Oahe Speedway's Dales A-1 Transmission Super Class Series concluded

over Labor Day weekend.. The series brought together the "Super" classes of NHRA Sportsman racing, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street.  Running off respective indexes of 9.01 in Super Comp, 10.02 in Super Gas, and 11.03 in Super Street, the classes qualified separately and were laddered off their reaction times.  In the first ever competition, Cary Shonley, Mitchell, took home the championship.  Shonley's consistent showing at all 5 events proved to be the formula to winning the series.

Cary Shonley, along with Dusty Schnabel(l), spouse Judy and Mike Schmidt(r), General Manager of Oahe Speedway, during award ceremonies following Shonley's victory in the first round of the  2007Dale A-1 Transmission Super Class Series Race. (Motor Race Images photo)

With the first race cancelled in early May due to rain, the series got underway May 26.  In a heads up final, pairing off Super Comp racers, Terry Henrikson, Rapid City and Cary Shonley, Mitchell, Shonley emerged as the winner when Henrikson drew the red light in the final.   Shonley faced off against Ron Starkey, Rapid City in the quarter finals, with Starkey's Super Gas entry  leaving the line a bit too soon, handing the win over to Shonley.  Henrikson took on Super Street racer,  Rick Meier, Box Elder, in their quarter final match in a double break out duel.  In the end Henrikson ran closer to his dial in to take the win.   Shonley was unopposed in his semi final run and Grant Pederson, Brookings,  fell victim to Henrikson in the balance of the round.  Shonley qualified number one with a fast .007 reaction time in his '03 RaceTech rear engine dragster.  In a largely GM motored field, Shonley's Mopar powered car took the early points lead in the 5 race series.

Grant Pederson, third from right, accepts the winners check from Dale Long, second from left, following his win in the second round of the Dale's A-1Super Class Series at Oahe Speedway. (Motor Race Images photo)

Round 2 of  the series, June 23, brought  sponsor, Dale Long and his three sons, Dustin, Devon, and Daren to Oahe Speedway to challenge the field. Grant Pederson, Brookings, met up with Dustin Long, Mitchell, in the final.  Pederson, with a better reaction time and a spot  on run, only .004 off his dial in, forced Long to chase him down.  In pursuing Pederson, Long broke out by a scant .005 seconds.   In the first round, Pederson took out Devon Long, Mitchell.  Of the four Longs in competition, the remaining family members all advanced to the quarter finals.  Dan Conlin, Williston, ND, and

Dale Long, Mitchell, the sole survivors of Super Street and Super Gas, respectively,  met in the quarter finals.  Conlin sent  the patriarch of the Long family to the sidelines with a better light and closer to dial in run.  Pederson utilized another great package to force Shonley to break out in a come from behind charge, in the quarter finals. In another stellar round for Pederson, Daren Long could only hope to catch Pederson's '97 Fritz rear engine dragster in the semi  finals.  Dustin Long, Mitchell, fared better in the balance of the round with a victory over  Conlin.  Curt Hieb, Chamberlain, was the  number one qualifier, with a rapid .002 reaction time.  

Rick Meier(r), Box Elder, shares his Dale's A-1 Transmission Super Class Series win with his "crew", and fellow competitors, Monty Frerichs(l), Box Elder, and David Rae, Gillette, WY (Still Shots Photography photo)

In the third round of the series, Rick Meier, Box Elder, emerged victorious over Cary Shonley, Mitchell.  Meier's .010 reaction time was the key to the Super Street driver's success.  Schaun Schnathorst, Huron, could not capitalize on Meier's worst reaction time of eliminations in the first round.  In the double break out run, Schnathorst, wasted a great reaction time when  he broke out further under his 9.01 dial in than Meier.  Shonley snapped off the best reaction time of the first round on a single at .006 seconds.   Shonley met points rival, Grant Pederson, Brookings, in round 2, emerging victorious, when Pederson red lit.  Meier showed everyone that he meant business by pulling off a perfect light against Dustin Long, Mitchell,  in their round 2 match.   Randy Nygaard, Watertown,  broke out against Shonley, in their semifinal run.  Roland Rang, Sioux Falls Super Comp ace, used a great .001 reaction time to no avail in  the other semi match against Meier.  Meier, with a .009 reaction time, left first on his Super Street dial in, forcing Rang to chase him down.  Both drivers broke out,   with Meier closer to his dial in.  Shonley regained the points lead with his victory over Pederson in the quarter finals. Race number 3 saw the return of Mark Potts and his immaculate '05 EdQuay rear engine dragster to Oahe Speedway for the first time in 2007.  Potts made the long tow from Gillette,WY. 

Jeremy Demers, Carroll, IA, is congratulated by Oahe Speedway owner, Milton Morris, following Demers win in the 4th round of the Dale's A-1 Transmission Super Class Series at the speedway. (Still Shots Photography photo) 

The next round of the series saw Jeremy Demers, tow in from Carroll, IA, for a first time visit to Oahe Speedway. Demers made the long tow worthwhile, in winning round 4 of the Dale's A-1 Transmission Super Class Series.  In a heads up final, against Grant Pederson, Brookings,  Demers ripped off a great .017 reaction time.  Pederson broke out in the final in attempting to chase down the fleeting Demers.  Demers turned back points leader, Cary Shonley, Mitchell,  in the first round with the best reaction time of eliminations at .005 seconds.  Pederson began his march back to the series points lead with a victory over Roland Rang, Sioux Falls.  Demers singled in to the semis based on his best reaction time of round one.  Pederson sidelined race 3 winner, Rick Meier, Box Elder, in their quarter final match.  Pederson singled in to the finals, and Demers beat Tom Nygaard, Watertown, on a quick reaction time in their match up.  With Demers better reaction time in the finals,  Pederson was forced to chase down the Iowan. The win went to Demers when Pederson broke out. Based on Pederson's final round showing and Demers dispatch of Shonley, in round one, Pederson towed back to Brookings with the points lead.

Joe Smith, winner of the final race of the Dales A-1 Transmission Super Class Series at Oahe Speedway is joined in victory circle by his family and Milton Morris, Oahe Speedway owner. (Motor Race Images photo)

Labor Day weekend, billed as "Thunder on the Prairie" at Oahe Speedway , saw the champion of the Dales A-1 Transmission Super Class Series crowned.  Kansas Super Comp driver, Joe Smith, Emporia, KS towed to Oahe for the three day weekend.  Smith, with tow rig problems, put aside the distractions and won the fifth and final round of the series.  Smith had made the long tow to within 6 miles of the track only to have the transmission fail in his tow vehicle.  With a lot of help from race fans, track officials and fellow racers, Smith made first call for qualifications.  Dale Garber, Pierre, fell to Smith in round one.  Ron Starkey, Rapid City, forced series round three winner, Rick Meier, Box Elder, to break out in their first round tilt.  Starkey's hard charge pushed Meier to the stripe sooner than he wanted to get there, with Meier  breaking out by .172 seconds. Series points leader, Cary Shonley utilized a fantastic .001 reaction time to defeat Erik Hagberg, Spencer, NE, in the first round.  Round 2 action saw Smith single to the next round, Starkey defeating Wade Johnson, Rapid City, and Shonley trailering, Chad Uhrig, Pierre.  Smith put together a better package to defeat Shonley in the semis and Starkey drove his classic '67 Nova to the finals on a single.  With a little bit of much needed luck, Smith won the final in his face off  against Starkey.  Starkey was over anxious at the start , handing the win to Smith.

Cary Shonley, Mitchell, Dale's A-1 Transmission Super Class Series Champion for 2007 at Oahe Speedway. (Motor Race Images photo)

With Cary Shonley's quarter final win and Grant Pederson's decision to pass up the final race of the series, Shonley won the inaugural Dales A-1 Transmission Super Class Series at Oahe Speedway.  Shonley's consistent performances allowed him to amass the points to take the first series title.  28 drivers from 6 states competed for almost  $12,000 in cash in the 5 race series. 

Dales A-1 Transmission, Mitchell SD, title series sponsor, the premier transmission shop in the Midwest, stepped up to support Super Comp, Super Gas,  and Super Street racing at Oahe Speedway.  Racers and  fans were witnesses to some of the best competition these classes have to offer in the upper Midwest.

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