Jamestown Speedway victories to Jacobson, Ost, Gartner, Greseth and Wiest

Jamestown Speedway held action on Saturday night as part of July 4, with a fireworks show set after the races.

If you read this blog, you know I can’t stand longer-than-necessary race programs. But to be fair I need recognize when shows are done in a quick time, too – and Jamestown was done in less than three hours on Saturday, a great job by track officials and drivers. And it set up perfect for the folks who were driving up to the fairgrounds to check out the fireworks (I’d advise some of them to come and check out a race at Jamestown sometime, too.).

It’s a big week for Jamestown with three racing programs in eight days, including the finale of the Dakota Classic Modified Tour on July 10.  88 cars were on hand on a sunny but very warm summer night, led by 23 Bombers.  Saturday’s track was smooth as glass and dry slick from top to bottom, and I suspect it will be that way for the tour race upcoming, too.

Twenty-two of the Bombers took the green for the feature, and well, to borrow the words of announcer Jon Breckel, there was carnage.

I missed the start of the race but as I was walking in the pit area three cars were already in the pits with damage.  Two cars, Brett Wilkinson of Jamestown and Bradley Stoppleworth of Jamestown, had flat tires and damage and ended up with DNF, even after going to the pits and getting their tire changed.

The cautions plagued the race early, but Joe Jacobson of Jamestown led Lane Stoppleworth of Buchanan with Travis Edinger of Jamestown in third and Billy Carow of Jamestown fourth.  This turned into a four car breakaway. Lane Stoppleworth was all over Jacobson while Carow had grabbed third with seven to go. That group was well ahead of fifth-place Matthew Stoppleworth of Ypsilanti.

Carow moved into second past Stoppleworth, who was still well in the hunt, with Edinger right on their heels. Matthew Stoppleworth faded out of the top five and Gavin Edinger of Jamestown would move into fifth.

The top four stayed close until the end, and while Carow took several looks underneath Jacobson, he couldn’t complete a pass. Jacobson survived all the challenges from Lane Stoppleworth and Carow to pick up his first win of the year. Carow settled for second with Stoppleworth third, Travis Edinger ran a solid fourth and Gavin Edinger ran well to take fifth. After the four early cations the race went nonstop over the final 15 laps but only eight of the 22 Bombers finished.

One other note Janessa Kapp avoided the cautions and early melees to go from 12th to sixth. Sometimes it’s about missing the trouble ahead of you and just running a clean race.

Ryan Ost of Adrian grabbed the lead over Kyle Anderson of Jamestown in the Wissota Midwest Mod feature – and turned the race into a complete thrashing of the field. 

Landyn Randt of Siren, Wis., soon pressured Anderson for second and grabbed the spot on the third lap. Arin Beyer of Jamestown was working on Anderson for third while Brennon Weight of LaMoure, who recently won the big $10,000 prize out in Sheridan , Wyo., was fifth but Jaren Wibstad of Jamestown stayed close.

Ost was running away, pushing the lead to 5.8 seconds as he encountered lapped cars. Randt was comfortably in second as Anderson and Beyer raced hard for third. Wibstad had climbed into the top five.

There was no catching Ost on this night, as he demolished the field by a seven-second margin in the caution-free race.  Randt, who won Friday at I-94, was second. Beyer made a late pass of Anderson for third to cap off a good run with Wibstad a solid finisher in fifth. There were 18 B mods and zero cautions. Some nights that class makes me pull my hair out with cautions but deserve credit when they do well like on Saturday.

Scott Gartner of Jamestown got a great start at the beginning of the IMCA Modified feature and quickly moved from fifth into the lead as pole sitter Corey Wegner slid back. Zack Nord of Enderlin, the outside pole car, settled into second and soon was working the outside of Gartner.  The ageless Johnny C., John Corell of Jamestown, moved to third with Andrew Kapp in fourth and Jacoby Traut in fifth.

Gartner cleared Nord and built a two-second lead on Nord, who was working to keep Corell at bay. The 25-lap race went without a caution until there were eight laps to go when Dwight Wegner went sliding off turns one and two. Jacoby Traut was in fifth as Gartner pushed the lead to two seconds. Corell stayed close to Nord with Kapp and Traur staying in their sports.

Dwight Wegner of Jamestown went sliding off of turn two to bring out the first yellow with eight to go.  Corell snuck into second on the restart and challenged Gartner as Traut pressured Nord for third. John Nord of Enderlin had climbed to fifth,Gartner built a one second lead on Corell and rolled to the win with a very good, smooth performance at the front. Corell settled for second but made a good move from eighth.

Zack Nord’s luck went south late with a flat right rear, dropping him out of the top 10. Traut ran well all night and took third with John Nord fourth and Kapp taking fifth. Clint Hatlestad of Glencoe, who is headed on the Dakota Classic Mod Tour this week, was in attendance at Jamestown and went from 16^th to seventh.

The top two drivers in the Wissota Street Stock national points – Levi Randt of Siren and Cole Greseth of Harwood – were in attendance. Greseth redrew the pole for the feature with Kasey Ussatis of Nome on the outside. Greseth would take the lead from the outset.

Scott Bintz of Jamestown was third and Tyler Schrenk of Ypsilanti was running fourth but had the calvary behind him including Levi Randt.  Randt was all over Schrenk, but Tony Smith of Jamestown was right on Randt’s bumper for fifth. Greseth built a one second lead on Ussatis but the best racing was for fourth between Schrenk, Randt and Smith. Soon Dustin Erickson of Jamestown joined that battle.

However, the close racing led to some contact in turns three and four, and sent Smith’s #1 spinning.. The caution was called on Schrenk and Smith got his spot back in the top five. On the restart Randt took third from Bintz as Ussatis looked to find a way around Greseth as the race locked down on the bottom line.

 The race for second got tense between Ussatis and Randt with some contact, but nothing further came from that as the race continued. Just hard racing, and neither got wrecked. Smith had pressure from Erickson for fifth.

Greseth’s tremendous season continued as he earned win #17 by .702 seconds over Ussatis, who survived the battle with Randt for second. Bintz ran a good consistent race in fourth while Smith outlasted Erickson for fifth.

A smaller-than-usual INEX Legends feature was on hand but it was a very competitive race. Austin Wiest emerged as the leader but was chased by Preston Martin of Lincoln and Donavin Wiest of Wishek. Beaux Miller was in fourth and Jamestown’s Ryan Erdahl was running fifth.

Wiest’s lead stood at just .191 seconds over Martin who was trying to fight Donavin Wiest off for the second slot. Erdahl was all over Miller for the fourth spot.

With six to go Martin would slide back, moving Donavin Wiest, Miller and Erdahl up a spot.  Austin Wiest built a slight .3 second advantage with three laps to go and would go on to a .460 win over Donavin Wiest. Miller was third, while Martin got around Erdahl for fourth.

Jamestown notes

--I want to say one thing about the Bomber class at Jamestown. The class is unsanctioned at Jamestown (and at Sheyenne and Wishek), as I believe it should be. Many of the cars are battle-worn with some dents. Truth is, that is what the class should be – a sort of run-what-you-brung feel. Jamestown usually gets 20 Bombers a week (or more) in large part because they haven’t sanctioned the class and have not messed much with the rules. Many of the cars are beat up and have been raced for years – but are an affordable option for local drivers and honestly, they look like fun to race.  10 of the 22 starters on Saturday were from Jamestown. IMO, IMCA’s Hobby Stock class has turned into a slightly-less version of the Stock Cars while Wissota’s Pure Stock class isn’t exactly thriving with numbers.

--Ashley Wampler of Hecla is having miserable luck in her Wissota Street Stock. She’s been collected in two crashes in back to back weeks at Sheyenne Speedway (neither of her doing), and on Saturday night her drive shaft blew up just before the start of the feature.

--Aubrie Edinger of Jamestown on the Slingshot feature.

--There were a few IMCA Modified drivers on hand from out of the area who will be racing the Dakota Classic Modified Tour this week. That included Hatlestad; Colton See of Chilton, Wis., who went from 11^th to sixth; two-time defending Dakota tour champion Ethan Braaksma of Newton, Iowa and Justin O’Brien of West Union, Iowa, who is the builder of Rage Chassis.  Braaksma and O’Brien elected not to start the feature. The Dakota Classic Tour kicks off Sunday in Minot.

Viking victors: Rohner, Vogel, Froemming, Serbus, Schafer and Muzik

Jeff Rohner of Willmar won the Wissota Hornet feature Saturday night at Viking Speedway in Alexandria. Zander Zuehlsdorff of Fergus Falls was second, Eli Green of Osakis third, Christian Kast of Fairmount fourth and Chase Golliet of Fargo fifth.

The Wolverine Justin Vogel claimed the Wissota Street Stock feature over Jim Gullikson of Nowthen. Mark Blom of Glenwood was third, Joe Martin of Willmar fourth and Coltyn Schuler of Montevideo fifth.

Justin Froemming of Garfield was the winner of the Wissota Modified feature for his first win of 2026. Dusty Bitzan of Evansville was second, Brady Gerdes of Villard third, Talan Thoennes of Nelson fourth and Travis Saurer of Elizabeth fifth.

Trevor Serbus of Olivia won the Diamond Series Winged Sprints feature with Jack Berger of Lake Elmo second. Owen Carlson of Somerset was third. Cam Schafer of Little Canada won the Diamond Series Traditional Sprints feature over Glen Saville. Chris Lewis of Grand Rapids was third.

Buzz Muzik won the Wissota Midwest Modified feature from the inside pole. Tyler Bitzan of Brandon was second, last week’s winner Shawn Olson of Alexandria third, Alan Oeltjen of Villard fourth and Chance Kodet of Becker was fifth.

Saturday notes

Jory Berg of Grand Forks won the Wissota Midwest Modified feature Saturday night at Greenbush Race Park. Brody Kraft of Devils Lake was second and Justin Olson of Thief River Falls was third.  Jeremy Gust of Strathcona beat John Halvorson of Warren for the Wissota Street Stock feature while Aaron Holtan of Newfolden won the Wissota Modified feature.