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Johnny Broking (Cody Papke Photos)

Broking rides the high side to win WISSOTA 100 Late Model Qualifying Feature Friday night at I-94 Speedway

By Ryan Schmitz
All The Dirt! Racing News

FERGUS FALLS, MN (September 12) - Johnny Broking broke through for a victory Friday night at I-94 emr Speedway, as the Iron Range driver grabbed the Qualifying Feature win at the 39th annual Speedway Motors WISSOTA 100, and earned the middle of the front row for the start of the Championship Feature Saturday night.

Collin Compson and Broking paced the 24-car WISSOTA Late Model feature to the green. Broking planted his machine on the high side of the speedway and set sail into the lead. The yellow flew on lap one for a Ryan Mikkelson spin in turn one. Mikkelson was able to refire his machine and tagged the end of the field for the ensuing restart.

Flagman Mike Blom brought the field back to life, and Broking jumped to the lead once again with Gunner Frank overtaking Compson for second. With the top two drivers beginning to pull away from the field, Compson was under heavy pressure from Zach Johnson and Mike Greseth in the battle for third. Johnson worked his way by and slid into the position, and Greseth followed during lap 10.

Out front, Broking continued to rip around the high side of the speedway, even riding the wall on a couple of occasions, as he closed in on lapped traffic. Broking worked his way through the backmarkers with four to go before the yellow flew for Shane Edginton, who came to a stop in turn four after some contact with Laela Eisenschenk in turns one and two. Edginton was forced to retire to the pits.

Broking led Frank and Johnson back to the green with only four laps remaining and Broking again blasted to the lead on the high side of the speedway with Frank in tow. Behind them, Johnson was searching around the speedway for a faster line. The main battle on the speedway was between Dan Ebert and Joel Bennett, as the duo continued to trade the eighth and final transfer spot, with Ebert clearing Bennett on the white flag lap.

Out front, Broking would not be denied as he raced to the win ahead of Frank, Johnson, Jeff Provinzino, Greseth, Devin Fouquette, Jon Tollakson, and Ebert in the top eight.

The remaining 33 WISSOTA Late Models were split into four heats for the Friday night program earlier in the evening.

A pair of Late Model newcomers, Blake Boelens and Talan Seckerson, brought the first heat to the green. Boelens came under heavy pressure from Provinzino, with Provinzino racing to the inside of Boelens on lap two when contact was made; Provinzino’s car was sent spinning in turn four. Boelens was called for the yellow and tagged the end of the field for the ensuing restart. Provinzino jumped back to the lead and cruised to the win ahead of Collin Compson and Laela Eisenschenk in the top three.

Minnesota driver Charlie Olsen manned the front row with Iowa driver Gunner Frank in heat two. Frank jumped to the high side of the speedway at the drop of the green and raced out to a nice advantage with Olsen coming under siege from Mikkelson and Greseth. Frank continued his torrid pace and raced to the win with Greseth in second and Mikkelson in third.

Amelia Eisenschenk shared row one with Montevideo, MN driver Jon Tollakson for the third heat. At the drop the green, the duo came under heavy pressure from fourth-starter Broking, who stormed to the front of the pack on the outside of the speedway. Broking went on to win the heat race with Tollakson holding on for second, and fifth-starter Edginton third.

The final heat race of the week for the Late Models was led to green by former WISSOTA National Champion Zach Johnson and Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series rookie Dan Ebert. Johnson moved to the lead at the drop of the green, using the cushion, while Ebert searched I-94 Speedway for a way around him. Johnson garnered the win ahead of Ebert and Fergus Falls driver Ben Wolden.

SUMMARY

WISSOTA Late Models:

Feature (20 Laps): 1. 45J-Johnny Broking[2]; 2. 21F-Gunner Frank[4]; 3. 73-Zach Johnson[6]; 4. 28-Jeff Provinzino[5]; 5. 17G-Mike Greseth[7]; 6. 15-Devin Fouquette[11]; 7. XXX-Jon Tollakson[9]; 8. 60-Dan Ebert[10]; 9. 7-Joel Bennett[15]; 10. 10CO-Charlie Olsen[21]; 11. 31-Travis Budisalovich[13]; 12. 16-Thomas Weisgram[16]; 13. 49-Collin Compson[1]; 14. 53-Chris Mensen[18]; 15. 71X-Cory Tammen[19]; 16. 4J-Lee Grosz[22]; 17. 21XX-Dustin Arthur[17]; 18. 1S-Konner Sperle[23]; 19. 50-Ben Wolden[14]; 20. 15L-Laela Eisenschenk[3]; 21. (DNF) 5E-Shane Edginton[8]; 22. (DNF) 15X-Blake Boelens[20]; 23. (DNF) 15*-Ryan Mikkelson[12]; 24. (DNS) 7T-Talon Seckerson

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 28-Jeff Provinzino[3]; 2. 49-Collin Compson[5]; 3. 15L-Laela Eisenschenk[7]; 4. 15X-Blake Boelens[1]; 5. 15-Devin Fouquette[9]; 6. 7T-Talon Seckerson[2]; 7. 24-Mike Hart[6]; 8. 10X-Robert Bitz[4]; 9. (DNF) 24S-Mike Stearns[8]

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 21F-Gunner Frank[2]; 2. 17G-Mike Greseth[3]; 3. 15*-Ryan Mikkelson[4]; 4. 10CO-Charlie Olsen[1]; 5. 7-Joel Bennett[7]; 6. 4J-Lee Grosz[5]; 7. 1S-Konner Sperle[8]; 8. 18-Josh Rieck[6]

Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 45J-Johnny Broking[3]; 2. XXX-Jon Tollakson[2]; 3. 5E-Shane Edginton[5]; 4. 31-Travis Budisalovich[6]; 5. 16-Thomas Weisgram[7]; 6. 1-Amelia Eisenschenk[1]; 7. 77-Corey Seckerson[4]; 8. 39-Jamie Dietzler[8]

Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 73-Zach Johnson[1]; 2. 60-Dan Ebert[2]; 3. 50-Ben Wolden[3]; 4. 21XX-Dustin Arthur[4]; 5. 53-Chris Mensen[6]; 6. 71X-Cory Tammen[8]; 7. 17-Jim Harris[7]; 8. 01-Alex Tschakert[5]