8/21/2019
It is Mars and Mars at Red Cedar Speedway
Menomonie, Wisconsin -- The Red Cedar Speedway and SERVPRO of Dunn, Barron, and Polk Counties presented the 3RD Annual Mahder 55 in memory of Late Model great Duane Mahder. $5555 was on the line for the winner as well as it being a WISSOTA Challenge Series race. The WISSOTA Late Models were joined by the Modifieds, Super Stocks, and Limited Late Models. Winners on the evening were Jimmy Mars, Jeremy Nelson, Curt Myers, and Sammy Mars.
National Dirt Track Hall of Fame member Jimmy Mars takes a lot of pride in returning to his home track and competing in the Late Model ranks. He had won the initial two Mahder 55’s and after redrawing the pole in front of a very large crowd, all knew he would be difficult to beat.
The field was set by draw, passing points, and the top eight redrawing, and it was filled out after a B-Feature was run. The Wissota Late Model Challenge Series Joe Provo Racewear Heat One was won by Jimmy Mars after starting second on the field. John Kaanta won the Dirt Track Supply Heat Two coming from fourth and Jesse Glenz topped the Richmond Gear Heat Three from the outside of row one. The B-Feature was won by Justin Ritchie.
The Wollak Construction feature ran for 55 laps as Mars took the lead from the drop of the green and set the pace until the cars were stopped 25 laps into the event for a fuel only pit stop. The restart saw Mars setting the pace again with Lance Matthees setting chase. Two laps into the final 35 laps, a caution flew for derbies on the speedway. Back under green, it was still Mars out front as Rick Hanestad overtook third. Four laps later, it was Pat Doar overtaking the third position but it was AJ Diehmel on the move as he found his way to second position. On lap 36 he gave Mars his first serious challenge looking down low through turns three and four.
The caution flew for a stalled Ben Hanke with 37 laps scored. Under green, it was Mars out front, but Diemel wasn’t finished. He looked low again in turn four but Mars’ momentum kept him in the lead down the front shoot. Behind them, Hanestad had found his groove working low on the speedway as he raced back to the third position. The remaining ten laps saw Mars leading to the checkered flag as Diemel came home in second and Hanestad in third. Chad Mahder raced from 12th to fourth and Matthees finished fifth. Sixth through tenth were scored at the line as Mike Prochnow, Pat Doar, Jesse Glenz, John Kaanta, and Jake Redetzke.
The WISSOTA Modified feature was marred by caution flags and one red flag for an Adam Ayotte roll over. It was Kevin Eder leading lap one and two over Jeremy Nelson, but Nelson moved to the lead on lap three. The caution flag flew with three laps scored and Nelson controlled the restart. Two laps later, Ayotte rolled in turn two and the red flag was displayed. There were only six laps in the books when a spinning Jay Richardson saw Josh Hessler called with the foul.
Nelson continued to lead but a series of cautions saw several strong runners eliminated; a couple without fault, as Mike Anderson, Cory Mahder, and second place running Kevin Eder went pit side in separate incidents. Under green, it was Nelson as Mark Hanson and Darrell Nelson raced door to door. Ashley Anderson used the closing laps to gain positions on the field also. At the line, it was Jeremy Nelson, Darrell Nelson, Ashley Anderson, Mark Hanson, and Dave Cain, as Calvin Iverson debut his MB Customs A Mod and drove from 17th on the field to finish sixth. Cain, Mahder, and Mike Anderson won their heats.
The WISSOTA Super Stock heats were topped by Tommy Richards and Aaron Wilson as Curt Myers stormed from eight on the field to win his 18th feature of the season in impressive style. It was Bart Steffen up front early as they went four wide behind him for second. Jesse Redetzke overtook the second position and on lap three, moved into the lead as Aaron Wilson moved into third. Redetzke continued to lead as on lap six, Myers moved side by side with Wilson for third. Redetzke stretched his advantage on the field, but a lap nine caution for a fifth running Chad Gullixson breakdown brought the pack together.
Redetzke continued to lead under green as they drove three wide behind him. It was Tommy Richards overtaking third and Myers striking for the lead. Myers drove away from the group to the win as Redetzke finished second. Third running Richards did not clear tech after the race so Aaron Wilson was awarded the position. Bart Steffen was fourth over a fifth finishing Ben Hillman.
The Limited Late Models saw Lance Hofer and Kyle Johnson win their respective heats and it was all eyes on Sam Mars as he drove from the outside of row one and led all 15 laps for his first ever race car feature win. Mars looked good out front as lap after lap he maintained his lead and slowly stretched his advantage. On lap ten, he entered lap traffic as Derek Nelson, Kyle Johnson, Shaun Mann, and Dan Gullixson chased him in an attempt to claim victory for themselves.
Working lap 13, a spinning Ryan Konkel slowed the action. It was Mars in the lead with Johnson and Gullikson starting side by side on his tail. On the restart, Mars moved back out front as Johnson settled into second and they raced three wide for third behind them. As Mars drove to the checkered flag, the race switched to three wide for second. Johnson was the runner up ahead of Hofer, Gullikson, and Shaun Mann.
The Red Cedar Speedway will return to racing on Friday, August 23, 2019, with the Track Gives Back to Charity Night featuring the WISSOTA Modifieds, Super Stocks, Midwest Modifieds, Street Stocks, Pure Stocks, and RCS Hornets.
Article Credit: Brad Erickson
