Reini, Leek and Koski add their names to the first time winners list!

Grand Rapids, MN 5-27-2011
By: Randy Murray

With over 80 cars on hand and bright sun overhead, Tom Clusiau Grand Rapids Speedway presented by Paul Bunyan Communications dropped the green.

The Rapids Ford Wissota Midwest Modifieds came on the speedway with Bryan Bourquin and Willie Thompson on the front row. Bourquin and Leek battled each other for the lead, often side by side, with Bourquin holding the point at the line. Dan Ebert pressured the two from the third spot. A Bourquin slip let Leek get inside and both Leek and Ebert were quick to capitalize sending the leader back to third. The Emo, Ontario regular had his hands full trying to fend of the pressure from Ebert and Grand Rapids racer, Don Smith. A restart with two laps to go set up a green, white, checkered ending with Leek on the point and Smith and Ebert side by side behind him. Leek dropped in and held the line to take his first ever feature-win. Ebert, Smith, Bill Matzdorf and Thompson rounded out the top five.

The Wissota Late models came out next with Tom Waseleski and Tim Carlson on the front row. Because the track locked down in the previous event, the pole sitter jumped to the quick lead. Second row inside starter, Jeff Provinzino, took hold of the second position while outside pole starter, Carlson, grabbed third. A restart near the halfway mark saw four cars sitting atop one another in turn four. Good work from the Grand Rapids wrecker teams got the four apart and all were able to continue due to their efforts.  The restart saw Waseleski regain the point with Provinzino, Carlson, Corey Jorgensen and Joey Ogston taking positions in what would remain the top five.  Waseleski picked up the winners check for the first time this season.

The Broking Transport WISSOTA Modifieds rolled a pair of 5's onto the front row. Ken Mostellar and Jody Olson brought the mods to green, but third place starter, John Reini, jumped out to the lead. Seventh starter, Jeff Wood, gained the second spot. A flurry of restarts short of the halfway point tested the mettle of Reini, but he remained up to the task holding the point through all four of them. Eighth starter, Jeff Hart, went to the high side and found something to get him up to third behind Wood. Bob Broking drove up to fourth and Paul Schultz grabbed fifth until Hart stepped out to try a pass. Broking and Schultz made him rethink that and dropped him to fifth. John Reini picked up his first Modified win in front of them.

The Tom Clusiau WISSOTA Super Stocks came to the fold with Tom Nicholl and Jeremy Fink leading the charge. Nicholl, Carlson and Donnie Lofdahl, who started on the inside lane, jumped ahead and took the top three spots. With the bottom line being dominant and rubbered up, Carlson used it to his advantage to get past Nicholl and grab a lead he wouldn't relinquish. Carlson picked up his first win since his return to supers, with Lofdahl, Fink, Burdick and Davey rounding out the top five.

The Pure Stocks came to the track and took three tries before front runners Emily Nosie and Kevin Perkovich could get the battle underway. The front row starters did battle with each other and through the restarts, five in as many laps. Once they got it all settled in, Perkovich had to pit for a left rear flat leaving Nosie to fend off the challengers. Nosie would hold them off and pick up her first win this season. Nate Syverson, Chris Miller, Kevin Baumgarner and Keith Koski would round out the top five.

Next Thursdays racing, sponsored by Fastlane Racing and Powder Coating and Sunrise Funeral Home, brings all five classes back to action at the only place for THUNDER on THURSDAYS, Tom Clusiau Grand Rapids Speedway presented By Paul Bunyan Communications!