USMTS Returns Labor Day for Final
’07 Steele County Visit
August 30, 2007
By Justin Zoch
Yes, we know it is a long
weekend but make sure to save some energy for Monday night because
the Mightiest of Mods are coming back to the Steele County Speedway
for their third and final visit of 2007. On the previous two visits,
the O’Reilly USMTS Modifieds have torn around the big half-mile
in Owatonna, Minnesota, and had big fields of race cars.
If you were a betting man
on Monday, the easy money would be on Jason Hughes. He finished
second to Zach VanderBeek at the Memorial Day Special and then
rolled by John Tesch late in the event during the Steele County
Free Fair to take the feature win.
The Monday night show will
wrap up a five night tour for the travelers that begins on Thursday
in Allison, Iowa, and continues to Minnesota tour stops in Lansing,
Spring Valley and Kasson before rolling into Owatonna.
The card for the Monday night
show will also feature the popular Wissota Midwest Mods, the Steele
County Stock Cars and the IMCA Old-Timers.
The first green flag of the
night is scheduled to fall at 6PM with pit gates opening at 3PM.
USMTS Mods Headline Steele County
Free Fair This Thursday
August 15, 2007
By Justin Zoch
The Steele County Free Fair
will be buzzing all day but all the momentum will be building
towards the big show in the grandstand that night. The USMTS Modifieds
draw passionate fans wherever they race but when they roll into
the Steele County Speedway in Owatonna, Minnesota, the adrenaline
seems to ramp even higher. The fair race will be the second of
three visits of the series at the half-mile raceway in the 2007
season for the O’Reilly USMTS Modified Series.
The Thursday night show will
be the third stop on a weeklong tour for the USMTS that starts
in Farley, Iowa, on Tuesday night, August 14 and heads to Echo
Valley Speedway in West Union, Iowa, on Wednesday night August
15 before it rolls in to the Steele County Speedway on Thursday
night August 16. The week wraps up on Friday night at the Cresco
Speedway in Cresco, Iowa.
When the USMTS last visited
the Speedway on Memorial Day weekend, Iowan Zack VanderBeek took
the win over his closest competitors Jason Hughes and Greg Skaggs.
Kelly Shryock currently leads VanderBeek in the chase for the
USMTS. The card for the Thursday special will also feature the
popular Wissota Midwest Mods and the Steele County Stock Cars.
The first green flag of the
night is scheduled to fall at 8PM.
USMTS Mods Return For Steele County
Fair
August 8, 2007
By Justin Zoch
It’s the best time of
the year to bring the best Modified drivers in the country back
to the Steele County Speedway at the Steele County Free Fair in
Owatonna, Minnesota. It will be the second of three visits of
the series at the half-mile raceway in the 2007 season for the
O’Reilly USMTS Modified Series.
The Thursday night show will
be the third stop on a weeklong tour for the USMTS that starts
in Farley, Iowa, on Tuesday night, August 14 and heads to Echo
Valley Speedway in West Union, Iowa, on Wednesday night August
15 before it rolls in to the Steele County Speedway on Thursday
night August 16. The week wraps up on Friday night at the Cresco
Speedway in Cresco, Iowa.
When the USMTS last visited
the Speedway on Memorial Day weekend, Iowan Zack VanderBeek took
the win over Oklahomans Jason Hughes and Greg Skaggs. Kelly Shryock
currently leads VanderBeek in the chase for the USMTS. The card
for the Thursday special will also feature Wissota Midwest Mods
and the Steele County Stock Cars.
ASCS Northern Plains Canceled
at Steele County
July 24, 2007
Due to unforseen circumstances,
the ASCS Northern Plains Regional Sprint Car show scheduled for
Thursday July 26th have been cancelled. Come join us for the Steele
County Free Fair races on Thurday, August 16th. The Speedway staff
deeply regrets having to cancel this show but is looking ahead
to the next event.
Kaanta Uses Lucky Draw to Swipe
Steele County Tri-Star Challenge
July 10, 2007
By Justin Zoch
John Kaanta had better have
left $20 in the infield concession stand tip jar at Steele County
Speedway in Owatonna, Minnesota, on Monday night. With the racing
program being hustled along as quickly as possible to beat a strict
curfew, the inversion for the Wissota Late Model Tri-Star Engine
Supply Challenge Series A-main was done by a young lady in the
infield concession stand instead of a fan from the grandstands.
The result? The number one.
No inversion from Debbie’s Dash and that put Dash champ
Kaanta on the pole. At the drop of the green for the 30-lap feature,
Kaanta out raced fellow front row starter John Bey into turn number
one and led the field down the backstretch. Kaanta and Bey quickly
separated themselves from the field while Doug Herrick took over
the third spot.
Kaanta and Bey remained first
and second through the first 23 laps until the yellow was finally
displayed for a spin by North Dakota’s Dustin Hapka. With
clear track ahead, Kaanta went unchallenged the final seven circuits
and picked up the Challenge Series win over Bey, Herrick, Lance
Matthees and Terry Casey. Keith Foss won the B-main by nearly
half a lap over Steve Laursen. There were 33 Late Models in the
infield.
The second appearance by the
IMCA Sprints in 2007 saw Iowa’s Nate Laugen get his first
career Sprint Car win after five years of trying. Laugen started
on the pole and led every lap over Neil Stevens and Jennifer Ericksen.
The feature event was called official on lap 13 when Brett Allen
rammed his number 00 car into an infield light pole. A pair of
Mankato, Minnesota, residents, Jesse Smith and Bruce Allen, filled
the top five. Bill Johnson and Jesse Smith, racing with a broken
hand, won the two heats for the 12 Sprint Cars.
Jim Arnold jumped out to the
early lead in the Wissota Midwest Modified A-main and never looked
back, claiming the victory over Ron Houdek and 16-year-old Brandon
Davis. The Steele County Stock Cars made their first appearance
of the year but it was a familiar face in victory lane as Scott
Nelson held off Jerry Koopman to take the victory.
Three IMCA old-timers were
also on hand, including a Midget driven by Art Abrams, a Sprint
driven by Sam McKillip and a modified driven by Carter Narveson.
First Night of Steele County Doubleheader
Rained Out; Tri-Star Late Models On For Monday Night
July 8, 2007
By Justin Zoch
With a decent field of 360
Sprint Cars, Wissota Midwest Modifieds, Steele County Stock Cars
and IMCA Old-Timers in the back pit area of Owatonna, Minnesota’s
Steele County Speedway on Sunday night, a heavy rain shower that
had hit the track briefly early in the evening returned with a
vengeance and washed out the program. Coincidentally, the program
had been rescheduled following a previous rainout.
The track crew immediately
went to work to prepare the Steele County Speedway for Monday
night’s (July 9) Wissota Tri-Star Late Model Challenge Series
event. Several of the Late Model stars scheduled to race on Monday
night were already at the speedway on Sunday night, prepared to
take in the night’s action.
With the rainout, the Monday
night card will now feature the Late Models, Jackpot Junction
IMCA Sprint Cars Wissota Midwest Modifieds, Steele County Stock
Cars and the IMCA Old-Timers. Racing action will get underway
with hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7PM.
Itchin’ To Get Back! Cryderman,
Doar Headline Late Models Entries to Steele County Next Monday
July 2, 2007
By Justin Zoch
With a week yet to go, the
entries have started to pile up for next week’s return of
the Late Models to the Steele County Speedway. The Wissota Tri-Star
Challenge Series will visit the famous half-mile in Owatonna,
Minnesota, next Monday night, July 9, to cap off a two-day doubleheader
at the Speedway.
Among the confirmed entries
for the event are defending series champion Joel Cryderman, Wisconsin’s
John Kaanta, Jeff Provinzino, Adam Hensel, Jake Redetzke, Kerry
Hanson, Chad Chenoweth and perennial front runner Pat Doar. A
large field of Wissota Late Models is expected to compete on the
same card as the Jackpot Junction Sprint Tour and Wissota Midwest
Mods.
The previous night, Sunday,
July 8, the Steele County Speedway hosts Open 360 Sprint Cars,
Wissota Midwest Mods and Steele County Stock Cars.
On Sunday night, hot laps
will start at 5:30 with racing to follow at 6PM while Monday night’s
card is moved back one hour with hot laps at 6:30 and racing at
7PM.
360 Sprints, Wissota Late Models
Highlight Two-Night Stand in Owatonna
June 27, 2007
By Justin Zoch
Maybe the rain was a good
thing. The Steele County Speedway promotional group of Brian Madsen,
Johnny Parsons and Steve Whalen announced plans today to host
a two-day 360 Sprint Car/Wissota Late Model doubleheader on Sunday,
July 8 and Monday, July 9. The two-day show will allow fans an
excellent chance to see the best of the Midwest in two divisions
without leaving the city of Owatonna, Minnesota.
On June 21, the regularly
scheduled program of “Outlaw” 360 Sprints, Wissota
Midwest Modifieds and Steele County Stock Cars was washed out
and that program has been moved to Sunday, July 8, one night ahead
of the return of the Late Models to the Steele County Speedway.
For many, many years, the Steele County Speedway played host to
the Gopher 50 Late Model Classic, one of the biggest events in
the country for the division.
Now, the Late Models are coming
back. The Tri-Star Engine Wissota Late Model Challenge brings
cars from across the northern regions of Wissota Territory, including
Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota. The Monday night show at
Steele County is the third night of a lucrative six-race tour
through Minnesota and South Dakota for the series and will pay
a healthy $2,000 to the feature winner. Monday night, however,
will also feature the return of the IMCA Jackpot Junction Sprint
Series and the Wissota Midwest Modified.
Open 360 Sprints Headline Steele
County Thursday
June 18, 2007
By Justin Zoch
It is the longest day of the
year and the folks at Steele County Speedway in Owatonna, Minnesota,
are celebrating summer’s arrival with the 2nd Annual Summer
Solstice Spectacular on June 21. This Thursday evening, the historic
half-mile on the south side of town is hosting an Open Outlaw
360 Sprint Car program that should draw the best Sprint Car drivers
in the Upper Midwest.
This is a non-sanctioned Open
360 Sprint Car show that welcomes any and all 360 Sprint Car drivers.
There is a tire rule, however, and the right rear tire must durometer
at least 40 or harder.
Joining the Outlaw 360 Sprints
on the card will be the Wissota Midwest Mods and the Stock Cars.
The pit gate will open at 4PM while the grandstands open at the
Steele County Speedway a half hour later at 4:30PM.
VanderBeek, Sargent Command Steele
County Wins
May 28, 2007
By Justin Zoch
On a beautiful Monday evening
when the nation paused to remember the sacrifice of fallen heroes,
the Steele County Speedway opened it doors for the first time
in 2007 for a huge crowd to watch a full field of O’Reilly’s USMTS
Modifieds, Jackpot Junction Tour IMCA Sprints and Wissota Midwest
Modified action.
Up-and-coming star Zach VanderBeek
made quick work of the field to claim his
first series win of 2007 and move closer to point leader Kelly
Shryock, who struggled to 13th after contact with Jason Cummins
early in the feature. At the drop of the green, Greg Skaggs led
the field to the waving flag and stretched his lead early. VanderBeek,
who cut his teeth at the racetrack very similar to Steele County,
the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa, quickly moved into
contention for the top spot. After Jason Hughes made a bold move
for the lead, it was VanderBeek who used the high side of the
raceway to steal away the top money spot.
With VanderBeek leading, the
rest of the field tried in vain to find a new line around the
smooth and fast raceway. VanderBeek simply kept the car straight
and fast and cruised to the victory. Hughes nabbed second from
Skaggs with a bold move on the final lap in turn one. Corey Dripps
quietly ran fourth while heat race winner Steve Wetzstein rounded
out the fastest five.
In the companion Jackpot Junction
Tour event for the IMCA Sprints, Mike Sargent surged by early
leader Keith Beckler to take the lead and held off the other 16
competitors for 20 laps to take his first career win at the Steele
County Speedway. However, it looked to be in doubt when 8th-starting
Chris Graf reeled in Sargent through the mid portion of the race.
After a lap 15 yellow for a stalled Luther Roberts, Sargent pulled
away from Graf and got the checkers. Third spot went to Beckler
while 12th starting Bill Johnson lead Brett Allen to the line
for fourth.
The Wissota Midwest Modified
feature had a bit of controversy when leader Kenny Wytaske tangled
with a lapped machine but the yellow was deemed to be for the
stalled lapped car and Wytaske retained the lead. From there,
he charged to the first series win of the year at Steele County
over a very fast Chris Adams and Trevis Underdahl.
The next event at Steele County Speedway
is an Open 360 Sprint Special on Thursday night, June 21 that
will also feature the return of the Wissota Midwest Modifieds.
Steele County Opener Caps Big
Weekend for USMTS Mods, IMCA Sprints
May 24, 2007
By Justin Zoch
By the time the competitors
in the United States Modified Touring Series and Jackpot Junction
Sprint Tour get to the Steele County Speedway in Owatonna, Minnesota,
on Monday, they’ll be ready to end their long weekend of racing
with a big paycheck.
The USMTS Modifieds wrap
up their five-night, five-race tour through Southern
Minnesota with their finale at Steele
County Speedway, one of their favorite
stops on the tour. Their tour begins in Lansing, Minnesota, on
Thursday before heading to Slayton, Spring Valley, Kasson and
then Steele County on Monday. The five-day weekend with minimal
travel between events should guarantee a great car count of quality
competitors in the modified ranks. Kelly Shryock is the current
point leader over Al Hejna but will he still be leading after
the Minnesota swing?
For the Jackpot Junction Sprint
Tour, they start their weekend in Arlington, Minnesota, on Saturday
night before going to Redwood Falls, Minnesota on Sunday night.
After that, they make their first ever appearance at Steele County
on Monday evening. The Jackpot Junction Sprint Tour is a nine-race
tour at five different racetracks in Iowa and Minnesota for IMCA-sanctioned
Sprint Cars, which feature 360 engines and big wings.
Joining the USMTS Modifieds
and Jackpot Junction Sprint Tour on the card will be the Wissota
Midwest Modifieds.
With the nation enjoying Memorial
Day, doors open early. The pit gates open at 3PM and the grandstand
is open one hour later at 4PM. Races will begin at 6PM.
Steele County Opens With Memorial
Day Return of USMTS
May 11, 2007
By Justin Zoch
Even though some of their
racers made appearances at the Steele County Speedway in Owatonna,
Minnesota, in 2006, the entire USMTS series never towed through
the back gates – in two weeks that will change. On Monday
night, May 28, the biggest and best modified touring series, the
O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series,
will bring their cars and stars to the big half-mile for the $2,000-to-win
event.
Iowa drivers currently hold
the top four spots in the series standings as Kelly Shryock, a
2006 winner at Steele County, leads Al Hejna, Zach VanderBeek
and Jay Noteboom. Last May, Minnesota’s Jason Cummins won
the non-sanctioned modified event at Steele County and many more
stars like Mark Noble, Allan Mondus and Tommy Myer are expected
for this special event.
Joining the modified heavy
hitters on the card will be the Jackpot Junction Touring Series
for the winged 360 IMCA Sprint Cars and the Wissota Midwest Modifieds.
This will be the first ever appearance for the Jackpot Junction
Touring Series in Owatonna.
With the nation enjoying Memorial
Day, doors open early. The pit gates open at 3PM and the grandstand
is open one hour later at 4PM. Races will begin at 6PM.
Steele County Speedway has a rich
racing heritage.
By Harvey West
The year was 1934. The Great
Depression was still gripping the country, and rural people looked
forward to having their hard days brightened by the annual county
fair, with its livestock and agricultural exibits, carnival sideshows
and rides, food stands and other diversions. That year, new excitement
was added to the fair. Auto races were held on the 1/2-mile horseracing
track for the first time.
The cars were simply called
"race cars," since the term "sprint cars"
wasn't to come into usage until the 1950's. The term "big
cars" was used during... read
more.
Season Passes, Car Show Ahead
For Steele County
March 8, 2007
By Justin Zoch
With plans underway already for a seven
night schedule at Owatonna, Minnesota’s Steele County Speedway,
there is an exciting way to guarantee you’ll see every lap
– and save money on every visit. The promotional team of
Johnny Parsons III, Brian Madsen and Steve Whalen are offering
a season ticket package for all seven shows, including the Wissota
Tri-Star Late Models, the USMTS Modifieds and the ASCS Sprint
Cars, for just $90. This also includes the special mid-week USMTS
event during the Steele County Fair on Thursday, August 16.
As the Memorial Day opener draws closer,
Steele County Speedway’s staff has been invited by Chateau
Speedway in Lansing, Minnesota, to promote Steele County’s
dates and drivers at the Annual Race Car Show at the Oak Park
Mall, located along I-90 in Austin, Minnesota, on March 24-25.
If you would like to show your shiny new car before another season
of bumps and thumps ravages its lines and graphics, all cars must
be loaded into the mall before 9:00PM on Friday, March 23. We
would love to hear from people that are interested in showcasing
their racers.
Steele County Speedway
Inks Seven in '07
January 31, 2007
Owatonna, Minnesota
After getting a full year under their belts
in 2006 at the Steele County Speedway, the promotional group of
Brian Madsen, Steve Whalen and Johnny Parsons III have released
their 2007 schedule for what promises to be another successful
season at the half-mile on the south side of Owatonna, Minnesota.
With seven nights booked for the year, there will be plenty of
excitement next summer.
Things will kick off, just they did in
2006, with a Memorial Day event featuring the USMTS Modified series
and the first ever appearance for the Jackpot Junction IMCA Sprints.
Sprint Cars will take top billing on Thursday, June 21, with Wissota
Midwest Mods and Street Stocks. Monday, July 9, will bring the
Late Models back to the speedway for the first time in several
seasons with a special event for the Wissota Tri-Star Late Models.
Night number four on the schedule brings
the ASCS Northern Plains Sprint Cars back for their first visit
in 2007, after three last season. The Steele County Free Fair
will bring back the USMTS Mods for a Thursday night special on
August 16. That series returns for a final time on Labor Day weekend
with a Monday nighter, also featuring IMCA Sprint Cars and Wissota
Midwest Mods. The ribbons will be tied tight on Saturday night,
September 15, when the ASCS Northern Plains wrap up the season.
Steele County Speedway
Promotions to finalize 2007 racing schedule
December 14, 2006
By Brian Madsen
Steele County Speedway Promotions is proud
to announce that we are close to finalizing our 2007 racing schedule.
This year should be an exciting year as
we welcome back the 
spint cars and are very pleased to announce that we will be having
the USMTS modified series stop in for two race dates on Monday
May 28th and then again on Monday Sept. 3rd.
We are also pleased to announce that 2007
will see a return of a tradition as Late Models return to the
Steele County Speedway with a show scheduled for Tuesday July
10th.
We are also in negotiations with Wissota
to sanction the B-Mod class this year and also with IMCA to sanction
a sprint car class to be run as a support division for all the
shows.
We will post a finalized schedule soon
and look forward to seeing many of you at the swap meet in Sioux
Falls.
