The regular season at Gondik Law Speedway in Superior came to a close on Friday, Aug. 28, with six track championships decided in a single night of racing. The event delivered drama, dominant performances, and a few unexpected turns.
WISSOTA Late Models: Doar Takes the Win, Budisalovich Takes the Title
Travis Budisalovich of St. Paul secured his fourth WISSOTA Late Model championship in 11 seasons with an eighth-place finish. However, the night’s spotlight belonged to Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wisconsin, who claimed his first win of the season—and his 27th at this track in the class, 72nd overall.
Doar’s initial attempt to pass Kevin Burdick was halted by a caution, but he regrouped and outdueled Burdick in the closing laps of the 25-lap feature, winning by 1.7 seconds.
WISSOTA Modifieds: Bellefeuille Dominates
Jody Bellefeuille of Carlton needed only to start the feature to secure his fourth track championship in the WISSOTA Modifieds, but he went far beyond that. He built a lead of more than eight seconds—about half a lap—before cruising to a 6.5-second victory over runner-up Cole Boston. It was his sixth win of the season and 24th of his career.
WISSOTA Super Stocks: Stuart Holds On for First Title
Steve Stuart of Ashland protected a 10-point lead in the WISSOTA Super Stocks to become a first-time track champion. He settled into third place while front-row starters Shane Sabraski of Rice, Minnesota, and Joey Jensen battled for the win. Sabraski, a veteran, took the checkered flag for his 56th career win in Superior and 1,055th overall.
WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds: Chaos and a Milestone Win
The WISSOTA Midwest Modified points race was marked by unusual calamity. Paul Ripley of Duluth held a nine-point lead over James Vendela at the green flag, but contact on the first lap cost Ripley his right-front wheel. Vendela then suffered a mechanical failure during the caution period, freezing the points race as it started.
Jensen took the lead with eight laps remaining from polesitter Garrett Paull and went on to claim his 200th career win and 24th in Superior.
WISSOTA Pure Stocks: Bernick Edges Christman
Aaron Bernick of Duluth earned the WISSOTA Pure Stock title after a hard-fought battle with Rob Christman. As Christman faced pressure from behind, Bernick pulled ahead to a 2.27-second win and finished just one point ahead of Christman in the season standings, securing his third GLS championship.
WISSOTA Hornets: Larson Continues Dominance
Nikota Larson of Kettle River extended his winning streak in the WISSOTA Hornets class to seven straight victories.
Looking Ahead: Road to the Silver and Proctor's Champion
Racing was scheduled to continue in Superior on Wednesday, Sept. 2, with the “Road to the Silver” event, leading into Thursday’s Silver 1000 in Proctor. The 54th running of the historic event features the Duane Caywood Modifieds and the WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series.
In Proctor, Harry Hanson claimed the Late Model track championship. The 71-year-old recorded eight top-five finishes, eight top-10 finishes, and a feature win during the season.
