Brad Erickson
Menomonie, Wisconsin (August 17, 2018) On Friday night, the Wollak Construction WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series invaded the Red Cedar Speedway for the Mahder 55 in remembrance of the late Duane Mahder. The Red Cedar Speedway and Midwest Family Broadcasting attempted to run night one with a full show of WISSOTA Late Models, Modifieds, Super Stocks, Midwest Modifieds, and Limited Late Models on Thursday, August 16, 2018. The heats were completed for the Midwest Modified and Limited Late Models, but persistent rain showers ended the night before any more cars could take the track.
With the Late Models and Modifieds scheduled to run Friday evening, the Midwest Modifieds were invited to join them to run their feature. The Limited Late Models were scheduled to be elsewhere. Feature winners included Jimmy Mars, Cory Mahder, and Travis Anderson.
The night’s features began with the Midwest Modifieds after Calvin Iverson and Shane Halopka had won their respective heats the evening before. It was Derek Haas and Karl Kolek on the front row, but Travis Anderson immediately moved to the high line and swept into the lead from the second row on the first lap. As Anderson set a fast pace, Kolek kept the pressure on and Tommy Richards moved into third.
Several laps were run as Kolek hounded the leader and moved beside him down the back stretch on multiple occasions. Anderson continued to use the momentum off the high side to maintain the lead at the line every lap. Meanwhile, Halopka had found his way into third after starting eighth on the field. A Nick Lindquist spin reset the field, and on the restart, it was Halopka moving into second as Gunnar Watkins had found his way into the top five from ninth.
Anderson remained high on the track as Halopka pressured below him. On the final circuit, they were side by side down the backstretch with Halopka nearly edging into the lead in turns three and four. However, it was Anderson, again riding the high groove momentum blasting down the front stretch to the checkered flag with Halopka just behind in second. Watkins ended a terrific run in third position and Kolek and Iverson rounded out the top five of an entertaining event.
It is often said, “They really wanted to win that one.” But believe me, in the world of racing, not one of the competitors does not really want to win every race they run. They don’t unload the cars with the intent to not win. It is a highly competitive world and it is often unfair to the good stories that “may have happened.” I have been to countless racing events throughout my lifetime and have missed very few of them in Menomonie over the last two and a half decades. But when Cory Mahder won the Mahder 55, the race which is in memory of his Uncle Duane, the crowd response was louder and more positive than I have ever witnessed. The specialness, if that is a word, of this feat was not unnoticed on the pit side of the track either, as the pit side bleachers erupted into cheers as well. And that response was from his competitors. Special indeed.
It was Kevin Adams, Cory Mahder, and Brandon Jensen winning the heats as Kevin Eder lead the feature early. Mahder moved from his fourth starting position to second and continued to attack the lower line as Eder charged up against the wall. Mahder powered under the leader to take the point but it was short lived as Eder used a slider to squeeze back out front in turn four a few laps later. Mahder continued to apply pressure on the leader and pull even on the back stretch as Eder ran on the very cusp of the edge in the ultra-high groove. There was little room for a mistake and Eder slapped the front stretch wall hard on lap 13. His car came to a stop on the raceway in turn one, his night was over, and Mahder was in the lead for the restart.
Although Mahder may not have needed a break as he was extremely fast already, he drove out front the remainder of the distance to take a very emotional and popular win. Behind him was Kevin Adams who had actually raced in the shadows of Mahder and Eder for several laps, but all eyes were on the battle for the point. He finished second narrowly over Jake Smith who had an outstanding run from ninth on the star-studded field, and came very close to taking the runner up position. It was Darrell Nelson and Dave Cain rounding out the top five.
The Wollak Construction WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series Mahder 55 paid $455 to start and $5500 to win and drew 28 of the finest Late Models to compete. A very hard and damaging heat crash involving Rick Hanestad and Jeff Wildung eliminated both cars from contention and the remaining 26 made up the feature field.
Jimmy Mars, A.J. Diemel, and Pat Doar won the heats one, two, three, and they finished the 55-lap feature in the same order. It was Mars winning the passing points having had started ninth in his heat and he redrew to stat the feature in third. It was Jeffrey Massingill on the pole with Pat Doar to his outside. Massingill lead early but Doar was able to work his way to the point by lap three. There was a multicar crash in turn one which slowed the action shortly thereafter, but it was Doar leading the restart.
Massingill didn’t go away as he drove side by side with the leader under green but Doar was able to best him for the position. Mars found his way past Massingill for second and AJ Diemel, driving for the injured John Kaanta, had moved into third. The leaders entered into very heavy lap traffic as Doar continued to use the high line to maintain the point, but Mars challenged below him, pulling even several times and taking the lead for one lap before Doar regained the same the next circuit. The amazing racing action continued as Diemel ran in third right behind them and Darrel Nelson moved into fourth.
Near lap 30, Buddy Hanestad broke down on the raceway and came to a stop in the apex of turns one and two. The caution was used for a preplanned fuel only stop on the backstretch as the race took a short break. They lined up for the restart with Doar out front and Mars choosing the outside of the second row with Diemel. Nelson restarted fourth with the seventh starting Jesse Glenz in fifth.
Doar returned to the high side under green as Mars attacked to lower to middle line. Mars found his way to the lead shortly after the restart and Glenz overtook fourth. Mars began to distance the field but Doar evened it out and actually closed the gap somewhat but jumped the cushion in turns one and two as Mars entered lap traffic. It was Diemel making a move to overtake second and he appeared to have something for the leader as he closed in. However, the race track began to take rubber late in the event as the last laps saw the leaders hug the tires on the inside of the track and drive the remaining distance home. It was Mars winning his second of two Mahder 55’s as Diemel came home in second. Doar finished his night in third ahead of Jesse Glenz and Mike Prochnow who moved into the top five late. Darrell Nelson, Marshall Fegers, James Giossi, Jake Redetzke, and Steve Laursen rounded out the top ten of a terrific feature.