Street Stocks battle already tight at Speedway

• T.C. Shelhamer and Josh Olheiser

Press Photo by Dustin Monke T.C. Shelhamer of Plevna, Mont., front, and Dickinson’s Josh Olheiser, back, race June 2 at the Southwest Speedway. Both drivers are locked in what is already a close points race in the Wissota Street Stocks.
• Travis Ulmer

Press Photo by Dustin Monke Travis Ulmer races June 2 at the Southwest Speedway. Ulmer, a Dickinson native, is tied with Josh Olheiser for the lead in the Wissota Street Stocks points standings at the Southwest Speedway.

Talk about it

The Wissota Street Stocks class has long taken a back seat to the IMCA Modifieds at the Southwest Speedway.

It appears that 2012, however, could be shaping up as the year of the Streets.

After just three nights of racing, the Street Stock drivers are already locked in what could be a fierce battle to the finish.

Coming into tonight’s races, which begin at 7 p.m., Dickinson’s Josh Olheiser and Mandan’s Travis Ulmer are tied with 158 season points.

“I could tell you — and I even told my pit guys this — every year I race Street class, it seems like it gets tougher and tougher and tougher. This year is by far the toughest,” Olheiser said. “Unless somebody gets on a streak or a roll, it could come down to the last race.”

Allan Frederick of Hebron is three points behind the leaders. T.C. Shelhamer of Plevna, Mont., is only two points behind him in fourth. Allan’s son, Zach Frederick of Richardton, is nine points back from the leaders.

The tight race could make for some considerably entertaining nights of racing this season. There are seven nights of regular racing remaining at the Speedway this summer.

“The class has always been competitive,” Ulmer said. “This year, it’s a little different. It’s close. Everybody has been having decent nights. Nobody has really broke yet. That’s the big key factor, just finishing them races.”

Olheiser said the improvement of multiple Street Stocks cars, as well as drivers, at the Dickinson track has led to this season’s competitiveness.

“This year, it seems like the guys who are up toward the front, everybody is so equal for some reason,” Olheiser said. “I don’t know why. The races, it’s tough to get anywhere. Everybody has got the best of everything, or close to the best of everything. It’s a bunch of good racers out here.”

Allan Frederick joined his son in the class this season after spending the past seven years racing IMCA Modifieds. On June 16, at 51-years-old, he earned his first career feature victory.

He said the Street Stocks class has been far more entertaining than Modifieds since he hopped in his new ride at last fall’s Harvest Shootout. For the most part, he said, staying competitive while also on track to spend less money than when he ran Modifieds has made for a positive transition into the Streets.

“When I was running the Modified, I couldn’t hardly compete,” Allan Frederick said. “It’s no fun finishing last or in the back of the pack.”

Zach Frederick, who made the jump from Pure Stocks to Street Stocks in 2010, said he has enjoyed the camaraderie and respect between the drivers in his class — especially when that means fewer wrecks.

“Everybody just has enough respect for each other,” he said. “Everybody knows it costs money to do it. Everybody does get along, everybody is pretty good friends with everybody. For as competitive as it is, you wouldn’t think that these guys would be friends.”

Olheiser said the recent hot weather conditions have helped the dirt track become slicker and drier than it had been at the start of the season. He believes the lack of tackiness could soon lead to a gap in competitiveness.

“The beginning of the year here, the tracks are tacky. Pretty much everybody can drive on those,” Olheiser said. “Now, as the summer moves along and the tracks start drying out, that should start separating some people out. I’m excited.”

Southwest Speedway Standings

Next race: 7 p.m. today

IMCA Modifieds: 1, Jeff Decker (11D), Dickinson, 111. 2, Travis Olheiser (27), Dickinson, 109. 3, Dale Burwick (17), Dickinson, 108. 4, Eric Paul (27), Dickinson, 103. 5, Randy Burwick (2), Hettinger, 101. 6, Darrell Bauer (54), Mandan, 100. 7, Tracey Domagala (96), Bismarck, 97. 8, Lenny Makowski (2D), Belfield, 95. 9, Bill Miller (18M), Plevna, Mont., 93. 10, Rusty Corneliusen (25C), Dickinson, 66. 11, Dwight Burwick (12B), Dickinson, 60; 12, Wyatt Dinius (81), Dickinson, 59. 13, Travis Ulmer (3U), Mandan, 52. 14, Jim Harris (17H), Estevan, Sask., 37. 15, Randy Sandvick (13), Killdeer, 36. 16, Tim Perkins (89), Bismarck, 35. 17, Tyler Wagner (77), Bienfait, Sask., 33. 18, Chase Schlafmann (71SM), Bismarck, 32. 19, Kirk Wojahn (71), Gladstone, 30. 20, Brian Miller (33M), Baker, Mont.; Troy Speten (13S), Wilton, 29. 22, Ryan Harris (18), Estevan, Sask.; Cole LaMontagne (22), Bismarck, 28. 24, Josh Jones (15J), Dickinson, 25. 25, Brent Schlafmann (71S), Bismarck, 23.

Wissota Street Stocks: 1, Travis Ulmer (3), Mandan, 158; Josh Olheiser (39), Dickinson, 158. 3, Allan Frederick (5), Richardton, 155. 4, T.C. Shelhamer (81), Plevna, Mont., 153. 5, Zach Frederick (5F), Richardton, 149. 6, Monte Gawryluk (102), Mandan, 146. 7, Jim Heaton (68X), Baker, Mont.; Terry Zastoupil (10X), Dickinson, 137. 9, Richard Jordan (65), Dickinson, 128. 10, Ryan Hugelen (Y13), Belfield; Mike Miller (22), Dickinson, 122. 12, Darin Tarrel (44), Dickinson, 115. 13, Kelly Wanner (29K), Dickinson, 112. 14, Hailey Jordan (23), Dickinson, 75. 15, Brad Kadrmas (76), Bismarck, 52. 16, JD Kuntz (6D), Dickinson, 39. 17, Nate Keena (1K), Lincoln, 37. 18, Rick Johnson (4), Bismarck, 37. 19, Geoff Hellman (54), Mandan, 17. 20, Paul Decker (11D), Bismarck, 16.

Pure Stocks: 1, Chad Jahner (28), Dickinson, 158. 2, Kendall Booke (2X), Gladstone, 157. 3, Cole Lewis (33L), Dickinson; Shaun Olheiser (03), Dickinson, 156. 5, Roy Erickson (1E), Bismarck, 152. 6, Brandon Deavy, (D1), Dickinson, 148. 7, Darren Kruger (13X), Dickinson, 136. 8, Deryk Voller (24), Timber Lake, S.D., 128. 9, Casey Vernon (15C), Dickinson, 122. 10, Mark Selle (95), Dickinson, 121. 11, Devon Wandler (8X), Gladstone; Hunter Domagala (97), Bismarck, 119. 13, Jon Wells (49), Belfield, 116. 14, Thayne Maher, (11T), Dickinson, 103. 15, Dion Makowski (77), Dickinson, 102. 16, Terin Gawryluk (11), Dickinson, 89. 17, Tyler Bartholomew (85), Dickinson, 75. 18, Scott Gartner (0), Bismarck, 73. 19, Nathan Messer (16), Mandan, 70. 20, Alex Braun (11B), Dickinson, 69. 21, Jeremy Binstock (88), Dickinson, 52. 22, Andy Heidrich (82), New Salem, 44. 23, Ben Meuchel (4), Mandan, 43.

Thunder 4: 1, Derek Nitschke (18), Dickinson, 171. 2, Cory Reisenauer (2C), Dickinson, 159. 3, Cody Hulse (69), Dunn Center, 156. 4, Steve Jahner (36), Dickinson, 152. 5, Scott Hagemeister (03s), Dickinson, 148. 6, Gary Barnett (30X), Dickinson, 145. 7, Khord Christie (2$), Belfield, 131. 8, Lucas Preston (17P), Dickinson, 130. 9, Nylee Boyce (48), Bismarck, 96.

Tags: southwest speedway, wissota street stocks, auto racing, sports