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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.
For more information about upcoming events or the raceway, contact Promoter Johnny Parsons III at 507-363-9124 or [email protected]. If you would like to be the first to get information on the Steele County Speedway, send your e-mail address to [email protected].
Thursday July 26:
ASCS Sprint Cars, Wissota Midwest Mods, Steele County Stock Cars
Thursday, August 16:
Steele County Free Fair Race with USMTS Modifieds, Wissota Midwest Mods and
another class to be announced
Monday, September 3:
USMTS Modifieds, IMCA Sprint Cars, Wissota Midwest Mods
Saturday September 15:
ASCS Sprint Cars, Non-sanctioned B-Mods, Steele County Stock Cars
Sunday, September 16:
Rain date for Saturday's show
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