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As temperatures plunged today at the MDTR Speedway, a couple of hearty contestants made their way trackside for the first two entries in the modified division on Tuesday. The fans were bundled up and Bloomer0 had to add more wood to the campfire, but the place was buzzing with excitement as a three-time champion was on hand.
Filing the first entry in the modified class this year, three-time contest champion John Lackmann (aka Modchaser) from Long Prairie was in the house! Modchaser, always a fan favorite, brought his his Big C0ck Chassis 454 big block, non spec, Oil Dripper Special to the track in hopes of garnering a fourth title. With the chilly weather today, John had to warm up the tires in the pits using Racehead's hair dryer (Wes doesn't use it much). As the big 454 idled, John's fellow competitors noticed some oil dripping from underneath. Could this just be a trick that John learned to help avoid an engine claim? Or could it signal some trouble? Fans would soon find out as he brought the mod to life on the high-banked 3/8 miler. Modchaser's run started out strong and looked like it would be top score for sure. As the laps flew by, a very thin trail of smoke began to appear. Although it did not seem to be too bothersome, John slowed slightly near the end of his race. Stan M, trying to stay warm up in the flagstand, twirled the checkered flag feverishly. Modchaser rode home with a 32 point effort. Later on, he indicated that his setup required some guesses that proved to be off just a bit. The Oil Dripper Special sits atop the standings at the end of day #3. As more entries arrive and are scored, we shall see how John's run stacks up against the competition in what several have already deemed to be a rather tough division this year.
Returning from her rookie run in the late model division last week, our first female contestant to arrive at the MDTR Speedway this season brought her spec motor mod to the track today. Renee Fehlen from Star Prairie felt her ride might be under horsepowered a bit compared with several contest veterans, but she was looking forward to competing in the contest for the first time. Her immaculately painted mod featured some sharp graphics, so photogs and fans certainly took notice. Renee started off with several very good laps. The second half of her run proved to be quite challenging. On several occasions she came dangerously close to the turn 2 wall. One time Colin spilled his hot chocolate as he ducked when Renee scraped the concrete on the high side. In the end, Renee turned in a solid rookie performance with a 21 point effort. She'll be back with her super stock entry in the next few days, indicating that more horsepower will be necessary in an attempt to try and tame the high-banks at MDTR.
With three days down during the second week of the 9th Annual GRP Racing Trivia Contest, two entries in each division have arrived and been scored. Wednesday is the half-way mark. Several contestants have been extremely busy working long hours on their entries. Some have emailed and asked for a clarification or two. The "crew chiefs" need to know certain things while other times I have to be silent so as not to lead them. More later from a chilly MDTR Speedway. Let's hope this weather warms up like it was on Monday!
Current Standings through Jan 29 (Day #3)
Super/Street/Stock Car Division:
1. Mark Schreiner, Hutchinson MN = 36
2. Scott Paulson, Kimball MN = 34 ROY
Modified Division:
1. John Lackmann, Long Prairie MN = 32
2. Renee Fehlen, Star Prairie WI = 21 ROY
*ROY denotes Victory Funding Connection Rookie of the Year contender.
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