Race promoters are very pleased with the increased turnouts, both in car and spectator numbers. "There were spectator cars all the way around the track" said race official Troy Holder. "This is in part due too the free admission, it gives the family some really cheap entertainment" Holder added.
Track officials spent the morning working the glazed track in an attempt to give the cars more traction, which also results in more side by side racing. "We work the track twice a day, at the beginning, then again at intermission" commented Holder. Intermission is held between the heat and feature races.
The COMP4'S were the first class to take on the track, and after dominating the previous two weeks Karen Koltunski was looking too continue her win streak, but Cody "The Canadian Kid" Wolkowski showed that he come the distance from Thunder Bay to do business.
Al Koltunski used his front row starting spot too lead early in the race, but on lap three the 16 year old Thunder Bay driver took the lead. Wolkowski lead the field the next nine laps, meanwhile Karen was patiently working her way through traffic from her back row starting position.
On lap 12 of the 15 lap feature Karen drove her number 45 Dodge Colt too the lead, which prompted Wolkowski too change lanes too the high side in an attempt to find more speed. The bold move paid off as "The Canadian Kid" resumed the lead for the final two circuits. Wolkowski's feature win in his first return visit too Rice Lake this year gives him his third win of the year, with two more feature wins at his home track in Thunder Bay.
The top five cars were doing battle in the remaining laps, with Ken Hansen holding off Troy Holder for fourth while Al slid back too the fifth spot. Karen also had two two heat wins, with Jeremy Winningham and Curt Myers splitting the other two heats.
Once again Scott Miller continued his win streak in the FWD class, winning all four weeks thus far on the season. Saturdays win didn't come as easy as the previous three weeks though, as Eau Claire driver Steve Hallquist put pressure on Miller the entire race. The pair battled for the top spot, swapping the lead four times until a mid race caution put a hold on the action.
With the field back together on the restart, Jesse Tripp joined the frontrunners and was able too make a move on Hallquist for the runner up spot, but was never able to secure the top spot. One lap later Hallquist passed Tripp and again continued to pressure Miller but was also unsuccessful in his bid to stop the Rice Lake natives win streak.
As the laps wound down and with the top three doing battle, Brent Good gradually moved forward and was able to pass Tripp at the white flag, but the front pair had checked out and Good was denied any further advancement finishing third ahead of Tripp. Mike Schnider faded at the start of the race and tucked into the fifth position, holding that position the remainder of the race.
Another nice field of car's took too the ice in the 6/8 Full Size class with three drivers out of the fifteen starters trying too be the first repeat winner of the class.
Bill Crapser jumped out too the early lead from his third starting position, but front row starter Jarred Amundson soon piolet his new car in its debut to the front. With the front of the field catching up too lapped traffic at the race mid point, Amundson negotiated traffic and was able to continue to stretch his lead.
With Amundson out front, four drivers were left doing battle with each other as they also caught the tail end of the field. Crapser lead the pack through first to finish runner up, with brothers Rick and Steve Hallquist finishing ahead of Andy Cimfl.
With Amundsons win Saturday that makes four different winners in four weeks, with the other winners being Cimfl in week one and Rick Hallquist in week three. Sixth place finisher Troy Holder took the honors in week two.
Holder continues, "With four different winners in as many weeks, competition is obviously close, and it will be interesting too see who will be the first to repeat in the Full Size Class. FWD has Miller dominating, and COMP4 has a repeat winner with Karen taking two in a row (weeks two & three), so let the race for the Full Size begin."
The Powder Puff race also had a repeat winner, with Missy Hallquist taking the checkers first overall and was also the FWD race winner. Sheila Cook was runner up overall and winner of the RWD's, with Missy Cimfl, Jill Amundson and Heikki Hanson rounding out the top five.
Drivers have one more week too fine tune their cars before the 3rd Annual "Ice Jam Challenge", which will be held on February 16th this years. Racing will be held during daylight hours, followed by entertainment and fun afterwords, a new twist to the first two years events where racing was held at night. The days events will also include fan appreciation, with Spectator Race's, where fans will have the chance to take the "ICE RACING EXPERIENCE" and ride with their favorite drivers. Rice Lake Ice Racing is held every Saturday on Rice Lakes north end by the Bungalow Bar with racing action starting at 1:00 pm. Spectator admission is free and there is a plowed viewing area to enjoy the races from the comfort of you vehicle. For more information please visit our web site at www.geocities.com/ricelakeiceracing .
COMP4
Heat 1: 1~Karen Koltunski, Cumberland; 2~Cody Wolkowski, Thunder Bay, Ont.; 3~Troy Holder, Rice Lake
Heat 2: 1~Jeremy Winningham, Menomonie; 2~Mike Church, Prairie Farm; 3~Ken Hansen, Webster
Heat 3: 1~K. Koltunski; 2~T. Holder; 3~Tadd Davis, Rice Lake
Heat 4: 1~Curt Myers, Cameron; 2~K. Hansen; 3~Gordy Hebb's, Fredrick Feature: 1~C. Wolkowski; 2~K. Koltunski; 3~K. Hansen; 4~T. Holder; 5~Al Koltunski, Cumberland
6/8 FULL SIZE
Heat 1: 1~Troy Holder, Rice Lake; 2~Bob Thompson, Cameron; 3~Chase Kreier, Rice Lake
Heat 2: 1~Jarred Amundson, Barron; 2~Rick Hallquist, Eau Claire; 3~Steve Hallquist, Eau Claire
Heat 3: 1~J. Amundson; 2~Bill Crapser, Eau Claire; 3~Joel Hinrichs, Cameron
Heat 4: 1~Andy Cimfl, Clayton; 2~Don Cook, Barron; 3~T. Holder
Feature: 1~J. Amundson; 2~B. Crapser; 3~R. Hallquist; 4~S. Hallquist 5~A. Cimfl
FWD
Heat 1: 1~Jeff Berggren, Afton, Mn.; 2~Scott Miller, Rice Lake; 3~Mike Schnider, Rice Lake
Heat 2: 1~Steve Hallquist, Eau Claire; 2~Jesse Tripp, Spooner; 3~Pete Leuschner, Cumberland Heat 3: 1~S. Hallquist; 2~S. Miller 3~Jim Wigchers, Rice Lake
Heat 4: 1~Brent Good, Birchwood; 2~M. Schnider 3~J. Tripp
Feature: 1~S. Miller; 2~S. Hallquist; 3~B. Good; 4~J. Tripp; 5~M. Schnider
POWDER PUFF
Heat 1: 1~Missy Hallquist (FWD), Eau Claire; 2~Jill Amundson (RWD), Barron; 3~Sheila Cook (RWD), Barron Feature: 1~M. Hallquist (FWD); 2~S. Cook (RWD); 3~Missy Cimfl (RWD), Clayton; 4~J. Amundson (RWD); 5~Heikki Hanson (FWD), Cottage Grove, Mn.