WISSOTA 100 begins tonight at DSFS

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HURON — Hundreds of the top WISSOTA drivers are expected for the 2017 Speedway Motors WISSOTA 100, which begins today and runs through Saturday at Dakota State Fair Speedway.
“I think that we’re going to go ahead and have as many cars as we had last year,” DSFS track promoter Orville Chenoweth said. “I’m assuming we’re going to have that many cars again.”
The top 30 drivers in the national point standings in each division will be eligible to win Orv’s $10,000 Pot of Gold for attending the 32nd Annual Speedway Motors WISSOTA 100.
Also attracting top drivers in each of the divisions will be the highly-contested battles for a national championship in each of the six divisions.
“There are some very, very close points races,” Chenoweth said. “This should be some of the determining factors, should be some good stuff.”
Dakota State Fair Speedway is well represented in the hunt for the WISSOTA late model national title with nearly half of the top 30 drivers being regulars at the Huron track.
Don Shaw of Ham Lake, Minn., who is the defending WISSOTA 100 late model champion, is the current late model national points leader with 1,659 points. He recorded a pair of wins earlier this season at the Huron oval during the Challenge Series events.
Nipping at his heels, however, is Chad Becker of Aberdeen, who won the late model track title this season at DSFS. He is just seven points back in the standings.
Sitting in the third through sixth spots, respecitvely, in the national late model standings are DSFS regulars David McDonaldof Huron, Scott Ward of Watertown, Kent Arment of Aberdeen and Curt Gelling of Aberdeen.
Other DSFS regulars in the top 30 are Chad Olsen of Hendricks, Minn., (10); Curt Kranz of Watertown (14); Blake Swenson of Watertown (15); Dustin Arthur of St. Lawrence (17); Pat Weisgram of Aberdeen (18); Rich Thomas of Aberdeen (22); and Josh Skorczewski of Aberdeen (25).
Kevin Adams of Cameron, Wis., will be looking to defend his WISSOTA 100 title from a year ago as he battles for the top spot in the WISSOTA modified national standings.

Ward Imrie of Winnipeg, Manitoba, is the current modified point lead with 1,661 points. Adams is 29 points back in the second spot.
Tyler McDonald of Huron is third in the national modified standings, while Arment is sixth.
Other DSFS drivers in the top 30 of the modified standings are Alex Guthmiller of Huron (15); Trevor Anderson of Watertown (16); Jayson Good of Watertown (18); David Carlson of Huron (22); Morgan Ward of Watertown (23) and Dale Ames of Huron (30).
Huron’s Cole Searing sits just 11 points out of the lead in the national WISSOTA super stock standings. He trails just Tim Johnson of Brainerd, Minn.
Third in the national super stock standings is Dave Mass of East Bethel, Minn., who is the defending WISSOTA 100 champion.
Other DSFS drivers in the top 30 of the super stock standings are Trevor Nelson of Warner (8); Kip Myers of Ethan (13); Jeremy North of Huron (15); Brandon Moser of Aberdeen (22); Blake Whitlock of Watertown (23); Kipp Degroote of Platte (24); Dale Tomes of Dell Rapids (28) and Shane Brick of Aberdeen (29).
Lorin Johnson of Miller is locked in a battle for the WISSOTA Midwest modified national champoinship. He trails Skeeter Estey of Kelly Lake, Minn., by just seven points for the top spot in the Midwest modified standings.
Mike Jans was the WISSOTA 100 winner in the Midwest modified division a year ago.
Other local drivers in the top 30 of the WISSOTA national Midwest modified standings are Scott Hansen of Garden City (6); Mike Nichols of Watertown (9); Tony Konold of Clear Lake (17); Lane Johnson of Miller (21); DJ Tesch of Brandt (22); and Zach LaQua of Watertown (29).
Jordan Tollakson of Montevideo, Minn. Is the defending WISSOTA 100 winner in the street stock division. He is currently sixth in the national standings.
Tim Johnson of Brainerd, Minn., lead the standings by 50 points over Cory Craver of Belgrade, Mont. Rounding out the top five are Danny Richards of Mondovi, Wis., Kyle Dykhoff of Perham, Minn.; and Jonny Carter of Lisbon, N.D.
Other DSFS drivers in the top 30 of the national street stock standings are Maria Broksieck of Goodwin (13); Andy Rossow of Florence (15); Blayne Baloun of St. Lawrence (16) and Chris Serr of Aberdeen (27).
Keith Theil is the defending WISSOTA 100 champion in the mod four division.
Dean Larson of Pennock, Minn., leads the WISSOTA mod four standings with 1,634 points, while Steve Schicketanz of Casper, Wyo., is 83 points back in second.
Rounding out the top five in the mod four national standings are Dino Gronning of Casper, Wyo.; Trever Roediger of Big Lake, Minn.; and Robert Holtquist of Milbank in spots No. 3-5, respectively.
Racing is slated to begin at 5 p.m. Each night

Photos:

Tuesday was check-in, tech check and practice night for this week’s WISSOTA 100. Shown first, a pair of WISSOTA late models driven by Don Shaw of Ham Lake, Minn., go through the tech line Tuesday.

Next, a pit crew gives a listen to Winner driver Cole Phillips’ street stock car.

Photos by Mike Carroll/Plainsman