Matthees wins Late Models easily
Tom Mix , The Forum
Published Saturday, July 12, 2008

It was all about position and mistake-free racing on Friday night for Late Model driver Lance Matthees.

Matthees of Winona, Minn., won his qualifying heat comfortably at Red River Speedway and then made short order of the competition in the Late Model dash to determine the starting grid for tonight's 66-lap $10,000 Dakota Rumble.

“I lucked out big-time with position in both races tonight,” Matthees said. “I was just trying to keep the car straight and drive smooth.”

Matthees was in control of the field most of the night and kept it that way by maintaining his lead position that seemed to get larger with every lap.

“I drove mistake-free, and that is always good,” said Matthees, who after the race elected to take the inside position in tonight's race.

Late Model Rumble Dirt Series points leader Pat Doar, who also won his qualifying heat earlier in the night, finished second to Matthees and will be taking the outside position.

Defending Wissota Midwest Modifieds national points champion Brock Gronwold of Fergus Falls, Minn., held off Jason Strand, who won his qualifying heat earlier in the night, for a win the Midwest Modifieds feature.

Entering Friday, Gronwold was sixth in points with 1,242.

Fargo driver Corky Thomas won the Super Stocks dash after making a strong outside move on turn two in the final lap to defeat Todd Carter, who led the pack the entire race up to that point.

Thomas said the late-lap lane maneuver wasn't too much of a risk because he still would have finished second had it failed.

“I moved up into Todd's lane, and he heard me and moved down,” Thomas said. “I had to move around him, and it ended up paying off.”

Thomas elected to take the inside position in tonight's Super Stocks feature after a B-main qualifier.

Midwest Modifieds

First heat: 1, Chris Tuchscherer, Fargo. 2, Scott Jacobson, Fargo. 3, Randy Klein, Valley City, N.D.

Second heat: 1, Jason Strand, Portland, N.D. 2, Cale Arneson, Fargo. 3, Ryan Mikkelson, Jamestown.

Feature: 1, Brock Gronwold, Fergus Falls, Minn. 2, Strand. 3, Tuchscherer. 4, Bryce Borgen, Perley, Minn. 5. Dennis Swanson, Moorhead.

Super Stocks

First heat: 1, Kevin Robertson, Enderlin, N.D. 2, Brian Bernotas, Fargo. 3, Terry Dale, Portland, N.D.

Second heat: 1, Jeff Hapala, Fargo. 2, Tim Compson, Valley City, N.D. 3, David Shipley, Fargo.

Third heat: 1, Don Shaw, Ham Lake, Minn. 2, Todd Carter, Lisbon, N.D. 3, Corky Thomas, Fargo. Dash: 1, Thomas. 2, Carter. 3, Shaw. 4, Hapala. 5, Bernotas.

Late Models

First heat: 1, Pat Doar, New Richmond, Wisc. 2, Cody Skytland, Fargo. 3, Chaun Peterson, Alexandria, Minn.

Second heat: 1, Lance Matthees, Winona, Minn. 2, Joel Cryderman, Thunder Bay, Ont. 3, Zach Johnson, Kensington, Minn.

Third heat: 1, Dave Tyrchniewicz, St. Andrews, Mant. 2, Jeff Wildung, Nassau, Minn. 3, Steve Laursen, Cumberland, Wisc. Dash: 1, Matthees. 2, Doar. 3, Tyrchniewicz. 4, Wildung. 5, Cryderman.