Bjorklund Holds On For Fall Nationals Win At I-94 Raceway
By Dean Reller
SAUK CENTRE, MN (Sept. 18, 2005) - Blake Bjorklund played on his experience as he came out on top in the Midwest Allstar Racing Series (MARS) Super Late Model 100 Lap Feature on the final day of the Fall Nationals at the I-94 Raceway in Sauk Centre. Todd Hansen took the lead on the opening lap as the 25 car field came to life. Andy Hanson held second briefly, before Dean Cornelius took the spot. Cornelius steadily worked on Hansen and on lap 26, Cornelius moved into the top spot. Hansen stayed alongside and that allowed Trent Snyder and Blake Bjorklund to close up on the leaders. Bjorklund gradually worked his way into second and started to close in when LB Berthiaume brought out a caution when he spun in turn two. Cornelius held the lead on the restart, but Bjorklund turned up the heat and he took the lead on lap 42. Cornelius rallied and regained the top spot two laps later as the front pair ran side-by-side and swapped the lead several more times before another yellow waved on lap 50 for Jon Olson’s spin. Bjorklund emerged as the leader on the restart with Cornelius right in his shadow. Meanwhile, Jacob Goede, who started 25th, was slowly working his way towards the front and by lap 56, he was up to third. The front three ran close until the next yellow, when Tim Olson’s car splattered rear-end fluid all over the track, forcing Rob Dubnecay to crash into the turn one wall. After an extended cleanup, Bjorklund showed the way on the restart as Cornelius and Goede both looked for a way around and Steve Carlson moved up to fourth. Cornelius was able to pull alongside with three laps to go, but Bjorklund wasn’t about to budge as he held on to take the win by .153 seconds over Cornelius.
Jeremy Fleck scored his second career Modified Feature win as he held off his teammate, John Notch in the 30 lap race. Corey Flynn took the lead from the start, but Fleck was able to move by on lap two to take over the lead. Notch turned up the pressure as he pulled next to his protégé' and was able to poke his car ahead to take the lead on lap three. That would be the story of the race as Fleck and Notch swapped the lead seven more times as they ran the entire race side-by-side out front. Fleck would come away with the lead for good with four laps remaining and he took the win by .044 seconds over Notch. The race for third was just as tight with Flynn holding off Joey Johnson as most of the field was right behind the leaders.
Tim Brockhouse charged to the front and motored to the win in the Great North Legends Feature. Zac Davids took the lead from the start as Jon Lewerer and Tyler Sjoman traded the second spot. Fifth starting Brockhouse wasted little time charging to the front on by lap three, he found himself right next to Davids for the lead. The pair raced wheel-to-wheel for a couple of laps before Brockhouse took the lead on lap five. Brockhouse then began to pull away, extending his lead to nearly a full straightaway before Robert Lever spun to bring out a caution. Davidson challenged on the restart, but once again Brockhouse began to pull away. Lever’s second spin with eight laps remain bunched the field one last time. When the green flag waved again, Brockhouse picked up where he left off as he shot away from everyone and took home the win.
Nick Panitzke capped off a successful weekend as he took his second Fall Nationals Thunder Car Feature win. Patrick Amelung, in a borrowed car, took the lead from the start. Jerry Messer pulled alongside and on lap six, Messer was the new leader. A caution for two separate incidents on lap eight allowed Panitzke to restart behind Messer. Panitzke raced Messer close and he took the lead just before another caution for fluid dropped by Amelung’s spent car. Panitzke cranked things up in the final few laps as he moved away from Messer and secured the win.
A 19-cent part cost Mike Dimmick the win on opening night of the Fall Nationals, but on day two, Dimmick was the class of the field in the UCAR Feature. Andy Mayavski took the lead from the onslaught, with Andy Heying right behind. Eighth starting Dimmick was running at full speed and on lap five, he drove past Mayavski and into the lead. Dimmick pulled to a sizable advantage, but Ryan Kamish’s stalled car near the halfway point of the race brought everybody back to Dimmick’s rear bumper. When the action picked back up, Dimmick again began to pull away from Mayavski. The last half of the race ran caution-free as Dimmick continued to stretch his lead with every lap. Mayavski ran strong as he had to settle for second as Dimmick rolled to the win.
I-94 Raceway Results Sept. 18, 2005
Fall Nationals Day Two
Midwest Allstar Racing Series (MARS) Super Late Models
100 Lap Feature
1. Blake Bjorklund (Isanti) 2. Dean Cornelius (Chaska) 3. Jacob Goede (New Germany) 4. Steve Carlson (West Salem, WI) 5. Todd Hanson (Minneapolis) 6. Jeff VanOudenhoven (Kimberly, WI) 7. Eugene Dick (Watkins) 8. Andy Hanson (Ramsey) 9. Bob White (Spring Lake Park) 10. Ritch Johnson (Monticello) 11. Trevor Stewart (St. Augusta) 12. Chris Grimes (Green Bay, WI) 13. Trent Snyder (Ironton) 14. Jake Jay (Lindstrom) 15. Rob Dubnecay (Maple Grove) 16. Bryan Roach (Cannon Falls) 17. Jon Olson (Hamel) 18. Tim Olson (Hamel)-DNF 19. Jeff Lofquist (Fergus Falls)-DNF 20. Joe Berthiaume (Rogers)-DNF 21. LB Berthiaume (Rogers)-DNF 22. Steve Lamke (Ellsworth, WI)-DNF 23. Tony Brockhouse (Glyndon)-DNF 24. Pat Maloney (Alexandria)-DNF 25. Joey Johnson (Alexandria)-DNS
Modifieds
Feature
1. Jeremy Fleck (Sauk Rapids) 2. John Notch (St. Cloud) 3. Corey Flynn (Alexandria) 4. Joey Johnson (Alexandria) 5. Jeff Rohner (Willmar) 6. Chad Willet (Alburnett, IA) 7. Rich Snyder (Alexandria) 8. Tony Robertson (Darwin) 9. Jonathan Olmscheid (Elrosa) 10. Jerry Voigt (Cold Spring) 11. Jim Kulseth (Rosemount)
Great North Legends
Feature
1. Tim Brockhouse (Shorewood) 2. Zac Davids (Apple Valley) 3. Paul Hartman (Willmar) 4. Tyler Sjoman (Alexandria) 5. Jon Lewerer (Coon Rapids) 6. Stan Davis (Maple Grove) 7. Dirk Henry (Sauk Centre) 8. Kim Kraus (Prior Lake) 9. Ryan Johnson (Eagan) 10. Matt Hendrickson (Albany) 11. Robby Carter (Prior Lake) 12. Charlie Balderston (Freeport) 13. Bruce Allen (Chanhassen) 14. Mark Skjerven (Oakdale) 15. Jake Varnum (Morris) 16. Patrick Brejcha (Alexandria) 17. Nate Wratz (Farmington) 18. Joe Kostreba (Sauk Centre) 19. Randy White (Blaine) 20. Gordy Mason (Excelsior) 21. John Heimerl (Denmark, WI) 22. Scott Brandt (Olivia)-DNF 23. Todd Tracy (Belle Plaine)-DNF 24. Robert Lever (Green Bay, WI)-DNF
Thunder Cars
Feature
1. Nick Panitzke (Sauk Centre) 2. Jerry Messer (Sauk Centre) 3. Lance Stueve (Greenwald) 4. Mark Milbeck (Erhard) 5. Troy Nelson (Alexandria) 6. Justin Wolbeck (Sauk Centre) 7. Doug Olmscheid (Padua) 8. Howard Cichy (Shakopee) 9. Jason Schroepfer (Comfrey)-DNF 10. Patrick Amelung (St. Joseph)-DNF 11. Jarmin Henry (Sauk Centre)-DNF 12. Corey Bulter Sr. (Rosemount)-DNF 13. Darren Werner (Breckenridge)-DNS
UCARs
Feature
1. Mike Dimmick (Hastings) 2. Andy Mayavski (St. Cloud) 3. Andy Heying (St. Cloud) 4. Nate Nordrum (New Market) 5. Duane Werner (Breckenridge) 6. Dan Bolstad (Fergus Falls) 7. David Bolstad (Fergus Falls) 8. Marc Rosenow (Grey Eagle) 9. Jay Gronewold (Fergus Falls) 10. TJ Harig (Fergus Falls) 11. CJ Karl (Alexandria) 12. Tony Hallerman (Sauk Centre) 13. George Dimmick (Lake Elmo) 14. Jason Lofquist (Fergus Falls) 15. Ryan Kamish (Prior Lake)-DNF 16. Doug Fick (Fergus Falls)-DNF 17. Craig Maack (Pelican Rapids)-DNF 18. Kevin Skalberg (Fridley)-DNF