With an unfortunate downpour just before the scheduled start time, Kopellah Speedway fans and racers had to wait out a nearly hour-long delay before getting their Friday night adrenaline fix. The wait turned to to be well worth it, as the extra moisture from above kept the track rocket-fast all night long. In addition to the regular six racing divisions, the Northern Vintage Stockcar Racers were on hand to show off and race their hot rods from years gone by.

Despite the rain delay, the race program ran only a few minutes beyond the track's 11:00 curfew. The Kopellah Speedway drivers, collectively, ran an amazing 15 of their 19 races caution free! When the last checkered flag waved for Dave Lepper's #18 vintage racer at 11:10, lucky young fan Wyatt Nelson greeted Lepper in Victory Lane and presented the final trophy of the evening. In the full-bodied division for the Vintage Racers, Ken Varing led the way for the final seven laps and nabbed the victory in his #4 1974 camaro. As is tradition for the NVSR club, another lucky fan went home with the winner's trophy. The youngest trophy girl in the history of the Speedway at just one-and-a-half years old, the ultra-cute little Madisson McFarlen hosted the party in Victory Lane.

In the track's regular weekly divisions, the most heart-pounding action was provided by WISSOTA Amsoil Midwest Modifieds. Front row starter and first heat race winner Vince Corbin was the early leader through several opening lap cautions. Just prior to the halfway point, Doug Merrill used lap traffic to get around Corbin and take over the top spot. It looked as if Merrill was going to nab his first career WISSOTA win, but another driver, Frank Soucek, was also looking for that elusive number one. A lap 18 restart proved to be the elixir needed by Soucek as he raced past Merrill after a slight bobble at the drop of the green. Merrill charged back and looked high and low, but he just couldn't coax his “8-ball” themed modified back to the point. Soucek went on to pick up his first ever feature win in the Midwest Modifieds over Merrill. Third heat race winner John Remington was scored third, ahead of Bryce Johnson and Kyle Matuska.

Up next in WISSOTA Amsoil Dirt Track Series racing was the Street Stocks. Chanda Fjorden Nord started on the outside of the front row, and fourth starting Clark Swartz was quickly on her rear bumper. As the laps ticked off, Swartz would search in vain for a path around Fjorden Nord until well past the midway point. Then instead of looking forward, Swartz was suddenly dealing with pressure from behind. Heat race winner and former track champion Jim Randall was knocking on the door. No stranger to Kopellah's quarter mile, Randall wrestled second place from Swartz on lap sixteen and went to work on Fjorden Nord. Pulling even on occasion, and making contact at time or two, Fjorden Nord and Randall fought tooth-and-nail to the bitter end. When the checkers waved, Luck, Wisconsin's Chanda Fjorden Nord parked her yellow and black #5 in Victory Lane. Randall settled for second ahead of Swartz, while 2007 division champion Jeff Heintz came home fourth and Trish Nyren rounded out the top five.

Another outside front row starter led flag to flag in the Super Stock division, but the victory was no walk in the park for John Remington. And just as it was in the Street Stocks, the pressure came from outside of row two. Cory Davis had Remington sweating bullets for all 20 of the caution-free laps. Just like he had done a week ago, Davis ran a slightly lower line than the leader, pulling even with the leader's door several times. But Remington stayed calm throughout for his first sticker of 2008. Behind the lead duo, another pair of racers duked it out for most of the race. Tim Baxter held off last week's winner Dan Gullikson for the first 13 circuits before Gullikson managed to get by Baxter' # X6. Gullikson set sail for the leaders, but there were just too few laps remaining to make himself a factor. Gullikson came home third behind Remington and Davis, Baxter finished fourth and Luke Strandlund finished fifth.

The final WISSOTA event of the night was the Modified contest, and for the third consecutive event, the early leader came from outside of row one. Mike Kelley Jr. had to settle for second behind young Andy Miskowic in the heat race, and after following younger brother Shawn to a second place finish on opening night, the veteran racer had had enough of the runner-up spot. The crafty St. Paul pilot quickly assumed the point, and last week's winner Shawn Kelley quickly found himself racing with his brother for the second consecutive week. Tim VanMeter, Mike Mueller and Miskowic did some early skirmishing for third, but the best race on the track was the one for the win. Lap after lap, the #01 of Mike Kelley Jr. held off the #1k of his brother, and no matter what the Somerset, WI driver tried, Mike Jr. had an answer for Shawn. It what may have been a case of, “I taught him everything he knows, but not everything I know”, the seasoned pilot showed his little brother (and this writer), he's maybe not so old as you think he is! In a hard fought and well deserved victory, Mike Kelley Jr. procured his first trophy of 2008 ahead of Shawn Kelley, Mueller, VanMeter, and Miskowic.

The first feature race of the night had the Kopellah Hornets going green to checkers without a caution. In fact, the front wheel drive four cylinder cars have yet to see the yellow flag this season. By lap number three, the fourth starting #3XL1 of heat race winner Mark Helene was out in front again for the feature. Kevin Bradwell and Jacob Christensen would take turns hounding Helene for the remaining laps, but neither driver found an answer as Helene went on for the win. Christensen crossed the line second, ahead of Bradwell, Mike Prebsh, Jeremy Frendt and Pamela Lutgen.

Several of the Pure Stock drivers and fans had heavy hearts as the lumbering V8s took to the track for their main event. A double dose of bad news circulated through the pits just minutes before race time. Last week's runner-up, Travis Jehlicka, was in a Minneapolis area hospital after suffering a broken shoulder while working on is #51 earlier that morning. And even more tragically, driver of the #54M machine, Mike Dyrdahl, was informed of the untimely death of his sister, Barbara, at 5:00 that afternoon. Barbara Lynn Frantz-Dyrdahl was just 35 years old and died due to complications from a seizure suffered earlier in the week. Honoring his sister's wishes, Mike left the Chicago area hospital where Barbara was being held on Friday morning. Shortly after arriving back in Minnesota, Mike learned he would be racing that night in memory of Barbara. Fate placed Dyrdahl on the front row for the start, and Mike led the first four laps before being overtaken by last year's rookie of the year, TJ LaMere. LaMere would go on to victory, while the heavily burdened Dyrdahl ran one of the best races of his career to finish second. Steve Baker finished in third place, ahead of Fabian Jackson and Don Swearingen.

Night number three for the 2008 racing season is set for Friday night, May 23. The Memeorial Day weekend kicks off with the first green flag waving at 7:30 p.m. For more information about Kopellah Speedway, race day weather update and directions to the track, please visit the track's website at www.kopellahspeedway.net

Race Summary
Hornets – Feature: Mark Helene, Jacob Christensen, Kevin Bradwell, Mike Prebsh, Jeremy Frendt, Pamela Lutgen

Pure Stocks – Feature: TJ LaMere, Michael Dyrdahl, Steve Baker, Fabian Jackson, Don Swearingen, Skip Lutgen, David Leaf, Sonja Ellingson, Jason English, Steven Johnson, Tyler McFarland, Dustin Scheuer, Jesse Lutgen, Bruce Lutgen, Rodney Jacobson

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds – Feature: Frank Soucek, Doug Merrill, John Remington, Bryce Johnson, Kyle Matuska, Tim Swanson, Kyle Matuska, Tim Swanson, Josh Bazey, Sampson Haseltine, Patrick McCathy, Josh Amans, Jake Miller, Corey Fogelson, Vince Corbin, Jon Harer, Sam Nelson, Steve Strandlund Jr, Steve Strandlund Sr., Vernon Arnt, Matt Potvin, Bryan Siercks, Matheau Osgood

WISSOTA Street Stocks – Feature: Chanda Fjorden Nord, Jim Randall, Clark Swartz, Jeff Heintz, Trisha Nyren, Kyle Howland, Kim Korstad, Tim Baxter

WISSOTA Super Stocks – Feature: John Remington, Cory Davis, Dan Gullikson, Tim Baxter, Luke Strandlund, Ed Markel, Cody Campeau

WISSOTA Modifieds – Feature: Mike Kelly Jr., Shawn Kelley, Mike Mueller, Tim VanMeter, Andrew Miskowic, James Cimfl, Marc Johnson, Mike Raboin, Jason Gross