Deer Creek Speedway
Pember tops Doar for first Dart Challenge victory
SPRING VALLEY, Minn. (July 4) — Polesitter Eric Pember of Pittsville, Wis., raced to his first career Dart Challenge Series victory, earning $3,250 for a holiday victory at Deer Creek Speedway.
Former series champion Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis., made a side-by-side challenge of Pember with seven laps remaining but settled for second while fellow third-row starter Adam Hensel of Barron, Wis., was third in the WISSOTA-sanctioned event. Rick Hanestad of Boyceville, Wis., and Cory Mahder of Elk Mound, Wis., rounded out the top five at the 3/8-mile oval.
Deer Creek hosts the World of Outlaws Late Model Series on July 8 for the $10,000-to-win Gopher 50, the charity race put on by the track and Blooming Prairie (Minn.) Lions Club.
Notes: Pember received a $250 bonus from Hanson Tire Service, adding that to the $3,000 winner's purse. ...Among no-shows for the race was two-time champion John Kaanta of Elk Mound, Wis., who is out of action after breaking several ribs in a fall at home. Kaanta was making repairs when he slipped while climbing down his race-car trailer, and with his hands full of tools, he fell 4 feet to the trailer lift, landing flat on his back. Doctors told him he'd be out of the race car for at least a month, but Kaanta is hoping to return sooner. .... With Kaanta out, Brian Harris of Davenport, Iowa, piloted a Kaanta Racing Team car. Among other Iowa entrants at Deer Creek were Jason Rauen, Jill George and Jeff Aikey; Rauen started outside the front row and faded to seventh while Aikey (ninth) and Harris (25th) were further back. ... George failed to make the feature ... Eric Pember's victory gives him 114 points for the series lead over Lance Matthees (111), Don Copp (106), Cory Mahder (103) and Keith Foss (103) after two series events. ... The series continues a busy week July 5 at Eagle Valley Speedway in Jim Falls, Wis., July 7 at Viking Speedway in Alexandria, Minn., and July 8 at Madison (Minn.) Speedway.
Dart Challenge Series @ Deer Creek: (1) Eric Pember, (2) Pat Doar, (3) Adam Hensel, (4) Rick Hanestad, (5) Cory Mahder, (6) Lance Matthees, (7) Jason Rauen, (8) Don Copp, (9) Joel Cryderman, (10) Keith Foss, (11) Steve Laursen, (12) Jeff Aikey, (13) Brent Larson, (14) Kelly Anderson, (15) Mike Prochnow, (16) Dennis Hillson, (17), Jesse Redetzke, (18) Joe Ludemann, (19) Paul Novotny, (20) Doug Herrick, (21) Jake Redetzke, (22) Justin Sass, (23) Eric Breeschoten, (24) Nickolas Herrick, (25) Brian Harris. Heat race winners (among 27 cars): Copp, Pember, Hensen. Consolation winners: Breeschoten, Herrick. Dash winner: Rauen.
