Redetzke Dominates Red Clay Classic Lates
Jensen, Kisling, Dalbeck score wins; Cain clinches final Como Series crown
by Nick Gima
 Ashland, WI, October 1 -- Jake Redetzke of Eau Claire followed in his father’s celebrated footsteps Saturday night, completing the first father-son combination to win Red Clay Classic features during the 36th running of the traditional stock car racing finale at the ABC Raceway on a crisp, clear autumn evening.
 Joining Redetzke as winners of the AmsOil Dirt Track Series event were Joey Jensen of Forest Lake, MN; Shane Kisling of Sarona, and George Dalbeck of Ironwood, MI; while Dave Cain of Corcoran, MN, became the fifth - and, as it turns out, the final - Como Mod Series champion in the six seasons of the popular WISSOTA modified tour.
 Redetzke, whose father Jerry won the RCC late model feature in 1999, was literally uncatchable almost from the drop of the initial green of the 50-lap, $4,000-to-win WISSOTA late model main event, and subsequently after each of the five restarts. After starting inside on row 2, the younger Redetzke quickly moved into position to challenge for the early lead as he and Darin Meierotto slipped past pole starter Mike Goodremote through the first corners, with Meierotto gaining the advantage. Behind Goodremote in third and Rick Hanestad in fourth, the field ganged up four wide to battle for fifth.
 Tommy Waseleski, Jr, was the first to make some noise, charging quickly from his fourth-row start to claim fifth from Darrell Nelson and then fourth from Hanestad with a pair of inside moves on lap 2.
 On the next lap Redetzke fought his way past Meierotto into the lead, and from there the race was for second. By lap 6 the lead for the second-generation racer was up to 1.9 seconds, but that was eliminated by a three-car spin in turn 2.
 On the restart Goodremote took a look to the inside on Meierotto and slipped by for second, while Nelson attempted an outside run on Waseleski for fourth that didn’t quite stick. Four laps later Waseleski again worked inside, this time getting Meierotto for third, while all this time Redetzke was rebuilding his lead to an even two seconds by lap 11. Nelson and eighth-starting Tim Isenberg each then displaced Meierotto over successive laps in the top five, but Isenberg’s run to the front came to a sudden end when his motor exploded on the front straightaway on lap 15.
 Two laps after the restart Redetzke already held a 1.6-second lead on Goodremote, and five laps later he added another second to that advantage. At about this time 13th-starting Justin Fegers began a charge, getting past Brent Larson for sixth.
 On lap 30 of 50 Redetzke had caught the backmarkers, giving Goodremote a chance to cut into the huge deficit. But instead of gaining ground, Goodremote saw Redetzke’s car only get smaller through his visor, as the leader deftly cut through slower traffic and improve his lead to over three seconds. Nelson, however, did take advantage of the traffic, slipping past Waseleski and quickly reeling in Goodremote to challenge for second, with Fegers now in close pursuit.
 A spin by rookie Mark Rose slowed the torrid pace with 11 laps to go, and when Goodremote opted for the outside spot in row 2 for the “Delaware double-file” restart Nelson snookered him to steal second place before getting to turn 1. But John Henkemeyer’s loop in turn 3 negated the pass, and Goodremote took note, starting inside this time and holding the spot on the next attempt. Fegers continued his surge forward, slipping inside on Waseleski to take fourth, with 15th-starting Adam Hensel following in his tire tracks into the top five.
 Nelson’s run ended in heartbreak like Isenberg’s, with a blown motor with seven laps remaining, but Nelson was able to coast off the track, keeping the race under green. Three laps later Redetzke’s lead was over three seconds again, but a three-car spin in turn 1 brought the field to his bumper for a four-lap shootout.
 Fegers took one look at an outside move on Goodremote for second, but the 2001 RCC champ held the position, while Redetzke shot away again to a 2.75-second margin of victory over Goodremote, Fegers, Hensel and Waseleski. Meierotto led the second five, ahead of past race winners Steve Laursen and Kyle Peterlin, WISSOTA 100 winner Lance Matthees, and double-duty racers Jensen and Larson.
 The WISSOTA modified headliner was the final race ever for the Como Series, as it was announced earlier in the weekend that the Series would not be continued. So the 25-car field for the Subway A-feature - and in particular Jensen, Eric Pember and Kelly Estey - made it a race to remember.
 Polestarter Jensen and his outside front-row mate Pember drag-raced into turn 1 and out of turn 2 to set the theme for the first 31 of the 35 laps. Pember held the early edge, while Estey quickly worked his way around Scott Miller for third. The lead trio separated themselves from the rest of the field, and Pember built a half-second advantage on Jensen while Estey began to lose contact with the lead duo.
 On lap 12 Jensen was back to Pember’s trunklid, and as the two leaders caught the back end of the field Jensen took a look to the inside. Two laps later Jensen changed his strategy and pulled up alongside on the outer groove, and for the next 17 laps the two talented drivers weaved and dodged through heavy slower traffic while fighting each other literally door to door in a classic duel for the lead that had the crowd on its feet.
 The battle was so close that on lap 28 Jensen looked to have the lead at the start-finish line by mere inches, but the electronic scoring system had Pember leading by four one-thousandths of a second.
 All the while that the leaders were putting on their driving clinic, Estey was cutting into their margin by running a strong inside groove. The break he was looking for came with four laps remaining, when David Baxter spun his ride in turn 2 to bring about the only yellow-flag slowdown of the event. Jensen opted for the outside spot in row 2 for the restart, and he used it to work his way alongside Pember for the lead. This left the bottom open for Estey to run three-wide with the leaders, and as Jensen eventually overtook Pember for his first lead of the race on lap 32, Estey slipped beneath to take second.
 Jensen held on from there for the $3,000 victory, the seventh of his career at ABC and third RCC trophy, including his second in the mods. Estey edged Pember for third, and Paul Knauf used an outside move on Nelson to claim fourth two laps before the checkers. Three-time RCC winner Craig Thatcher came home sixth, ahead of 19th-starting Cain, Larson, 21st-starting Mike Anderson and Miller.
 Cain entered the race weekend holding a 53-point advantage in the Como Series standings and needed to start the feature to wrap up the $10,000 points championship. He was able to do so when he claimed fourth in his heat race on Friday. Cain was the only multi-time winner on the five-track, ten-race tour in 2011, claiming three feature wins, including in the June race here.
 Side-by-side racing was also the theme in the 30-lap WISSOTA super stock main event, with national championship points leader Kisling coming from outside on the front row to gain the advantage on polestarter Cory Casari for the initial lead. Scott Lawrence worked his way past Greg Kuklinski into third in heavy traffic on lap 2 before a massive seven-car wreck in turn 3 stopped the action and eliminated three cars.
 Lawrence immediately drove outside and around Casari on the restart for second and then changed lanes to dive low and pull up alongside Kisling for the lead the next time around. Lawrence was scored as the leader for the first time on lap 5 by a fender, while behind the leaders Ken Truscott worked the low groove to displace Kuklinski in fourth.
 Kisling ran low and Lawrence worked the higher groove in a great side-by-side battle for the lead, with Lawrence holding a slight advantage. On lap 10 Kisling edged ahead ever so slightly, and scoring showed the lead as .002 seconds on lap 11. Truscott had gained third from Casari a couple of laps before and began reeling in the lead pair just before Randy Spacek’s racer stopped in turn 1 to bring out the second caution flag of the race on lap 12.
 Kisling and Lawrence resumed their fierce battle immediately after the restart, with Truscott on their tail. Brian Mikkonen and 14th-starting Sam Skalsky each passed Casari to fill out the top five at the halfway point of the race, and they began their own battle for position just before a lap 16 slowdown for a multi-car spin.
 Kisling moved outside on Lawrence to edge ahead for good one lap after the restart, and Skalsky took advantage of the outer groove to move by Mikkonen and Truscott into third. Defending race winner Eric Olson, who started the event 21st, crept into the top five and joined Skalsky and Truscott in a heated battle for third, which ended when contact between Truscott and Skalsky during a three-wide pass caused Skalsky to spin and penalized Truscott to the tail of the field for the lap 26 restart.
 From there Kisling paced rest of the laps for his fourth career win in Ashland but first ever RCC win, worth $1,500 and helping to cement his hold on the national points lead. Skalsky, meanwhile, pulled up alongside Lawrence to race door-to-door with the 11-time ABC points champ over the final laps, with Lawrence edging the Iron Range challenger for his second straight RCC runner-up finish. Olson got past Mikkonen late for fourth, and Mike Keller led the second five, ahead of Jeff Tardy, Dave Flynn, Meierotto and Andy Grymala.
 The WISSOTA Midwest modified 25-lap A-main was a slugfest of a race, with a string of yellow flags slowing the action and cutting the race by a lap due to exceeding the time limit. Jason Vandekamp ended up the victim of the “yellow fever,” although he held the early advantage and looked to be the class of the field through most of the event. After a first-lap melee damaged several starters from the front half of the field, Vandekamp sped away from Grant Southworth for the lead.
 After Devin Van House spun while running fifth one lap in, Rob Weber moved around Southworth for second. But the pass was negated when Mike Truscott tagged the turn 3 guard rail and littered the north turns with debris. Charlie Castle Jr’s spin slowed the pace again after another lap was scored, and then the field clicked off a string of a dozen laps, during which Vandekamp built up a 1.9-second lead.
 Dalbeck, who started tenth on the 24-car grid, had taken advantage of the cars lost or damaged in the earlier messes and used the outer line to sweep around Neil Balduc and Weber for third on the lap 2 restart. A lap later he used the same line to challenge Southworth for second, while behind them Weber had his hands full fending off 16th-starting Rick Przybylski, 14th-starting Cody Wolkowski, Clark Swartz and others.
 By lap 11 Vandekamp was setting up to put Chad Adamzak a lap in arrears, while Swartz moved around Weber for fourth. Three laps later Przybylski and Travis Anderson spun together to bring a stop to the pace, and on the restart Dalbeck and Southworth ganged up on Vandekamp, with Dalbeck getting the edge down the back stretch and Southworth taking third. After lap 15 was scored Adamzak spun and stopped, and from there the yellow flag made several appearances to keep lap 16 from happening.
 First Darren LaBlonde spun on the front straight before getting to the green flag, and then after another spin Ryan Adamzak looped and hit the turn 3 rail. Another multi-car mess was followed by rookie Tanner Byholm’s spin, after which officials deemed single-file restarts were necessary. Dalbeck led the field to the green, and Vandekamp slipped inside past Southworth for second while Wolkowski and Weber battled for fifth behind Swartz. With five laps remaining Swartz got by Southworth, but Byholm’s second spin erased that move.
 Dalbeck, who earlier in the summer won his first track championship at ABC, pushed his lead to nearly half a second at the checkers for his first-ever RCC win, which paid $600. Southworth got around Vandekamp on the white-flag lap for second, and Swartz held off Weber for fourth. Wolkowski, Przybylski, Travis Nye, Paul Niznik and Balduc completed the top ten.
 Northern Clearing Inc of Ashland awarded bonuses to the drivers who posted the fastest timed laps during the four features. The $150 bonuses went to Redetzke (late models, 16.323 seconds), Pember (mods, 17.998), Kisling (supers, 18.529) and Vandekamp (mid-mods, 18.511). A total of 170 racers registered Friday for the track’s final event of 2011, including 33 late models, 46 modifieds, 45 super stocks and 46 Mid-mods. After out-of-car introductions for the starters prior to each feature, fireworks provided a perfect accent to each class’s four-wide pre-race salute to the standing-room-only crowd on hand.
 The ABC Raceway’s annual Awards Banquet will be held in January; fans and drivers are encouraged to watch the track’s website, for more information. The ABC Raceway is located 3-1/2 miles south of Ashland on State Highway 13 and one mile west on Butterworth Road.
Results
WISSOTA Late Models
 Feature: Jake Redetzke, Eau Claire; Mike Goodremote, Sand Creek; Justin Fegers, Minnetonka, MN; Adam Hensel, Barron; Adam Hensel, Barron; Tom Waseleski Jr, Pengilly, MN; Darin Meierotto, Superior; Steve Laursen, Cumberland; Kyle Peterlin, Hibbing, MN; Lance Matthees, Winona, MN; Joey Jensen, Forest Lake, MN; Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN; Joey Ogston, Duluth, MN; John Kaanta, Elk Mound; Ryan Aho, Chisholm, MN; Harry Hanson, Eveleth, MN; Todd Frank, Seymour; John Henkemeyer, Sauk Rapids, MN; Darrell Nelson, Hermantown, MN; Chad Mahder, Eau Claire; Mark Rose, Elcho; Rick Hanestad, Boyceville; Marshall Fegers, Mound, MN; Tim Isenberg, Marshfield; Don Copp, Brule.
 Heat 1: Meierotto; Waseleski; Matthees; Laursen; Hansen; Ogston; Terry Lillo, Duluth, MN; Jeff Provinzino, Hibbing, MN; Kaanta.
 Heat 2: Redetzke; Frank; Rose; Copp; Aho; Donnie Lofdahl, Proctor, MN; Mike Meger, Cloquet, MN.
 Heat 3: Hanestad; Isenberg; Larson; Hensel; Jensen; Travis Budisalovich, Cottage Grove, MN; Tim McMann, Duluth, MN; Todd Gehl, Solon Springs.
 Heat 4: Goodremote; Nelson; M Fegers; J Fegers; Peterlin; Henkemeyer; Kevin Carlson, Hermantown, MN.
 Semi-Feature: Kaanta; Ogston; Henkemeyer; Mahder; Gehl; Lofdahl; Provinzino; Budisalovich; Lillo; Meger; McMann.
WISSOTA Modifieds
 Feature: Joey Jensen, Forest Lake, MN; Kelly Estey, Kelly Lake, MN; Eric Pember, Pittsville; Paul Knauf, Marshfield; Darrell Nelson, Hermantown, MN; Craig Thatcher, Knapp; Dave Cain, Corcoran, MN; Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN; Mike Anderson, Colfax; Scott Miller, Rice Lake; Al Uotinen, Superior; Jeff Spacek, Phillips; Trent Follmer, Princeton, MN; Jody Bellefeuille, Duluth, MN; Ryan Aho, Chisholm, MN; David Baxter, Eau Claire; Brandon Jensen, Hammond; Duane Dale, Aurora, MN; Jayme Lautigar, Gilbert, MN; Shawn Kelley, Somerset; Kevin Eder, Ashland; Tim McMann, Duluth, MN; Skeeter Estey, Kelly Lake, MN; Paul Niznik, Medford; Curt Myers, Cameron.
 Heat 1: Myers; Miller; Dale; Eder; Jerry Hartman, Marenisco, MI; Pat Hoffman, Rice Lake; Kent Baxter, Elk Mound; B Jensen; Pat Cook, Washburn; Jake Hartung, Elmwood.
 Heat 2: Pember; Follmer; D Baxter; Uotinen; Bellefeuille; Anderson; Aho; Steve Stuart, Ashland; Jacob Morinville, Duluth, MN.
 Heat 3: Thatcher; Spacek; Niznik; S Estey; Lautigar; Bill Byholm, Glidden; Don Copp, Brule; Destin Lorimor, Superior; Rick Kobs, Deer Park.
 Heat 4: Nelson; K Estey; McMann; Cain; Scott Hudack, Ashland; Rick Niemi, Eveleth, MN; Jason Swan, Chippewa Falls; Robby Bunkelman, Abbotsford; Fred Aschenbauer, Deerwood, MN.
 Heat 5: J Jensen; Knauf; Larson; Kelley; Wayne Stricker, Highbridge; Rick Rivord, Superior; Jared Loos, Loyal; Steve Lavasseur, River Falls.
 Semi-Feature 1: Anderson; Lautigar; Kobs; Stuart; Bunkelman; Hartman; Cook; K Baxter; Copp; Niemi; Stricker.
 Semi-Feature 2: Bellefeuille; Aho; B Jensen; Rivord; Lavasseur; Hudack; Morinville; Swan; Hoffman; Aschenbauer; Hartung; Lorimor; Byholm.
 Pole Dash: J Jensen; Pember; Miller; K Estey; Nelson; Knauf; Follmer; Spacek; Myers; Thatcher.
WISSOTA Super Stocks
 Feature: Shane Kisling, Sarona; Scott Lawrence, Superior; Sam Skalsky, Kelly Lake, MN; Eric Olson, Ladysmith; Brian Mikkonen, Iron River; Mike Keller, Menomonie; Jeff Tardy, Hibbing, MN; Dave Flynn, Superior; Darin Meierotto, Superior; Andy Grymala, Superior; Nick Oreskovich, Mason; Cory Casari, Montreal; Trevor Wilson, Superior; Steve Thomas, Menomonie; Chad Johnson, Colfax; Rich Bishop, New Richmond; Tommy Richards, Mondovi; Greg Kuklinski, Ironwood, MI; Jim Campbell, Two Harbors, MN; Ken Truscott, Greenland, MI; Randy Spacek, Phillips; Tristan LaBarge, Kelly Lake, MN; Wayne Dean, Fall Creek.
 Heat 1: Kuklinski; Donnie Lofdahl, Proctor, MN; R Spacek; Bishop; Olson; Todd Carlson, Coon Rapids, MN; Don Frider, Hibbing, MN; Kevin Salin, Iron, MN; Shawn Rivord, South Range.
 Heat 2: Casari; Mikkonen; Flynn; Wilson; Richards; Dean; Jeff Spacek, Phillips; Trevor Arens, Hibbing, MN; Jacob Hiatt, River Falls.
 Heat 3: Lawrence; Meierotto; Thomas; C Johnson; Brad Johnson, Wilson; Dave Elliott, Minocqua; Charlie Anderson, Ironwood, MI; Ron Hmielewski, Marengo; Cody Carlson, Superior.
 Heat 4: Truscott; Campbell; Tardy; LaBarge; Oreskovich; Zach Wohlers, Hibbing, MN; Jeremy Fink, Hibbing, MN; Willie Johnsen, Superior; Mike Hince, Greenfield.
 Heat 5: Kisling; Grymala; Skalsky; Keller; Terry Kroening, Colby; Brian Carl, Duluth, MN; Tad Schoonover, Eagle River; Joe Olson, Superior; Mark Stender, Holcombe.
 Semi-Feature 1: Olson; Dean; B Johnson; Frider; Johnsen; Arens; C Carlson; Rivord; Kroening; Wohlers; Anderson; Stender.
 Semi-Feature 2: Oreskovich; Richards; Olson; Hmielewski; Salin; Hince; Hiatt; Fink; J Spacek; T Carlson; Carl.
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds
 Feature: George Dalbeck, Ironwood, MI; Grant Southworth, Bloomer; Jason Vandekamp, Forest Lake, MN; Clark Swartz, Bloomer; Ron Weber, Ashland; Cody Wolkowski, Thunder Bay, ON; Rick Przybylski, Ashland; Travis Nye, Ashland; Paul Niznik, Medford; Neil Balduc, Ironwood, MI; Travis Anderson, Colfax; Eric Klafka, Wisconsin Rapids; Don Craig, Thunder Bay, ON; Kerry Halopka, Wheeler; Ryan Adamzak, Ashland; Charlie Castle Jr, Bovey, MN; Tanner Byholm, Glidden; Dan Kingsley, Superior; Shane Halopka, Medford; Duane Dunbar, Marenisco, MI; Darren LaBlonde, Baldwin; Chad Adamzak, Ashland; Mike Truscott, Chippewa Falls.
 Heat 1: Weber; Niznik; C Adamzak; LaBlonde; George Truscott, Greenland, MI; M Truscott; John Feirn Chippewa Falls; Steve Anderson, Ironwood, MI; Charlie Castle III, Bovey, MN.
 Heat 2: Balduc; Devin Van House, Silver Bay, MN; Craig; Castle Jr; Klafka; Kingsley; Jesse Aho, Toivola, MI; Dave Flynn, Superior; Chris Bretting, Washburn.
 Heat 3: Southworth; Nye; Wolkowski; K Halopka; Dunbar; Travis Friske, Tomahawk; AJ Roschen, New Richmond; Ricky Davis, Bruno, MN; Bill Muhlig, Bessemer, MI.
 Heat 4: Vandekamp; Swartz; Byholm; Przybylski; Jim Bandow, Stratford; Matt Anderson, Hibbing, MN; Dadn Sellung, Mason; Nathan Thums, Wausau..
 Heat 5: S Halopka; Dalbeck; T Anderson; R Adamzak; Alex Van Natta, Minocqua; Jeff Lien Jr, Mora, MN; Joe Eckland, Springbrook; Chris Huther, Medford; Glenn Dammer, Duluth, MN.
 Semi-Feature 1: Kingsley; Dunbar; Van Natta; Flynn; G Truscott; Thums; M Anderson; Muhlig; Dammer; Eckland; Roschen; Feirn.
 Semi-Feature 2: M Truscott; Klafka; Aho; Lien; Bretting; Bandow; Davis; Huther; Friske; Sellung; Jerry Grasse, Phelps.

ABC 9/30-10/1/11