Iverson speeds to victory at Norway

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NORWAY - Escanaba's Jamie Iverson held off Dan Fredrickson to win his second American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour event Sunday, claiming the Labor Day 100 at a packed Norway Speedway.

Fredrickson also extended his point lead with a second-place finish.

It was a classic short track battle as Fredrickson and Iverson brought the field to the green flag for the 100-lap feature event. The two stayed stuck to each other all night long as they battled for the lead throughout the event.

Fredrickson, who had bad outings in the last two ASAMT events, was trying to get back in victory lane and gain points on Donny Reuvers, who was only five points behind Fredrickson coming into Sunday.

Fredrickson would get that cushion on lap 10, when Reuvers was involved in a melee in turn one with up to 11 cars involved, including Kris Kelly of Norway.

Reuvers would spend some time in the pits and return later, finishing 22nd.

The crowd was kept on the edge of their seats as Fredrickson and Iverson would put on a great battle.

Fredrickson took the lead on lap 11 and held on until with 10 laps to Iverson, who kept trying to go on the inside of Fredrickson, would move to the outside lane and complete the pass.

Iverson would pull away to about a car-length victory over Fredrickson with Andrew Morrissey in third.

"That is about as good as it gets," a smiling Iverson stated in victory lane. "I race against the best there is and Danny Fredrickson is one of them and to come out on top it sure feels good.

"I thought I got a good jump and would try to check out a little bit and Danny kept getting on the outside and back of me, so I let him go on the outside and I would follow a while."

Iverson expected Fredrickson to "return the favor later on, but I had to make it on my own."

"The only way to do it was to get on the outside of him," Iverson said. "But, like I say, it doesn't get much better than this."

For Fredrickson, finishing second unofficially gave him a 58-point lead over Reuvers in the standings.

"He's running real hard and I am running for points," Fredrickson stated after the race. "He wanted to get after me pretty good, and at this point I couldn't afford to go to the back, so I gave him the outside and made him work for it.

"Bottom line, fans had to love it and it was a good race for the Midwest Tour."

Morrissey had a solid third place run and was close to the battle up front, "That was a helluva race with those guys, it was a good race from where I was, and I just wished I could keep up with the two of them."

Travis Sauter came home fourth with Chris Wimmer picking up yet another top-five finish.

Tim Schendel had a sold run to finish sixth with Tom Gee Jr. in seventh. Greg Haese was eighth while Jonathan Eilen came home ninth. Mike Reichenber rounded out the top-ten.

The ASAMT will conclude its four races in four weeks stretch next Sunday afternoon with the running of the Kim Parsons Memorial 100 at Marshfield Speedway in Marshfield, Wis.

Matt Frazer of Escanaba finished 17th.