LANSING, Minn. - Lots of action and fireworks were packed into one night of racing action Friday night at the Chateau Raceway powered by Miner's Outdoor Power & Rec. Along with the regular full show of racing action there was the business of running the three features from the previous week that were postponed because of the rain that cut that night short. There was also the annual Chateau Flashing Thunder Fireworks Show which once again this year was almost fifteen minutes long and ended with the large explosion and the over forty foot high towers of fire erupting from the infield. The heat from the finale could be felt from the flames of the finale in the grandstand which matched the heat from all the racing action on the night.

The first of the make-up features to be run was the French's Repair & Fabrication USRA Modified main event, which was halted the week before six laps into the race. There was a lot on the line as it was the finale for the "Freedom Series" which was a cooperative series between Chateau, and the two other area tracks Deer Creek in Spring Valley and the Dodge County Speedway in Kasson for last weekend's Fourth of July Holiday. Not only was it a $1,000-to-win race, there was the bonus money for the top drivers who competed in all three Freedom Series shows with the top prize money for that being another cool $1,000.

Jason Cummins of New Richland was sitting in prime position to take home the big money. Cummins won one feature last weekend and took fourth in the other to lead the points and was restarting as the leader of the finale and looking at a possible $2,000 run. He wasted no time in pulling out to a lead, leaving Greg Jensen of Albert Lea and Ben Mattick of Hayfield to battle for second. Mattick got the better of the battle and settled into second but Cummins was way out in front by the time he took control of the position.

A late caution with three to go tightened the field up one more time but Cummins was up to the challenge and pulled away from Mattick to score his second feature win of the season at Lansing. Jensen came home in third ahead of Corey Dirpps of Waterloo, Iowa, and Jacob Dahle of Morristown. Doug Hillson of Blooming Prairie finished sixth, good enough to wrap up second place in the "Freedom Series" which was good for a nice bonus check of $800, with Dripps taking third in the series. The other drivers who took home the bonus money were Joel Alberts of Mantorville, Mike Sorensen of Rochester, Josh Reisch of Luverne, Jay Poidinger of Somerset, Wis., Joe Wernecke of Dodge Center and Bobby Swanson of Kasson. Drivers needed to compete in all three shows for the series to cash and just nine filled that requirement.

In their regularly scheduled feature, the excitement kept on coming for the USRA Modifieds. Tyler Clark of Rochester started on the pole and took the early lead with Alberts dropping in line second ahead of Ben and Josh Mattick. Alberts worked his was around Clark for the lead on lap 3 before the only caution of the race came out for a couple of cars that tangled near the back of the field.

On the restart, Alberts maintained his lead while Josh Mattick jumped to second ahead of Ben Mattick with Tommy Myer of Blooming Prairie and Cummins making their way into the top-5. Things went sour for Alberts on lap 6 as he slipped all the way back to fourth while Ben Mattick took over the lead.

Cummins had been running a high line for much of the race to pick up positions, but he went too high on lap 13 and slid back several spots giving over second place to Myer. While Myer tried to close in on Ben Mattick, Josh Mattick was mounting a charge back through the field and slipped by Myer for second with just five laps to go. It was now his turn to try to reel in his brother but it wasn't going to happen as Mattick family bragging rights for the night went to Ben who picked up his first feature win of the season at Lansing.

Cummins came back for third ahead of a late-charging Corey Dripps with fifth going to Alberts. Myer meanwhile spun on the final lap and ended up falling all the way back to a 14th-place finish.

More exciting racing action is on top for next Friday night with race time set for 7:30. Extra special treat for the kids next week will be a candy drop at intermission where the youngsters will get a chance to get there fists full of as much sweetness as they can grab.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
American Racer USRA Weekly Racing Series
Chateau Raceway, Lansing, Minn.
Friday, July 10, 2009

USRA MODIFIEDS

Make-up Feature (from July 3): 1. Jason Cummins, New Richland; 2. Ben Mattick, Hayfield; 3. Greg Jensen, Albert Lea; 4. Corey Drippps, Waterloo, Iowa; 5. Jacob Dahle, Morristown; 6. Doug Hillson, Blooming Prairie; 7. Joel Alberts, Mantorville; 8. Darwyn Karau, Kasson; 9. Josh Mattick, Austin; 10. Dustin Steinbrink, Austin; 11. Mike Lawson, Owatonna; 12. Jeremy Misgen, Ellendale; 13. Adam Martinson, Richfield; 14. Matt Olson, Albert Lea; 15. Wally Bustad, Austin; 16. Mike Sorensen, Rochester; 17. Thomas Brink, Winona; 18. Jay Poidinger, Sommerset, Wis.; 19. Josh Reisch, Luverne; 20. Joe Wernecke, Dodge Center; 21. Bobby Swanson, Kasson.

Feature: 1. B. Mattick; 2. J. Mattick; 3. Cummins; 4. Dripps; 5. Alberts; 6. Dahle; 7. Hillson; 8. Steinbrink; 9. Shawn Peterson, Cottage Grove; 10. Martinson; 11. Jensen; 12. Tyler Clark, Rochester; 13. Karau; 14. Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie; 15. Olson; 16. Lawson; 17. Misgen; 18. Bustad.

Heat #1: 1. Dripps; 2. Karau; 3. Hillson; 4. J. Mattick; 5. Martinson; 6. Misgen.

Heat #2: 1. Cummins; 2. Jensen; 3. Peterson; 4. Alberts; 5. Olson; 6. Lawson.

Heat #3: 1. B. Mattick; 2. Myer; 3. Dahle; 4. Clark; 5. Steinbrink; 6. Bustad.