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I was very happy to see a souvenir program was again for sale for the event. It has been a number of years since that was last offered, and somehow slipped away from the yearly routine. I'm very glad they brought it back. Programs as a whole are slipping away from being the standard in this area, and what many track owners and operators don't understand is that folks want to buy something to remember a race. And, if that program offers up meaningful information, so much the better. In fact, a daily insert with results and drivers lists would be a nice addition to a program or perhaps an independent venture for someone. Who's up for this?

Minus the drivers who earned guaranteed starting spots on Wednesday, virtually everyone returned to try and qualify on Thursday. There were a few who left after having serious mechanical issues or were involved in crashes, but most bring enough parts that they can fix just about any issue.

On top of that, a baker's dozen of new entrants showed up on Thursday to race. There are a few who use this method every year and there were also be couple more on Friday.

Among the additions to the Thursday night group were the husband and wife team of the Boyums from International Falls. They finally arrived after being run off the road and ditched on their way here by an errant driver.

Brainerd's Tim Johnson, one of the most successful drivers in WISSOTA history, brought out a brand-new Super Stock. He has mostly been on the sidelines this year, but he and John Henkemeyer started on Monday putting a new Super Stock together and in three days, with the help of Johnson's hard-working crew, the car was ready to race Thursday.

It was fast right out of the gate and was running a close second in the Super Stock feature when he pushed it just a bit too hard and spun out of contention. It is just good to see him back on the track; he is one of the most relentless drivers around and always puts on a show, no matter what class he is driving in.

The track has been holding up well so far this week, and did so again on Thursday night. Even when it gets black and looks like it might become a one-laner, drivers have been proving that to be wrong. They have been working all over the track and using multiple grooves. The car setup and driver flexibility to move around on the track are key.

Heats started just a bit after 5 p.m. and went pretty smoothly. We were on course for a record-breaking early completion to the program until the last two features, with the Super Stocks in particular having issues with spins. There also seemed to be an inordinate number of “debris” yellows over the course of the night. I can remember a day when it didn't matter how much was laying on the track, the race continued. That was also back in a time when safety wasn't at the top of the priority list when it came to racing. But there seemed to be so many slowdowns for little pieces of plastic on the track, the stuff I drive right over on the freeway.

As far as the feature races themselves, there were a couple of thrillers that came right down to the wire. There was plenty of passing in the features and a front-row starting spot was no guarantee toward eventual victory.

Jim Gullikson proved that early when he came from the fourth row to win the Street Stock feature race. Cole Greseth led the majority of the race, with Kyle Dykhoff all over him for the lead. At the halfway point, Zach Flickinger was running third, with Gullikson and Parker Anderson moving forward.

Dykhoff dropped out suddenly when he had some kind of mechanical issue and that gave Gullikson second. With just two laps to go, he drove past Greseth to take over the lead. Anderson also got past to finish second, with Greseth settling for third.

The Midwest Modified feature was even closer, with a last-corner pass guaranteeing the win for Trantina. Nick Koehler led all but the final straightaway before having victory snatched away by Trantina, who made a great move down the back chute to build up speed and then slid under Koehler on the final corner.

Chad Becker and Cole Searing were in a two-car dogfight from start to finish in the Late Model feature. Becker got the jump at the start with Searing right on his tail, and that's the way they raced for 15 laps. Searing got very close several times but Becker just wouldn't make that one mistake that Searing needed to get by. Both drivers pounded the cushion, which was fast but unforgiving, with mistakes easily made, but neither driver faltered once. Becker led Searing home by a scant few car lengths for the win.

Cole Schill, continuing his great runs this fall, came from eighth to finish a strong third. Watch for him on Saturday to use that low line and perhaps sneak under everyone for a win.

The Super Stock feature was a trying affair, with six yellows that really bogged down the show. I imagine it was particularly trying for leader Curt Myers, who on each green had to hit his marks correctly as he was challenged early by Tim Johnson and then by Jordan Henkemeyer. Andrew Hedtke led the first two laps before Myers blew past him on the outside following a restart. Myers then dropped to the inside line where for some reason, the Super Stocks seemed to work best, even though drivers successfully used the high side during the race just before this one and the following race.

In any event, Johnson was all over Myers but just couldn't quite get by and he had several chances following more yellow flags.

The last yellow though, with nine laps complete, was for Johnson who pushed just a bit too hard and spun in turn two. After this, Myers was pushed by Henkemeyer but Myers pulled away late to take the win. It was important for Myers to get in the show, as he is battling Shane Sabraski for the national point title and Sabraski locked himself into the feature on Wednesday with a second-place finish.

Denis Czech made a late run to edge out Kolby Kiehl for third.

The biggest surprise of the night was in the final race of the evening, which showcased the track’s multiple grooves. Brandon Dolman won his first Modified feature race, and what a big stage he used to get that win. He had strong challenges throughout the race but held off all drivers, even as the race finished with two straight one-lap dashes to the line because of late yellow flags.

Dolman got the jump on Johnny Broking at the start to lead early but Don Eischens moved in to pass Broking and put heavy pressure on Dolman for the lead. Between lap one and lap 12, under green flag conditions, these two put on a show as Dolman ran right up against the wall while Eischens tried to work under him. Lap after lap they ran dangerously close together, with both pushing to the limit but it was great racing.

Meanwhile, Brandon Copp was storming to the front, running a line only the angels would dare try. He made it work as he drove up to third, until he got too high for his line and put two wheels on the wall, riding it all the way through the corner. A yellow flew but it was not needed as Copp had somehow got his car straightened back out and he was blended into the lineup for the restart.

However, two straight spins set up a one-lap dash to the finish and by this time, Brady Gerdes had replaced Eischens as the main challenger. One last time, Dolman threw his car up against the banking and it caught just enough traction that he was able to shoot out ahead of Gerdes and drive home for the thrilling win. Gerdes settled for a close second with Eischens an even closer third. It was a stirring race to wrap up the night.

While others headed for the music, I headed for the couch, having had more than enough emotional turns over the course of the last 24 hours.

The action has been busy in the tech building over the last two nights. Wednesday night there were eight disqualifications announced, with all being of the minor variety. Tonight there were another eight tickets written, but at this point their severity is unknown.

I have now seen more disqualifications in two nights than I have seen the whole rest of the racing season by far. What does that say? You fill in the blank.

Friday, September 12

Though it rained a few light sprinkles during the early afternoon, and just as the first Street Stock heat race rolled onto the track, the sun came out and it turned into a very nice September night on Friday.

For many, Friday was their last chance to qualify for the feature if they hadn’t already earlier in the week.

There were 14 drivers who qualified on Thursday for the main event on Saturday, but chose to turn those spots back in and race again on Friday. Reasons vary from wanting a better starting position to wanting to race again, to accumulating more national points. There is a lot of risk involved with not taking a guaranteed starting spot, particularly as the week winds down. One bad draw, one flat tire, one slow car in front of you during a heat race and you might be looking at a Last Chance race on Saturday at best.

However, the fearless 14 who opted to race again on Friday were largely rewarded, as 12 of them made it into the main event on Friday. Some of them may not actually have gained themselves any positions over what they had already earned, but at this point I think most were just happy to not have to race a Last Chance race on Saturday.

Nick Traynor, Mike Jans and Levi Randt all made it in the Street Stocks, Joey Jensen and Tyler Vernon in the Midwest Mods, Dexton Koch in the Supers, Shane Sabraski, Johnny Broking, Dan Ebert and Dave Cain in the Mods and Ebert once again in the Late Models, along with Jeff Provinzino, were all a little more relaxed after the show on Friday. Only James Trantina III in the Supers and Lee Grosz in the Late Models are still sweating and had to wait to see where they stack up for the Last Chance races.

A half dozen fearless drivers showed up just to race on Friday for the first time and somewhat surprisingly, half of them later made the feature on Saturday. This is the upside of the format used, as a driver could wait until the last qualifying night to show up if other things kept them from coming to Fergus. And, if they were fast enough, they could earn a front-row starting position.

Mike Greseth and Hunter Carter have made a living out of showing up on Friday night and racing their way into Saturday night's finale, and they did it once again on Friday. It is a fearless action but has worked out well for both over the years. If they don't make it on Friday, neither would likely have enough points to run a Last Chance race so it’s a risk.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night was the appearance of Danube, Minnesota's Brandon Beckendorf. While some in the crowd may not have recognized the name, folks who pay attention to Modified racing in the Midwest know that Beckendorf is one of the most successful Modified drivers here, winning many feature races while also a respected engine builder. He is not a WISSOTA racer, though, having earned his many wins and acclaim while running with another sanctioning body. In fact, he was busy on Wednesday night, winning a feature race at a fair race in northwestern Iowa and earning a $1,000 for that win.

However, he showed up at Fergus on Friday night, running a different car, and proved to be very fast even though he raced just one WISSOTA race all year, at KRA Speedway in Willmar.

He won a heat race and then ran wheel to wheel with WISSOTA's most successful racer ever in Shane Sabraski — but more on that race later.

Earlier this week, I failed to mention the return to racing of one of my neighbors at home, Will Fisher. Will had raced Streets and then Super Stocks for a number of years but got out of the sport this year, mostly helping Andrew Hanson with his Street Stock when needed. His Super sat in the garage while other responsibilities took precedence. However, the call to return to racing was more than he could take and about three weeks ago he bought a Street Stock from the Butterfield racing team in South Dakota, who had taken a step back from racing for the time being. The 100 was his first time racing the car and indeed, his first time behind the wheel in more than a year.

Will, who only lives about a mile as the crow flies from me, said the car has good potential and more than anything this week, he is working to knock the dust off his driving as he has felt a little rusty. The car is a Kurshinsky chassis with a Zeuli motor, so it is good stuff. Will is looking forward to racing a few more times yet this year, likely at Ogilvie in a couple weeks.

The Boyums’ rough weekend continued Friday. Darrin Lawler stepped aside and allowed Ashley to race a car in his steed, but the racing gods were not in her corner and she was involved in a tangle that saw her replacement car leave the arena on the back of the wrecker for the second straight night.

If there were a hard luck award to be handed out, I would give it to Peter Martin, who showed up on Friday to race his Street Stock. He was no more than down the back chute on the opening lap of his heat race, only to have a tangle in front of him collect him. The front end damage was enough to cause him to pull out of the race. Likely not eligible for the Last Chance race, his 100 amounted to a half lap of racing.

Folks continued to enjoy playing the 50/50, with Friday night's pot at more than $7,000 to the lucky winner.

The feature racing action was among the most smooth we’ve seen all week. Extensive track prep after all the heat races made for a fast track, with plenty of bite and multiple racing lines. This combination favored the drivers and they raced hard, as might be expected, but with very few yellow-flag slowdowns. There were no nonstop features, but a couple that only had one yellow and a couple more had just two slowdowns.

Kyle Dykhoff made up for his mechanical issues during Thursday's feature to win the Street Stock feature tonight. He started on the outside pole, took the lead immediately, and not even a strong run by Justin Vogel could deter him from victory lane. Hunter Carter, Nick Traynor and Levi Randt were among those who also made the big show on Saturday. That last qualifying position is always one under fire during the Friday show and in this race, Josh Long was able to get past polesitter Chris Behrens and claim that last starting spot.

Malachi Klassen led the early going in the Midwest Modified feature. Though he eventually faded back to fourth, the two Klassen brothers are having a great week so far at Fergus. The young Canadian duo have both run well and firmly put themselves in what might be their biggest feature race to date.

Brennon Weight passed Klassen on lap four and led the rest of the race, but in the closest feature of the night, he barely held off a late charge from Lucas Rodin to get the win.

Rodin has been pretty quiet so far this week but you knew that it was just a matter of time until the open wheel standout would get things going. He was running the cushion while most were down in the “ditch” in this race. Given a couple more laps, he would likely have been the winner. Still, that ability to move around on the track makes him as a real contender on Saturday night. Joey Jensen came from 12th to nip his rival in the national points, Tyler Vernon, as both had to wait until tonight to qualify for the big show come tomorrow.

Johnny Broking got up on the cushion and rode that line to a wire to wire win in the Late Model feature and put himself on the front row for Saturday night. He was never really challenged as he set a blistering pace. He rode that risky top side where feast or famine are just inches apart and one small screw-up results in a “concrete sandwich.” Gunner Frank has his best run of the week to take second and Zach Johnson drove up from the third row for third.

Dexton Koch passed Rick Simpson with just three laps to go to take that win in a very good Super Stock feature, setting himself up in the exact same starting spot he held last year when he won the 100.

Simpson started in the second row but made good moves on the opening lap, moving out front early while Dexton moved up from the third row to race into second by the halfway point. It then became a two-car battle with Simpson doing everything he could to keep Koch behind him, as Koch tried both high and low to make a pass.

Finally, with just three laps remaining, Koch squeezed by on the top side of the track down the front chute as the two leaders made a little contact. To me, it was just hard racing. Alex Myers started on the pole, raced with the leaders the whole race and will join his father Curt in the front rows on Saturday.

Joey Thomas drove a “hair on fire” line during the Modified feature, as he scored a thrilling victory and set himself up well for Saturday night. This race was highlighted by a great two-car battle between Sabraski and Beckendorf for second, one in which they traded the spot several times.

Very early in the race, Thomas had taken the lead and Beckendorf was running second with a whole pack of cars right behind him. Suddenly, Beckendorf slowed abruptly as if he had a mechanical issue and then, just as the yellow waved, he took off again under power.

This set up a tough decision for track officials as to what they should do. They threw the yellow to protect the pack but Beckendorf never really stopped and indeed, only lost one position before he got going again.

Using the “blend rule,” Beckendorf was realigned in third as Sabraski had passed him before he got going again, but I think it would have been unfair to penalize Beckendorf further, as he really didn't stop as the yellow came out prematurely, as it turned out.

The big time Late Model groups use this rule, which is just common sense.

While Thomas continued to lead, Sabraski and Beckendorf continued their battle for second. Jody Bellefeuille had bad luck strike when, while running among the leaders, he had a tire go down with just two laps to go, setting up one last blast for the win.

Thomas was up to the challenge, holding off the pack for the win while Beckendorf regained second from Sabraski and Johnny Broking finished just behind them, setting up what might be a memorable feature for the Modifieds on Saturday night.

With smooth running feature events plus a couple less qualifying events, Friday night produced the earliest night of racing so far this week.

So far the only drivers to have qualified more than one car for the Saturday night features are Sabraski, Kolby Kiehl, Travis Saurer, Johnny Broking, Lucas Rodin and Tyler Peterson. Sabraski is one up on everyone, as he has all three of his rides in the mains.

Heading into Saturday night, five drivers will earn the right to be called WISSOTA 100 winners and Dave Mass will be crowned Structural Buildings WISSOTA Challenge Series Champion and pick up his check for $12,000.

Saturday, September 13

Saturday of the WISSOTA 100 dawned a little cloudy and somewhat threatening looking. There was considerable rain off in North Dakota but it was moving straight north. By race time the sun popped back out and it turned out to be a very nice evening for racing in mid September.

My statistics might be just a bit rough but my calculations show 307 different racing teams entered racing during the five nights of competition in just five classes.

The total car count for the event was up from 2024, which is a very positive thing — especially given the challenges of maintaining the racing fields that many tracks have experienced for a variety of reasons. Four of the five divisions had increased numbers from 2024, with the Midwest Mods both showing the largest increase and also the largest field of the weekend at 86.

Only the Super Stock field was down from last year and that decrease was minimal.

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