6/22/2019
Upper Midwest Sprint Car Series
Denny Stordahl gets First Ever Win in a Winged Sprint Car
Superior, WI (June 21, 2019)
The opening round of annual the North/South Challenge was rained out back in early
April, forcing the POWERi Northern Renegades and PIRTEK Upper Midwest Sprintcar
Series to delay their first head-to-head challenge of the season until the summer solstice
at the Gondik Law Speedway in Superior, Wisconsin. Although the steady, chilly breeze
off the big pond just north of the speedway kept the temperature unseasonable frigid, the
action on the track at the racy 3/8 mile speed plant was boiling over with excitement.
Brad Peterson and Zach Hansen paced the 17-car PIRTEK UMSS Traditional field to
green for their 25 lap finale with Peterson staking an early claim to the point. Behind
Peterson was a veritable swarming hive of slicing and dicing sprint cars. 2017 champion
Mike Mueller was a part of a group that included Hansen, three time series champion
Rob Caho Jr., Bryan Roach, Harry Hanson, Jon Lewerer, Caley Emerson and sixth row
starters Denny Stordahl and Jori Hughes. After the infrequent cautions, it was Lewerer
and Mueller who provided the heaviest pressure on the restarts, but once Peterson’s tires
were back up to temperature, he was able to fend off every challenge. At the double
checkers it was Peterson visiting Rock Auto victory lane for his second win of the season
ahead of Lewerer, Emerson, Stordahl and Hanson.
Capping of the wind-swept night was the PIRTEK UMSS winged sprints, with Carter
Chevalier and Harry Hanson leading nine racers for their 20-lap feature. Chevalier
controlled things early, while the #7 cars of Hanson and Gunner Cummings locked horns
for second. Cummings eventually cleared Hanson and tracked down Chevalier.
Cumming made his bid for the point through turns one and two and staked his claim
down the back stretch. Unfortunately Cummings’ hotrod was just a smidgen too hot in
turn three as the back end of his sprinter snuck out from underneath him. After the
caution, Chevalier reassumed the point, but Chevalier was now feeling the heat applied
by Denny Stordahl and seventh starting Caley Emerson. First Stordahl, then Emerson
edged by Chevalier, but Chevalier hung tough to make it the three car battle for the lead.
The trio battled to the bitter end with Stordahl clawing his way to the dramatic win, the
first of his career in a sprint car. Nipping at Stordahl’s fuel cell at the stripe were
Emerson and Chevalier, with Jack Berger coming home fourth. Cumming recovered
from his spin to round out the top five.
After scheduled stops in Hibbing and Proctor, the PIRTEK UMSS is back home at the
legendary Cedar Lake Speedway on Saturday, June 29 as part of Cedar Lake’s annual
Firecracker Special. More information can be found on www.umsprints.com , or by
visiting the series’ facebook page.
RACE RESULTS:
PIRTEK UMSS Traditional Sprint Car Series
Feature – Brad Peterson, Jon Lewerer, Caley Emerson, Denny Stordahl, Harry Hanson,
Mike Mueller, Jori Hughes, Bryan Roach, Jack Berger, Tommy Colburn, Al Stettner,
Zach Hansen, Lance Solem, Josh Braford, DJ Vadnais, Rob Caho Jr., Ryan Johnson,
Kevin Bradwell (DNS)
PIRTEK heat race #1
Mueller, Roach, Hansen, Braford, Lewerer, Solem, Colburn, Johnson, Bradwell
Rock Auto heat race #2
Hanson, Caho, Peterson, Berger, Stordahl, Emerson, Hughes, Vadnais, Stettner
PIRTEK UMSS 360 Winged sprints
Feature – Denny Stordahl, Caley Emerson, Carter Chevalier, Jack Berger, Gunner
Cummings, Harry Hanson, Josh Braford, Jeff Kirchner, Ryan Johnson, Kevin Bradwell
PIRTEK heat race #1
Cummings, Hanson, Stordahl, Chevalier, Berger, Johnson, Braford (DNS), Emerson
(DNS), Kirchner (DNS), Bradwell (DNS)
Submitted By: Kris Peterson