Madison Speedway wins to Flaten (twice), Hedtke, Gilbertson, Tjaden, VanDerostyne and Tourville

I decided for the old-time’s sake to cover Madison Speedway remotely on Saturday. As folks who read the blog know, that is the track I grew up going to as a kid and there are tons of memories for me there.

It was the Alt Arneson Memorial at Madison on Saturday. Alt Arneson was the flag man at Madison in the 1980s when I was growing up. He had to handle some real characters at that track in those days, but I always remember him as a fair-minded flagman there.

With Meet the Drivers Night and Kids Night at the same time, and the Vintage Cars on hand figured to be a late night in Madison and indeed it was. And I’ll be honest, in all my years of going to Madison, there has never been a ton of urgency there, and I am not a fan of running seven classes weekly, but I won't belabor that point.

After the meet the drivers and intermission, it seemed like turns three and four were a little slick, and that led to rocky start to the Pure Stock main event.  Polesitter Ian Tjaden spun in turns three and four on the opening lap to bring out the caution, and the Pure Stocks didn’t make it to the green on the second start attempt as Olmscheid spun. The third attempt saw Ron Hawkinson spin in turn three. Unfortunately, the cautions were a trend.

Justin Erp, the winner Friday at Fiesta City, took the lead over Dawson driver Tad Peterson.  Ashton Martin, who started ninth, was on the move and grabbed the third spot from VanOverbeke and Jesse Timm of Wood Lake were in a good fight for the fourth spot before Timm moved into the top four.

Peterson was closing on Erp, as was Martin. Timm was also making up ground on the top three, who had broken away from the field. The fourth caution of the race came out when Tayden Frericks went around in turn four. Moments later, Erp, trying to fend off a challenge from Martin, was the latest victim of turn four as he spun, sending him to the rear.

Peterson would inherit the lead; he did not get a good restart (it looked like that could have been jumped, I don’t know the Madison restart rules), and Martin would take the lead.  Tjaden, who had gone to the rear early in the race, made a big-time comeback through the field, and he would pass Martin for the lead.  There was another caution for a spin, and by that time I had lost track of how many cautions there were.

Leighton Frericks, the youngest driver in the class, took a hard hit into the wall on the frontstretch, damaging his 00 severely. He was checked out in the ambulance, but at that point track officials called the race, a move I agreed with.

Tjaden won, capping off a huge mmove through the field after being charged with an early caution. Peterson was second, Timm third, Hagen fourth and Jason Best of Clarkfield finished fifth after starting 10^th.

It was a rough night for the Pure Stocks with cautions, no doubt about it, and that was frustrating. But I have less of a problem with the cautions in that class – four of the drivers are 15 and younger, and some others are relative newcomers to racing. But that is the class young drivers should be learning in at most tracks, and there will be nights like that.

Keith Tourville redrawing the pole is a bad sign for the field, and he stormed out to a massive lead over Chris Behrens. The car on the move was Mike Jans of Clarkfield, who won the DRC Street Stock Tour race earlier this month at Madison, would climb up into the second spot. Coltyn Schuler, one of the most improved drivers in that region, climbed to third. Devan Schultz was running fifth.

Tourville was in his own area code on this night, building a lead of more than seven seconds. Schuler had made a move on Jans for second with about five to go

The first caution of the race came out with four to go as Doug Sik’s 98 stalled with a flat tire on the top of turn four. That erased a 7.3 second lead for Tourville, who entered the night with an incredible 23 wins in 28 starts.

Tourville reassumed  control at the front building a couple of car lengths on Schuler. Devan Schulz got around Jans for third as the 25 car slid back. Tourville won by .587 seconds with Schuler capping off a heck of a run from 11^th taking second. Schultz was third, Behrens fourth and Jans fifth. There was only one caution, which was welcome after the caution-plagued Pure Stock feature.

The long-time veteran Scott Tofte of Madison – the only driver still racing from when I attended as a youth back in the day – took the lead of the Wissota Midwest Modified feature. Tim Kanten of Milan was second, Darren Engesser of Gary moved into third with Ryan Flaten of Madison climbing to third. Michelle Hutt of Boyd started strong, climbing into the top five.

Sophie Anderson’s 82Jr. spun in turn four to bring out the first yellow with 13 to go.  Tofte resumed the lead with Flaten battling Kanten for second. Tommy Nichols of Watertown moved into fifth.

Tofte’s lead grew to more than a second as Flaten and Kanten had a good side-by-side race for second.  Justin Bjorklund had climbed into the top five.  The caution came out for Celeste Jenkins spun in what was a troublespot – turn three and four. Jenkins, a former Hornet driver getting her feet wet in the Midwest Modifieds,  would get pushed to the pits, ending her night.

Flaten, who has been the fastest car in that region all year, took a shot on the outside of Tofte on the restart, but it was Kanten who was making the bottom lane stick, and he took the lead with four to go. Jacobson spun to bring out the third caution.

It turned into a great fight to the finish between Kanten and Flaten, who was  riding the highside. He gained the advantage on the final lap and won by .301 seconds over Kanten as those two veterans put on a great display of clean racing. Nichols had climbed to third to cap off a good run. Tofte, undone by the late restarts, was fourth and Bjorklund finished fifth.

Veteran Jay Hedtke of Grove City was the leader of the Wissota Super Stock feature with Colsten Schultz passing Josh Roggatz for second.

The first caution flew for Jayden Friauf’s spin with 13 to go.  After another spin on the restart which led to two more cautions without a lap being completed.

Jay Hedtke faced pressure from his son Andrew Hedtke with Schulz in third and Dustin Zieske in the fourth spot.  Shawn Fernkes was one of the few supers to venture up to the high side but wasn’t making a lot of headway through the field.

Jay Hedtke opened 3-4 car lengths on Andrew Hedtke and was in control over the final laps to pick up the win, his first of 2026 and his first since 2022 (according to MRP). Andrew Hedtke, who started eighth, was second, Colsten Schultz was third, Zieske fourth and Brayden Hedtke fifth.

One note on Jay Hedtke -- he was racing a Wissota Street Stock more than two decades ago when I announced at Grove Creek.

Nate Heinrich of Bellingham and Superman Mike Stearns of Aberdeen fought for the early lead of the Wissota Modified feature  with Stearns gaining the early advantage on the outside. Austin Chyba of Alexandria was in third but Jacob Knapper was in pursuit of him. Brian Haben of Appleton settled into fifth.

Stearns, who won a thriller at River Cities on Friday, was in control at the front as the top five got spread out. Tyler Kaeter was working to close on Haben in fifth as Knapper continued to pressure Chyba.

Stearns built a half-straightaway advantage on Heinrich as the bottom lane was the place to go. Knapper made the move for third on Chyba with three to go, with Flaten soon following into fourth.

However, what looked like another win for Stearns was spoiled when he suffered a right-rear flat with just two to go.

It was Flaten who capitalized on the final restart to get around Heinrich and would pick up the victory, which was his second of the night. Haben made a late move into third with Knapper fourth and Kaeter in fifth.

Blake Swenson of Watertown established a good lead early as Kris Wilke of Porter with young Parker Gilbertson of Watson charging into third. Jeff Nelson of Perham and there were 3-4 cars fighting for fifth, including Gen X series point leader Trevor Walsh, who won Friday at I-94.

Gilbertson cleared Wilke and set his sights on Swenson; Swenson slowed briefly and Gilbertson went to the outside and took the lead.  Nelson was getting challenged by Walsh for the third spot, and Walsh would grab the spot.

The caution flew for Swenson, who tagged the wall in turn two and suffered a right-front flat.  Gilbertson dominated after the final restart to pick up the win. Walsh won a hard-fought battle with Nelson for second with Jarrett Huus of Fergus Falls in fourth and Bodie Croninger of Watertown in fifth.

The Wissota Hornets didn’t make it a lap on their first with Jerik Stabler of Mitchell moving out front. Adam VanDerostyne of Canby moved into second with Dylan Tirrel running third. It was a three-car breakaway at the front.

Thomas Kruger of Clara City was alone in fourth as Paxton Tjaden and Brett Moffenbier were in a battle for second.

VanDerostyne was all over Stabler but had to try and contend with Tirrel. Tjaden would grab the fifth spot as Moffenbier pulled off with a problem.

I don’t think Stabler’s lead was every more than 1-2 car lengths, and lapped traffic soon factored in. VanDerostyne took a shot on the outside but couldn’t make the pass, and Tirrell would take advantage and grab second.  Stabler held off Tirrel in a thriller with VanDerostyne right there in third.

However, in postrace, both Stabler and Tirrell were DQed, giving VanDerostyne the win over Thomas Kruger. Tjaden was third, Dalton Haag of Dawson was fourth and Jesse Lindner of Watertown was fifth.

Jake Smith repeats as Carpenter Memorial champ at Jamestown

 Jake Smith of St. Joseph repeated as the champion of the Jeff Carpenter Memorial Saturday night at Jamestown Speedway. Smith took home more than $2,000 for winning the Wissota Midwest Modified main event.

Lucas Rodin of Marion was second, Jaren Wibstad of Jamestown was third, Arin Beyer of Jamestown was fourth and Kyle Anderson of Jamestown.

Preston Martin of Lincoln won the INEX Legends main event with Andrew Bargmann of Bismarck in second. Ty Olson of Mandan was third, Colton Miller of Bismarck was fourth and Bryce Barnhardt of Washburn was fifth.

Brody Michaelsohn of Wishek won the Bomber feature with Joe Jacobson of Jamestown in second. Billy Carow of Jamestown was third, Ryker Vetter of Wishek fourth and Nathan Mundahl of Bismarck fifth.

Cole Greseth of harwood topped Jodie Michaelsohn of Aberdeen for the Wissota Street Stock win. Dustin Erickson of Jamestown was third, Bob Banish Jr. of Milnor was fourth and Adam Dehne of Medina was fifth.

Eric Edwards of Edgeley won the IMCA Modified feature with Travis Traut of Jamestown second. Scott Gartner of Jamestown was third, Zack Nord of Enderlin fourth and John Nord of Enderlin was fifth.

Viking winners: Olson, Dykhoff, Dittman, Saurer and Froemming

Shawn Olson of Alexandria topped Buzz Musik of Brandon to win a thrilling Wissota Midwest Modified feature Saturday night at Viking Speedway. Corey Storck of Dilworth was third, Tyler Bitzan of Brandon fourth and Aaron Blacklance of Thief River Falls was fifth.

Kyle Dykhoff of Starbuck won the Wissota Street Stock feature. Finishing second was Mark Blom of Glenwood with Kegan Stueve of Greenwald third, Joe Martin of Willmar fourth and J. J. Nieuwbeerta of Alexandria fifth.

Matthew Dittman was victorious in the Wissota Hornets. Adam Throener of Swanville was second, Eli Green of Osakis third, Karter Kunz of Burtrum fourth and Chase Golliet of Fargo was fifth.

Trevor Saurer of Dalton captured the victory in the Wissota Super Stock feature. Bailey Rosch of Alexandria was second, Carson Miller of Lester Prairie was third, Jeff Crouse of Alexandria fourth and Karter Reents of Villard fifth.

Justin Froemming of Garfield won the Wissota Modified feature for a second straight week. Dusty Bitzan of Evansville was second, Brendan Blascyk of Hoffman third, Travis Saurer of Elizabeth fourth and Taylor Bitzan of Brandon fifth.