I made it out to Buffalo River Speedway in Glyndon for the NLRA Late Model show. The weather was the story, unfortunately, but folks at BRS worked very, very hard to get the show in.
To say Sunday was a promoter’s nightmare is an understatement. It rained earlier in the day, not enough to force a cancellation but enough to make a mess. The humidity, combined with a lack of sun, left the track plenty moist. Racing started around 6:30 as several cars were on the track to help pack.
And then, after the first lightning sprint heat, a rain shower came in to add another delay to the evening. It wasn’t a heavy rainfall by any means but enough to be a giant pain in the ass. It led to a very tacky racetrack to say the least. I admire the persistence of the BRS folks to get the show in a lot of tracks would have said heck with it.
There were 19 late models on hand for the NLRA Show, including nine of the top 10 in the series points. Also on hand was veteran John Kaanta of Elk Mound, one of the all-time greats in Wissota Late Models and multi-time challenge series champion.
I was curious how the NLRA Late Model race would go on a tacky, fast track. You had a couple of really good cars pull in during the heat race — Shane Edginton and Mike Greseth — who had to start at the tail.
Cole Babcock of Rothsay and John Seng of Grand Forks had the front row. The first start was waved off as there was nearly a multi-car pileup on the frontstretch.
Babcock looked like he had a run on the outside but slid high and that gave John Seng the lead. Cole Schill of Hawley moved into second ahead of Jeff Hapala of West Fargo.
John Seng — looking for his first win in the late models — looked strong early.
Meanwhile, Greseth, the series points leader and defending champion, was moving up on the field after starting 16th. He was into the top eight four laps into the race.
ON the restart John Seng stayed in front with Schill in second and Hapala
Seng pushed up high in turn two and that opened the door for Schill to take over the lead with 17 to go. Once front, Schill took off to a commanding lead, that would grow to 7.4 seconds.
Contact between Jesse Teunis of Lockport, Man., and Babcock brought out the caution with four to go as Schill was encountering heavy lapped traffic. Gone was his more than seven seconds lead, but also ensured him clean air for the final four lpaps.
Brody Troftgruben of Grand Forks, who was second in the NLRA points entering the night, was running in eighth at the point but suffered a right-rear flat. Troftgruben won in convincing fashion on Friday at River Cities Speedway but Sunday was a costly night in the points for the #14.
Schill’s 44 was an absolute bullet on this night. He surged out to the lead on the restart. Hapala, meanwhile had moved into second past Seng, who slid high. Long-time Red River Valley veteran Mitch Johnson of Horace had ran in the top five all night, and he would work past Seng for third.
Schill would go on to win for his fifth career NLRA win, opening up a 2.248 win over Hapala, who finished a season-best. I’m happy for a guy like Hapala, who isn’t one of the big-budget teams locally, who had a solid finish. Johnson drove a smart, savvy race and finished third.
Former NLRA champion Brad Seng of Grand Forks, who also ran in the top five much of the night, was fourth. Greseth avoided trouble as he worked through the field and finished fifth, and gained some ground on Troftgruben in the series points. Only eight of the 19 starters finished.
Things went three-wide down the front stretch behind Scott Jacobson of Fargo in the IMCA Sport Mod feature and got a bit dicey as it looked like Brandon Ferris might spin after some contact, but he made a great save to avoid a caution.
Jacobson checked out on the field with Patrick Brejcha of Wahpeton, who has a win at Buffalo River this season, settling into second.
Rich Pavlicek of Casselton moved past Kelly Jacobson of Fargo for third. That turned into the best battle on the track, as Kelly Jacobson would retake the spot.
Scott Jacobson had a 2.774 second lead on Brejcha when the red flag came out with two to go. Skyla Miller of Harwood, a rookie in the sport mods, rolled the 9M machine in turns one and two to bring out the red flag. She was OK but the car was pretty beat up. Brejcha was sent to the tail.
And what an ending it turned out to be. Pavlicek made a big charge on Jacobson down the frontstretch on the final lap, and came within inches of the win. Jacobson would hold on for the thrilling win.Kelly Jacobson was third, Brejcha was fourth and Ferris was fifth.
It was quite a weekend for Pavlicek. The Pavlicek team traveled to Worthington, Minn., on Saturday. Because of a rain delay, the racing program got started at 9:45 p.m. so it was a late night for the #17 team.
The INEX Legends feature was the best feature I’ve seen in the class all season at any area track.
Ashton Spieker of Sabin took the lead at the green of the INEX Legends feature but a three-car pileup in turns one and two negated that start.
On the restart, Hendrickson got a big run on the outside to pass Spieker for the lead, but quickly it turned into a three-car battle as Alex Braseth of Ulen joined.
They ran three-wide at times as Hendrickson led for a lap, and Spieker would take the top spot. Soon, Ryan Braseth of Ulen joined the battle and would move into second and set his sights on Spieker.
Track champion Tye Wilke of Detroit Lakes — who started dead last on the field — was flying through the field. He moved into the top five and soon was into third and was charging towards the top two on the high side.
Wilke was putting on some kind of show, and went to the outside, setting up a three-wide grouping down the back straightaway with two laps left.
Wilke would take the lead, but Ryan Braseth wasn’t finished. He made a run on the low side of turn two and took the lead briefly on the final lap. Wilke, though had a huge run on the high side out of corner four and pulled away at the finish line for the win.
Spieker was third, Alex Braseth was fourth and Hendrickson was fifth.
Ten POWRi Minn-Kota Lightning Sprints took the green, with Kate Taves of Detroit Lakes taking the early lead. Alex Truscinski of Greenbush would make the every move to the top spot.
The lightning sprints were flying around the quarter-mile, Alex Truscinski ran some very quick laps as he opened up a 2.540 second lead on Taves by the checkered. Taves tied a career-best finish in second with Alan Truscinski of Greenbush in third. Taves, by the way, is going to get a lightning sprint feature win soon, she has been running well.
Dexter Dvergsten of Greenbush started 10th on the field but had made a nice run through traffic, taking fourth. Dylan Langevin of Thief River Falls would cross the line in fifth, but was disqualified post-race, giving the fifth spot to Jake Haugeberg of West Fargo.
Chad Visser of Ironton was the early leader in the IMCA Hobby Stock feature, but Randy Randall of Park Rapids was quick to challenge. Randall would take over the lead but Visser by no means was through.
Veteran Brad Orvedal of Fargo had moved into third. Caleb Gardner of Glyndon and Tyler Hehn of Fargo had a nice battle for fourth.
The caution waved with five to go to set up a shootout to the finish. Randall’s 49 got sideways in turn four — it looked like a right-rear tire down — and Marv Priem of Glyndon had nowhere to go and hit the #49 hard.
That moved Orvedal into second and Gardner into third the final restart. Visser got a great start to pull away from Orvedal. Hehn was into third as Garnder continued to battle for that spot.
Visser wasn’t challenged the rest of the way to pick up the win — the first of his career — with Orvedal a solid second. Gardner got by Hehn for third with Todd Gettel of Mahnomen running a solid fifth.
Track Champions Crowned at Sheyenne
Sheyenne Speedway in Lisbon crowned its season champions Sunday night.
Tempest Trone of Litchville wrapped up the 2022 Mini Stock championship with a feature win over Mason Bogart of Milnor. Leyton Thompson of Lisbon was third, Weston Clauson of Kathryn fourth and Hunter Goulet of Fargo fifth.
Ryan Mind of Milnor won the Hobby Stock main event over Dalton Aabrekke of Lisbon. Jayden Michaelsohn of Aberdeen was third, Anthony Wendel of Enderlin fourth and Hayden Aberle of Edgeley fifth. Michaelsohn is the 2022 Hobby Stock track champion at Sheyenne.
Collin Compson of Valley City wrapped up the INEX Legends Track Championship in style with the feature win. He started seventh. Dusty Mund of Lisbon went from 13th to second while Zander Compson of Valley City was third. Zander Bauer of Gwinner went from 14th to fourth with Jeremy Myer of Gwinner rounding out the top five.
Reise Stenberg of Argusville won the Wissota Midwest Modified feature over Zach Reinke of Lisbon. Nate Reinke of Lisbon was third, Jaren Wibstad of Marion was fourth Lucas Rodin of Marion, who started 17th, was fifth. Zach Reinke is the 2022 Sheyenne points champion.
Jonny Carter of Lisbon wrapped up the season championship for a eighth straight year at Sheyenne with a feature win in the Wisstota Street Stocks. Kasey Ussatis of Nome was second, Kyle Anderson of Jamestown third, Hunter Carter of Lisbon fourth and Todd Carter of Lisbon fifth.
Peterson Wins at Casino Speedway
Tyler Peterson of Hickson won the Wissota Modified feature Sunday night at Casino Speedway in Watertown. Dale Ames of Huron was second, Jayson Good of Watertown third, Matt Gilbertson of Montevideo fourth and Joseph Thomas of Glyndon fifth.
Chad Williamson of Watertown topped Adam Brotherton of Huron for the Wissota Midwest Modified win. Lindsey Hansen of Watertown was third, Derek Rieck of Ortonville fourth and Mike Nichols of Watertown fifth.
Maria Broksieck of Goodwin topped Matt Goth of Huron for the Wissota Street Stock win. Kyle Dykhoff of Starbuck, the national point leader, was third, with Tyler Lamb of Huron was fourth and Ty Agen of Chippewa Falls, Wis., was fifth.
Carter Matthews of Clearbrook, Minn, won the Wissota Hornet feature over Justin Schelitzche of Waconia. Adam VanDerostyne of Canby was third.
Scott Ward of Watertown won the Wissota Late Model feature over David McDonald of Huron. Blake Swenson of Watertown had a good run in third with David Carlson of Huron fourth and John Kaiser of Lake Norden fifth.
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