Jason Cummins won the USRA Modified feature.

Temperatures may have cooled for the first Friday of racing in August but the action on the track was as hot as ever at Chateau Raceway In Lansing. Six classes of cars filled the pits for the nights activiitties which included a benefit night for USRA Modified driver Jake Stark of Austin. In addition to the benefit night the evening turned into a full Cancer Awareness Night as well.

Jake, a regular competitior at the track, now in his ninth season has quickly moved up the competition ladder. Starting out in Hornets in 2009, when he won the Track Championship, he has moved through Pure Stocks and Midwest Mods on his way to the top class. Where as the wins may not have come as often as he may like, its obvious the enjoyment of the sport fuels him. Stark was diagnosed earlier this year with Stage 2 Melanoma, a skin cancer on his scalp, and has been undergoing treatment much of the season while still competing most nights. Friends and Family gathered in the stands to show there support and help raise some funds for the ongoing expense that goes with the treatments and battle. In addition to Jake’s battle former driver Mike Hernke of Cannon Falls, who was diagnosed with Panceatic Cancer in the last couple years was inspired to build a Cancer Awareness Car and was on hand with it Friday Night.

The car is a show car with over 1,600 lights on it and is used for pace laps and demonstration laps in an effort to bring awareness to getting regular checkups and screenings to stay ahead of “The Beast”. Jake, with his family, were in Victory Lane before the start of the night to talk about Jake’s year, and to thank everyone for there support. Chris, also was there was his Awareness car to talk about his story and to urge people to be pro-active in there health care. After intermission the car was brought into the stands for people to sign in support of the campaign.

Jerry Young of Blooming Prairie, making just his third start of the season at Lansing, used a pair of front row starting spots to his advantage as he swept the Out-Pace USRA B-Mod class leading flag to flag in both his events. A.J. Zvorak of Blooming Prairie out ran Matt Brooks of Austin and Jayden Larsen of Mankato for second. Nate Chodur of Lake Mills Iowa, who picked up a heat win on the night, took fifth.

Afterwards in victory lane Young donated his feature winning check to the Stark Benefit pushing the total amount raised on the night up close to $11,000. T-shirt sales, the 50/50 drawing, donations and Silent Auction fund raising already had the total well over $10,000 before he and Mattick donated there checks. A grand total on the fund raiser will be announced next week at the track.

 
Jerry Young won the Out-Pace USRA B-Mod feature.

Among the items in the silent auction were several used panels donated by drivers from previous car bodies, including the current USRA Modified national points leader and current track points leader Jason Cummins of New Richland in the USRA Modified division. Cummins had an exciting night as he posted his sixth feature win of the season at Chateau, but he had to come from the back of the field after having issues in his heat.

Cummins had started in the back of his heat and had come to the front to take the lead as the white flag came out but suddenly the car slowed and he pulled into the infield on the back straightaway on the final lap. Darwyn Karau of Kasson streaked by to take that heat win and with a DNF Cummins was out of the redraw and stuck going to the back of the field for the feature. There was just one short caution on the opening attempt to start the feature. From there after the green flag waved the second time they went clean for the entire 25 laps.

Greg Pfeifer Jr. of Austin, looking for a sweep on the night after taking a heat win, started on the pole and jumped out to the lead while Cummins starting picking his way through the field. He cracked the top five on lap five, and was up to third on lap ten and set his sights on Pfeifer and Joe Horgdahl of Kasson who was running second. After slipping around Joe he pulled up behind Pfeifer with less than ten to go. The two ran side by side on lap seventeen before Cummins took over the point a lap later and rocketed off to the win. Greg Jensen of Albert Lea went around Karau to take fourth late.

Racing action continues next Friday night at Lansing with action scheduled to get underway at 7 p.m.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Racing Association
Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series
Chateau Raceway, Lansing, Minn.
Friday, Aug. 4, 2017

USRA MODIFIEDS

Heat #1 (8 laps): 1. 23-Darwin Karau, [1]; 2. 90-Steve Wetzstein, [3]; 3. 24-Charlie Steinberg, [2]; 4. 1-Greg Jensen, [4]; 5. (DNF) 71-Jason Cummins, [6]; (DQ) 90W-Ryan Wetzstein, [5].

Heat #2 (8 laps): 1. 73JR-Greg Pfeifer Jr., [3]; 2. 72-Doug Hillson, [2]; 3. 29H-Joe Horgdal, [6]; 4. 20JR-David Wytaske, [4]; 5. 77-Jacob Stark, [5]; 6. 21-Troy Gudmonson, [1].

Feature (25 laps): 1. 71-Jason Cummins-New Richland, [11]; 2. 73JR-Greg Pfeifer Jr.-Austin, [1]; 3. 29H-Joe Horgdal-Kasson, [6]; 4. 1-Greg Jensen-Albert Lea, [7]; 5. 23-Darwin Karau-Kasson, [9]; 6. 90-Steve Wetzstein-West Concord, [5]; 7. 24-Charlie Steinberg-Kasson, [2]; 8. 77-Jacob Stark-Austin, [8]; 9. 90W-Ryan Wetzstein-West Concord, [12]; 10. 21-Troy Gudmonson-Savage, [10]; 11. (DNF) 72-Doug Hillson-Blooming Prairie, [4]; 12. (DNF) 20JR-David Wytaske-Grand Meadow, [3].

OUT-PACE USRA B-MODS

Heat #1 (8 laps): 1. 411-Jerry Young, [2]; 2. 83X-Kadden Kath, [3]; 3. 36K-Jayden Larson, [1]; 4. 27-Channing Warner , [4]; (DQ) 81K-Caleb Korpi, [5].

Heat #2 (8 laps): 1. 88-Nate Chodur, [1]; 2. Z29-Anthony (AJ) Zvorak, [3]; 3. 44-Matthew Brooks, [2]; 4. 54-Jett Sorensen, [4]; 5. 31-Raey Hastings IV, [5].

Feature (18 laps): 1. 18y-Jerry Young-Blooming Prairie, [2]; 2. Z29-Anthony (AJ) Zvorak-Blooming Prairie , [4]; 3. 44-Matthew Brooks-Austin, [1]; 4. 36K-Jayden Larson-Mankato, [3]; 5. 88-Nate Chodur-Lake Mills IA, [6]; 6. 83X-Kadden Kath-Owatonna, [7]; 7. 54-Jett Sorensen-Rochester, [9]; 8. 27-Channing Warner-Owatonna , [5]; 9. 31-Raey Hastings IV-Austin, [8]; 10. 81K-Caleb Korpi-Claremont, [10].