By Dusty Wiegert

SALINA, Kan. — After a 5 year layoff in action the Salina Speedway roared back to life on Friday May 6, 2011 amidst a huge crowd and a very spirited environment. When the dust settled both new and old faces could be found in Victory Lane.

Danny Morrison Jr. is no stranger to the Speedway as both he and his father have competed for many years. The Minneapolis driver took advantage of an inside row 2 starting position to put himself up front early and never be challenged in the Belleville Motorsports Modified division A Main. The race went nearly caution free as the main battle was for the second thru fifth positions. Jeff Welsh came home in runner-up position, Corey Lagroon in third, and Jerry Phillips in fourth. Lagroon was also the hard charger of the night, moving up 9 positions from his twelfth place starting spot. Joe Cleveland won the B Feature after starting in the back, while John Schwab, Lagroon, and Rodger Peck won the heat races.

The last time a division similar to the Coors Light Stock Cars found themselves at the Speedway a man by the name of Scot Granzella was the champion. Granzella continued that tradition as he found himself in Victory Lane on opening night in the same division. Dustin Newlin led an action packed race until sliding off the track high in turns 3 & 4 opening the door and eventual win to salina native Granzella. Brian Ryff put together a great second place finish, followed by Levi Wiggans in third and Rick Slothower. Ryff was also the hard charger of the race, moving up 4 positions. Bob Arnold won the heat race.

Josh Rice of Minneapolis drew the pole position for the Xtreme Motorsports B-Modified Main Event and led until pulling off during the race. Abilene’s Shane Meeks then took control and had to hold off a late charge from Tyler Sutton, who spun early in the race and came from the back, to take the win. Sutton held on for second with Jeff Olson, catching a ride in Jerry Lambeth’s car, in third, and Fred Traskowsky in fourth. Matt Miller was the hard charger in this event, advancing 7 positions in the race. Meeks, Chad Markley, and Rice won the heat races.

Tyler Bradshaw of Salina has been racing for a few years now, yet never had a chance to race at his hometrack. That all changed last night as he not only started his first race at Salina but picked up the win in the Auto House Mod Lite Feature Event. Although the win was bittersweet as he broke the rear end after taking the checkered, Bradshaw moved from the sixth place starting spot to take the win, and the hard charger award while holding off Brandon Gray in the closing laps. Gray settled for second, Justin Kinderknecht third, and Bam Ayers in fourth in a wild race that saw the top 5 change positions on a nearly lap by lap basis. Bradshaw and Kinderknecht were the heat race winners.

After spinning out early and having to pit to change a tire, Woodbine’s Mike Traskowsky came from the back to win the Blind Pig Sports Lounge Hobby Stock Feature. He was able to hold off pressure from Casey Gilmore and Jake Hedlund and cruised to the win with ahead of Gilmore and Hedlund with GW Fuller in fourth. Traskowsky also advanced the most positions to make him the hard charger for the race. Traskowsky and Gilmore were the heat winners.

Lindsborg’s Brandon Lobdell opened the new Victory Lane in exciting fashion after winning the Accurate Electric Front Wheel Compact Main Event and doing a roof dance to celebrate. He worked his way past Garett Hake to take the eventual win with Hake second, Daryl Brunsell in third, and Allen Rice in fourth. Lobdell was also the hard charger, moving up 9 positions in the feature. Lobdell and Rice won the heat races.

With a full house crowd on hand many folks glad to be back home, the racing season has begun at the Salina Speedway. Join us next week for night 2 featuring the Belleville Motorsports Modifieds, Coors Light Stock Cars, Xtreme Motorsports B-Modifieds, Blind Pig Sports Lounge Hobby Stocks, and Auto House Mod Lites.

For more information on the Salina Speedway please visit www.racesalinaspeedway.com

RESULTS

Accurate Electric Front Wheel Compacts
Heat 1
1. 63 Brandon Lobdell, Lindsborg
2. 23 Daryl Brunsell, Lindsborg
3. 1H Garett Hake, Concordia
4. J5 Justin Betzner, Brookville
5. 3 Chris Scrivner, Munden
6. 8 Branston Arnder, Salina

Heat 2
1. 3CG Allen Rice, Minneapolis
2. 28 Cody Johnson, Salina
3. 29 Kevin Hackett, Minneapolis
4. 24 Gerald Brown, Minneapolis
5. 25 Andrue Halpain, Salina
6. 57SK Sabrina Kline, Lincoln

A Feature
1. Lobdell
2. Hake
3. Brunsell
4. Rice
5. Johnson
6. Halpain
7. Betzner
8. Arnder
9. Hackett
10. Scrivner
11. Kline
12. Brown

Blind Pig Sports Lounge Hobby Stocks
Heat 1
1. 23 Mike Traskowsky, Woodbine
2. 3G Clinton Gilmore, Chapman
3. 1X GW Fuller, Tescott
4. 19 Shannon Johnson, Salina
5. 82 Mark Normandin, Salina

Heat 2
1. 8G Casey Gilmore, Chapman
2. 39 Jake Hedlund, McPherson
3. 22 Dennis Berry, Salina
4. 5K Kelly Pihl, Lindsborg
5. 62 Ken Fleury, Manhattan

A Feature
1. Traskowsky
2. Casey Gilmore
3. Hedlund
4. Fuller
5. Clinton Gilmore
6. Fleury
7. Johnson
8. Pihl
9. Berry
10. Normandin

Auto House Mod Lites
Heat 1
1. 51 Justin Kinderknecht, Salina
2. 83 Corbin Pickerill, Salina
3. 3G Dustin Forsberg, Bel Aire
4. 6 Trace Ayers, Salina
5. 21 Bud Lee, Salina
6. 88C Chris Unruh, Galva
7. B55 Brian Davidson, Bennington

Heat 2
1. 151 Tyler Bradshaw, Salina
2. 48B Brandon Gray, Bennington
3. 19 Ryan Ayers, Salina
4. 33 BJ Dauer, Marquette
5. 01Z Nick Watts, Wichita
6. 57 Karmon Kindall, Salina

A Feature
1. Bradshaw
2. Gray
3. Kinderknecht
4. R. Ayers
5. Lee
6. Forsberg
7. Dauer
8. Watts
9. Kindall
10. T. Ayers
11. Unruh
12. Pickerill
13. Davidson

Xtreme Motorsports B-Modifieds
Heat 1
1. 26X Shane Meeks, Abilene
2. 3G Tyler Sutton, Beloit
3. 9 Jeff Olson, Salina
4. 29 Matt Picking, Junction City
5. 28 Gary Utley, Salina
6. D73 Terry Blessing, Junction City

Heat 2
1. 36 Chad Markley, Abilene
2. 11J Jesse Levin, Salina
3. 3K Kurtis Pihl, Lindsborg
4. 23 Fred Traskowsky, Woodbine
5. 18P Shane Pertl, Lucas
6. 33D Brenden Damon, Great Bend

Heat 3
1. 8J Josh Rice, Minneapolis
2. 15 Seth Schroer, Cottonwood Falls
3. C4 Chris Humphries, Salina
4. 69C Tim McBurney, Salina
5. 4M Matt Miller, Concordia

A Feature
1. Meeks
2. Sutton
3. Olson
4. Traskowsky
5. McBurney
6. Schroer
7. Levin
8. Miller
9. Pihl
10. Blessing
11. Picking
12. Markley
13. Utley
14. Pertl
15. Humphries
16. Rice
17. Damon

Coors Light Stock Cars
Heat 1
1. A55 Bob Arnold, Salina
2. 07 Dustin Newlin, Concordia
3. 13 Rick Slothower, Salina
4. 84W Levi Wiggans, Herington
5. 91E Scot Granzella, Salina
6. R99 Brian Ryff, Abilene
7. 7R Steve Albrecht, Salina
8. 12 Jesse Carr, Beloit

A Feature
1. Granzella
2. Ryff
3. Wiggans
4. Slothower
5. Albrecht
6. Newlin
7. Carr
8. Arnold

Belleville Motorsports Modifieds
Heat 1
1. 5J John Schwab, Liberal
2. 7 Corey Burch, Junction City
3. 77K Kurt Johnston, Concordia
4. 20H Hunter Hembree, Great Bend
5. 38 Scott Brown, Great Bend
6. 30 Gary Bradford, Salina
7. 57HH Dan Heina, Lincoln
8. 38S Gary Whitmore, Derby
9. 719 Joe Cleveland, Delphos

Heat 2
1. 24 Corey Lagroon, Salina
2. 53T Larry Sutton, Beloit
3. 14M Danny Morrison Jr., Minneapolis
4. 25P Mike Petersilie, Hoisington
5. B6 Brian Knoell, Falun
6. 8R Jesse Richter, Great Bend
7. 819 Shannon Johnson, Salina
8. 57 Kenny Cross, Salina
9. 27R Randy Porter, Hutchinson

Heat 3
1. 12 Rodger Peck, Minneapolis
2. 59W Jeff Welsh, Abilene
3. 66 Jerry Phillips, Galva
4. 1V Chris Vogan, Salina
5. 11W Tim Watts, Beloit
6. 17 Jake Schroeder, Haven
7. 11 Steve Burch, Junction City
8. 55B Ben Brewer, Hoisington

B Feature
1. Cleveland
2. Knoell
3. Watts
4. S. Burch
5. Brown
6. Richter
7. Schroeder
8. Cross
9. Porter
10. Heina
11. Whitmore
12. Brewer
13. Bradford
14. Johnson

A Feature
1. Morrison
2. Welsh
3. Lagroon
4. Phillips
5. Cleveland
6. Petersilie
7. Watts
8. S. Burch
9. Vogan
10. Peck
11. Sutton
12. Richter
13. Brown
14. C. Burch
15. Johnston
16. Schwab
17. Hembree
18. Knoell
19. Cross
20. Schroeder