Season champions crowned at Chateau Speedway
It was the final night of the regular season September 2 at Chateau Speedway in Lansing powered by Garlick’s Water. That meant Track Champions would be crowned at the end of the night in the regular six classes.
Coming into the night one of the classes would be decided by a driver who just had to start the feature to clinch, the other five could still swing depending on finishing positions. Two of those were separated by two points and six points coming into the night which really put the heat on those drivers to outperform the others.
The tightest of the races was the French’s Repair USRA A Mods with Ryan Wetzstein of West Concord just two markers up on Jason Cummins of New Richland. Ryan was looking for his first Track Championship while Cummins was hunting his seventh. For the most part the Championship was decided when Wetzstein failed to start his heat because of mechanical issues which put him at the back of the feature while Jason got into the redraw to start near the front.
After Steve Wetzstein got the lead it looked like it was going to be another feature win for him but his car faded near the end and Cummins came on strong and made a three wide pass for the lead with six laps to go and went on to take his second feature win of the year and that seventh Track Title.
Heat wins in the class went to AJ Hoff of Mantorville, Steve Wetzstein, and Dwaine Hanson of Lakefield.
The other tight race was between Greg Pfeifer Jr. of Austin, a three-time champion, and Kadden Kath the defending champion in the Hanson Tire WISSOTA Midwest Modified Class who was seeking his fifth title.
Pfeifer led by six points coming into the night. The feature lineup had Pfeifer starting in row two and Kath in row three. Pfeifer moved up to second behind Jake Smith of St. Joseph who started on the pole. Smith led flag to flag for his third feature win of the year while Greg chased him all 18 laps.
Kadden made it as far as fourth leaving him second in points to Pfeifer who got his fourth Track Title. The two did get heat wins on the night along with Kobie Kath of Owatonna.
Michael Johnson of Rose Creek was looking for his first track championship as he took the track for the feature in the Double M Transport USRA B Mods. Johnson entered the night up 32 points on Hunter Kennedy of St. Ansgar Iowa.
When Kennedy was a no show on the night, it sealed the deal for Johnson’s championship. Michael put an exclamation mark on the title as he took his fifth feature win of the year.
Heat wins went to AJ Wiste of Adams, Jerry Young of Blooming Prairie, Colton Weigel of Glenville, and Zach Elward of Hayfield.
Second year driver Daniel Bjonfald of Bloomington was looking to put the finishing touches on his first championship as he entered night with a 40-point lead over Shawn Poston of Red Wing in the Manke’s Outdoor Equipment Hornets. With just ten cars checking in for the class the decision was made as there was only a possible difference of 28 points, and so Bjonfald took the title.
Meanwhile Tanner Chadderdon of Faribault took his second feature win of the year in just two appearances at the track this year. He also took one of the heats with the other going to Brian Schott of Red Wing.
The top two in the Power 96 Pure Stocks were separated by just 26 points with Andrew Eischens of Taopi looking for his third title if he could hold off Michael Wick of Faribault. Wick did his part as he drove to his first feature win of the year and then took home his first championship when Eischens was DQ’d on a last lap incident.
Troy Maas of Faribault, Kyndra Guttormson of Chatfield, and Jack Paulson of Morristown claimed heat wins in the class.
The class with the least amount of drama was the Skjeveland Sanitation USRA Stock Cars. The class, which was just added this year, came into the final night with Travis Shipman of Mason City Iowa up 97 points meaning taking the green in the feature would assure him enough points to claim his first track championship at Lansing. Travis worked his way into the top three but a charge from Kevin Donlan of Decorah, Iowa from row six is what the fans were talking about as he claimed his second feature win of the year.
Shipman did get a heat win with Rodney Schweizer of Kansas City Kansas taking the other one.
Two more weeks of racing specials yet to come at Chateau Speedway. Friday night will be the 25th Anniversary of the running of the Mike Guttormson Memorial Modified “Spirit of 83” event. This year’s main event will pay out $2000 to the winner.
The tracks other classes will also be on hand for the night. Then in two weeks, on September 16, it will be the season finale for the 2022 Season with one final race.