WALLACE GRABS FLAG-TO-FLAG WDRL VICTORY AT SUPERIOR SPEEDWAY
Arkansas driver survives five caution flags to take $10,000-to-win event
By Tom Lathen
WORLD Dirt Racing League

Superior, Wis. (Aug. 2, 2007) -- Wendell Wallace led from start to finish Wednesday night to pick up the win in the Head of the Lakes 50, a WORLD Dirt Racing League PolyDome Late Model Series-sanctioned event here at Superior Speedway.

The Batesville, Ark., driver outran outside front-row starter Jimmy Mars on the opening circuit and survived five caution flags enroute to the $10,000-to-win victory.

"The car was pretty close tonight," commented Wallace in AMSOIL Victory Lane. "The guys were telling us this place usually gets a little bit slick and that's what we design our cars to race on. We like to get on these hard tires and race on slick race tracks.

"It's a long way for us to travel," he added. "We left yesterday evening and drove all night long. They didn't tell us it was this far up here, but I love racing up north; there are such great fans up here."

Wallace, who started on the pole, went to the bottom of the smooth and slick Head of the Lakes Fairgrounds' 3/8s-mile oval and won a wheel-to-wheel battle with Mars out of turn two on the initial circuit to grab the early advantage.


Although the race was slowed by a caution flag on lap two, the driver of the Davison Transport/GRT Race Cars/Gaerte Engines Pontiac GTO roared to a 10 car-length lead on lap 10 before the front-runners began to run up on slower traffic a handful of laps later.


With Wallace continuing to hold the top spot in traffic, Muscatine, Iowa, driver Brian Birkhofer, who was running second, began to close the gap with Mars running just ahead of John Kaanta in a close battle for third.


Caution flags on laps 23 and 25 kept the field close. But on each restart, the 41-year old Wallace again sprinted to the advantage, with Birkhofer, Mars and Kaanta left to battle it out for second.


Kaanta, who entered the race third in the PolyDome Late Model Series point standings, saw his night come to an abrupt end on lap 29 when his LPI Lift Systems/MasterSbilt/Pro Power Chevrolet Monte Carlo lost a drive shaft in turn four. The final caution flag of the night appeared a couple of laps later when Rob Moss slowed in front of the packed grandstands in his car 1M.

"I would get my rhythm going, and then a caution would come out," commented Wallace on the rash of mid-race caution flags. "Some of them came out at the right time, though.

"I knew we were going to catch a lot of lapped cars," added the winner. "Before we had those cautions, there was a big wad of them ahead of me, but we chose the right line and made it through and then we caught the cautions at the right time."

When racing resumed, Wallace again darted away from the remainder of the field, with Mars surprising Birkhofer to take over second, just ahead of Pittsville, Wisconsin’s Eric Pember and Minnesota driver Justin "The Jet" Fegers, who was closing quickly after an outside ninth-row start.

Over the final 10 circuits, Wallace continued to increase his lead and crossed the line a comfortable distance ahead of the second-place finishing Mars.

"I knew Mars and Birkhofer would be tough back there," said Wallace. "I was just watching the board to see who was second, who was third, who was moving up. Birkhofer showed me a nose a little bit on one of those restarts," he added. "I was just kind of maintaining and doing all I could do to keep them back there. I know those guys are tough around here."

Birkhofer crossed the stripe third, with Pember surviving consistent pressure from Fegers to finish fourth. The remainder of the top 10 included Rick Hanestad, Darrell Nelson, series points leader Brian Harris, Steve Laursen and Thunder Bay, Ontario, driver Joel Cryderman.

For more information on WDRL or the latest PolyDome Late Model Series schedule, check out the WORLD Dirt Racing League's Web site, www.worldraceleague.com.


RACE REPORT
SUPERIOR SPEEDWAY
SUPERIOR, WIS.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 1, 2007


BSB Manufacturing Group Qualifying: 1. Matt Miller; Waterville, OH (16.494), 2. Justin Fegers; Mound, MN (16.583), 2. Ace Ihm; Hazel Green, WI (16.604), 4. Adam Hensel; Barron, WI (16.620), 5. Billy Moyer; Batesville, AR (16.637), 6. Jimmy Mars; Menomonie, WI (16.753), 7. Donnie Moran; Dresden, OH (16.769), 8. Brian Birkhofer; Muscatine, IA (16.790), 9. Brian Harris; Davenport, IA (16.803), 10. Tom Nesbitt; Thunder Bay, ON (16.824), 11. Jake Redetzke; Eau Claire, WI (16.827), 12. Brady Smith; Solon Springs, WI (16.876), 13. John Kaanta; Elk Mound, WI (16.936), 14. Andrew McKay; Edina, MN (16.942), 15. Dave Eckrich; Cosgrove, IA (16.945), 16. Kyle Peterlin; Hibbing, MN (16.991), 17. Wendell Wallace; Batesville, AR (16.993), 18. Steve Laursen; Cumberland, WI (17.008), 19. Joel Cryderman; Thunder Bay, ON (17.030), 20. Eric Pember; Pittsville, WI (17.031), 21. Pat Doar; New Richmond, WI (17.062), 22. Darrell Nelson; Hermantown, MN (17.073), 23. Denny Eckrich; Tiffin, IA (17.073), 24. Earl Pearson, Jr.; Jacksonville, FL (17.100), 25. Rick Hanestad; Boyceville, WI (17.129), 26. Ashley Anderson; Eau Claire, WI (17.150), 27. Terry Casey; New London, WI (17.163), 28. Chris Simpson; Oxford, IA (17.208), 29. Garrett Durrett; Simsboro, LA (17.220), 30. Matt Furman; Iowa City, IA (17.220), 31. Todd Gehl; Solon Springs, WI (17.336), 32. Brent Laursen; Osceola, WI (17.441), 33. Travis Budisalovich; Cottage Grove, MN (17.452), 34. Rob Moss; Iowa City, IA (17.446), 35. Rim Isenberg; Marshfield, WI (17.518).


First PolyDome Qualifier (passing points in parenthesis): 1. Birkhofer (65.75), 2. Pember (55.5), 3. Smith (52.0), 4. Hensel (50.75), 5. Hanestad (49.5), 6. Peterlin (41.5), 7. Furman (40.25), 8. Doar (34.5), 9. Budisalovich (31.0).


Second PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Cryderman (59.0), 2. Dave Eckrich (55.5), 3. Moran (54.25), 4. Nelson (53.0), 5. Redetzke (45.0), 6. Anderson (43.75), 7. Moss (42.5), 8. Durrett (34.5), 9. Ihm (31.0).


Third PolyDome Qualifier: 1. McKay (61.25), 2. Mars (60.0), 3. Steve Laursen (52.0), 4. Denny Eckrich (53.0), 5. Nesbitt (45.0), 6. Fegers (41.5), 7. Casey (42.0), 8. Isenberg (36.75), 9. Gehl (31.0).


Fourth PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Wallace (59.0), 2. Kaanta (55.5), 3. Harris (52.0), 4. Miller (50.75), 5. Moyer (45.0), 6. Simpson (43.75), 7. Pearson, Jr. (38.0), 8. Brent Laursen (34.5).


KSE Racing Products Consolation: 1. Moyer, 2. Nesbitt, 3. Anderson, 4. Redetzke, 5. Pearson, Jr., 6. Furman, 7. Simpson, 8. Peterlin, 9. Durrett, 10. Casey, 11. Doar, 12. Ihm, 13. Isenberg, 14. Budisalovich, 15. Moss, 16. Brent Laursen, 17. Gehl.


Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation Pole Dash: 1. Wallace, 2. Mars, 3. Birkhofer, 4. Kaanta, 5. McKay, 6. Cryderman, 7. Dave Eckrich, 8. Pember.


Head of the Lakes 50: 1. Wallace, 2. Mars, 3. Birkhofer, 4. Pember, 5. Fegers, 6. Hanestad, 7. Nelson, 8. Harris, 9. Steve Laursen, 10. Cryderman, 11. Moran, 12. Dave Eckrich, 13. Denny Eckrich, 14. Hensel, 15. Simpson, 16. McKay, 17. Moss, 18. Miller, 19. Moyer, 20. Kaanta, 21. Nesbitt, 22. Redetzke, 23. Anderson, 24. Doar, 25. Smith.


INFORMATION OF INTEREST:


Entrants: 35
Lap Leaders: Wallace (1-50)
Time of Race: 38:11.505
Margin of Victory: 2.771
Fastest Lap: Fegers (17.850)
Caution Flags: 5 (laps 2, 23, 25, 29, 31)
Red Flags: none
Rookie-of-the-Race: Hensel
Hard Luck Driver: Kanta
Series Provisionals: Simpson, Moss


CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:


Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation: Mars, Birkhofer, Kaanta
QA1 Motorsports: Birkhofer
BSB Manufacturing: Fegers
AMSOIL: Wallace
The Brake Man: Birkhofer
Champ Pans: Pember
Performance Bodies: Fegers
V-Performance Batteries: Hanestad
Fast Shafts: Harris
Hooker Harness: Dave Eckrich
Weld Wheels: Denny Eckrich
Chase Race Decals: Kaanta