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If its not Mother Nature's delicate temperament, it Murphy's Law tormenting Kopellah Speedway. On Friday night, June 18, the speedway hosted the first half of its scheduled two night double header of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing. After seeing three consecutive Friday night shows canceled due to rain, when racing action finally resumed on Friday, the schedule had to again be juggled to accommodate an uncontrollable and unforeseen oddity. With four laps remaining in the Hornet division feature race, several of the tracks lights went dark during a caution period. Most of the lighting was quickly restored, but a small electrical fire atop one of the poles supplying electricity to the track caused the postponement of the three remaining races to the following night, Saturday, June 19. Thankfully on Saturday, the entire scheduled program, along with the three make-up features from the previous night were completed to the delight of fans and drivers alike.

Starting off the feature racing action on Friday night was the Hornets, with Ben Kaphing and Kevin Bradwell leading a field of eighteen cars to the green flag. Kaphing managed to hold off Bradwell for two laps before the current points runner-up managed to slip by after a restart. At the would be half way point, first time track visitor and seventh starting James Miller had worked his way up to fourth place behind a top three of Bradwell, Kris Kaphing and Doug Fick. With eight laps complete, the race came under yellow for the spinning cars of Steve Sutton and Jesse Tripp. Moments after the track was cleared, the track lighting and electrical issues caused track officials to declare the race complete and the win was awarded to Bradwell, with Fick, Kaphing, Miller and Chris Rick as the top five finishers. The remaining races were run the following night, prior to the scheduled for Saturday night.

After the power company completed repairs to the track's electrical grid during the day with two new transformers, the first make-up feature to take the track on Saturday was the Kopellah Pure Stocks. Current points runner-up Krysta Swearingen and Dusty Brown led the field to the green and Brown immediately shot his #28 Ford to the point. Already with four feature wins to his credit this season, Brown wasn't a likely candidate to relinquish the top spot. But after starting last on the grid due to a flat tire in Friday night's qualifier, Kevin Bradwell wasn't about to concede, despite his unfavorable starting position. After five laps, Bradwell had worked up to second, but by that time, Brown had built up nearly a straightaway advantage over the rest of the field. As the laps clicked off, Bradwell reeled in the leader, but in the end he didn't have enough car, time or laps to alter the outcome and had to settle for a very hard fought second place. Justin Rick crossed the line in third, ahead of Swearingen and Keith Duffee.

A light field was even lighter for the Street Stock make-up event, as only four of the scheduled six starters were on hand for the feature. Marcus Simonson started inside Behn Mensen and quickly shot to the point and stayed there throughout, picking up a long sought after first Street Stock division win ahead of Myles McEvers Kurt Becken and Mensen.

The final mid-season championship feature was for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series premier division Midwest Modifieds. Heat race winners Dan Wheeler and Jason Miller started on the front row and the current top two in points left little doubt regarding the outcome. Miller steadfastly worked the lower half of the track, but Wheeler would not be denied as he claimed his track best third trophy of the year in the division and extended his points lead over Miller. Mike Mueller, Vince Corbin and Josh Bazey rounded out the rest of the top five in the twenty car main event.

In the regularly scheduled Hornet feature, it was a story of two races. Doug Fick and Kevin Bradwell distanced themselves from the field in a duel for the win, while seemingly the rest of the pack was involved in a multi-groove furious bee hive of activity in a battle for third. Right off the start, the move of the season had to go to Tony Dubois. After receiving a tap on his rear bumper, Dubois' #4 hornet was prone and sliding sideways with the bulk of the seventeen car field bearing down on him. Miraculously, Dubois wrestled his hot rod back under control while simultaneously avoiding multiple collisions in the heavy traffic. Thanks to Dubois' fancy driving, the main event went caution free with eight different drivers sharing time in the top five spots. In what Bradwell later declared as "the funnest second place run ever", he was unable to best his teammate Fick and settled for runner-up, several car lengths ahead of heat race winner Chris Rick in third, Steve Sutton in fourth, and Ben Kaphing in fifth.

The Pure Stock main event was a virtual replay of the make-up feature. Brown once again vaulted into the lead from the front row, but this time Bradwell started in the front row also, instead of fighting through the field to gain access to the battle for the lead. Despite that benefit, Bradwell still could not solve the puzzle named Dusty Brown on this night as Brown went on to repeat the feat in capturing his second feature win in the space of a few hours. Behind Bradwell, Krysta Swearingen, Steve Baker and Keith Duffee completed the top five.

The fab four Street Stock competitors made their third and final two-by-two appearance in the evening's penultimate race, and after chasing gremlins in his hot rod all summer long, Marcus Simonson followed his debut in Victory Lane with a return visit. For the encore, Simonson bested Behn Mensen, Kurt Becken and Myles McEvers.

In the evening's NASCAR Whelen All-American Series finale', the repeat theme was repeated. Doug Merrill and Eric Herbison escorted the thundering herd of night's final race to the green flag and inside of two laps, Columbia Heights hot shoe Dan Wheeler had efficiently knifed his way from third place to first. Herbison gave chase for a handful of laps before occupying himself with the charging Josh Bazey, who had charged up from his eleventh place starting spot. Through a series of mid-race cautions, Bazey held fast onto the runner-up position until a lap seventeen restart when the tenth starting Jason Miller claimed the spot. At the half way point, Proctor, MN racer EJ Hietala was making good on his first visit to the track with an appearance in the top three before eventually sliding back to fourth courtesy of the hard charging Miller. With all twenty laps in the books, the third repeat winner of the night was crowned with Dan Wheeler parked in Victory Lane, with Miller, Bazey, Hietala and Vince Corbin making up the remainder of the top five.

Racing action resumes this Friday night, June 25, with the return of the Upper Midwest Sprintcar Series (UMSS) making their third appearance of the season at the quarter mile speed plant just outside Centuria, WI. The UMSS is looking to complete just the fourth event of its sophomore season, already suffering through and astounding five weather cancellations. Despite the difficult weather, the second year value-based sprint car series has seen tremendous growth, with an all time series high 24 cars on hand for their last appearance at Kopellah Speedway when Brad Barickman garnered top honors. For more information about the UMSS, please visit the series' website at umsprints.com. More information about Kopellah Speedway can be found at kopellahspeedway.net.

Race Summary, Friday, June 18

Hornets, Feature: Kevin Bradwell, Doug Fick, Kris Kaphing, James Miller, Chris Rick, Dan Strobach, Joel Kruse, Brady Grummons, Tony Dubois, Kyle Dahlherger, Steve Sutton, Jesse Tripp, Kyle Hallin, Jacob Silbernagel, David Mastell, Nick Axelsen, Jon Wigchers, Ben Kaphing, Jason Christianson.

Pure Stocks, Feature: Dusty Brown, Kevin Bradwell, Justin Rick, Krysta Swearingen, Keith Duffee, Steve Baker, Tyler English, Fabian Jackson, Josh Merrill, Nick Traynor, Josh Bach.

Street Stocks, Feature: Marcus Simonson, Myles McEvers, Kurt Becken, Behn Mensen, Sam Fankhauser, Chanda Fjorden Nord.

Midwest Modifieds, Feature: Dan Wheeler, Jason Miller, Mike Mueller, Vince Corbin, Josh Bazey, Eric Herbison, Tim Swanson, Michael Haseltine, Ryan Johnson, Corey Fogleson, Greg Arnt, Elizabeth Toepper, Douglas Toepper, John Remington, EJ Hietala, Doug Merrill, Nathan Fisk, Tony Schill, Brad Schramel, Sampson Haseltine, Taylor Leuthner, Jon Harer, Kevin Marlett.

Race Summary, Saturday, June 19

Hornets, Feature: Doug Fick, Kevin Bradwell, Chris Rick, Steve Sutton, Ben Kaphing, Kris Kaphing, Dan Strobach, Tony Dubois, Dylan Roberts, Kyle Hallin, Brady Grummons, Emmett Trudeau, Jessica Kemp.

Pure Stocks, Feature: Dusty Brown, Kevin Bradwell, Krysta Swearingen, Steve Baker, Keith Duffee, Fabian Jackson, Tyler English, Justin Rick.

Street Stocks, Feature: Marcus Simonson, Behn Mensen, Kurt Becken, Myles McEvers.

Midwest Modifieds, Feature: Dan Wheeler, Jason Miller, Josh Bazey, EJ Hietala, Vince Corbin, Ryan Johnson, Eric Herbison, Mike Mueller, Tim Swanson, Michael Haseltine, Corey Fogleson, Douglas Toepper, Elizabeth Toepper, Rob Caho Jr, Nathan Fisk, Doug Merrill, Brad Schramel, John Remington, AJ Roschen, Del Roschen Jr., Greg Arnt.

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