CARLSON TAKES BRONZE 125
By: Kevin Ramsell

BURLINGTON, WI (Saturday, May 30, 2009) - Steve Carlson looked at the last 50-laps of the Race for the Gold Bronze Race as
a regular Saturday night shootout as he went on to win his second straight American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment race at Dells Raceway Park.  His fifth overall win in front of an awesome crowd at the 1/3-mile facility.

"Isn't that great?" a smiling Carlson said in victory lane.  "There isn't much of a second groove here and everybody is on the bottom racing around so that is where I raced.  You are going to rub fenders, its just the nature of the Dells.  I had a really good car, I had really good bite in the turns.  I could really turn the car low and stay on the throttle and really get a jump on those guys."

The right racing action was scene throughout the feature event that saw a rare high number of caution flags, a total of ten.  Most were for spinouts.  The worse came on lap 70 when Dan Fredrickson and Donny Reuvers were battling for position when the two made contact sending Reuvers to the outside wall between turns one and two.  Reuvers was alright but was done for the night.  

Jeff Storm and Jamie Iverson were the early leaders in the event.  Iverson would lead most of the race after he got by Storm for the lead on lap 24.  He led the field at the break with Storm in second and Nick Neville in third.

Carlson didn't waste any time after the break it only took him three laps to get by Neville for second.  On lap 83, he worked his way to inside of Storm for second.  After a caution for Joey Johnson's spin, Carlson only needed two laps to get by Iverson for the lead.

Carlson wasn't challenged after that but behind him Steve Holzhausen was making a late charge to the front.  He would get past Nathan Haseleu in the closing laps to finish second.  Haseleu, who made the charge to the front finished third.

"That first half we were really getting tight and those cautions didn't help," Holzhausen stated.  "We made some adjustments at the break and they really helped."   

For Haseleu it was a good points night with his third place finish, but was disappointed that he couldn't make a run on Carlson, "I'm happy with how we ran, but we had some engine problems, its nothing that Tesar (his engine builder) did but its on seven cylinders again.  I don't know if its spark plug wire again or something," Haseleu stated.  "All in all it was a good night."

Dells Raceway Park weekly competitors completed the top-five as Ken Reiser finished fourth and current DRP points leader Jeff Kendall was fifth.  Fredrickson rebounded to finish sixth with Storm in seventh.  Neville finished eighth while Iverson was ninth.  Nick Murgic rounded out the top-ten.

It was a rough night for Tim Schendel who came into this event second in points.  He had to race his way into the main event by winning his last chance race and then was involved in a wreck at the start.  

Unofficially, Haseleu has a 29 point lead over Fredrickson in the point standings.  Then there is a three-way tie for third with Schendel, Chris Wimmer, and Carlson as they are 67 points behind Haseleu.

Fredrickson led the field of 41 cars in qualifying with a time of 13.404 seconds (89.525 mph) to get his first ECHO Chainsaw/Oregon Cutting System "Quick Cut" Qualifying Award of the year.  

Andrew Morrissey won the Wehr's Machine Fast Heat while Matt Kocourek won the second fast heat.

The first last chance race saw some fireworks.  On lap 6, Andy Monday and Jonathan Eilen were racing side-by-side for the lead when the two touched causing Eilen to spin.  Jacob Goede, who was running third, went over Eilen's car and made hard contact with the frontstretch wall. All drivers were alright. This handed the lead over to Bryan Reffner.  After the re-start, it was Reffner leading with Schendel in second.  Schendel would by Reffner for the win.  Greg Haese was third.  Those three advanced to the feature.

Nick Murgic won the second last chance race with Joey Johnson in second.  Kris Kelly got around Kyle Calmes with two laps to go and earned the final transfer spot for the main event.

The ASAMT competitors will now get a break after three straight weeks of racing.  The next event will be on Saturday, June 20th at Illiana Speedway in Schererville, IN for the running of the Elmer Musgrave Memorial 100.

FEATURE RESULTS
1     - 66     - Steve Carlson     - West Salem, WI
2     - 97     - Steve Holzhausen     - Neekosa, WI
3     - 87     - Nathan Haseleu (TS)     - Pardeeville, WI
4     - 02     - Kenny Reiser     - Waukon, IA
5     - 000     - Jeff Kendell     - Montello, WI
6     - 36     - Dan Fredrickson (TS)     - Lakeville, MN
7     - 25     - Jeff Storm (TS)     - East Troy, WI
8     - 32     - Nick Neville (R)     - Mackinaw, IL
9     - 97I     - Jamie Iverson (TS)     - Escanaba, MI
10     - 12     - Nick Murgic (TS)     - Rosemount, MN
11     - 40     - Jeremy Lepak     - Plover, WI
12     - 39     - Andrew Morrissey (TS)     - De Forest, WI
13     - 43     - Matt Kocourek     - Franklin, WI
14     - 51     - Joey Johnson (R)     - Alexandria, MN
15     - 22     - Nick Panitzke (R)     - Sauk Centre, MN
16     - 77K     - Kris Kelly     - Norway, MI
17     - 67     - Gregg Haese (R)     - Manitowoc, WI
18     - 77E     - Jonathan Eilen (TS)     - Hampon, MN
19     - 5     - Travis Sauter     - Necedah, WI
20     - 52     - Chris Wimmer (TS)     - Wausau, WI
21     - 21     - Tim Schendel (TS)     - Sparta, WI
22     - 80     - Bryan Reffner     - Stevens Point, WI
23     - 41     - Donny Reuvers (TS)     - Dundas, MN
24     - 18     - Dan Lensing     - Roscoe, IL
25     - 171     - Mark Eswein     - Wisconsin Rapids, WI
26     - 4     - Mike Gunderson     - Union Grove, WI