Proctor Speedway
Provinzino grabs third Silver 1000 at Proctor
By Jerry O'Brien
DirtonDirt.com correspondent
Jeff Provinzino captured his third Silver 1000 trophy. (Ken Johnson)
PROCTOR, Minn. (Sept. 30) — Jeff Provinzino of Hibbing, Minn., became the third three-time winner of the Black Bear Casino Silver 1000 on Thursday and the fourth driver to win Proctor Speedway's biggest event back-to-back.
The polesitting Provinzino, who also won the event in '05 and '09, earned $3,300 including $800 in lap money in outdueling fellow front-row starter Darin Meierotto of Superior, Wis., Marshall Fegers of Mound, Minn., continued his streak of solid late-season runs with a third-place finish followed by his older brother Justin Fegers of Minnetonka, Minn. Travis Budisalovich of Cottage Grove, Minn., rounded out the top five in the 38th annual race that was postponed by poor weather Sept. 2. | Slideshow
Provinzino joins Jeff Hinkemeyer, Rick Aukland and John Kaanta was back-to-back winners of the event while joining Aukland and Leon Plank as the race's only three-time winners.
Provinzino and Meierotto battled side-by-side at the outset of the 40-lap feature with Justin Fegers trailing with Ashley Anderson and Budisalovich.
A lap-three yellow slowed the action when Kevin Carlson and Dave Esse tangled in turn two, and Provinzino got the jump on the restart and stretched his margin on Meierotto and the rest of the field.
The 11th-starting Marshall Fegers moved into the top five in the race's middle stages and tried with Meierotto to chase down Provinzino, who faced a big pack of traffic in the race's late stages.
But a lap-37 caution for Tommy Waseleski Jr.'s spinning car in turn one gave Provinzino clear racetrack the rest of the way.
Notes: Provinzino's Rocket Chassis is sponsored by Safefloors.us, PDQ Quality Diesel Power and Mohawk Salvage. ... Twenty-two of 24 starters were running at the finish ... Heat winner Gregg Hill of Eveleth, Minn., couldn't make the call for the main event. ... Among drivers failing to make the feature: Don Copp, Eric Breeschoten, Mike Goodremote, John Henkemeyer, Kevin Carlson, Bob Reed, Lance Matthees along with former Silver 1000 winners Pat Doar and Joel Cryderman. ... Jody Bellefeuille of Duluth, Minn., won the Como Oil & Propane Modified Series event at Proctor.
Black Bear Casino Silver 1000: (1) Jeff Provinzino (2) Daren Meierotto, (3) Marshall Fegers, (4) Justin Fegers, (5) Travis Budisalovich, (6) Ricky Weiss, (7) Adam Hensel, (8) John Kaanta, (9) Ashley Anderson, (10) Brent Larson, (11) Kyle Gavel, (12) Steve Laursen, (13) Lance Matthees, (14) Paul Parker, (15) Harry Hanson, (16) Darrell Nelson, (17) Kyle Peterlin, (18) Todd Gehl, (19) Jake Redetzke, (20) Kevin Carlson, (21) Bob Reed, (22) Tom Waseleski Jr., (23) Dave Esse, (24) Tim McMann. Scratched: Gregg Hill. Heat race winners (among 40 cars): Hill, J. Fegers, Meierotto, Provinzino. Consolation winners: Peterlin, Nelson. Dash winner: Provinzino.
