Bessemer begins week of Fourth of July activities

BESSEMER - The weather was clear and warm as the Bessemer Blast 2015 festivities continued on Saturday.

The morning included the annual Hometown Run/Walk and Tot Trot, and events held at the Sophie Street Pocket Park, including kid's games, dance lessons, face painting and pony rides.

In the afternoon, attention turned to the Lake States Mud Run at the pit on North Moore Street.

Spectators, armed with sun block, braved the warm temperatures to watch the mud fly.

Races were scheduled in several classes, including: Pure Stock Class (entry level class for unmodified trucks), Stock Class (primary class for dedicated mud race vehicles with a street legal body, Super Stock (allows more modifications to a stock vehicle), Pro Stock (purpose built race vehicles), Women's (allows pure stock, street stock and super stock to be raced together with a woman driver), Modified, Unlimited and Consistency class (racers compete with any truck with their own reaction times).

Organizers are planning additional mud runs around the region. New racers are welcome. For more information, contact Keith Tippett at [email protected], Theron Rutyna at [email protected], or Andy Tijan at [email protected]

The following are the results of the races.

Class 1 - Pure Stock Class:

Greg Lindquist was the only entry in this class, so he was allowed to run instead in the Street Stock class.

Class 2 - Street Stock Class: Totals are combine times from both passes and their reaction time to the timing tree.

1st: Marcy Koivisto, Total Time, 14.174

2nd: Bob Ofstad, Total Time, 14.386

3rd: Tom Scribner, Total Time, 15.218

4th: Jamie Barland, Total Time, 15.434

5th: Greg Lindquist, Total Time, 20.073

6th: John Olkonen, Total Time, 20.615

Class 3 - Super Stock: Totals are combine times from both passes and their reaction time to the timing tree.

1st: Bob Koivisto, Total Time, 10.789

2nd: Dusty Dennis, Total Time, 11.535

3rd: Chad Vuornemaa, Total Time, 11.607

4th: Jesse Kmetz, Total Time, 11.647

5th: Jake Tijan, Total Time, 11.863

6th: David Mattson, Total Time, 11.917

7th: Adam Kaseno, Total Time, 13.245

8th: Dusty Barland, Total Time, 13.769

9th: Jeff Schutte, Total Time, 17.511

10th: Brendon Fortino, Total Time, 20.136

Class 4 - Pro Stock: Totals are combine times from both passes and their reaction time to the timing tree.

1st: JoEllen Fortino, Total Time, 11.516

2nd: Bob Koivisto, Total Time, 12.061

3rd: Dusty Dennis, Total Time, 12.291

Class 5 - Women's Class: Totals are combine times from both passes and their reaction time to the timing tree.

1st: Sarah Smee, Total Time, 11.366

2nd: Katie Pelto, Total Time, 12.667

3rd: Katrina Crom, Total Time, 13.132

4th: Marissa Koivisto, Total Time, 13.637

5th: Christy Kaseno, Total Time, 13.993

6th: Mindy Williams, Total Time, 14.233

Class 6 - Modified Class: Placement is based on the times from both passes minus reaction time.

1st: Charlie Semo, Time minus reaction, 9.435, Points, 7,741

2nd: Keith Tippet, Time minus reaction, 10.340, Points, 8,307

3rd: Scott Docken, Time minus reaction, 10.939, Points, 8,596 

Class 7 - Unlimited: Placement is based on the times from both passes minus reaction time.

1st: Charlie Semo, Time minus reaction, 10.052, Points, 7,920

2nd: Scott Docken, Time minus reaction, 11.154, Points, 8,698

Class 8 - Consistency class: Placement is based on the times from both passes minus reaction time.

1st: Jeff Schutte, Time minus reaction, 15.704, Total Points, 160

2nd: David Mattson, Time minus reaction, 13.256, Total Points, 194

3rd: Bob Ofstad, Time minus reaction, 14.217, Total Points, 493

4th: Mindy Williams, Time minus reaction, 15.199, Total Points, 883

5th: Brandon Wallner, Time minus reaction, 73.939, Total Points, 58,133