TOM NESBITT WINS AMSOIL SERIES FINALE
Pat Doar Takes First Series Title
By Jerry O'Brien 9-10-05

Before a packed house at the Superior Speedway Tom Nesbitt of Thunder Bay Ontario showed everyone that the fire was still there. The National Dirt Late Model and Superior Speedway Hall of Fame inductee who just turned 65 years old in July, showed the way Saturday night September 10th as he won the 40 lap Late Model feature at the 17th annual Budweiser Northern Nationals. Nesbitt recorded his 54th feature win at the 4/10ths mile banked clay oval winning out in a three car battle with Pat Doar and Joey Jensen.

Nesbitt redrew the pole position and got a great start over front row mate Pat Doar with Jensen, John Kaanta and Joel Cryderman behind running both high and low on the very racy track. Doar closed up on Nesbitt with Jensen about six car lengths back. The caution flag appeared when Darin Meierotto lost a wheel and hit the second turn wall just past the pit exit.

At the green flag Nesbitt hung tough and kept the point despite pressure from Doar and Jensen. Kaanta was running fourth at the time with Cryderman still in fifth. Jensen got a good run off the bottom of turn two and, though Nesbitt hung tough, Jensen was able to edge ahead at the line. Before another lap could be completed, Terry Casey spun bringing out the caution flag. Reverting back to the previous completed lap gave Nesbitt back the lead.

At the green flag Nesbitt was holding on for dear life as Jensen and Doar tried to pass each other and Nesbitt in a very tight battle. Cryderman was still fourth and Trent Follmer had moved into fifth. Just at the midpoint Jensen made his attempt to pass Nesbitt stick and took the lead but Nesbitt was not giving up and stuck like glue to Jensen's tail. Further back Ashley Anderson who had started in the sixth row worked his way into the top five as Nesbitt made a run on Jensen and regained the lead with ten laps to go. Jensen continued to worry at Nesbitt's bumper and retook the lead only to have the caution flag reappear with five laps remaining for Jeff Provinzino who spun and stalled at the top of turn two once again giving Nesbitt back the lead.

Nesbitt had the better line off turn two and was able to keep the lead while Anderson crept up on Jensen after disposing of Doar and slipped by into second. Nesbitt was able to claw a couple of car lengths lead and took the popular win over Anderson, Jensen, Doar and Kaanta. Doar's fourth place finish was enough for him to win his first AMSOIL Late Model Series championship after seven years of trying.

The 30 lap WISSOTA Modified feature was won by 2005 Superior Speedway champion Don Copp of Brule, WI. Copp lined up on the pole and got the jump on Darrell Nelson with Kelly Estey, Bill Byholm and Jayme Lautigar running in close proximity. Defending event champion Brad Hanson was running just outside the top five in sixth. Nelson got a good run off turn four but Copp rebounded. Nelson was able to grab the lead the next time by on lap five and the two moved off by half a straight over Lautigar who was third. With 25 laps remaining the first caution flag appeared and it spelled the end of the road for Nelson as it was his driveshaft laying on the race track.

Nelson's misfortune was a blessing to Copp as it left him with the lead. Copp led lautigar, Estey and Dean Yrjanainen who had moved from 10th to fourth. Copp pulled out a ten car length lead on Lautigar as fans suddenly realized while Copp was cruising at the head of the pack, Joey Jensen in the V2 car was marching toward the front from his 18th starting spot. Jensen was picking them off in bunches and at the half way point was in sixth. He picked off two more and was fourth with 14 laps remaining.

Copp cruised to the win worth $2650 with relative ease while the order changed behind him as Jensen worked his way to second but Copp's lead was insurmountable and he finished there. Dave Cain finished third from ninth followed by Yrjanainen, Estey and Hanson.

Leave it to the Street Stocks to run their 20 lap feature without a single caution flags showing up their faster brethren. At the green flag pole sitter Jimmy Randall grabbed the lead with Mike Kalkbrenner, Rod DeBernardeaux, Scott Paulson and Roger Walker behind. There was some amazing racing going on in the early going with some actual five wide action off turn four.

Kalkbrenner took the lead on the third circuit with Paulson on the move and in second with a quarter of the laps run. Paulson grabbed the lead with a dozen circuits left though it was neck and neck for a lap with Paulson having the edge at the line. At the half way point Paulson sealed the deal with a convincing pass on Kalkbrenner and took the lead for good. Paulson pulled out a ten car length lead but it was still wheel to wheel for second between Kalkbrenner and De Bernardeaux until De Bernardeaux took over the runner up spot with five laps to go.

Paulson  went on to take the win over De Bernardeaux as Kaklbrenner fell back into the clutches of Randall who took over third. Shawn Wageman worked his way from 12th to round out the top five.