Pressers
GRACYALNY NELSON & POTTER AMONG NEW FACES IN EAGLE RIVER VICTORY LANE
Posted on: Sunday May 25, 2025
Veteran racer Danny Gracyalny made his first ever visit to Eagle River Speedway a good one, winning the street stock feature May 24.
ATTENTION SPORTS/MOTORSPORTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NELSON, GRACYALNY & POTTER AMONG NEW FACES IN EAGLE RIVER VICTORY LANE
(Eagle River, WI) May 24 – When the dust finally settled after a long night that included a 2 hour rain delay, a trio of new faces found victory lane on the opening night of racing at Eagle River Speedway Saturday night.
Defending USRA national champion Cade Nelson of Hermantown, MN won the opening night division feature at Eagle River Speedway Saturday.
Hermantown, Minnesota’s Cade Nelson, Greenville’s Danny Gracyalny and Pell Lake’s Cody Potter each nabbed opening night wins in the USRA late model, street stock and IMCA stock car classes, respectively.
Nelson, the defending USRA late model national champion, started third in the 20 lap feature. It took the second-generation ace just one circuit to wrestle the lead away from polesitter Josh Wahlstrom of Rice Lake. Nelson quickly bolted from the pack, and skillfully weaved his way through lapped cars to emerge triumphant in the caution free go.
Wahlstrom settled for second at the pay window, followed by Stockholm’s Lucas Peterson, defending track champion Jason Zdroik and Alma’s Korey Ressie rounding out the top five finishers. 18 drivers turned up to race in the division’s debut with the USRA sanctioning, with a handful of locals still ready to make their debut yet this year on the popular division.
A pair of aborted starts wiped out eight cars out of the 21 machines that initially took the green in the B modified feature. The contest was littered with yellows on the super fast, tacky third-mile clay oval. When all was said and done, polesitter and hometown driver Dustin White came out on top in what amounted to a true game of survivor. Rounding out the top finishers were Iron Ridge drivers Vince Jung and Austin Zdroik, Geoff Zdroik and Jim Zdroik.
Gracyalny started seventh in the Unified Dirt street stock feature, and snatched the lead after a lap ten restart. The veteran Figure 8 champion threaded his way through the 21 car field and collected his first ever feature flag here in his first ever appearance.
Potter led every lap en route to winning the caution free, IMCA stock car feature. Potter nailed down a clean sweep on the night, as he won the heat racer earlier in the night.
Rhinelander’s Blake Joslin scored a last lap pass on Andy Fink the win the 600 micro sprint feature.
Cooper Aho and Chase Zdroik captured the Pro and Semi-Pro 300 micro sprint features, respectively.
Merrill’s Matt Eder won the Dairyland Vintage feature.
The racing program was delayed for more than two hours due to persistent, pesky showers that pelted the track. Track crews and drivers helped save the track by packing it in.
The next race at the third-mile, clay oval will be Tuesday, June 10 with our annual “School’s Out” night at the races. All of the track’s weekly, regular classes will be in attendance, with the first green flag dropping at 7:15 p.m. For race day, weather information best to check the track’s Facebook page or email zdroikseagleriverspeedway@gmail.com.
RACE SUMMARY
SWEETWATER USRA LATE MODELS
FEATURE – Cade Nelson, Hermantown, MN; Josh Wahlstrom, Rice Lake; Lucas Peterson, Stockholm; Jason Zdroik, Eagle River; Kory Ressie, Alma; Jason McFadden, Jim Falls; Jeff Thomas, Eagle River; Jesse Aho, Twin Lakes, MI; Patrick Kelley, Wyoming, MN; Travis Friske, Tomahawk; Todd Gorny, Eagle River; Tyler Stargardt, Marshfield; Todd Green, Eau Claire; Jim Zdroik, Hartford; Josh Nevoraski, Lake Tomahawk; Dave Bennett, Eagle River; Guy Carley, Eagle River (DNS); Mike Boyd, St. Germain (DNS)
HEATS 1) McFadden; Peterson 2) Ressie; Nelson 3) Jesse Aho; Thomas
CHEF RENE B MODS
FEATURE – Dustin White, Eagle River; Vince Jung, Iron Ridge; Austin Zdroik, Iron Ridge; Geoff Zdroik, Rubicon; Jim Zdroik, Hartford; Ryan Brown, Eagle River; Dan Jung, Iron Ridge; Kory Joliff, Mass City, MI; Owen Wilcox, Oconto Falls; David Dishaw, Ontonagon, MI
HEATS 1) Vince Jung; Marquardt 2) Geoff Zdroik; Jim Zdroik 3) White; Austin Zdroik
J & J CONSTRUCTION IMCA STOCK CARS
FEATURE – Cody Potter, Pell Lake; Jason Zdroik; Pressley Harrington, Oshkosh; White; Ryan Glembin, Eagle River; Jonathon Miller, Eagle River; Trentin Bell, Eagle River (DNS)
HEAT – Potter
STREET STOCKS
FEATURE -Danny Gracyalny, Greenville; Teagan Melton, Rhinelander; Jason Eisel, Sugar Camp; Jeremy Joslin, Rhinelander; Quentin Morrison, Eagle River; Hope Eisel, Rhinelander; Jake Binash, Forest Junction; Mitch Meyerhofer, Sherwood; Colin Joliff, Mass City, MI; Cole Bennett, Eagle River
HEATS 1) Melton; Meyerhofer 2) Hope Eisel; Pitlik 3) Jason Eisel; Jeremy Joslin
600 MICRO SPRINTS
FEATURE – Blake Joslin, Rhinelander; Andy Fink, Minocqua; Jacob Zimmerman, Pewaukee; Jaxson Peters, Waupun (DNS)
HEAT – Fink; Blake Joslin
300 MICRO SPRINTS
FEATURES 1) Cooper Aho, Twin Lakes, MI; Bentley Seliger, Wausau; Lucas Zdroik, Eagle River Carter Aho, Twin Lakes, MI; Addison Dishaw, Ontonagon, MI 2) Chase Zdroik, Rubicon; Archer Peter, Manitowish Waters; Blake Wilke, Tomahawk; Myia Ewert, Eagle River; Graham Van Atta, Eagle River; Parker Ewert, Eagle River
HEATS 1) Cooper Aho; Lucas Zdroik 2) Peter; Chase Zdroik
DAIRYLAND VINTAGE
FEATURE – Matt Eder, Merrill; Tim Lind, Waupun; Dale Williams, Merrill
HEATS 1) Eder; Brian Wittberler, Merrill 2) Karl Knopps, Chippewa Falls; Paul Bushar, Gleason