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Tony Steuck
WATERTOWN, S.D. (July 8) - Jake Redetzke took the lead from Steve Laursen just past the midway point and cruised to victory in the 9th annual visit to Casino Speedway by the Dart Late Model Challenge Series. Redetzke, of Eau Claire, WI, bested a field of 27 entrants to claim the $2,000 top prize in a 40-lap feature, slowed only once by caution.
Steve Laursen started the Late Model main event on the pole and grabbed the lead when the race went green. Fellow front row starter, Redetzke, fell into second with Kent Arment third, Don Shaw fourth and Chad Becker fifth after one lap. Shaw slid under Arment and picked up a position on the third circuit.
Laursen closed onto the back of lapped traffic by lap nine on the high-banked bullring. Redetzke dropped to the low groove on lap ten and tested Laursen for the top spot. Laursen fought off the challenges in the high groove while Becker worked on Arment for fourth. The lone caution flag of the event waved with 11 laps scored after Cole Schill stalled on the race track.
Becker raced past Arment on lap 13 and claim fourth on the speedway behind Laursen, Redetzke and Shaw. Redetzke continued to take the short way around the track and pulled even with the leader as they drove under the crossed flags. Laursen held a slim margin on lap 21, but Redetzke edged ahead to lead laps 22 and 23 by less than a car length.
Redetzke slipped away from the field while Laursen felt pressure from Shaw. Shaw circled the low side of the speedway with Laursen in the high groove and Becker a close fourth. Shaw and Laursen were side by side on lap 30 while Redetzke had opened a comfortable advantage at the front of the field.
Redetzke drove to a huge lead with five laps remaining. Shaw and Laursen continued to battle for second with Becker in contention as well. Arment held the fifth position, but was under seige from Joel Cryderman and 16th starting Lance Matthees. Matthees claimed fifth on lap 36 just as Shaw fell victim to a flat tire, dropping him out of competition and helping Arment back into the top five.
Redetzke powered to the checkered flags with more than a straightaway gap over Laursen in second. Becker, who started 6th, claimed the final podium position followed by Matthees and Arment. Cryderman, Kyle Peterlin, Chad Williamson, John Kaanta and 19th starting Travis Budisalovich rounded out the top ten.
Shaw, Redetzke and Laursen notched the heat race wins. Laursen also topped the dash. No B-Feature was necessary when Chuck Swenson and Seth Brede scratched from the main event, setting the grid at 25 cars.
WISSOTA Late Models:
Feature - Jake Redetzke, Steve Laursen, Chad Becker, Lance Matthees, Kent Arment, Joel Cryderman, Kyle Peterlin, Chad Williamson, John Kaanta, Travis Budisalovich, Curt Gelling, Dave McDonald, Don Copp, John Bey, Shawn Malsam, Jason Fritzsche, Don Shaw, Scott Ward, Bryan Berger, Paul Mueller, Rick Goth, Joel Waba, Doug Herrick, Cole Schill, Scott Olson, Chuck Swenson, Seth Brede
Heat 1 - Shaw, Cryderman, Arment, Peterlin, Herrick, Gelling, Budisalovich, Ward, McDonald
Heat 2 - Redetzke, Kaanta, Copp, Becker, Matthees, Berger, Olson, Schill, Brede
Heat 3 - Laursen, Bey, Malsam, Williamson, Fritzsche, Mueller, Swenson, Goth, Waba
Dash - Laursen, Redetzke, Shaw, Arment, Kaanta, Becker, Cryderman, Williamson
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