000 for 22 area charities, including six local fire protection districts. This year Shootout charities include Boy Scouts of America, Citizens Against Domestic Violence, Coffman Bend Fire Association, Dog-
1989: Randy Scism 101 mph 1990: Dan Campbell 112 mph 1991: Bob Morgan tied with David Raber 102.7 1992: David Hollenberg tied with David Brown 1993: Edward Tshiggfrie/Rodney 115.1 mph 1994: Edward Tshiggfrie/Rodney 1995: Bob and Rob Morgan 107.9 mph 1996: Greg Dusselier 114.5 mph 1997: David Scott 141 mph 1998: David Scott 142 mph 1999: David Scott 153 mph 2000: David Scott 160 mph 2001: David Scott 165 mph 2002: Dave Villwock 192 mph 2003: Dave Callan 203 mph 2004: Dave Villwock 198 mph 2005: Dave Callan 201 mph 2006: Dave Callan 208 mph 2007: Dave Callan and John Cosker 209 mph 2008: David Scott and John Tomlinson 178 mph 2009: David Scott and John Tomlinson 196 mph 2010: David Scott and John Tomlinson 208 mph 2011: Bill Tomlinson and Ken Kehoe 208 mph 2012: Greg Olsen 192 mph 2013: Bill Tomlinson and Ken Kehoe 224 mph
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December 2013
HOwiE’S MUD BOG 28th ANNIVERSARY
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Written by Dan Plat
s many short track race fans across the Midwest already know, Raceway Park in Shakopee, Minnesota turned off the lights one final time on Sunday September 1, 2013. On that last night, it was much like saying goodbye to an old friend. While my personal experiences at Raceway may not go back as far as some of the regular attendees, Sunday nights have become a tradition for my family for the last 10 years or so. I’ve always tried to keep up on the happenings at Raceway most of my life, as it was one of the tracks closest to home, we just weren’t regular spectators for many years for one reason or another.
A
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When Rob Hahn started The Midwest Racing Connection (formerly Minnesota’s Racing Connection), Raceway Park was one of only 3 tracks featured on a regular basis. Once my son was old enough for me to handle an evening alone without mom (meaning I didn’t have to worry about changing diapers at the race track), our Sunday nights in the summer were spent at Raceway Park. I’ve only missed a couple of Sunday night shows in the last 10 years or so. Heck, the old man even spent many Sunday nights at the track with us for a number of years. I always thought it was kind of cool to have the three of us sitting together on Sunday nights. The three of us sat together at Raceway Park one final time Labor Day weekend.
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While it’s sad to see another race track close the doors, the hardest part will be not seeing all of the people we typically only see on Sunday nights at Raceway. There are many familiar faces, whether it was the track officials hanging out in the pits or in the tower, the pit shack, ticket booths, concession stands, the fans in the stands or all of the drivers/crew members, we’ll surely miss everyone next year. I haven’t had a chance to get to know as many of the drivers as much as some of the other tracks when bringing the young one to the track years ago, but the past few years we’ll usually walk through pits beforehand and take care of our Sunday night “education sessions.” Heck, I hardly knew
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might not have been saying goodbye to the old friend. With all of this in mind, there is some hope that Sunday night racing can continue somewhere in the Twin Cities area in the future. Not much has been released publicly regarding future opportunities, but that’s just how business works. All we can do is hope for the best. If nothing comes up to replace Raceway Park, thanks for the memories.
Denny Barta and his young friend Greg Larson until we ran into them at Speedweeks in Daytona Beach earlier this year. It was great to see such a huge turnout for the final night at Raceway. The parking lot was full well before the races started, and fans were 10-20 deep between the bleachers for the SRO crowd. The racing action
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did not disappoint on this night, as a tight point battle between Brent Kane and Conrad Jorgenson went down to the final lap. Along with the tight point battle, Jeremy Wolff rolled over his car and the Figure-8 drivers kept fans on the edge of their seats all night long. The racing has always been as good as it was on the final night. If only the crowds were like this more often, we
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hroughout the summer, bikers and car cruisers gather at the Horse for a fun night to show off their rides and enjoy live music, great grilling, and wash it all down with a few cold ones.
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Written by John Lentzkow
In late 2003, four local businessmen came together to form the ownership of Chrome Horse Saloon. Their vision was simple: Create a bar with a motorcycle theme that would be enjoyed by people of all ages.
eagerly anticipated the opening. Customers witnessed a renovated century-old building - the former Z.C.B.J. Hall - with a totally unique atmosphere. An interior designed around Harley-Davidsons which are hanging throughout the bar include:
The Chrome Horse Saloon bar-restaurant opened for business on Friday, February 13, 2004, to a near-capacity crowd that had 2003 Anniversary Edition Soft tail Deuce 2003 Anniversary Edition Fat boy 1978 AMF Dirt Bike 1969 M65 1951 Pan Head 1911 Excelsior Fighting Back from the 500 Year Flood
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2009 after 9 of cleanup, repair and construction. There also was considerable redesigning, which resulted in an 84-foot horseshoe bar, more booth seating, relocation of the kitchen and restrooms, and more of a saloon-type look with considerable wood craftsmanship. The ice bar is one of the few of its kind in the country. Saint Paddy’s Day is one of the biggest events of the year in Cedar Rapids and The Chrome Horse saloon rock’s the crowd with outside bands. The “Horse” is more than a biker bar drawing not only the Harley rider, but a mix of all age groups who enjoy great food and music with their friends.
In 2008, Cedar Rapids was devastated by a flood that crested at 31.12 feet on June 13th. The Chrome Horse took on 12 feet of water which took months of cleanup. Downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa was covered with some 9 square miles of flooding reaching into residential area in the worst 500 year flood reported.
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This crew is responsible for much gratitude for their effort in the flood clean up. You can see the water line just above the windows. Just image having to clean all fixtures and equipment from which filled the bottom story of the building. The Chrome Horse re-opened in March,
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American Bikers for Awareness, Training and Education Wow, what a great summer! All the rides and fundraisers were cool. ABATE University, Algona and Sturgis were awesome. And the icing on the cake was the 25th annual ABATE of Minnesota State Rally. Our Rally Chair, Derrell Jensen, and his entire crew did a fabulous job. Thank you to all the workers, attendees and vendors! The music was great and the games and contests were fun. Yes, Minnesota’s freedom loving motorcyclists had a great summer. But I wonder how many of them realized they were riding around with a big target on their back? There are quite a cross section of groups who are spending tremendous amounts of money and time to alter the way you ride. Let me explain:
1) The Minnesota Department of Public Safety takes any uptick in road fatalities very seriously. Using the Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) approach, they now tie every aspect of road use statistics together to drive down fatalities. Much like a craftsman, the people involved in TZD take great pride in their work. When the statistics show fatality levels rising, they will certainly take action to reduce them. Unfortunately, 2013 has seen a spike in motorcycle rider fatalities. And riders will now be under greater scrutiny. 2) Recently I sat through a Minnesota House Commerce Committee informational meeting. These out of session meetings are where key players brief the members on legislation they will push for in the upcoming session. I listened in because this was on the agenda: "Discussion of auto insurance modernization." Testimony from the trial lawyers associations revealed a wish list of changes to insurance laws in Minnesota, including no-fault insurance for motorcycles. The no-fault laws date to 1974. While I was young at the time, I remember how hard the motorcycle dealers and riders fought to keep motorcycles out of this legislation. The attorney associations will be making a strong push for this in 2014. Make no mistake – if enacted this will hit you hard in the wallet. 3) For a couple years now the Brain Injury Association of Minnesota has had motorcycle helmet legislation as one of
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their top legislative priorities. They have a multi-million dollar budget and a full time lobbying presence at the Minnesota Capitol. While they are a wonderful organization that does great things, ABATE of Minnesota believes their efforts are misplaced. They could achieve far greater results by subsidizing motorcycle rider training and promoting motorist awareness of motorcycles than proposing heavy handed legislation. Bikers have a responsibility too and ABATE of Minnesota does a wonderful job of promoting motorcycle training and motorist awareness. Through our Share the Road program we have educated thousands teenagers over the years on the importance of watching for motorcyclists while driving. And we strongly promote motorcycle safety training, both beginner and advanced. But if Minnesota motorcyclists truly want to be successful at maintaining our way of life, the many riders who are not contributing to their own riding freedom need to step up to the plate. They need to understand that riding around with a target on your back is not fun. They need to turn around and face the challenges we have with a strong united voice. ABATE of Minnesota is that strong voice for street motorcycle riders in Minnesota. Join and support ABATE of Minnesota. Yours in freedom, Mack Backlund, State Coordinator ABATE of MN • 763-226-9195 www.abatemn.org
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rivers, crews, fans and track staff attended the Princeton Speedway weekly from May until Labor Day weekend and on August 30, the regular season came to an end. Bud Martini, Dave Read, Kyle Thell and Matthew Dibb proved victorious by claiming a championship and Shane Sabraski took two.
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Shane Sabraski races at the Princeton Speedway weekly and regularly wheels three cars a night. Sabraski has a WISSOTA Midwest Modified, Modified and Super Stock, and this season, he was champion of the Super Stocks and Modifieds Page 50
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Written by Tami Jo Kuehn Photography by Jacy Norgaard and Bailey Sens
The WISSOTA Super Stocks took the clay and Larry Fitzsimmons sped into the lead. Sabraski moved to the low side and went three wide with Fitzsimmons and James Trantina for first. Trantina slid up into the cushion allowing Sabraski to grab the lead. Trantina and Dexton Koch were next to Fitzsimmons for second as Koch took the point. Sabraski was ahead by a straightaway, but after a final restart he kept his lead and took the win.
and Sabraski assumed the lead. Sabraski led the remaining laps and took the checkers.
Charlie Hillukka and Jeremy Nelson led the way as the Modified feature began. Nelson grabbed the lead and Hillukka held second while Sabraski moved aside Hillukka. Hillukka maintained a slight lead over Sabraski, but after a few laps, Sabraski made the pass. Race leader Jeremy Nelson pulled into the infield with car problems
Super Stocks top five drivers were Dexton Koch (78k), Dan Gullikson (00x), Mike Loomis (17) and James Trantina III (19x).
Sabraski won a total of four features in the Mods, and five in the Supers including wins in both cars on August 30, championship night. Sabraski’s weekly attendance and consistent top five finishes gave him enough points to lock in the championship in his orange colored #7a’s.
J.B. Stortz (22jb), Dustin Nelson (46), Larry Zeller (41) and Eric Martini (24) took the top five points positions in the Modifieds. Ryan Putnam and Gino Fontecchio led the WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds on the track, and Putnam took the lead. Jason Hall took the low line and the lead while Denis Czech made his through the traffic and took the second point. Bud Martini drove on Czech’s rear but Czech held second. Czech then drove to Hall’s door and they went side by side the remaining laps. As they came down the front chute, Hall had just enough of a lead to take the win. Bud Martini drove is #42 WISSOTA Midwest Modified into victory lane eight times during the season as well taking many heat wins. Martini won back to back weeks in May, once in June, three weeks in July and then twice in August. Martini won the championship with 759 points with the next driver more than 80 points behind.
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weekly with his younger brother Keith at his side, learning from him, which put Keith also in the top points. Mitch Hribar (M16) took second in points as well as Ross Mead (9), Keith Thell (00t) and Brandon Linquist (3) as the top finishers. The Hornet class allows kids as young as 14 to get in a car and drive. This year’s champion started his racing career last season and drives his #22 Lube-Tech and Bradford Garage Sponsored car around Princeton’s quarter mile on a weekly basis. Matthew Dibb drives that car and took eight feature wins this season. Dibb set a Dave Siercks (71b), Ryan Putnam (46R), Tyler English (24) and Gino Fontecchio (41) rounded out the top Midwest Modified drivers at Princeton. The WISSOTA Street Stocks always put on a great show, and featured many different winners this season, however one driver prevailed as the winner with a lead of only one point ahead of the second place finisher. Alec Nesbit grabbed the lead as the green flew with Jon Gunderson and Dave Read in a battle for second. Read moved aside Nesbit for first and they ran side by side with Justin Pogones behind them. Laps passed by and they still battled for the lead, however Read slowly broke away. Read claimed the lead with Pogones in second. Pogones grabbed the high line and drove past Read for first. Pogones and Read drove away
from the others and Pogones kept Read back long enough to take the checkers. Justin Pogones raced Princeton every Friday, and took five feature wins, however Dave Read was more consistent in his weekly finishes and Read was declared the champion. Read drives the #21R Wollak Construction sponsored Street Stock. Read was the 2012 WISSOTA National Champion and won four feature wins at Princeton in 2013. Read finished in the top five positions weekly and took the championship with one point more than Pogones the defending track champion. Justin Pogones (01), Brad Schmidt (20B), Kurt Becken (70x) and Amanda Milbrandt (81) took the top five points in the Street Stock class. Keith Thell claimed first as the WISSOTA Mod Fours took the green. Kyle Thell and Chad Funt battled for second but Kyle took the point and passed his brother to take the lead. Keith held second while Brandon Linquist and Funt battled for third and Mitch Hribar followed. Keith grabbed second and Hribar and Linquist moved next to Funt. Linquist took third this round and with two laps to go everyone passed Funt who suffered a mechanical problem. Kyle Thell took the win. Kyle Thell won more features than any other driver at Princeton this season. Thell drives a WISSOTA Mod Four and took a total of nine trophies. The #00 took the win on opening night, once in June, three wins in July, and four straight wins in August confirming his track title. Thell raced
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personal goal for himself this season, to win his car number in features this season between all his tracks. Dibb successfully did that and won 22 features! Dibb will move classes in 2014 and will begin a new race path. Zac Hribar (x101), Erik Gruhlke (7G), Jasmin Matthewman (06) and Ariel Mueller (2) took the top five positions in the Hornet Class. 2013 was a great year at the Princeton Speedway, and the staff eagerly looks forward to 2014!! Keep in touch with the Princeton Speedway by following us on Facebook by searching Princeton Speedway, or watch the website at www.princetonspeedway.com. October 2013
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Route 65 Classics 2nd Anniversary Car Show “The Route 65 Classics 2nd Anniversary Car Show was held on Saturday, September 28th at our location in Ham Lake. Last year’s show drew upwards of 350 cars, so we were very excited for this year’s turnout. Unfortunately, the weather conditions were less than ideal, and we were rained out. A live show by KYX provided the soundtrack for the day, and awards were won by Frank and Sue Courtright, Ray Riedl, Eric Tody, and Rich Radziwill. We are so thankful for everyone who came out to celebrate with us, and look forward to next year’s show being a huge success!”
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T
he Cedar Boat Club hosted an afternoon of Drag Boat racing entitled “Fire on the River” on Saturday, September 7th. Both outboard and jet boats competed on a course running from the Ellis Boat Harbor to the ski show platform near Ellis Pool which is a quarter mile. Drag Boat test and tune allowed drivers to dial in times with racing beginning at 1:00 p.m. and running until approximately 5:00 p.m. The thunder of boats hitting more than 100-miles-per-hour echoed along the Cedar River for the first of hopefully many drag boat races to come in the future. This is an ideal location with excellent spectator viewing along the Ellis Park road and park.
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Written by John Lentzkow
With only several weeks to prepare for such an event after approval, this boat club and volunteers proved they have the ability to make this an annual event. Organizers said they just received permission recently from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to close that section of the
Cedar River for the racing boats on that Saturday. Kevin Curl, a boat club board member, said because of the late permission, it was not possible to promote this event like they wanted to before the race. But with limited marketing, advertising, the club generated enough excitement to include free viewing for a good first year crowd which lined the banks of the Cedar River. The boat club traditionally hosts a lighted “Venetian Night” boat parade and fireworks show every August on the Cedar River by the Ellis Boat Harbor. This year, the parade and fireworks followed the Drag
Boat racing. Boat club members said if this first year of racing is successful, they’ll combine the racing, boat parade and fireworks on future dates as well, probably in September. Curl said the DNR is more receptive to closing a section of the river after Labor Day rather than before. With the right promotions, sponsorship, and marketing, this club has the potential to attract a big time sanction race to make this one of the premier Drag Boat races in the Midwest. October 2013
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Earlville, Iowa
nly an hour from Cedar Rapids, Iowa where I live is some of the best grass roots drag racing in the Midwest. Drivers from all over the country travel to Earlville, Iowa to enjoy an all contract surface right smack in the middle of corn country. Another huge turnout packed the camping and pit area with race trailers and motorhomes here to do battle on the strip.
O
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The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series returned for its12th season with 44 scheduled events across the United States for 2013. Three double events, two events during one weekend, and the return to Rocky Mountain Raceways in Salt Lake City will highlight the year. The 2013 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series season kicked off at Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville in February and will conclude at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in November.
Written by John Lentzkow
During the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, 24 regional events will feature the 250-mph Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car classes. A minimum of six events are to be held in each of the seven NHRA divisions.
Regional, divisional, and national championship points and a purse of more than $500,000 in seven categories will be up for grabs during the racing season. The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series also includes three Sportsman-focused national events: the JEGS NHRA Cajun SPORTS nationals, the JEGS NHRA Pacific SPORTS nationals, and the JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTS nationals. Adding to the excitement of 10 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series events across the country will be the addition of the new NHRA Screaming’ Eagle Championship Motorcycle Series. Top Fuel, Pro Gas, Dragging’ Bagger, V-Rod, and Hot Street riders will compete for a total purse of $152,800 among the five classes. “The core of NHRA Drag Racing is the grassroots racers that compete in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series,” said Forrest Lucas, owner and CEO of Lucas Oil Products. “It’s important for the long-term health of drag racing to support these talented drivers and teams, which is one of the main reasons we continue to back this series. Many of these racers also benefit from our products, which further strengthens the bond between Lucas Oil and the competitors out there giving it their all every weekend.” Bonus programs available to competitors in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series include the $100,000 JEGS All-stars and the NHRA Perfectly Strange Performance Award, for which a total of $45,000 is
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available throughout. Individual divisions may also have additional bonus programs available to racers. Prominent graduates of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series who have gone on to successful careers in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series include Brandon Bernstein, Morgan Lucas, Shawn Langdon, Courtney Force, Alexis DeJoria, and Jeg Coughlin Jr. The following are Sunday's final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, West Central Division event at TriState Raceway: TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER: ROUND ONE 5) Jared Dreher, Clinton, Ind., 5.384, 255.24 def. 4) Jackie Fricke, Flemington, N.J., 5.557, 252.43; 3) Gord Gingles, Winnipeg, Manit., 5.343, 268.01 def. 6) Dave Hirata, Lowell, Ind., 5.704, 253.23; 2) Randy Meyer, Spring Hill, Kan., 5.411, 263.36 def. 7) Edwin Schmeeckle, Gothenburg, Neb., 5.456, 258.81; 1) Brandon Booher, Urbana, Ill., 5.392, 268.12 def. 8) Dean Dubbin, Royalton, Minn., 18.184, 37.12; SEMI-FINALS Gingles, 5.352, 269.46 def. Meyer, 5.449, 261.27; Dreher, 5.456, 254.62 def. Booher, 5.566, 228.23;
4) Dave Allison, Des Moines, Iowa, '10 Mustang, 7.774, 119.46;
Tom Carlson, Two Harbors, Minn., '03 Corvette, 9.904, 150.72.
SEMI-FINALS Van Hauen, 7.963, 157.36 was unopposed; Williams, 5.776, 248.66 def. Butler, 5.844, 247.16;
SUPER STREET Wayde Samuel, Morrison, Colo., '65 Chevelle, 10.934, 141.36 def. Donnie Durenberger, Dayton, Minn., '68 Camaro, 10.915, 136.95.
FINALS Williams, 5.738, 249.35 def. Van Hauen, 8.587, 135.78.
TOP SPORTSMAN PRESENTED BY AEROMOTIVE Tom Schmidt, Lindstrom, Minn., '63 Corvette, 6.920, 200.20 def. Doug Woody, Independence, Mo., '67 Camaro, 7.659, 184.62.
COMPETITION ELIMINATOR Bruno Massel, Woodridge, Ill., '10 Cobalt, DD/AT, 9.062, 99.59 def. Brian Browell, Lafayette, Ind., dragster, D/D, foul. SUPER STOCK Justin Jenkins, Beatrice, Neb., '10 Cobalt, GT/DA, 9.820, 127.25 def. Rylee Stufflebeam, Peoria, Ill., '98 Firebird, SS/JA, 10.421, 126.08. STOCK ELIMINATOR Chris Knudsen, Grimes, Iowa, '69 Camaro, C/SA, 10.858, 118.25 def. Brett Speer, Little Falls, Minn., '70 Nova, B/SA, 10.534, 121.40. SUPER COMP Landon Stallbaumer, Wakarusa, Kan., dragster, 8.917, 160.19 def. Tyler Banks, Sugar Creek, Mo., dragster, 8.919, 164.11. SUPER GAS Bill Cawsey, Regina, Sask., '09 Mustang, 9.904, 154.10 def.
TOP DRAGSTER Nick Folk, Durand, Ill., dragster, 7.505, 167.95 def. David Harrington, Shawnee Mission, Kan., dragster, 6.857, 197.22. SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE PRESENTED BY HARLEY DAVIDSON Jason Clampitt, Lino Lakes, Minn., '79 Kawasaki, 10.211, 119.97 def. Kyle Olsen, Moorland, Iowa, '12 Hyabusa, 8.881, 141.77. JUNIOR DRAGSTER Adalynn Ulbrich, Holy Cross, Iowa, dragster, 8.940, 73.24 def. Dakota Allison, Des Moines, Iowa, dragster, 8.031, 80.82. SUPER COMP SHOOTOUT Duane Kohl, Lincoln, Neb., dragster, 8.905, 172.01 def. Dave Mc Williams, Platteville, Wis., dragster, 8.865, 160.79.
FINALS Dreher, 5.488, 252.05 def. Gingles, 6.312, 179.44. TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR: ROUND ONE 1) Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, '04 Firebird, 15.467, no speed was unopposed; 5) Lance Van Hauen, Reinbeck, Iowa, '12 Camaro, 5.797, 244.52 def. 2) Billy Davis, Rogers, Ark., '10 Mustang, 5.865, 248.84; 3) Wayne Butler, Forest City, Ill., '02 Firebird, 5.772, 248.48 def.
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reetings again Wheels fans! After that last blast of summer heat, Fall is here and you “Wheelies” (that is, Wheels fans and outdoor types who would love to have snow on the ground 12 months of the year) gotta’ be excited! Before long, the cold and snow will be here and snowmobiles will be flying everywhere.
First things first. What a great summer with hydroplanes, dirt, bikes, boats galore, many fast cars, Brainerd NHRA again and big rigs. GameON! TV hopes you had a great summer! We know you are enjoying this issue of Wheels of Thunder…full of amazing pictures, images and unforgettable stories! GameON! TV is also a big fan, a Wheelie, as WoT continues to grow & reach so many of you just like GameON! You can see us with our sports programming in the Dakota's and western Minnesota via MidCo Sports Network. GameON! loves sports, from the variety of professional, college & high school sports to all the outdoor events that dot our regional landscape. GameON's partnership with Wheels of Thunder is strong and just like you, we also enjoy the most comprehensive race magazine and website to be found! Wheels of Thunder magazine gets it and gets you the latest information, amazing pictures and all those terrific stories to the most passionate motorsports fans in the country! Looking ahead, there's more special events and moments ahead for GameON! Each and every week GameON! comes to you in crystal clear full High Definition and our first APP (it's free to for Apple & Android phones) is available for your use! GameON! TV is now offering a weekly PODCAST available @ our show website www.GameOnTvMN.com. It's full of bits and pieces of sports from the region and what's ahead on our weekly TV show. GameON! still serves as the lead-in to the award winning FOX NFL pre game show on FOX's MY29 here in the Twin Cities during the NFL Season Sunday’s at 10AM. GameON! does what no other TV sports interview show (in the region) does. We offer a diverse and entertaining half hour of TV as we bring you the most visible and popular Minnesota sports figures. From the Vikings, the NBA Timberwolves, the NHL Wild, the Twins and we visit with the
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Lacrosse Swarm. There's NASCAR and we're all over your favorite drivers, in fact, we just welcomed X-Games Gold Medalist Levi LaVallee to a downtown Minneapolis taping. This show is interactive so we'd love to hear from you! Please visit our Facebook site (friend us @ GameON on facebook), our website @ www.gameontvmn.com and 24/7on twitter #gameontvmn. GameON! Host Rod Simons has added baseball to his schedule, joining the new radio home for your Minnesota Twins @ KTWIN 96.3. Rod will host The KTWIN Final Call with longtime Minnesota radio personality Jason Nagel after each and every Twins game. So, please join us for all that sports offers us here in our great neck of the woods, via Wheels of Thunder, GameON! and KTWIN radio! And get your Vikings fix with our partner in one of the largest Vikings fan websites in the world, www.PurplePride.org. Be a part of the exciting effort and get your GameON!
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Information provided by V.C.T.C. volunteers and www.volgacitytruckcruise.com
rucks from across the state of Iowa geared up Labor Day weekend for the 5th Annual Volga City Truck Cruise, in Volga City Iowa, to help rebuild the community. This 3 day event brought trucks and families together to give 100% back to the local community. From a classic truck show to burning off tires there was something for everyone to enjoy. The Volga City Truck Cruise is a fundraiser for renovation of the Volga City Opera House. This Historic building is being restored to once again serve as an opera house that will host many different types of community events.
T
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A $15,000 grant from Upper Mississippi Gaming Corporation (UMGC) has provided significant funding for exterior renovation of the Volga City Opera House this summer. The UMGC grant assisted in providing all new energy-efficient windows and doors for the historic building, giving the Volga City Opera House a look equaling its debut when it first opened in 1914!
grant have been progressing over the past four to five months. “The exterior renovation of the Volga City Opera House is nearly complete,” said Tom Lott, co-founder of VCTC, Inc., a non-
The Opera House was also “tuck-pointed” this year, giving it an updated appearance, and added protection for it’s nearly 100 year-old masonry. The tuck-pointing improvements entailed replacement of all of the mortar between the bricks, and is a very tedious project. Upgrades under this
profit organization dedicated to helping rural communities with economic development and the organization behind this renovation. “We are absolutely pleased that this very large grant has allowed us to seal up the building and protect it from weather elements, and to complete the exterior renovation of this historic treasure.” VCTC, Inc. had already completed construction of a new roof in 2011 on the Opera House through community fundraising efforts. The renovation of the Opera House met a grant qualification in that it will provide a need or benefit for the people of Clayton County. Its use as a community meeting place will not only provide a venue for arts events and community gatherings, but it is hoped it will also spur economic develop-
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Volga City Opera House renovation project had been driven by residents of Volga City and citizens of Clayton County solely through community donations and volunteer efforts. Citizens from local communities have donated much time and energy to work on the Opera House and volunteer for fundraisers for the Opera House project. An example of these volunteer efforts, were in full effect August 31 through September 1, 2013 at this year’s Volga City Truck Cruise, where everyone was wel-
ment for the county. The grant from Upper Mississippi Gaming Corporation has advanced renovations far enough to allow VCTC, Inc. to now turn its attention to renovation of the interior of the building.
Volga City valley, and envision how great it will be to have the Opera House become a community gathering place for the whole county once again!” Before the $15,000 grant was awarded, the
“This building is not just a landmark for the town of Volga, but it was historically a meeting place for theater events, dances, wedding receptions and other community events as decades of history unfolded,” said Tom Klingman, the other co-founder of VCTC, Inc. “Now, with the assistance of this grant, residents of Clayton County can once again be very proud of the Volga City Opera House as a visual focal point of the
comed to come support the Opera House by purchasing raffle tickets, food and novelty items, while enjoying a unique event that Clayton County can be proud to say is Iowa’s largest truck event! This year was the 5th annual Volga City Truck Cruise. Funds raised in past years contributed to the reroofing of the Opera House, as well as for some interior upgrades. Details of the event are online at
www.volgacitytruckcruise.com, and supporters are encouraged to “Like” Volga City Truck Cruise on Facebook to share news on the project. As always, 100% of all funds raised from the Truck Cruise will be put into the Opera House renovation. All of the people working at the Truck Cruise, including the organizers of the event, provide their time throughout the year at no cost, so the event truly is produced completely through volunteer efforts. Page 70
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