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JIMMY MARS EARNS REDEMPTION IN SUPERIOR
Mars follows a WDRL win that got away with solid victory one night later
By Rusty Daufeldt
WORLD Dirt Racing League
SUPERIOR, WIS (June 19, 2009) - WORLD Dirt Racing League Late Models were up
Thursday night for Round 5 of the 2009 season. Night 2 of the Northern Swing
took place here at the beautiful Superior Speedway, and it was a good night
for driver Jimmy Mars.
Stormy skies and chilly temperatures made for a slow start to the night. But
as the racing action began, the clouds lifted and a packed house was treated
to another fine night of racing.
Thirty-two of the upper Midwest's finest Late Model drivers signed in for
the event for their shot at the 50-lap feature paying $5,000 to win.
A fast track in qualifying saw Mounds, Minn., driver and 2007 WDRL champion
Justin Fegers take home the fast time honors. Fegers also would be a big
part the story line in a dramatic finish during the feature event.
Four qualifying races, a consolation event and the Iowa-Illinois Taylor
Insulation Pole Dash set the field for the main event. Pat Doar won the pole
honors with Mars taking the outside of the front row.
Doar and Mars took off at the drop of the green and swapped the lead almost
every lap with Doar running the top side of the speedway. Mars would
eventually get by Doar, who headed to the pits with problems early. After an
early caution for the No. 55C of Chad Mahder, a long green flag run found
Mars and Darrell Nelson fighting for the top spot. Nelson, a regular winner
at Superior Speedway at its weekly program, had a strong run and was in the
top five all night.
Mars gained about a straightaway lead on Nelson and was just beginning to
catch lapped traffic when the caution flew on lap 27.
On the restart, Chad Simpson, in the third-place car, made an aggressive
move to the inside putting Nelson back to third. Meanwhile, the No. 27 car
of Jake Redetzke and the F15 of Justin Fegers were moving to the top five.
While Mars paced the field, the final green flag run saw Fegers come from
fifth to second in just two laps. Using the high side of the speedway,
Fegers rocketed past the nose-to-tail Simpson and Nelson and set his sites
on Mars, the leader.
But Mars would not be denied the win as he had been one night earlier at
Brainerd, Minn. He negotiated lapped traffic flawlessly and crossed the
checkered flag at Superior Speedway ahead of Fegers, Simpson, Nelson and
Redetzke.
"Last night was a heartbreaker," Mars commented in Victory Lane. It's tough
to lose one like that; congrats to Chad (Simpson). But this feels good after
last night."
Mars also talked about the cool temperatures and how they made it very
difficult to see. He said he ran most of the last portion of the race with
his visor open, something observers wouldn't have guessed as Mars sliced
through lapped traffic.
Chad Simpson gained some valuable WDRL points at Superior as he sets his
sites on the 2009 series title.
Up next? Cedar Lake for two nights of racing in the Badger State.
RACE REPORT
SUPERIOR SPEEDWAY
SUPERIOR, WIS.
THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2009
Group Qualifying: 1. Justin Fegers (16.391) , 2. Jeremy Grady (16.435), 3.
Adam Hensel (16.478), 4. Chad Simpson (16.565), 5. Chad Mahder (16.586), 6.
Pat Doar (16.635), 7. Denny Eckrich (16.658), 8. Jake Redetzke (16.699), 9.
Jimmy Mars (16.710), 10. Dave Eckrich (16.726), 11. Rob Moss (16.736), 12.
Rick Hanestad (16.770), 13. Don Cobb (16.814), 14. Jason Utter (16.875), 15.
Chris Simpson (16.919), 16. Bryant Goldsmith (16.934), 17. Lance Matthees
(16.958), 18. Eric Pember (17.007), 19. Darrell Nelson (17.013), 20. Al
Purkey (17.036), 21. Gordy Seegert (17.087), 22. John Kaanta (17.112), 23.
Bill Frey (17.147), 24. Bill Koons (17.187), 25. Tim Isenberg (17.188),
26.Curt Martin (17.285), 27. Travis Budisalovich (17.398), 28. Joel
Cryderman (17.465), 29. Mike Prochnow (17.481), 30. Ashley Andersen
(17.547), 31. Andrew McKay (17.602), 32. Steve Laursen (DNQ)
First Qualifying Heat Race: 1.Chad Simpson (25), 2. Rick Hanested (71), 3.
Jake Redetzke (27), 4. Lance Mathees (90), 5. Mike Prochnow (68), 6. Bryant
Goldsmith (24), 7. Gordy Seegert (4s), 8. Tim Isenberg (9t).
Second Qualifying Heat Race: 1. Adam Hensel (44), 2. Chris Simpson (32), 3.
Denny Eckrich (50), 4. John Kaanta (85), 5. Rob Moss (1M), 6. Ashley
Andersen (81), 7. Eric Pember (90X), 8. Curt Martin (45).
Third Qualifying Heat Race: 1. Pat Doar (11), 2. Dave Eckrich (58), 3.
Darrell Nelson (44), 4. Jeremy Grady (43), 5. Andrew McKay (71), 6. Jason
Utter (31), 7. Bill Frey (66), 8. Travis Budisalovich (31).
Fourth Qualifying Heat Race: 1. Jimmy Mars (28), 2. Don Cobb (22), 3. Justin
Fegers (F15), 4. Chad Mahder (55C), 5. Al Purkey (33), 6. Steve Laursen
(19), 7. Joel Cryderman (51), 8. Bill Koons (29).
Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation Pole Dash: 1. Pat Doar, 2. Jimmy Mars, 3.
Chad Simpson, 4. Darrell Nelson, 5. Adam Hensel, 6. Don Cobb, 7. Rick
Hanestad, 8. Chris Simpson.
Consolation Race: 1. Steve Laursen, 2. Ashley Andersen, 3. Rob Moss, 4. Eric
Pember, 5. Al Purkey, 6. Gordy Seegert, 7. Bill Frey, 8. Bryant Goldsmith,
9. Joel Cryderman, 10. Curt Martin, 11. Tim Isenberg, 12. Bill Koons
50-lap Feature: 1. Jimmy Mars, 2. Justin Fegers, 3. Chad Simpson, 4. Darrell
Nelson, 5. Jake Redetzke, 6. Chris Simpson, 7. Dave Eckrich, 8. Adam Hensel,
9. Don Cobb, 10. Steve Laursen, 11. Jeremy Grady, 12. Rick Hanestad, 13.
Mike Prochnow, 14. Lance Mathees, 15. John Kaanta, 16. Eric Pember, 17.
Denny Eckrich, 18. Rob Moss, 19. Al Purkey, 20. Chad Mahder, 21. Curt
Martin, 22. Andrew McKay, 23. Ashley Andersen, 24. Pat Doar.
INFORMATION OF INTEREST:
Entrants: 32
Lap Leaders: Doar 1-3, Mars 3-50
Time of Race: n/a
Margin of Victory: n/a
Caution Flags: 3
Red Flags: none
Chase Decals Rookie-of-the-Race: Chad Mahder
Hard Luck Driver: Tim Isenberg
Series Provisionals: Al Purkey, Curt Martin
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation: 1. Justin Fegers
QA1 Motorsports: n/a
The Brake Man: Chad Simpson
Champ Pans: Chris Simpson
Performance Bodies: Dave Eckrich
Fast Shafts: John Kaanta
Hooker Harness: Eric Pember
BSB Manufacturing: Jeremy Grady
Randy’s Racing Filters: 9th-place finish: Rob Moss, 10th-place finish: Al
Purkey
For more information on the WORLD Dirt Racing League or the latest WDRL Late
Model Series schedule, check out the WORLD Dirt Racing League's Web site,
www.worldraceleague.com.
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