Budisalovich, Bellefeuille, Flynn, VanHouse, Madsen win features at AMSOIL Speedway

Travis Budisalovich didn’t waste much time in establishing himself as the driver to beat at Amsoil Speedway in Superior.

Budisalovich of Cottage Grove, Minn., turned in a dominating performance in the season opener Friday, starting the Late Model feature outside the front row, seizing the lead and never being seriously challenged as he swept through the 20-lap final.

Budisalovich finished third in his heat, but it was hard to tell in the feature, as once he got in front he appeared to consistently pull away.

Darrell Nelson of Hermantown, one of a handful of drivers who races in two classes, wrecked in a messy Modified feature, but made up for it in the Late odel final. He started seventh, but gradually worked his way up to finish second, followed by Jeff Provinzino, Kyle Peterlin and Chris Olson, all of Hibbing.

BELLEFEUILLE’S LATE PASS NABS WIN

Jody Bellefeuille of Duluth passed Ryan Aho off Turn 2 with seven laps to go and went on to win the caution-filled Modified feature.

Aho, who raced much of the feature with a flat left-front tire, managed to hold on for second, followed by Al Uotinen and Rick Rivord of Superior, and Ross Lightner of Washburn.

There were seven caution flags in the 20-lap feature, including six in the first two laps alone. With that many, after some smooth laps in the middle, it was rather fitting one more caution came out just before the last lap and the cars came out for a green-white checkered finish.

Aho tried one last push on the restart, but couldn’t keep pace with Bellefeuille, who pulled away and pumped his left fist out the window as he whizzed past the checkered flag.

BEST OF THE REST

Steve Udeen of Superior got a big round of applause after stepping out of his car after it got tipped upside down following a collision between Turns 1 and 2 early in the Pure Stock finale, showing that he was likely shaken but fine. The feature wasn’t finished when this edition went to press.

Dave Flynn of Superior (Super Stocks) and Deven VanHouse of Silver Bay (Midwest Modifieds) were Friday’s other feature winners.

AMSOIL Speedway Results

Friday, May 18

WISSOTA Late Models (12 Cars)

Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. Darrell Nelson (Hermantown) (1st Heat win of 2012); 2. Chris Olson (Hibbing); 3. Travis Budisalovich (Cottage Grove); 4. Kyle Peterlin (Hibbing); 5. Harry Hanson (Eveleth); 6. Aaron Lillo (Duluth).

Heat 2(10 Laps)

1. Jeff Provinzino (Hibbing) (1st Heat win of 2012); 2. Tommy Waseleski Jr. (Pengilly); 3. Gregg Hill (Eveleth); 4. Tim McMann (Duluth); 5. Scott Herrick (Proctor). DNF Todd Frank (Mellen).

Feature (20 Laps): 1. Budisalovich (Cottage Grove) (1st Feature win of 2012); 2. Nelson (Hermantown); 3. Provinzino (Hibbing); 4. Peterlin (Hibbing); 5. Olson (Hibbing); 6. Frank (Mellen); 7. McMann (Duluth); 8. Lillo (Duluth); 9. Herrick (Proctor). DNF: Waseleski Jr. (Pengilly); Hill (Eveleth); Hanson (Eveleth)

WISSOTA Modifieds (18 Cars)

Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. Darrell Nelson (Hermantown) (1st Heat win of 2012); 2. Ryan Aho (Chisholm); 3. Scott Hudak ( Ashland); 4. Al Uotinen (Superior); 5. Jody Bellefeuille (Duluth); 6. Rick Niemi (Eveleth); 7. Nikki Wrazidlo (Duluth). DNF: Kevin Eder (Ashland); Hietala (Cloquet).

Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. Kelly Estey (Kelly Lake) (1st Heat win of 2012); 2. Ross Lightner (Washburn); 3. Jeff Tardy (Hibbing); 4. Steve Lavasseur (River Falls); 5. Rick Rivord (Superior); 6. Skeeter Estey (Kelly Lake); 7. Destin Lorimor (Superior); 8. Brad Hanson (Mountain Iron). DNF: Scott Heikkinen (Eveleth) .

Feature (20 Laps): 1. Bellefeuille (1st Feature Win of 2012); 2. Aho; 3. Uotinen; 4. Rivord; 5. Lightner; 6. Heikkinen; 8. Rick Niemi; 9. Tardy. DNF Hudak; Hietala; Estey; Eder; Estey; Lavasseur; Lorimor; Hanson; Nelson.

WISSOTA Super Stocks (18 Cars)

Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. Dave Flynn (Superior) (1st Heat win of 2012); 2. Scott Lawrence (Superior); 3. Willie Johnsen Jr. (Superior); 4. Trevor Wilson (Superior); 5. Joe Olson (Superior); 6. Patrick Heikkinen (Eveleth); 7. Mike Bellefeuille (Duluth); 8. Ronnie Malecki (Superior); 9. Matt Madsen (Superior).

Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. Nick Oreskovich (Mason) (1st Heat win of 2012); 2. Donnie Lofdahl (Proctor); 3. Shawn Rivord (South Range); 4. Andy Grymala (Superior); 5. Shawn Polonoski (Thunder Bay); 6. Al Rapp (Saginaw); 7. Keith Kern (Superior); 8. Dan Tocheri (Thunder Bay). DNF: Ashley Smith (South Range).

Feature (20 Laps): 1. Flynn (Superior) (1st Feature win of 2012); 2. Lawrence; 3. Johnson Jr.; 4. Grymala; 5. Lofdahl; 6. Wilson; 7. Rivord; 8. Rapp; 9. Kern; 10. Heikkinen; 11. Polonoski; 12. Oreskovich; 13. Madsen. DNF: Olson; Tocheri; Malecki; Bellefeuille; Smith.

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds (21 Cars)

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. Dan Kingsley (Superior) (1st Heat win of 2012); 2. Loren Inman (Proctor); 3. Cody Wolkowski (Thunder Bay); 4. Cody Carlson (Superior); 5. Tyler Luger (Iron River). DNF: Jeff Pohjonen (Duluth); Johnny Hentges (Jordan).

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. Rob Weber (Ashland) (1st Heat win of 2012); 2. George Dalbeck (Ironwood); 3. Don Craig (Thunder Bay); 4. Willie Thompson (Hibbing); 5. Dan Larsen (Hermantown); 6. Neil Balduc (Bessemer). DNF David Simpson (Thunder Bay).

Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. Deven VanHouse (Silver Bay) (1st Heat win of 2012); 2. Rick Przbylski (Ashland); 3. Lance Solem (Duluth); 4. Chris Bretting (Washburn); 5. Brian Youderin (Superior). DNS: Norm Anderson Jr. (Duluth). Mack Estey (Kelly Lake)

Feature (15 Laps): Van House (1st Feature Win of 2012); 2. Weber; 3. Wolcowski; 4. Inman; 5. Thompson; 6. Dalbeck; 8. Kingsley: 9. Balduc: 10. Larsen; 11. Luger: 12. Anderson Jr.; 13. Bretting; 14. Craig.

DNF Solem; Przybylski; Estey; Hentges (Jordan); Simpson (Thunder Bay); Pohjonen (Duluth); Youderin (Superior).

AMSOIL Speedway Pure Stocks (27 Cars)

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. Josh Louks (Carlton) (1st Heat win of 2012); 2. Mark Smith (Solon Springs); 3. Andy Udeen (Superior); 4. Gary Campbell (Duluth); 5. Jack Sigafus (South Range); 6. Shaina Rapp (Saginaw); 7. Gavin Campbell (Duluth). DNF Josh Overn (Mahtowa). DNS: Chad Carlson (Superior).

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. Justin Madsen (Foxboro) (1stHeat win of 2012); 2. Mark Korte (Duluth); 3. Jeff Engelmeier (Saginaw); 4. Travis Zembo (Superior); 5. Ed Dammer (Hermantown); 6. Joel Klints (Duluth); 7. Kodi Oliver (Superior). DNF Tim Carlson (Superior); Gary Campbell Jr. (Duluth).

Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. Dustin Follett (Cloquet) (1st Heat win of 2012); 2. Steve Udeen (Superior); 3. Jeff Christman (Superior); 4. Chad Nikstad (Superior); 5. Justin Bassa (Hermantown); 6. Matt Deragon (Ashland); 7. Scott Shober (Wrenshall). DNF: Kayla Anderson (Superior); Josh Johnson (Superior).

Pure Stocks Feature (9 Laps): 1. Madsen (1st Feature win of 2012); 2. Louks; 3. Zembo; 4. Christman; 5. Bassa; 6. Nikstad; 7. Udeen; 8. Johnson; 9. Overn; 10. Campbell; 11. Dammer; 12. Shober; 13. Rapp (Saginaw); 14. Campbell; 15. Kodi Oliver; Anderson. DNF: Campbell; Engelmeier; Klints; Carlson; Follett; Deragon; Carlson; Korte; Sigafus; Smith; Udeen.

Tags: sports, racing, auto, amsoil, updates