Poole rises to the top at Elko Speedway

Jason D Searcy (Speedtalkon1360.com)

The first ever ARCA race in the state of Minnesota was a big hit for racefans who came out in force on this beautiful day in early June.

The Akona 200 started with Alex Bowman on the pole, he quickly surrendered the lead to Matt Lofton and then #25 Brennan Poole (photo above) took over the top spot on lap 12.  Poole seemed to be the quickest car on the track the entire race.  Lofton, Frank Kimmel and Buescher took the opportunity to pit during an early caution on lap 66.  Poole stayed out and only lost the lead during a pit sequence when on lap 90 MN native Joey Miller spun and his Venturini team serviced the car, he returned to the track in the 8th position behind cars who had pitted on an earlier caution.

On lap 117 crowd favorite #66 Steve Arpin (photo above) spun bringing out a caution and Poole had worked his way to fourth and all the cars in front of him had tires 24 laps older than his, giving him a slight advantage.

Poole then worked the high side through lapped traffic to take back the lead on lap 133, a lead he would never let go of.  Matt Lofton had an impressive run, getting past Buescher and Kimmel in the last 25 laps to score a second place finish.

It was a dogfight for the next few positions, drivers went three wide numerous times with a bit of contact to thrill the crowd at the finish line.

Chris Buescher got third, followed by Frank Kimmel who had the oldest tires at the end and a hard charging Tom Hessert in fifth and hometown boy Joey Miller fighting back for sixth place.

Eleven cars finished on the lead lap with long-time Minnesota dirt track star Steve Arpin the first car one lap down.  Mason Mingus who drives for MN race team Win-Tron racing finished in 9th position.

For complete results go to www.arcaracing.com

"Speedtalk on 1360" will broadcast interviews with Brennan Poole, Matt Lofton, Frank Kimmel and Steve Arpin on Saturday June 9th 10-11am (Central) on KRWC 1360am or listen live web-cast at www.krwc1360.com

K&N race news and notes

The NASCAR K&N stock cars raced 50 laps on the Brainerd 2.5 mile course, that was 10 laps more than the Trans-Am series cars, most cars stopped between lap 25 and 30.  The race took 1 hour and 32 minutes to complete.

A nice field of 19 cars raced and only one accident, Anthony Giannone spun just before the bridge in turn 12 and was stuck in the sand trap, numerous other cars skimmed that trap after over running the turn with no major trouble.

16 yr old point leader Dylan Kwasniewski (photo above) spent most of his free time before the race kicking a soccer ball in the pits and acting like a teenager.  Once he strapped into the car he was very impressive, setting fast time in practice, even with very limited experience on a road course.  He was set to win the race until they lost second gear and lost the lead coming to the white flag lap.

Much of the passing on this day was made in corners 4 & 5 after the big high speed swooping corners 2 & 3.  BIR added brand new bleacher seating in this area and at the end of pit road, just before the bridge.

The old asphalt section of the course will be replaced before the K&N series race in 2013, much of this tar was laid down in 1968 and has lost grip, this means the high speed turns in 2 and 3 will be even faster next year.

The lead swapped between team mates Kwasniewski and Pursley 3 different times, Pursley was better at the start of the race, after the restart and after his pit stop then his car would tighten up and Kwasniewski would pass him making for exciting racing up front.

Eventual winner Michael Self was so excited in victory lane after his first career win, he jumped up on the roof of his car, to the dismay of the tech officials.

The storm clouds stayed around all day on Saturday with a heavy downpour cancelling qualifying, the race weather was fine but, shortly after the victory lane celebration it started raining again. 

BIR track owner Jed Copham (in photo above with winner Michael Self) said in victory lane that he would like to make this race an annual event.

Here is a video of the full field taking the green flag http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u97Fx75Xqw&feature=youtu.be

Here are radio interviews with numerous drivers just before the race including:  Cameron Hayley, Bret Thompson, David Mayhew, Eric Holmes, Greg Pursley also Gary Curtis and Jed Copham.  https://soundcloud.com/speedtalkon1360/bir-kn-2013 

Listen to Speedtalk on 1360 Saturday mornings 10-11am on KRWC 1360 AM and www.krwc1360.com

Self scores first career win at BIR

By Dean Reller

(BRAINERD, MN) May 26,2012-----Michael Self might not be a name familiar to race fans in the Midwest, but he already has caught the eye of one prominent team owner and with a come from behind win on the Competition Road Course at Brainerd International Raceway in the NASCAR K & N Pro Series West division, Self might well be on his way to bigger things in the coming years.

Due to rain washing out qualifying, the field was set by points for the inaugural Brainerd 125.  Starting up front was sixteen-year-old points leader Dylan Kwasniewski, flanked by veteran and defending series Champion Greg Pursley.  As the field took the green, it was Pursley who took the lead with Kwasniewski right behind.  The battle for the top spot intensified as Kwasniewski pressed hard and took over the lead a handful of laps into the 50 race.  Anthony Giannone’s off track excursion brought out the race’s only yellow on lap 6.  On the restart, it was Pursley regaining the lead as Kwasniewski again challenged hard.  Just like before, a couple of laps into the run it was Kwasniewski taking over the point.   Pit stops played a role about two-thirds of the way into the race as both leaders pitted for fuel and Pursley won the race off pit road and again took the lead.  For the third time, it was Kwasniewski making a hard charge and once more he took the lead back.  Pursley’s car began to fade at that point as Self slowly began to reel in the front pair.  With nine laps remaining, Self moved past Pursley and then set his sights on Kwasniewski.  Kwasniewski looked to be well on his way to the win, however transmission problems slowed his pace, opening the door for Self.  With less than a lap and a half remaining, Self made his move in turn nine, which is known as the “Keyhole” turn.  Self was able to take the lead and finish off the sprint to the finish to score his first NASCAR K & N Pro Series West win.

“Before the race, my crew chief and spotter pounded into my head that I need to be careful and cautious and run cautious laps and that’s exactly what we did,” said the 21-year-old Richard Childress Racing developmental driver.  “The 03 car (Kwasnieski) had a big, big lead on us and we started to track him down and he made one little tiny mistake and that’s all it took and we took advantage of it.”  Pursley managed to nurse his car home a distant third while Derek Thorn and David Mayhew rounded out the top five.

Here is an audio recap of the race including interviews with Self, Kwasnieski and Pursley https://soundcloud.com/speedtalkon1360/bir-kn-2012

Here is a link to a Speedtalk Video of the entire field of cars or the K & N race at BIR  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qb4v18chh4&feature=youtu.be

Listen for Speedtalk on 1360 Saturday mornings 10-11am on KRWC 1360am.

NASCAR Series comes to Brainerd

By Dean Reller

No,  it’s not Dale Jr. or some guy named Jimmie, but a real NASCAR touring series is making a stop this weekend  at Brainerd International Raceway.  The NASCAR K &N Pro Series West will be making its first ever appearance at the historic Brainerd track on Saturday May 26^th.  The 50 lap (125 mile) event will not only be the first for the series, but a first for the drivers as none of the participants have ever driven the 2.5 mile Competition Road Course before.

                The K & N Pro Series West has been around since 1954 with its roots planted firmly along the west coast.  It’s been known by a few different sponsored names, but the series has always been a top tier division for racers from the country’s left coast.  Many notable drivers have used this series as a stepping stone to greater success in many of NASCAR’s other top divisions.  Ron Hornaday Jr, Kevin Harvick, Derrike Cope, Chad Little and Brendan Gaughan are just some of the names who have had success in the series before moving on.

                Today the series has a mix of young up and coming drivers along with a good contingent of seasoned veterans.  One of the young drivers to watch will be sixteen-year-old Dylan Kwasniewski (#03 above) who currently leads the point standings following last week’s race at Iowa Speedway.  That race was a combination event between the K & N West Series and its counterpart, the K & N East Series.  Forty-four-year-old Greg Pursley (#26 below) is the defending series Champion and currently sits 15 points behind his teammate Kwasniewski in the standings, just six races into the 15 race schedule.  Pursley won a road race earlier this year, the Utah Grand Prix.   Other notables to watch at Brainerd will be (#17 above) David Mayhew, who has made a few Nationwide Series starts, Eric Holmes who has four-runner up finishes on road courses and veteran drivers Jonathan Gomez, Carl Harr, Daryl Harr and Brett Thompson who has 115 career starts.

                The NASCAR race is just one event during the weekend at BIR with Drag Racing and SCCA Road Racing also included in the Friday-Sunday Street Car Showdown.  The NASCAR events will run Saturday only.  NASCAR practice is from 9:45-10:45, qualifying is slated for 1:45, with the race set to take the green at 4:40.  Remember, that since this is a road course, the race will be run RAIN or SHINE.

Speed Talk on 1360 will be on hand at BIR doing the show LIVE from the track.  Listen for driver interviews and more 10-11 AM on Saturday.  Hear the live web-cast here www.krwc1360.com

*Photos courtesy of Getty Images

More than luck at Win-Tron racing

By Jason D Searcy (www.speedtalkon1360.com)

The super speedway races at Daytona and Talladega are called wild card events because you never know what will happen and unlike most tracks, any car entered has an opportunity to win.  A team that wins one of these events might be called lucky, but when you win two, that means you are doing something right.

MN based ARCA team Win-Tron racing has now won a pair of Super Speedway races after Brandon McReynolds won at Talladega.  Brandon is the son of former NASCAR Crew chief and current broadcaster Larry McReynolds, he even has "larry's kid" printed on the roof of his race car.  Brandon is quickly earning respect, "Brandon is a hard working racer," said co-owner of Win-Tron Nate Thiesse "he is very committed, smart and passionate about racing."

Larry McReynolds was in the pit box during the win but was not calling the shots, "Larry plays the part of THE DAD during race day," said Thiesse "guys told me he reached for his head-set mic a few times but never said a word.  He is a class act."

Win-Tron racing has a relationship with Turner Motorsports, current Turner driver James Buescher won in a Win-Tron car at Daytona back in 2009.

Kevin Cywinski's three ASA National titles are well known but Nate Thiesse (photo above) was also a very successful racer around Minnesota on the dirt in the 90's and asphalt in the 2000's.  He won over half the races he entered at I-94 Raceway but never ran for a point title, instead he had his sights set on a different goal.  He is the first driver that I remember using a in-car camera, they would review the race from multiple angles immediately after every race night, win or lose.  That is a work ethic that has carried over to Win-Tron racing.

"Its all about reparation at the shop," says Thiesse "Its not just one thing, its the little things that make the difference, but passing on the last lap, that is all driver."

Thiesse is happy to finally be racing close to home on June 2nd at Elko Speedway for the first ever ARCA event in MN, "its exciting for us, normally we are the ones driving all over the country to race," said Thiesse "this one is five minutes from our shop!"

New "Speedtalk Extra" program

Listen weekly interviews with drivers from Raceway Park in Shakopee (MN) on Speedtalk Extra.

This show will be broadcast twice every Thursday and Friday at approximately 8:35am and 5:25pm on KRWC 1360am or www.krwc1360.com

Jason from "Speedtalk on 1360" will interview a different driver every week. 

This segment is sponsored by Mark Bronstad and Todd Wilson and their race team "Big Kidz racing."  The race team is supported by Turtles Bar in Shakopee, Discount Taxi, Dayna's Darlings Daycare and Chester and Penny Gustafson your local AMSOIL dealer.  Please support these sponsors so we can continue to promote racing in MN.

Here is the schedule of driver interviews so far.

May 10 & 11- Jack Purcell
May 17 & 18- Kari Miller
May 24 & 25- Mark Bronstad
May 31 & June 1- Kyle Larkin
June 7 & 8- Todd Wilson
June 14 & 15- Ricky Martin
June 21 & 22- Jason Heits

Approx broadcast times 8:35am & 5:25pm on 1360am and  www.krwc1360.com

*Some afternoon broadcasts times will change due to local sports conflicts


www.speedtalkon1360.com

Opening Day at Raceway Park

By Jason D Searcy (speedtalk on 1360)

It was cloudy and cool with a few sprinkles on opening day for Raceway Park in Shakopee (MN).

The poor weather did not hurt the Mini-Stock car count, 35 cars entered, making a "B-Feature" necessary.

B-Feature winner:
Eric Mohline

Main Event:
1-50 Jason Heitz (photo below)
2-24 Jack Purcell
3-14 Justin Schelitzche

#97 Paul Griffin hit the wall head-on in corner #2 and may need a new front clip, he seemed OK when exiting the vehicle.

Kidney Bean race:
1-50 Jason Heitz
2-24 Jack Purcell
3-71 Tom Sibila

The Figure 8 divison had two feature events as per normal, the second race lived up to the "Wild and Crazy" billing, numerous drivers used both fenders and bumpers to make a pass.

Feature 1:
1-61 Mark Bronstad (photo above)
2-89 Ricky Martin
3-87 Todd Wilson

Feature 2:
1-33 Rick Martin
2-89 Ricky Martin
3-03 Dennis Barta

The Flag-Pole race (above) was entertaining with cars merging and spinning around the flag pole mounted in a tire on the front stretch.

Feature:
1-87 Todd Wilson (photo below)
2-89 Ricky Martin
3-07 Nate Nemis

The "Thunder V-8" division is a mix of V8 powered cars racing the regular oval, it was agressive and wild on the restarts with 3-wide becoming normal, 20 cars entered this race.

Feature:
1-2 Adam Radiske
2-87 Todd Wilson
3-89 Ricky Martin

The Spectator Drag portion of the show was won by Justin Otterholt (photo below) driving a Pontiac Firebird.

Raceway Park races every Sunday evening at 6pm, get more information at www.goracewaypark.com

*results UNOFFICIAL

Speedtalk is back!

Speedtalk on 1360 radio is back on the air after our long 6 month hiatus.  We will broadcast every Saturday morning from 10-11am on KRWC 1360am radio and www.krwc1360.com   Our 2012 year will be 24 shows from April 21st - Sep 29th.

We are also broadcasting LIVE from the KRWC Wright County Home and Garden show Saturday April 14th from 10-11am, ASA Midwest tour president Tim Olson (photo below) will also be joining us.

Jason D Searcy and Dean Reller are the long-time hosts of this Motorsports show now based out of Buffalo MN.  In 2011 we interviewed 55 different drivers from all forms of Motorsports, we will continue that tradition this year.

Also returning will be our NASCAR expert Jordan Bianchi "the racing geek," in addition to writing for his own website, he is also a contributing writer for www.sbnation.com

Dan Plan editor of the Midwest Racing Connection will once again help us cover local and regional racing all across the Upper Midwest.

We will be doing some live on-location shows this year.  Come see us at the Brainerd International Raceway road course for the NASCAR K&N series race Sat May 26th and for the SCCA Trans-Am race on Sat September 1st.  We will also be live at Iowa Speedway for the INDY CAR race Sat June 23rd and the ASA Midwest tour & NASCAR Truck series weekend on Sat Sep 15th.

Nobody covers the ASA Midwest tour as well as us, we interviewed 14 different ASA Midwest tour SLM drivers in 2011 and did race stories from the MN, Oktoberfest and Iowa Speedway races.

Again this year listen for your chance to win FREE Tickets to Raceway Park in Shakopee and Die-cast cars courtesy of Hideaway Speedway in Isanti.

A big THANK YOU to our great 2012 sponsors, please support these businesses, without them the show would not be possible.

Performance driving school at Brainerd International Raceway .. Rent a race car or bring your own car and drive the awesome road course at BIR, its a thrill you will never forget!  www.birperformance.com


Superior Masonry Products in New Prague MN.  Owner and Super Late Model racer Bret Nordine has more than 20 yrs experience treating people the right way doing Masonry.

Stockholm Motorsports Park in Cokato, the Fastest rental go-karts in MN.  www.stockholmkartingcenter.com

Lou Fegers Racing Equipment in Delano, for all your performance parts and safety products www.loufegersracing.com


Hwy 55 Trailer sales in Buffalo.  They have very affordable car trailers plus service and parts. 
 www.hwy55trailers.com

Moon Motorsports in Monticello.  All things Motorsports!  ATV's, Motorcycles, tons of clothing and helmets and much more.   www.moonmotorsports.com

Big Kidz Racing  Mark Bronstad and Todd Wilson race Figure 8 cars at Raceway Park in Shakopee MN on Sunday nights.   www.bigkidzracing.blogspot.com

Taking the high Rhoads

By Jason D Searcy    www.speedtalkon1360.com

Race cars can be loud, mean and intimidating, but drivers do not need to be any of those things.

Molly Rhoads started racing thirteen years ago while in High School along with her brother AJ and twin sister Megan.  The summer after graduation, she realized how much she loved the sport, everything about it, and wanted to do it for as long as possible.  She raced at the I-94 Raceway tracks in Sauk Centre and Fergus Falls (MN), that is where she won her first race in the Super Stock and Thunder Car divisions.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E4KqLEnSqE (she is #97)

"Racing at I-94 opened my eyes to the real family that is involved with racing,"  said Molly  "everyone that was there, from the other drivers to the employees and even the fans, were literally the best people I had ever met in my life."

Soft spoken Molly Rhoads was a crowd favorite at I-94, as the track announcer I would help arrange driver autograph sessions during intermission.  Because of the incredibly long lines waiting for Molly's signature, we would have to put her on a separate table from the other guys just to even out the crowd.

She was also very popular in the pits with her fellow racers.  "There was many nights that I showed up there without a crew and different drivers and their crew members would help me unload my car and spot for me.  If I ever had any problems there were always hands on deck to help me get fixed back up and ready to race, that is why I always looked forward to going there" said Rhoads.

Molly eventually moved up to the premier Super Late Model division in 2004 competing with some of the best drivers in the Midwest, she became the first female driver to win a Late Model race at Raceway Park in Shakopee (MN).  She was then accepted into the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program two times where she was given instruction and tutoring from some of the top teams in NASCAR. 

"Janet Guthrie and Lyn St James are very inspirational women that I have looked up to throughout my racing career."  Molly also looks up to NASCAR hot-topic Danica Patrick, "she has spent here entire life working toward making her dream of being a professional race car driver come true.  She has paid her dues and has been successful throughout her career." said Rhoads  "She also is using every one of her assets to make the doors open for her and has helped get female racers noticed throughout the world."

Following her love for Racing has not been easy, it has been challenging in this economy to find enough funds to continue updating her cars and motors.  When she had to take some time off from driving Molly worked in the pits as crew chief for Bryan Roach who was driving local Super Late Model races and in the ASA Midwest tour.  Her popularity in the pits was rewarded with the Craftsman "Mechanic of the year" award at Raceway Park in 2009.  Molly has jumped around the last couple years racing at Raceway Park (MN) and Dells Raceway Park (WI).

This year Molly was accepted into Race4Girls.com.  Its a national program that promotes successful female racers and helps them improve their race team.  Molly says "www.race4girls.com is a great idea, Tracey Passantino is devoting her life to helping me and other female racers.  You can donate as little as $5 and ALL of the money (minus the paypal fees) goes to the driver.  It is so easy to show some support and if even a handful of people you know donate $5, it will help me and other successful female drivers a ton."

Molly Rhoads is not the typical race car driver, here in Minnesota or anywhere else, but I think everyone is OK with that.

Molly plans on racing the full 2012 season in a Super Late Model at Elko (MN) Speedway and enter both ASA Midwest tour events in Minnesota.   "Some of the best drivers have come out of Elko Speedway," said Rhoads "I am super excited to race with them every week and gain as much experience as I can."

To get more information on Molly Rhoads racing go to www.rhoadsracing.com or www.race4girls.com