8-19 Page 3 | ATD Racing News

As Pure Stocks and Hornets take center stage, Puffe and Gang look more than fair at Grand Rapids Speedway

By Shannon Reigel & Meghan Diemel, ATD Editor

GRAND RAPIDS, MN (August 13) - Grand Rapids Speedway kicked off the Itasca County Fair racing on Wednesday. Highlighting the action was a special for the Pure Stocks and Hornets. The Northern Renegade Sprint Cars and WISSOTA Mod Fours were also part of the action.

Dustin Puffe, Blake Erickson and Mark Gangl took home WISSOTA Dirt Track Series victories Wednesday.

Puffe was the early leader in the WISSOTA Pure Stocks ahead of Dylan Elhardt and Alex Berg, who battled for second, with Eric Crosby and Dylan Helget close behind. Berg moved to second before the caution fell with just one lap complete. Jake Smith went to the back for the infraction.

Back under green Puffe kept out front, while Crosby and Berg fought for second before Crosby had the advantage. Berg then fell under pressure from Austin Carlson for third. Puffe was tapped in the bumper by Crosby and went around in turn four, bringing the field under yellow, with Puffe going tailback. Carlson was also caught up in the incident and was taken off the track on the hook.

Crosby was the leader out front back under green, with Berg and Chris Dudley battling side by side for second, and Caylyn Binkley and Helget fighting for fourth. Berg took second ahead of Dudley before another yellow flag dropped when Mikey Hawkins and Billy Binkley spun on the track with 15 laps left.

Crosby was the leader once again under green, while Dudley and Berg raced side by side for second, and Caylyn Binkley was fourth and still under pressure from Helget. Another caution was thrown when Berg stalled on the track.

With the green back out over the field, Dudley began to challenge Crosby in the lead, with Puffe joining in and making it a war among the three for the top spot. Puffe moved by Dudley for second before another caution halted the action.

Back under green, Puffe challenged Crosby along the low side, gaining the advantage and taking the lead. Puffe drove on to the eventual victory ahead of Crosby, Dudley, Binkley and Helget in the top five.

Mark Gangl was the early leader of the WISSOTA Hornet feature, with McKenna Folstad in second before the first caution fell.

Gangl continued to lead back under green, with Folstad and Ryker Larson side by side for third. Folstad shook off Larson, as Brady Fosso moved in and relegated Larson back another spot to fourth.

With three laps to go, Gangl’s lead was a healthy one, as Fosso and Folstad continued to race side by side for runner-up honors. Gangl drove off to victory lane, with Fosso grabbing second. Folstad, 10th-starter Russell Kiker, Jr. and Zeb Graves completed the top five.

Blake Erickson and Brooke Erickson led the field of the WISSOTA Mod Fours to the green flag. Blake was the initial leader, with pressure from Gerrald Nohner to his inside through the turns. Ashton Schwinn was third with Chad Funt in fourth. A caution for a spun competitor reset the field.

Blake Erickson kept out front back under green, with Schwinn and Nohner on his tail. Funt was in fourth close behind before another caution, this one for Jayden Bahr, regrouped the field.

Erickson continued to lead, as Schwinn and Nohner raced close behind for second, and Funt held his spot in fourth. Schwinn looked to the high side of Erickson, but Blake held him off and drove to the eventual victory. Funt, Schwinn, Nohner and Jeffrey Marthaler rounded out the top five.

Zach Olson led from start to finish in the Northern Renegades to take the victory ahead of Chris Lewis, Paul Schultz, Ken Hron, and Myles Tomlinson in the top five.

SUMMARY

WISSOTA Mod Fours:

A Feature 1: 1. 99-Blake Erickson[2]; 2. XL21-Chad Funt[8]; 3. 18-Ashton Schwinn[6]; 4. N88-Gerrald Nohner[4]; 5. C92-Jeffrey Marthaler[5]; 6. XL1-Andrew Funt[14]; 7. 4-Dawson Oelrich[9]; 8. 40-Jack Post[11]; 9. T34-Christopher Roller[12]; 10. 995-Brooke Erickson[3]; 11. 4SALE-Jonathen Feda[10]; 12. (DNF) 25-Jordan Thayer[15]; 13. (DNF) 29J-Jayden Bahr[13]; 14. (DNF) D5-Doug Frederick[7]; 15. (DNF) 6-Conrad Schwinn[1]

Heat 1: 1. D5-Doug Frederick[2]; 2. N88-Gerrald Nohner[1]; 3. 18-Ashton Schwinn[7]; 4. 99-Blake Erickson[3]; 5. 4-Dawson Oelrich[6]; 6. 40-Jack Post[5]; 7. 29J-Jayden Bahr[8]; 8. (DNF) XL1-Andrew Funt[4]

Heat 2: 1. C92-Jeffrey Marthaler[3]; 2. XL21-Chad Funt[5]; 3. 6-Conrad Schwinn[7]; 4. 995-Brooke Erickson[6]; 5. 4SALE-Jonathen Feda[4]; 6. T34-Christopher Roller[1]; 7. (DNS) 25-Jordan Thayer

WISSOTA Pure Stocks:

A Feature 1: 1. 21X-Dustin Puffe[1]; 2. 28-Eric Crosby[5]; 3. 70-Chris Dudley[12]; 4. 15-Caylyn Binkley[10]; 5. 24-Dylan Helget[3]; 6. 25-Billy Binkley[14]; 7. 7-Bob Klein[13]; 8. 8-Karen Puschinsky[9]; 9. 88H-Michael Hawkins[11]; 10. 13D-Dylan Elhardt[2]; 11. (DNF) 86J-Jake Smith[7]; 12. (DNF) 18B-Alex Berg[4]; 13. (DNF) 57-Austin Carlson[8]; 14. (DNF) 52W-Austin Fencl[6]

Heat 1: 1. 28-Eric Crosby[2]; 2. 13D-Dylan Elhardt[1]; 3. 18B-Alex Berg[4]; 4. 24-Dylan Helget[5]; 5. 8-Karen Puschinsky[7]; 6. 88H-Michael Hawkins[3]; 7. 7-Bob Klein[6]

Heat 2: 1. 86J-Jake Smith[1]; 2. 57-Austin Carlson[3]; 3. 21X-Dustin Puffe[7]; 4. 52W-Austin Fencl[4]; 5. 15-Caylyn Binkley[5]; 6. 70-Chris Dudley[6]; 7. 25-Billy Binkley[2]

WISSOTA Hornets:

A Feature 1: 1. 34-Mark Gangl[2]; 2. 27-Brady Fosso[5]; 3. 25K-McKenna Folstad[1]; 4. 13K-Russell Kiker Jr[10]; 5. 31-Zeb Graves[6]; 6. 81R-Ryker Larson[3]; 7. 8X-Adam Kessler[11]; 8. 9-Nick Ruzich[13]; 9. 24JR-Jada Lore[9]; 10. 40-Tristen McLynn[8]; 11. 79JR-Mikayla LaBarge[4]; 12. 28-Chad Reller[12]; 13. 11-Tucker Smith[15]; 14. (DNF) 88-Asher Tuttle[14]; 15. (DNF) 92S-Zachary Sims[16]; 16. (DNF) R20-Riley Terry[7]; 17. (DNS) R00T-Jonathan Root

Heat 1: 1. 31-Zeb Graves[3]; 2. 40-Tristen McLynn[1]; 3. 25K-McKenna Folstad[7]; 4. 81R-Ryker Larson[4]; 5. 24JR-Jada Lore[5]; 6. 8X-Adam Kessler[8]; 7. 9-Nick Ruzich[9]; 8. 11-Tucker Smith[2]; 9. (DNF) R00T-Jonathan Root[6]

Heat 2: 1. 27-Brady Fosso[4]; 2. 34-Mark Gangl[2]; 3. R20-Riley Terry[6]; 4. 79JR-Mikayla LaBarge[5]; 5. 13K-Russell Kiker Jr[7]; 6. 28-Chad Reller[8]; 7. 88-Asher Tuttle[1]; 8. (DNF) 92S-Zachary Sims[3]

Northern Renegades:

A Feature 1: 1. Z15-Zach Olson[1]; 2. 5J-Chris Lewis[5]; 3. 101-Paul Schultz[3]; 4. 46H-Ken Hron[8]; 5. 15T-Myles Tomlinson[7]; 6. 7X-Dan Atchison[4]; 7. 46-KC Hawkinson[9]; 8. 22-Travis Krumrei[6]; 9. 44-Shane Hawkinson[10]; 10. 51-Peyton Emerson[11]; 11. 92-Danny Wait Jr[15]; 12. 7E-Keith Erickson[13]; 13. 5-Kierston Coss[16]; 14. (DNF) 17C-Hunter Colton[2]; 15. (DNF) 17-Mariah LaPatka[14]; 16. (DNF) 36-Tyler Wass[12]