Raceway Park Has Banner Memorial Day Races, 40-Lap NASCAR Feature Takes Place Sunday

The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series continues at 6 p.m. Sunday, June 3, at when Westside Equipment presents a 40-lap NASCAR Super Late Model Feature. Mini Stocks, American Short Trackers, Hobby Stocks, Bombers, and Wild'n'Crazy Figure-8s will be back in action as well.  For ticket information call the Raceway Park office at 952/445-2257, or check the website at www.goracewaypark.com

Raceway Park Memorial Day Race Results 5.28.2012
by Kevin Busse  "The Voice of Raceway Park"

The largest crowd of race fans this season packed the grandstands of in Shakopee on a sunny and warm Memorial Day afternoon, proving that stock car racing continues to grow as a fan favorite across Minnesota.

In the Thunder V-8 feature, the start placed Lakeville driver Kari Miller along side Farmington's Dusty Mann in the front row.  At the green flag, Miller took off, taking the lead in what would remain close pack racing throughout the field of drivers.  Miller, the only female driver in the group, held the lead up to 21 laps to go, when Mann pulled around for the top spot.  A close race was also developing for the third position, as Richfield's Dennis "The Menace" Barta worked alongside John Lebens of Shakopee.  As Barta completed the pass on Lebens, that left room for Farmington's Ricky Martin to pull into the opening, and just as he was attempting to move around both drivers with 18 laps remaining, caution flags waved when Adam Radiske of Montgomery made contact with Mark Bronstad of Maple Plain, sending both cars spinning in turn four.  After lane choice, at the restart it was Mann and Martin in the front row, with Lebens in the second row along side Mankato driver Todd Tacheny.  The restart was short, as Louie Ansolabehere of Minnetonka snapped a wheel going into turn two, bringing out the second caution of the event and sending the wheel bouncing across the pit lane entrance onto the track.  At restart, with Mann and Martin again side by side, Martin was able to pass for the lead with 12 to go.  Tacheny was on the move and pulled to the outside of Martin one lap later, and then taking the lead with 8 laps to to.  At that point the Mankato driver pull away from the rest, building a large lead by the checkered flag.  At the finish it was Tacheny with the win, Martin in second, and Dusty Mann finishing in third.

Todd Tacheny was having a busy day competing in multiple divisions of racing on Memorial Day, as just after winning in his big V-8, he got behind the wheel of a much smaller racecar for the Mini Stock feature.  It was Tacheny in the front row along side of Mike Wachs Jr. who took the lead as the green flag waved.  Tacheny was able to pull along side Wachs with 17 laps to go, and passing to grab the lead two laps later.  With nine laps remaining as the lead group was approaching lapped traffic, a battle for third place shaped up between Chad Reller and Jay Heitz, with Heitz attempting to pass the Burnsville driver every lap until he was finally able to clear around with three laps to go.  At the checkered it was Tacheny ringing up another win, Wachs in second, and Heitz crossing ahead of Reller for a close third place finish.

The Flagpole Race gave Louie Ansolabehere a second chance after losing his wheel earlier during the Thunder V-8s.  It was Ansolabehere leading Bethel racer Phil Haluptzok in the opening laps, with plenty of action as each driver circled aound the flagpole on the front straight before continuing on.  Phil Ramey was attempting to pass Haluptzok for second, but misjudged the distance and speed, sending Ramey spinning just as he tried to pass while going around the pole with 10 laps to go.  One lap later, a huge collision at the flagpole brought out the caution with Ansolabehere, Minneapolis driver Joel Johnston, and Nate Nemitz of Shakopee getting together, as other drivers scrambled to circle around the wreckage as well as the flagpole.  The restart placed Haluptzok next to Dennis Barta, with Barta taking the lead, and Shakopee's John Lebens following around the flagpole to pass into second place.  Ricky Martin was on the move again as well, charging to third with eight laps to go, and then with five laps remaining using the traffic around the flagpole to move alongside Lebens in the chase for second place before finally passing in the closing laps.  With that side by side battle underway, Barta used to opportunity to build a lengthy lead and take the win, with Martin crossing second and Lebens in third at the checkered flag.

The Front Wheel Flyer feature began with a 3-wide charge for the lead at the green flag, as Jack Purcell of Bloomington shot to the outside as soon as the flag waved, pulling along side Joe Fimon and Trevor Thompson.  They remained 3-wide through turns one and two, but it got tight exiting the turn, sending Thompson spinning as the group entered the back straightaway.  Thompson was unable to catch up to the rest of the pack, spinning several more times during the course of the event while trying to regain those lost positions.  It was Purcell at the checkers, brother Alec Purcell finishing second, and Jay Barta taking third.

Double Wild'n'Crazy Figure-8 features added  to the already exciting afternoon.  In the first feature, Louie Ansolabehere once again found himself on the pole alongside Burnsville driver Todd Wilson, with Wilson taking an early lead in the run.  Ricky Martin has quite the  reputation this season of starting back in the pack and quickly working toward the front, moving to third with 13 laps to go, and then pulling up along side Ansolabehere and passing for second place one lap later.  With nine laps remaining Martin was closing in on Wilson, and was riding his back bumper through the "crossroads of doom" by seven laps to go.  Two laps later, both drivers were well in front, leaving Ansolabehere to battle a fast approaching Mike Dickey in the race for third.  With three laps to go, Martin pulled around Wilson to take the lead, and then later crossing the stripe for the win as Wilson followed a close second, and Dickey several car lengths behind for a third place finish.

The second Figure-8 feature began with Maple Plain driver Mark Bronstad taking an early lead over Prior Lake's Steve Dehler, with a fast charging John Lebens threatening from third.  Simultanious passes mixed up the field in opening laps when Lebens passed Dehler for second, at the exact same time Steve Motley of Corcoran made the same move around Dehler to take third.  It didn't stop there, as Ricky Martin was up to his usual "move up from the middle of the pack" trick, first passing Dennis Barta for fourth place with 8 laps remaining, and as Lebens was pulling in tight behind Bronstad to try for the lead with three laps to go, Martin pulled around Motley to pass for third.  All this time, with positions changing quickly, the action in the "X" had the entire field of drivers weaving in and out with several near misses in the crossroads.  Laps ran out for Martin, who had to settle for a third place finish behind the winning Bronstad, and Lebens who was on Bronstad's bumper at the line to finish second.

Additional action had fans on their feet cheering as Lester Prairie driver Justin Scheliztche launched his car an amazing 101 foot distance to dominate the Duke's Jump.  And the Steel Wall Fire Crash of Doom placed Dangerous Dan McCarthy driving his car full speed through the burning wall of metal, sending pieces of debris flying through the air in the collision, and McCarthy walking away unharmed from the daredevil stunt that destroyed both the wall and his vehicle.