RICE LAKE, Wis. – Kevin Adams scored twice at Rice Lake Speedway on Saturday night, winning in the Modified and Midwest Modified division for the fifth time this year.
The Modified feature race was one of the most competitive ones of the year with multiple race leaders and much passing for positions before Adams finally secured the top spot in the very late going of the event.
Jason Gross and Michael Truscott battled in the opening laps for the top spot with both holding the edge briefly before Truscott was finally able to wrestle control of the lead over. Mark Hanson immediately went to the high side of the track and started to move up with Mike Anderson following him.
After running the low side early in the contest, Adams also moved to the high groove and he quickly began to pick up the pace as he raced his way forward after starting ninth on the grid. Hanson was closing in on Truscott when the first yellow waved with eight laps complete for a spinning car. Hanson continued to put the pressure on Truscott as Adams was able to get past Anderson and Gross and move into third. The top three really started to tighten up with another yellow slowed the action with after fourteen laps.
On the restart, Adams made a bold move down the back chute and was able to get past Hanson and then run to the cushion and power up beside Truscott. Hanson countered by diving low beside Truscott into turn one but when both of them slid up the track, Adams cut under then down the back chute and took over the lead.
A Justin Oestreich spin while fighting for a top five spot set up a two lap dash to the finish and Adams got a strong start and was able to put a few car lengths on Hanson. That’s the way they finished as Adams drove to his fifth Modified win of the year. Truscott finished a very close third with Anderson and Gross completing the top five.
The Midwest Modified feature proved to be slightly easier for Adams. He started in the second row and had to contend with early lead Jack Rivord and Kent Baxter. Second year driver Rivord was having a fine run as he led the first couple of laps with Adams, Tony Bahr and George Dalbeck all moving in on him.
Adams was finally able to make a move on Rivord and take over the lead with Bahr quickly following him into second. A series of early race yellow kept the field bunched and the battle for the lead tight as Bahr put the pressure on the leader.
The last ten laps of the race ran off nonstop and Adams really turned up the speed following the last slow down as he powered away from Bahr and stretched his lead to nearly a full straightaway. Dalbeck was also on the move as he raced into third and tried to track down Bahr for the second spot.
Near the end of the race Adams encountered lapped traffic but he handled it well and drove home for a convincing victory over Bahr and Dalbeck. Truscott, also doing double duty, made a strong drive of his own to move up from the fourth row to finish fourth with Tommy Richards also moving up a number of positions to complete the top five. The win was Adams’ eleventh of the year in the Midwest Modified class.
Other winners included Curt Myers (Super Stocks), Zach Manley (Street Stocks) and Cody Cimfl (Pure Stocks). The Hornet class made a guest appearance at the track also and Jake Halterman won that main event.