THUNDER BAY – The Owen family was in for quite a surprise after the Hornets feature wrapped up at the Thunder Bay Truck Centre Dirt Track Nationals at Thunder City Speedway on Saturday night.
As their cousin Jesse celebrated in victory lane, twin siblings Jimmy and Selena came home in second and third to complete a clean sweep of the podium.
“I wasn’t expecting to have these two behind me and I had no idea they were there until after the race was done,” Jesse said.
“I was starting in 10th so I wasn’t sure if I could get up to the front,” Jimmy added. “I was able to get a few spots early though and I said to myself, ‘Well, let’s see what happens.’”
“They were both in front of me so I was enjoying my view,” Selena said. “It was so much fun to pull in and see Jesse in victory lane and my brother there as well.
“Us Owens’ are showing everyone how it’s done.”
The Owens’ have been running at Thunder City for the last couple of seasons, though Selena is starting to venture as well as she’s competed at Emo Speedway and Gondik Law Speedway in Superior, Wisc., this year.
Racing is something that the family has been involved with for years. Jesse’s two uncles, one of whom is Jimmy and Selena’s dad, competed at Mosquito Speedway.
“Our dad has a picture of us all in victory lane from 2001, so it’s pretty cool to have one of our own now,” Jesse said.
Kellar nabs Whisky Row Classic crown
The 50th anniversary of the Whisky Row Classic race for the Street Stocks was worth the price of admission.
AJ Kellar, who is originally from Devlin, ripped the cushion to pass Tim Johnson of Brainerd, Minn., off of turn four on the final lap to claim what he described as the biggest win of his career.
“I’ve been trying to get this race for a few years now,” Kellar said. “I’ve won the first night (of the Dirt Track Nationals) three times, but then the Whisky Row Classic would end up being rained out or I’d get knocked out of the race early.
“This is surreal. I can’t believe it.”
Kellar took advantage of a late race caution that bunched up the field to pass Johnson and track champion Kyle Bolt on the outside.
“It took a while for that high line to get some grip in it and there were a few times where I screwed up and overdid it in the corners,” Kellar said. “I don’t know how I didn’t end up in the wall.
“When I started pulling in Kyle and Tim, I couldn’t believe it. When (the flagman) gave us the two laps to go sign, I knew that I had to make the best set of turns possible to win the race.”
Clean sweeps for Cain and Chernosky
There was no stopping Cole Chernosky in the Super Stock division over the weekend.
Chernosky started things off by beating Dexton Koch of Becker, Minn., and Tim Johnson of Brainerd on Friday night and followed that up by pulling away from Johnson and Superior’s D.J. Keller on Saturday.
“It’s the luck of the draw basically,” Chernosky said. “We started sixth in both features and we were able to get to the point.
“It’s always good to win at your home track, especially when you have all these top drivers coming from the United States.”
Chernosky, who won the Modified class title and was second to Rick Simpson in the Super Stock title hunt at Thunder City this year, is chasing after one more big prize.
Having all but clinched the WISSOTA Modified national rookie of the year honours, he’s looking to hold to a narrow lead in the national point standings and is slated to compete in five more races in the United States over the next two weeks.
“It’s been a heck of a ride so far and it’s easily been the best year of my career,” Chernosky said.
Dave Cain also nabbed a pair of checkers flags from Thunder City over the weekend.
The Corcoran, Minn., product – who regularly races at the Ogilvie Raceway and Princeton Speedway – beat out Chernosky and Carlton, Minn.’s Jody Bellefeuille to win Friday’s feature.
He followed that up on Saturday by coming out on top of a ferocious battle with fellow Americans Brandon Copp, Nick Oreskovich and Bellefeuille.
“I didn’t know what was going on around me there at the end, but I knew that Brandon was going to be all over me,” Cain said. “We were able to pull it off . . . we got lucky.
“This place is awesome. They do such a phenomenal job here and the track is one I always want to race at with three or four different lanes you can use.”
Wisconsin drivers win Midwest Modified features
Bragging rights in the ultra-competitive Midwest Modified division belongs to the Badger State.
On Friday, William Moelter of Elk Mound beat Kolby Reed and Marcus Dunbar of Marenisco, Mich. to take the checkered flag in his second visit to the track.
“We came up in June for the invitational and I try to keep good notes of what I did and the changes that I need to make,” said Moelter, who regularly races at the Red Cedar Speedway in Menomonie.
“The track here is kind of like ABC Raceway in Ashland . . . but there’s also quite a bit that’s different.”
Tyler Vernon of Mason picked up the win on Saturday as he held off track champion David Simpson and Moelter.
“Even if we hadn’t won tonight, this still would have been a really good weekend for us,” said Vernon, who calls ABC Raceway his home track.
“We always have a lot of fun here. The fans and the people here at the track are awesome and that’s why we keep coming back. This win was just a bonus.
David Simpson, who continues to lead the WISSOTA Midwest Modified national point standings, concluded Thunder City’s season by winning the Midwest Modified/Super Stock Showdown over Chernosky and Rick Simpson.