MADISON, Minn. -- The 2004 season championships were decided at Madison Speedway on Curt Goerger memorial night with some of the titles not being dealt out till the final lap of the feature event.

The WISSOTA Street Stocks came to the track first to decide who would be crowned champion. Kelly Timm and Mike Jans were separated by six points going into the evening. Kelly Timm picked up the heat race win with Jans finishing third just behind Bill Anseeuw.

In a bit of irony Jans and Timm started on the front row despite both having to redraw for the feature event after qualifying through their heat race. Jans used his outside front row starting position to his advantage and jumped out to the early lead followed by Kelly Timm and Jason Long. The trio raced nose to tail for several laps but were slowed by the caution on lap 5 for the #18s of Ryan Schroeder. Back under green Jans continued to lead with Long now trying to run the low line underneath Kelly Timm. The top three never exchanged position and Mike Jans went on to pick up the feature win with Kelly Timm finishing second and Jason Long in third. Jans did all he could do by winning the feature but Kelly Timm was crowned the 2004 season champion. He won the title by a mere six points.

The Midwest Modifieds were the next class on the schedule. For the 2004 season the Midwest Mods have been running off and on at the speedway and have put on some of the best racing we’ve seen all season long.

Al Bohlman made the long haul from East Bethel, MN pay off by winning the first heat race. Track regular Jason McCoy used his track experience to his advantage and won the second heat race going away.

Butch Berends started on the front row alongside McCoy and jumped out to the lead at the drop of the green. McCoy dropped in line behind Berends and started to throw everything at him but the kitchen sink. The caution came out early when the #36 of Danny Bayer came to a stop on the backside of turn four with a flat right front tire. Bayer made a quick tire change and tagged the end of the field. Back underway Berends and McCoy were going at it tooth and nail with McCoy trying to duck under Berends on several occasions but was not able to make the pass. Jason Anderson came into the evening with a 15 point lead in track points but ran into major problems on lap 12 while running third. The #8 car’s engine blew up in a major way while running down the back stretch. That made things very interesting as on the same lap second place points sitter DJ Tesch came into the work area with a flat right rear tire. Back under green and with only three laps to go McCoy and Berends were fighting it out. McCoy made a bold move to the outside as the duo came off turn four to take the white flag. McCoy edged out to the lead and brought his #70 Midwest Mod across the finish line first to record another feature win. Berends finished second with Al Bohlman in third.

Jason Anderson came out on top of the season points despite his run of bad luck on the final night or track points.

The Stock Cars were up next as they pulled to the track with the season points already decided when Jeremy Jerve took the green flag. Jerve had a commanding season at Madison Speedway.

Jason Hoffman edged out to the early lead. The feature was slowed by several cautions. The most notable when Hoffman was leading with two laps to go his engine expired handing the lead over David Giesen of Milbank, SD. Giesen went onto to pick up his first career Stock Car feature victory over the #33 of Jeremy Jerve. Delroy Thompson limped across the line in third.

Going into championship night the Mod Four division had the tightest point’s race. Josh Moen held the lead but he only had a five point buffer between himself and Ryan Schmitt. Moen picked up one more point as he edged out Schmitt for the heat race win. Schmitt was fortunate and started outside on the front row. He darted out to the early with Mike Peterson getting past pole sitter Jim Kanten to occupy second. On lap four the caution came out for debris from the #5E of Matt Halls who brushed the front stretch wall the lap before.

Back underway Schmitt continued to lead and started to pull away from the rest of the field. The #52s of was flying as he added several car links to his lead each lap. Disaster struck for Josh Moen on lap 10 when his engine quit while he was running in fourth. As the #9m slowed Matt Halls spun in turn four relegating him to the pits after causing two yellows. The Moen Racing Team worked feverishly trying to get the #9m back on to the track. With Schmitt leading the race, that would hand him the title if Moen could not get back on the track. The green flag came back out with only three laps remaining. On the start Peterson was able to duck underneath Schmitt exiting turn two and take the lead. Going down the back chute it was obvious there was something wrong with the #52s of Schmitt as John Van Epps was able to get around him as well. Smoke started to appear out of the back of Schmitt’s car as the white flag came out. Peterson went on to take the win with Van Epps in second and Schmitt limping across the line in third. Moen was not able to get back on the track finished in 9th with a DNF.

The scorers went to work adding up the points and in the end Josh Moen edged Ryan Schmitt by ONE point in picking up the 2004 Mod Four Season Championship.

The Super Stocks came to the track next with Brian Long and Jon Stepan leading the field down to take the green. Stepan jumped out to the early lead and never looked back despite being slowed by a lap 3 caution when the #21T of Dale Tomes spun in turn three. Stepan went onto record another feature win at Madison in convincing fashion. Brian Long finished second and the 2004 Super Stock Madison Speedway Champion of Greg Keppen finished in third.

The WISSOTS Mods were up next. JJ Schuelke only needed to start the feature to pick up the championship and he did so by taking the green from his fourth starting position. Mike Storck ran out to a very large lead right at the drop of the green. The field was slowed on lap four when Brian Beutler made hard contact with the guard rail in turn two. Back under green Storck continued to dominate as Schuelke was able to move past Chris Prussman for second. That is the way they would finish as the green stayed out the rest of the way. Storck picked up the feature win with Schuelke securing the track title after finishing second and Prussman was third.

The WISSOTA Late Models came out for the final feature of the night. Corey held an 18 point lead over Jeff Wildung coming into the night. Wildung picked up a point on Nelson by winning the heat race and shrunk the lead to 17 when the feature rolled around.

Nelson started on the pole alongside Chad Van Drunen. Nelson darted to the lead with Van Drunen in tow. Jeff Wildung started to methodically work his way through the field after starting 6th. Wildung moved past Van Drunen just past the halfway point and began to track down Nelson. Wildung made his move with five to go and moved around Nelson going into turn one. Wildung never looked back and picked up another feature win with Nelson finishing second and Van Drunen in third.

By virtue of his second place finish Corey Nelson was crowned the 2004 WISSOTA Late Model track champion in his first full season behind the wheel of a Late Model.

That wrapped up the season points at Madison Speedway. Up next on the schedule is the Manny Arneson Labor Day Special. The races will be Monday, September 6th at 6:30 PM sharp. The night’s sponsors will be the Heartland Eye Care Centers of Dawson, Canby, and Marshall.

RESULTS

WISSOTA Street Stocks:

Feature – Mike Jans, Kelly Timm, Jason Long, Jay Hedtke, Bill Anseeuw, Scott Huston, Chris Winter, Ryan Schroeder

Heat –Timm, Anseeuw, Jans

2004 Season Championship – Kelly Timm

WISSOTA Midwest Modified:

Feature – Jason McCoy, Butch Berends, Al Bohlman, Andy Gordon, Nate Heinrich, Danny Bayer, Jake Wildman, Bill Dack, Dustin Johanneck, Derek Bluhm

Heat 1 – Bohlman, Gordon, Anderson
Heat 2 – McCoy, Johnson, Bluhm

2004 Track Champion – Jason Anderson

Stock Cars:

Feature – David Giesen, Delroy Thompson, Jeremy Jerve, Jason Hoffman, Brent Fagen

Heat 1 – Hoffman, Jerve, Giesen

2004 Track Champion – Jeremy Jerve

WISSOTA Mod Four:

Feature – Mike Peterson, John Van Epps, Ryan Schmitt, Jim Kanten, Nick Egge, Zach Moen, Gary Citrowske, Josh Moen, Matt Halls

Heat 1 – Josh Moen, Schmitt, Kanten

2004 Track Champion – Josh Moen

WISSOTA Super Stocks:

Feature – Jon Stepan, Brian Long, Greg Keppen, Ross Dixon, Zach Schultz, Travis Winter, Irv Cook, Dale Tomes, Jeff Flaten

Heat 1 – Schultz, Stepan, Dixon

WISSOTA Modified:

Feature – Mike Storck, JJ Schuelke, Chris Prussman, Scott Tofte, Rick Schroeder, Brian Beutler

Heat 1 – Storck, Beutler, Prussman

2004 Track Champion – JJ Schuelke

WISSOTA Late Model:

Feature – Jeff Wildung, Corey Nelson, Chad Van Drunen, Doug Walsh, Brady Johanneck, Ardy Eilers, Josh Moen, Chuck Shellenbarger

Heat 1 – Wildung, Nelson, Eilers

2004 Track Champion – Corey Nelson