RaceChaser was back at Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo for Friday night’s show. A good field of 88 cars was on hand as the regular divisions were joined by the POWRi Minn-Kota Lightning Sprints.
It was a good, crisp show, done in less than three hours despite having a little longer intermission for a Meet and Greet with the IMCA classes. The track was dry but smooth and produced some pretty good racing.
Matt Clark of West Fargo looked strong early in the IMCA Sport Mod feature as he was seeking his first win of 2020. He was pressured, heavily, by Chris VanMil of Barnesville, who was running about as high a line as you could without going off the track.
VanMil, interviewed above, took over the lead, but on the move was Ryan Restad of West Fargo. Restad ran a lower line and closed the gap. With four to go, a caution came out, and that set up a damn good battle over the final laps.
Restad made a charge in turns one and two with a slider -- but in a clean display of racing left VanMil room on his line in turn two. VanMil regained the lead on the backstretch and held on for the thrilling win over Restad. Rich Pavlicek of Casselton was third after starting 11th while veteran Scott Jacobson of Fargo was fourth after starting ninth. Good runs for both drivers. Clark settled for fifth.
You have to wonder what it will take to beat Austin Arneson of Fargo at these local IMCA Mod tracks. It looked like Dave Shipley of Argusville was up to the task on Friday, jumping out to the lead and setting a quick pace.
Arneson started 10th, one spot behind his brother, Casey, who along with Billy Kendall of Brainerd was also on the move.
Austin Arneson went up to the very top of the track to make ground. In fact, he was running about as high on the track as you could get, very similar to VanMil. With less than three laps to go Arneson made his move for the lead and made it stand for win #8 of the year. Shipley settled for second ahead of Casey Arneson. Kendall ran well, finishing fourth after starting 12th, while Jesse Skalicky of Fargo picked up his second top five finish of the week, taking fifth.
14-year-old Brodee Eckerdt of Grand Forks, interviewed above, drove an impressive race to pick up his second career victory in the IMCA Hobby Stock class. Marvin Priem of Moorhead set the pace early but was overtaken by veteran Brad Orvedal of Fargo, who has run well this season but is looking for his first win of 2020.
Eckerdt went to a little higher line and the #B2 machine found some speed to overtake Orvedal for the lead. It was by no means a runaway as Orvedal stayed close but Eckerdt prevailed for his second win. Orvedal was second, Tim Shiek of Fargo a solid third ahead of Prime. Tanner Engen of Detroit Lakes, who has four wins at RRVS this season, was fifth. Eckerdt, with the win, took over the season point lead from Engen by one point with Shiek just three back with one points night remaining.
Usually the IMCA Stock Cars at Red River Valley are a dogfight from start to finish. Rick Schulz of Horace, however was in his own area code on Friday. Mike Anderson of Walcott was the early leader and was overtaken briefly by stock car rookie Andrew Jochim of Glyndon. But Schulz -- using a similar line to what VanMil did in the sport mods and what Arneson would later use in the mods-- was flying. He took over the lead and simply whipped the field by more than a straightaway.
The battle was for second between Anderson and Jochim, with Todd Heinrich of Fargo and Travis Robertson of Moorhead, who won at Norman County Raceway on Thursday, joining the fray. The four-car battle was a frenzy as Schulz pulled away further.
Heinrich, also running a high line, got into second while Robertson, running down low, snuck into third. Schulz ran away with the win with Heinrich and Robertson taking second and third, respectively. Anderson was fourth and Jochim fifth.
Tye Wilke of Detroit Lakes didn't waste much time taking control in the INEX Legend feature. The Detroit Lakes teenager quickly took the lead and dominated the 9-car main event for win #18 of 2020. Brody Carlsrud of Fargo was second. Scott Richardson of Pelican Rapids was a solid third. 13-year-old Ashton Spieker of Sabin had his best career finish, taking fourth. Ryan Braseth of Ulen, who won at NCR on Thursday, was fifth. Wilke now has six RRVS victories this season.
Alex Truscinski of Greenbush pretty much wiped out the drama early in the POWRi Minn-Kota Lightning Sprints taking the lead from the green and never relinquishing it.
Jake Haugeberg of West Fargo blew a motor in spectacular fashion to bring out the red flag briefly. He was fine. Jason Berg blew a motor several weeks ago at RRVS in a similar way.
Dexter Dvergsten of Greenbush was persistent in his chase of Truscinski but it was to no avail. Truscinski, Dvergsten and Alan Truscinski were the top three. Jason Berg of West Fargo who picked up his first win of hte season at Devils Lake, was fourth with Bryce Haugeberg of West Fargo fifth.
Kelsi Pederson of East Grand Forks, who has five wins on the year and usually almost finishes in the top five, broke about midway through, ending her night. Also a shoutout to 14-year-old rookie Kate Taves of Detroit Lakes; she finished seventh after starting 11th as she keeps getting better every time out.
Blascyk, Mikkelson, Greseth, Ebert, Good and Satter Win at I-94
Brendan Blascyk of Kensington is proving to be a force at western Minnesota tracks in the Wissota Midwest Modified class. He’s won two in a row at Viking Speedway and picked up the win at I-94 Sure Step Speedway on Friday. Reise Stenberg of Argusville started 10th but finished second while Jamie Norman of Fergus Falls was third. Brock Gronwold of Fergus Falls started 15th and finished fourth while Justin Froemming of Alexandria was fifth.
Ryan Mikkelson of Alexandria out dueled Ben Wolden of Fergus Falls for the Limited Late Model win. Dustin Johanneck of Litchfield was third while Brad Staples of Herman is fourth. Larry Samuelson of Erhard was fifth.
13-year-old Cole Greseth of Harwood started 14th on the Short Tracker field and made his way to the front for the win, his second of 2020 at I-94. Matt Pederson of Lake Park was second with Randy Thompson of Lake Park third. Zach Kort of Fergus Falls was fourth and Daniel Harstad of Fergus Falls was fifth.
Dan Ebert of Lake Shore started 13th on the Wissota Late Model field but charged to the front to pick up the victory over Shawn Kirwin of Morris. Jordan Tollakson of Montevideo was third, Cole Schill of Horace fourth and Cory Tammen of Moorhead fifth.
Watertown, S.D., driver Jayson Good won the Wissota Modified feature over Don Eischens of Richmond. Landon Atkinson of Little Falls was third, Dusty Bitzan of Brandon fourth and Dennis Czech of Gilman was fifth.
Ryan Satter of Dent won the Wissota Street Stock feature over Eric Riley of Morris. Cory Dykhoff of Perham was third, Daniel Aberle of Finley, N.D., fourth and Joe Potter of Euclid fifth.
A field of 116 cars competed at I-94.
Kyle Larson, Dustin Strand Win at River Cities
Kyle Larson won the World of Outlaws Sprint feature Friday night at River Cities Speedway in West Fargo. Larson, a multi-time winner in NASCAR, topped Logan Schuchart for the win. Donny Schatz of Fargo was third.
Dustin Strand of East Grand Forks is the hottest late model around. A night after winning the NLRA Late Model show at Norman County Raceway. Strand picked up another NLRA win at River Cities on Friday.
Lance Schill of Langdon took second with Tom Corcoran of East Grand Forks third. Brad Seng of Grand Forks was fourth and Dustin Bluhm of Herman was fifth.
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