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By Matthew Grage

Weather was perfect on Friday night for racing action at Chateau Speedway. The track played host to the Mid-American Renegade Non-Wing Traditional Sprints and was the first of three appearances at Lansing this season for the class. They will also be on hand once in July and again in August.

Scott Brandt of Andover took two of the three appearances at the track last year with Bryan Roach of Welch taking last year’s other feature win, however he was a no show this year. Jake Kouba of Minneapolis was the only driver to finish top three in all three shows last year with two runner up finishes and a third so those were the likely favorites going into the night.

At the end of the night, however, it was a driver who didn’t run at all last year who took the win. Brian VanMeveren, of Woodbury,  stole the show, starting outside front row. He ran second to St Paul Park’s Brad Cunningham for the first two laps before going to the point and pulling away from the field. Cunningham held on for second ahead of Brandt.

Taylor Ausrud of Hayfield ran the string of different feature winners this season to five in the Double M Transport USRA B Mod Class. Ausrud lead early before making a mistake about halfway through to let Kevin Johnson of Bakersfield California slip by. Johnson returned the favor coming to the white flag getting a bit out of the groove in turn four and Taylor went back to the point for the win. Johnson held on for second ahead of Michael Johnson of Dexter.

In the Hansen Tire WISSOTA Midwest Modified action Tony Bloom, of Rochester, scored his first career Chateau Speedway feature win with a flag-to-flag win in the main event. Trevis Underdahl of Northfield kept the pressure on him but Bloom did a nice job of hitting his marks and secured the win.

Winona’s Keith Foss kept the string of different feature winners every week going in the French’s Repair USRA A Mods as he came out of row two to the front on lap three. Front row starters AJ Hoff, of Mantorville, and AJ Zvorak, of Blooming Prairie, finished second and third just ahead of Steve Wetzstein of West Concord who charged up to fourth from an eight row starting spot.

Manke’s Outdoor Equipment Chateau Hornets were another class that saw the string of different feature winners each week continue. Tanner Chadderdon, of Faribault, in his first appearance of the year at the track, put together a solid night, taking the feature win as well as a heat win.  Shawn Poston of Red Wing who had the other heat in the class finished second ahead of Brandon Blanchard of Chester Iowa.

There was a frightening moment in heat one when Maison Poston of Red Wing went high off of turn one and rolled his car several times. He crawled out safely after the car landed on its roof.

Joe Schmit, of Ventura, Iowa, claimed his second straight feature in the Skjeveland Sanitation USRA Stock Carss. Schmit had the lead early before Chris Adams, of McIntire, Iowa, slipped by but with just a hand full of laps to go Adams got a bit out of the groove in turn four and Schmit went back to the point and this time stayed there for the checkered flag.

In the Power 96 Chateau Pure Stocks Eischens had two more wins as he took his heat and the feature in the class.

Racing continues next Friday night with the regular six classes back in action.   

Racing action gets underway at 7:15 p.m. with the induction ceremony for this year’s six inductees to the Hall of Fame taking place during intermission.

Joining the Hall will be Steve Sorensen, Todd Scharkey, Larry Nelson, Louis “Bud” Lomholt, Dick Veldman and Maynard White.