Rakness, Mickelson, Reutzel, and Gronewold take Jackson Nationals Opening Night Wins
By: Tom Svoboda/Jackson Speedway

Jackson Minnesota (August 14, 2008) – With a rainbow in the eastern sky and rain headed toward Jackson, night one of the 30^th Annual Kemna-Asa Auto Plaza Jackson National went off without a hitch.  Although some brief light rain fell early in the program it never stopped the racing action.  A total of 115 cars checked in for the nights racing action which saw qualifying for Performance Center IMCA Stock Cars, Yellow Book Hobby Stocks and B Modifieds, plus a one night stand for the IMCA Modifieds.  Picking the nights feature race wins were Chris Rakness, Fairmont MN, IMCA Modifieds; Jason Mickelson, Storm Lake IA, IMCA Stock Cars, Tad Reutzel, Burt IA, B Modifieds; and Jerry Gronewold, Worthington MN, Hobby Stocks. 

Only one caution slowed action in the 20-lap IMCA Modified feature race.  At the start it was Chris Rakness getting the early lead from his inside pole starting position.  Stacy Mills, Webb IA, would grab the second spot with Jeff Ignaszewski, Wells MN, getting the third spot.  The leaders raced in this order for the first two laps when Josh Meyer, Fairmont MN, was able to get by Ignaszewski for third.  The races only caution came on lap five when Eric Dailey, Armstrong IA, came to a stop in turns one and two.  On the restart, Rakness kept the field behind him as Mills continued to race in second.  On lap seven though, Meyer was able to work his way around Mills and move into the second spot.  With Rakness still up front Meyer would run second and Mills third.  At the half way point in the race Mills would start to slip back in the field as Ignaszewski would move into third getting by Mills.  As the race neared the three quarter mark Meyer would challenge Rakness for the lead but he was able to hold him off and maintain the number one spot.  Chris Rakness would then keep the field behind him and go on to take his first Jackson Nationals Championship. Josh Meyer took second followed by Jeff Ignaszewski, Mike Hansen, Alton IA, and Clayton Christensen, Spencer IA.  Heat races went to Jeff Ignaszewski and Stacy Mills. 

The 18-lap Stock Car feature saw a last lap pass for the win.  Jerry Coopman, Mankato MN, would get the early lead as Jason Mickelson, would grab the second spot.  The race was slowed on lap five when James Brower had problems and came to a stop off of turns one and two.  Coopman would maintain the number one spot through the restart as Mickelson raced in second.  On lap twelve the red came when several cars got together in turn four and Jeff Joldersma, McCellan IA, took a wild end over end roll.  He was ok, but the car had seen its better days.  Coopman again kept the field behind him on the restart but on the money lap was unable to keep Jason Mickelson behind him coming out of turn four.  Jason Mickelson took the win and was followed by Jerry Coopman, Stefan Sybesma, Sanborn IA, Jeff Senne, Fairmont MN, and Justin Luinenberg, Reading MN.  The B features were won by Jim Larson, Rushmore MN, and Jeff Senne, with the heat races going to Jason Mickelson, Mark DeVary, Elijah Zevenbergen, and Jerry Coopman. 

Three different drivers led in the 15-lap B Modified feature.  At the start it was Kyle Steuber, Fairmont MN, getting the early lead.  Steuber would lead the first two laps when Tad Reutzel was able to make the pass for the lead on the back straightaway.  On lap six Steve Bents, Rushmore MN, would challenge Reutzel for the lead and was able to get by him for the lead on lap seven in turns three and four.  Bents would lose the lead though on lap eight when he spun in turns three and four.  That handed the lead back to Tad Reutzel who led the remaining laps and went on to pick up the win.  Kyle Steuber took second and was followed by Josh Ruby, Lakota IA, Jason Fisher, Lakefield MN, and Ken Odegaard, Welcome MN.  Heat races went to Tad Reutzel, Kyle Steuber, and Nick Johansen, Russell MN. 

Jerry Gronewold would lead the entire 15-lap Hobby Stock feature and pick up the win.  Several early race cautions bunched the field up several times but Gronewold would keep the field behind him through the restarts.  He would take the win and was followed by Dustin Larson, Rushmore MN, Guy Kimpton, Wells MN, Chad Krug, Mallard IA, and Shane Klaassen, Little Rock IA.  The B Feature went to Randy Hadacek, Burt IA, with the Heat races going to Chad Krug, Andy Altenburg, Truman MN, Dan Strandberg, Worthington MN, and Mitch Van Engen, Doon IA.

The racing action continues tonight at the Kemna-Asa Auto Plaza Jackson Nationals as Svoboda Excavating presents an all Sprint Car show, featuring the Jackson Speedway Touring Series 360 Sprints along with the IMCA Sprints and 305 Sprints.  Erickson Trucks-N-Parts presents Saturday’s Championship night featuring the JSTS 360 Sprints, along with Double Barrel Sprints and championship races for the B Mods, Stock Cars and Hobby Stocks. Hot laps both nights at 7:00 with racing to follow. 

Jackson (MN) Speedway Results for August 14, 2008
Night One – 30^th Annual Kemna-Asa Auto Plaza Jackson Nationals
By: Tom Svoboda/Jackson Speedway

IMCA Modifieds (16 Cars)
A Feature (20 laps) – 1. 16 Chris Rakness, Fairmont MN, 2. 63 Josh Meyer, Fairmont MN, 3. 22 Jeff Ignaszewski, Wells MN, 4. 12H Mike Hansen, Alton IA, 5. 1cc Clayton Christenson, Spencer IA, 6. 27 Randy Brands, Boyden IA, 7. 5x Brandon Beckendorf, Danube MN, 8. 10E Stacy Mills, Webb IA, 9. 61 Bryan Schmidt, Wall Lake IA, 10. 3W Randy Winter, Winnebago MN, 11. 32 Leon Mulder, Doon IA, 12. 17s James Slawson, Spencer IA, 13. 30 Rick Seaman, Redwood Falls MN, 14. 7W Ken Will, Windom MN (DNF), 15. 7 Eric Dailey, Armstrong IA (DNF), 16. 4W Mark White, Spencer IA (DNF)
Heat 1 (6 laps) – 1. Ignaszewski, 2. Rakness, 3. Winter, 4. Slawson, 5. Beckendorf
Heat 2 – 1. Mills, 2. Meyer, 3. Dailey, 4. Brands, 5. Hansen

Performance Center of Estherville IA IMCA Stock Cars (39 Cars)
A Feature (18 laps) – 1. 22 Jason Mickelson, Storm Lake IA, 2. 9 Jerry Coopman, Mankato MN, 3. 5B Stefan Sybesma, Sanborn IA, 4. 11K Jeff Senne, Fairmont MN, 5. 31L Justin Luinenberg, Reading MN, 6. 21B Brice Bodle, Wallingford IA, 7. 37 Mike Jergens, Mallard IA, 8. 110 Ken Tietz, Belle Plaine MN, 9. 71x Jake Bruns, Bellevue MN, 10. 66z Elijah Zevenbergen, Ocheyeden IA, 11. TNT Roger Tripp, Marathon IA, 12. 6L Jim Larson, Rushmore MN, 13. 25 Brent Reierson, Arlington MN, 14. 95 Scott Clobes, Fairfax MN, 15. 5 Luke Sathoff, Jackson MN, 16. 11 Jake Masters, Graettinger IA, 17. 04 Roger Verdoorn, Sibley IA (DNF), 18. 31 Trent Schroeder, Worthington MN (DNF), 19. 2 Jeff Edwardson, Spencer IA (DNF), 20. 62 Aarson Haggerty, New Richland MN (DNF), 21. 6 Mark DeVary, Estherville IA (DNF), 22. 66J Jeff Joldersma, McCellan IA (DNF), 23. 80 James Brower, Sanborn IA (DNF), 24. 10 Tim Grathwohl, Granada MN (DNF)
B Feature # 1(8 laps – top 4 Advance) – 1. Jim Larson, 2. Scott Clobes, 3. Ken Tietz, 4. Luke Sathoff, 5. 92 Dan Mackenthun, Hamburg MN, 6. 7L Jeffrey Larson, Rushmore MN, 7. 1c Charles Clobes, Fairfax MN, 8. 02A Amanda Baum, North Sioux City SD, 9. 56 Tom Sierck, Spencer IA, 10. 10x Jim Millard, Spencer IA, 11. 88 Josh Birchard, Royal IA, Did Not Start: 30 Gary Bannister, Lakefield MN
B Feature # 2 – 1. Jeff Senne, 2. Brice Bodle, 3. Roger Tripp, 4. Jeff Edwardson, 5. 69M Gary Mattison, Lamberton MN, 6. 47M Jared Anderson, Sherburn MN, 7. 50 Robert Stofer, Jefferson IA, 8. 1 Klaus Deuschle, Reading MN, 9. 31x Mark Clobes, Fairfax MN, 10. 38 Derek Voehl, Lakefield MN, 11. 61 John Millard, Spencer IA (DNF)
Heat 1 (6 laps) – 1. Mickelson, 2. Grathwohl, 3. Haggerty, 4. Schroeder, 5. Bruns
Heat 2 – 1. DeVary, 2. Masters, 3. Luinenberg, 4. Verdoorn, 5. Jergens
Heat 3 – 1. Zevenbergen, 2. Brower, 3. Sybesma, 4. Jim Larson, 5. Scott Clobes
Heat 4 – 1. Coopman, 2. Joldersma, 3. Reierson, 4. John Millard, 5. Senne

B Modifieds (26 Cars)
A Feature (15 laps) – 1. 5R Tad Reutzel, Burt IA, 2. 18 Kyle Steuber, Fairmont MN, 3. 30 Josh Ruby, Lakota IA, 4. 14 Jason Fisher, Lakefield MN, 5. 3A Ken Odegaard, Welcome MN, 6. 25 Dan Paplow, Dundee MN, 7. 20x Justin Schuder, Fairmont MN, 8. 79A Randy Klein, Currie MN, 9. 97 Troy Gochanour, Armstrong IA, 10. 9L Matthew Looft, Swea City IA, 11. 20 Brodie McKeown, Heron Lake MN, 12. 69 Devin Spoo, Estherville IA, 13. 75 Eric Kinnetz, Spirit Lake IA, 14. 33 Cal Harms, Harris IA, 15. 12x Nick Johansen, Russell MN, 16. 15B Steve Bents, Rushmore MN, 17. R1 Tom Brown, Heron Lake MN, 18. 42 Dan Ahlers, Slayton MN (DNF), 19. 7J Jeremy Smith, Luverne MN (DNF), 20. 6D Nick Dieter, Brewster MN (DNF), 21. 5 Jared Nytroe, Brandon SD (DNF), 22. 7M Mike Fogelman, Okabena MN (DNF), 23. R6 Danny Myrvold, Heron Lake MN (DNF), 24. 14z Zack Norgaart, Dickens IA (DNF), 25. 85 Joe Anderson, Trimont MN (DNF), Did Not Start: 00 Mark Gartner, Mapleton MN
Heat 1 (6 laps) – 1. Reutzel, 2. Smith, 3. Gochanour, 4. Ruby, 5. Klein
Heat 2 – 1. Steuber, 2. Bents, 3. Paplow, 4. Norgaart, 5. Looft
Heat 3 – 1. Johansen, 2. Deiter, 3. Fisher, 4. Schuder, 5. Odegaard

Yellow Book Hobby Stocks (34 Cars)
A Feature (15 laps) – 1. 58 Jerry Gronewold, Worthington MN, 2. 5L Dustin Larson, Rushmore MN, 3. 52 Guy Kimpton, Wells MN, 4. 90 Chad Krug, Mallard IA, 5. 901 Shane Klaassen, Little Rock IA, 6. 5J Josh Peters, Dickens, IA, 7. 9 Mitch Van Engen, Doon IA, 8. 03z Jason Andrews, Okabena MN, 9. 45 Drew Barglof, Sioux Rapids IA, 10. 5H Randy Hadacek, Burt IA, 11. T1M Tim Sidles, Ringsted IA, 12. 44A Kurt Anderson, Swea City IA, 13. 87 John Briggs, Calumet IA, 14. 20N Justin Nehring, Storm Lake IA, 15. 14 Ernie Dailey, Worthington MN, 16. 74T Chad Taylor, Fairmont MN, 17. MST1 Randy Johnson, Lake Park IA 18. 63 Rick Heenan, Fairmont MN (DNF), 19. 18M Trent DeGroot, Worthington MN (DNF), 20. 00 Andy Altenburg, Truman MN (DNF), 21. 80 Josh Bonnestetter, Slayton MN (DNF), 22. 99 Chris Harris, Graettinger IA (DNF), 23. 3K Dan Strandberg, Worthington MN (DNF), 24. 33R Tim Rupp, Cherokee IA (DNF)
B Feature (8 laps) – 1. Randy Hadaceck, 2. Kurt Anderson, 3. Chad Taylor, 4. Randy Johnson, 5. 33M Mathias Lux, Hartley IA, 6. 99T Travis Werner, Fairmont MN, 7. 20x Dustin Wannarka, Truman MN (DNF), 8. 1K Logan Kelly, Fairmont MN (DNF), 9. 007 Gabe Toft, Spencer IA (DNF), 10. 49 Jim Johnson, Spirit Lake IA (DNF), 11. T72 Brandon Nielsen, Spencer IA (DNF), 12. 37 Brandon Halverson, Jackson MN (DNF), 13. 16R Ryan Black, Good Thunder MN (DNF), Did Not Start: 16 Nate Manderfield, Good Thunder MN
Heat 1 (6 laps) – 1. Krug, 2. Peters, 3. Heenan, 4. Kimpton, 5. Klaassen
Heat 2 – 1. Altenburg, 2. Gronewold, 3. Barglof, 4. Andrews, 5. Nielsen
Heat 3 – 1. Strandberg, 2. Harris, 3. Bonnestetter, 4. DeGroot, 5. Briggs
Heat 4 – 1. Van Engen, 2. Larson, 3. Sidles, 4. Nehring, 5. Dailey