Viking Speedway in Alexandria had the free grandstand night sponsored by NAPA stores, and a nice crowd turned out with 67 cars on hand.
Viking was down a few modifieds as three regulars were out following the Moonshine Mod Tour in South Dakota, but still had a solid 14-car field.
I am of the school of thought that on free grandstand nights, you are under a little extra pressure to run a good, efficient show. Many of the people in the stands aren’t regulars or maybe are at their first-ever race and frankly came because they got in free – so it’s a chance to make an impression on them, and maybe they will come back another time if they are impressed. I’ll tell you this – wrapping up your show at 9:08 p.m. (about 2 hours and 38 minutes) is a heck of a way to make a good impression. Nice work by Viking officials and drivers.
The story of the night is two young drivers breaking into the win column for the first time. And that started in the Wissota Midwest Modified class.
Two drivers looking for their first career win – Jon Carlson of Brandon and Tanner Bitzan of Brandon – led the Wissota Midwest Modified field to green. Bitzan took the lead. Haley Lee of Starbuck, coming off of a win Thursday at KRA Speedway, settled into second.
Ron Saurer of Dalton, age 70, moved into third ahead of former Viking champion Shawn Olson of Alexandria.
Bitzan had a 1.081 second lead on Lee with seven to go. Saurer was comfortably in third. Point leader Travis Engebretson of Cyrus slid past Olson for fourth. Olson faced pressure from Buzz Muzik of Alexandria and Corey Storck of Morris.
Tanner Bitzan steadily opened up the lead to 1.667 seconds by the checkered to pick up his first career win. He led the entire way. Lee finished a soli second with Saurer in third. Engebretson and Olson rounded out the top five in a caution-free race.
It’s been quite a turnaround for Bitzan; he ended up on his roof outside turn four on opening night, and now about a month later has his first career win.
Kyle Howland of Zimmerman had the pole but had mechanical trouble on the first lap and stalled on the front stretch and left on the hook.
Davey Kruchten of Glenwood, last week’s winner at Viking, took the lead on the restart but faced some heavy pressure from the 34Jr of Kolton Brauer of Eyota. Multi-time Viking track champion Ryan Satter of Dent moved into third. The long-time veteran Scott Horn of Deer Creek moved into fourth ahead of Thomas Worth of Milaca.
Brauer and Kruchten raced side-by-side for the lead as Satter was slowly reeling those two in. The caution would wave with six to go for a spin in turn one.
Satter made his move on the restart and went for a big slider and made it stick – sliding all the way to the top of turn four -- to take over the lead with Brauer dropping to third. Another caution would wave with five to go.
Satter knows Viking as well as anyone and I’m thinking that experience paid off, particularly on the restart where he took the lead. He would open a few car lengths on Brauer who got by Krutchen for second.
Dominick Platow was running very well – he started 16th -- and moved into the top four with Nitro Jimmy Williams of DeGraff, a three-time Viking champion, running in fifth.
Satter would go on to win by .977 seconds over Brauer. Krutchen crossed the line third but was disqualified post-race. That moved Platow into third at the finish with Williams finishing fourth and Horn taking fifth.
It’s been an interesting season for Nic Hiles of Miltona in the Short Trackers. First, he has the most unique number of any car on the track – H2O – on a multi-colored car. He’s been fast this season but has two DNFs, including one night when he landed in the trees off of turn three. But Saturday would be a breakthrough night for him.
Nine cars started the feature with Austin Raths of Donnelly and Brandon Fuchs of Long Prairie leading the group.
Hiles started third and the race turned into a battle between him and multi-time Viking winner Kole Kampsen of Belgrade. In fact it literally went down to the wire.
Hiles would pick up his first career win by .136 seconds over Kampsen. Jeff Rohner of Willmar was third, Joe Martin of Willmar fourth and Tristan Raths of Donnelly took fifth. Kampsen is the season points leader at Viking.
Bailey Rosch, the hockey goalie from Alexandria, took the lead from the green in the Wissota Super Stock feature. Veteran Bryan Hellerman of Parkers Prairie would battle with Karter Reents of Glenwood challenging him. Matt Miller of Glenwood, last week’s winner, was on the move into fourth ahead of defending track champion Trevor Saurer of Dalton.
Rosch opened a big lead, 2.5 seconds, over second. Hellerman was facing a ton of pressure from Miller and Reents for second. Miller was making the 13 car work well up high. That battle was exactly what Rosch wanted to see as he extended the lead to 2.8 seconds.
The battle for second was a dandy as Miller, Hellerman and REents running three-wide.
The last thing Rosch wanted to see was a caution – and it happened with four to go as Carson Miller, who picked up a win earlier this season, and Travis Vanderby of St. Paul Park were sitting in turn four. Carson Miller would pull pitside.
Rosch kept the 28 car on the bottom as Miller and Reents battled for second with Saurer lurking behind. Travis Scott of Montevideo was working on Hellerman for fith.
Reents was trying to close the gap on Rosch but was behind by about a second. Rosch would pick up his second career win by .917 seconds with Reents a strong second. Miller settled for third with Sauer and Travis Scott rounding out the top five.
Rosch is the fifth different winner in five nights in the supers at Viking as the parity in the class continues.
Danny Bayer of Elrosa led Brett Hoium of Villard early in the Wissota Mod feature. Dusty Bitzan of Brandon moved into third.
Josh Thoennes of Nelson settled into fourth while Jason Thoennes of Brandon and Brendan Blascyk of Hoffman battled for fifth.
Bitzan stuck the 10X car to the bottom and would pass Hoium, and got a big surge out of turn two to pass Bayer for the lead. Josh Thoennes went to work on Hoium for third as the top two opened up some distance. Bayer meanwhile found something up high and was closing quickly on Bitzan, cutting the lead quickly. With 10 to go Bayer inched ahead at the line and would take over the top spot.
The top line proved to be the place to be for the mods as the top five all went to the top.
Bayer was very fast, and opened a 2.244 second lead on Bitzan with five to go. The top five were pretty spread out at that point. Bayer effectively passed some lapped cars without issue as he maintained a comfortable 2.7 second lead.
Bayer would pick up the win in convincing fashion with Bitzan taking a strong second. Hoium ran a soldi third with Josh Thoennes taking fourth and Jason Thoennes ending up in fifth.
Saturday Notes
--Joseph Thomas of Fargo topped Justin Froemming of Garfield for the Moonshine Mod Tour win at Miller Speedway in South Dakota. Brady Gerdes of Villard was third. So far, the three winners on the tour are Tyler Peterson (Sheyenne), Travis Saurer (Brown County) and Thomas.
--Trey Hess of Grand Forks won the Wissota Street Stock feature Saturday at Devils Lake Speedway. Tucker Pederson of East Grand Forks was second and Seth Klostreich of Grand Forks was third.
Jory Berg of Grand Forks was the winner in the Wissota Midwest Modified class over Logan Salazar of Neche. John Seng of Grand Forks won the Wissota Late Model feature over Dustin Strand of East Grand Forks.
--Some tracks did not race this weekend – Greenbush Race Park, Madison Speedway and Ogilvie Raceway. Viking Speedway is off next weekend.
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