Great day for the Rue Family at Flying Pines Kart Raceway BALSAM LAKE, WI - The mid-season championship race was held today, July 14, 2002 at Flying Pines Raceway in Balsam Lake, Wisconsin. For the last couple of events have been a battle against the rain and the heat but that hasn't stopped the racers from competing. Jared Firle, who competes in both the Junior Sportsman Lite and Heavy classes was the one to beat. Jared is nine years old and comes from Osceola, Wisconsin. Jared is sponsored by his mom and dad, Classic Trucking and Tom's Auto Body. Coming into the mid-season championship races he is undefeated in the Junior Sportsman Lite class with 300 points and is undefeated except for one second-place finish in the Junior Sportsman Heavy class with 298 points. In his heat races he finished with a second and a first in both classes, but came out on top in the features with two first-place victories. He took home two first-place trophies, a remote control JetSki, a hunting game and two large beanie animals plus a super big smile on his face. The Stock Super Heavy class always has some major competition. Even though Gordon Fozie (#5) and Cliff Schill (#66) are tied in the points, the other racers are not sitting back and taking this lightly. Fozie, of Fridley, Wisconsin, started on the pole and Schill, of Lake Elmo, Wisconsin, started on the outside pole. Schill jumped into the lead on the first lap but Fozie only followed him for five laps before passing him and taking away the lead. Scott Goettl, of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, passed Schill right after Fozie did on lap five and then took the lead away from Fozie on lap nine for the win. It was also a day where a brother and sister both took home first place wins. Aaron Rue (#62), of Clayton, Wisconsin, competes in both the Stock Light and Stock Medium classes at Flying Pines Raceway. In the Stock Light class he passed the points leader Michael Hoeft, of Champlain, Wisconsin, on the second lap and managed to hold off Michael to take the win. Hoeft gave him a much tougher time n the Stock Medium class feature. Aaron Rue set up his kart and passed Hoeft on the last lap between turns three and four for his second first-place finish of the day. Aaron's sister, Kari Rue, competes in the Junior I class at Flying Pines Raceway in the #16 kart. She came into the mid-season event with a two-point lead but finished the day tied with Alec Carlson of Milltown, Wisconsin. Kari started on the inside pole for the Junior I feature and wasn't about to let anyone pass her. She jumped out front on the first lap and kept everyone behind her on her way to the win although Tim Green (#7) made sure she knew that he was there and gave it everything he had to try and pass Rue. Prizes were awarded to the final first place feature winners of the Junior Sportsman classes and $50.00 cash bonus was awarded to all the alchohol classes. They were also given trophies and beanie animals from the day's sponsors - Chuck & Sally Roach of Hastings, Minnesota. RESULTS (July 14, 2002): Junior Sportsman Light (Green): 1.) Jared Firle, Osceola, WI; 2.) Josh Harlew, White Bear Lake, MN; 3.) Annie Milliron, Cambridge, MN; 4.) Kyle Cupp, Birchwood, WI; 5.) Jacob Nelson, New Auburn, WI; 6.) B.J. Swanson, Monticello, MN Junior Sportsman Light (Red): 1.) Jake Salokar, Schafer, WI; 2.) Jake Jensen, Blaine, MN; 3.) Tonya Zierden, North Branch, MN; 4.) Jake Holm, Lino Lakes, MN; 5.) Brody Rue, Clayton, WI; 6.) Caleb Paulson, St. Paul, MN Stock Light: 1.) Aaron Rue, Clayton, WI; 2.) Michael Hoeft, Champlain, MN; 3.) Corey Carlson, Hugo, MN Junior Sportsman Heavy: 1.) Jared Firle, Osceola, WI; 2.) Jake Jensen, Blaine, MN; 3.) Brian Vogelpohl, Cambridge, MN; 4.) Josh Harlow, White Bear Lake, MN; 5.) Kyle Cupp, Birchwood, WI; 6.) B.J. Swanson, Monticello, MN; 7.) Jacob Nelson, New Auburn, WI; 8.) Kevin Kirk, Bloomington, MN; 9.) Caleb Paulson, St. Paul, MN Junior I: 1.) Kari Rue, Clayton, WI; 2.) Tim Green, Hager City, WI; 3.) Alec Carlson, Milltown, WI Stock Medium: 1.) Aaron Rue, Clayton, WI; 2.) Michael Hoeft, Champlain, WI; 3.) Corey Carlson, Hugo, MN Junior II: 1.) Corey Kazorowski, Appleton, WI; 2.) Erica Bear, Roberts, WI; 3.) Paul Petersen, Long Lake, MN Stock Heavy: 1.) Derek Rabal, Roberts, WI; 2.) Steve Johnson, Cameron, WI; 3.) Corey Brown, Eau Galle, WI Junior III: 1.) Erica Bear, Roberts, WI; 2.) Kelsey Swenson, Luck, WI; 3.) Davey Hoskin, St. Michaels, MN Stock Super Heavy: 1.) Scott Goettl, Chippewa Falls, WI; 2.) Gordy Foizie, Fridley, MN; 3.) Chester Atkinson, Centerville Limited Modifieds: 1.) Butch Nelson, Stacy, MN; 2.) Jordan Anderson, Lindstrom, MN; 3.) Will Scheeler, Coon Rapids, MN