June 29, 2019 - Elko, MN
By Jason D Searcy
Eve of Destruction presented by Pro Kart Indoors took place Saturday
night at Elko Speedway.
The first NASCAR sanctioned Late Model feature sponsored by the Car
Lot in New Prague (MN) had 20 cars entered and they raced all 30 laps
without a caution. Adam Bendzick #21 from New Prague (MN) held the
lead early and was immediately challenged by #13 Bryan Wrolstad who
went side by side with Bendzick for 13 laps and then stayed on his
tail the entire race. It was a fantastic race to the finish with
Bendzick beating Wrolstad by just .380 seconds at the line, it was the
second win of the season for Bendzick. Chad Walen #52 finished third
followed by #75 Joe Neisius and #51 Justin Neisius. Point leader
Jacob Goede #72 was 6th and Fast Qualifier #3 Chris Marek was 11th.
No car was lapped during the entire race.
The second Late Model feature also went all 30 laps caution free and
again not one car was lapped the entire race signifying how close the
competition is at Elko Speedway. Former Legends champion Michael
Ostdiek #18 took the early lead until #26 Lawrence Berthiaume from New
Hope (MN) took the lead on lap 6. Five-time defending Late Model
Champion #72 Jacob Goede moved up from his 4th starting position to
chase down Berthiaume but never got close enough to pass him.
Berthiaume won by .618 seconds over Goede, Justin Neisius #51
continued his hot streak by finishing third, Ostdiek was fourth and #6
Owin Giles finished fifth of the twenty cars entered. It was the
first win of the season for Berthiaume and the 9th different winner
this season in the Late Model division.
Jacob Goede continues as Point leader in the Late Model division at
ELKO, he has a 31 point lead over Chris Marek.
The first 20 lap Genz-Ryan Thunder Car main event had #92 Norm
Grabinger take a early big lead, fast qualifier #3 Conrad Jorgenson
from Lakeville (MN) moved up from his fourth row starting position to
challenge for the lead on lap 8 and take the top spot on lap 9. The
#37 car of defending Champion Bryce Blohm was in the tire tracks of
Jorgenson all race following him to the front, there was a caution
with four laps to go but Jorgenson was able to hold off Blohm by .388
for the win, his fifth win of the season. Blohm finished second, #25
Eric Campbell was third, #23 Steve Schultz was fourth and Grabinger
finished fifth of the 13 cars entered.
The second Thunder Car feature had former ELKO Dirt Nationals modified
winner #56 Johnny Magnum take the early lead, Magnum held the lead
until #37 Bryce Blohm took over the top spot on lap 15 of 20. Eric
Campbell #25 passed Magnum as well and finished second, he was 1.042
seconds behind Blohm, Magnum finished third followed by #3 Conrad
Jorgenson and #23 Steve Schultz. It was the 5th win of the season for
Blohm, he and Jorgenson have won every feature so far this season at
ELKO.
Conrad Jorgenson continues to lead the Thunder Car point standings, he
is 8 points ahead of Bryce Blohm.
The first Great North Legends feature had #26 Wil McCully lead lap one
and #03 Robby Carter from Lakeville (MN) take over on lap two of
twenty. After a caution period #91 of Tristan Swanson challenged for
the top spot and took over the lead at the half-way point of the race.
Defending point champion and fast-qualifier #75 Baiden Heskett then
charged up from his 9th starting position to grab the lead coming up
to the last lap but he had open wheel contact with Swanson and both
cars spun coming to the checkers. The Heskett car turned sideways and
barrel rolled up in the air three times, landed on his roof and caught
on fire causing serious damage that ended his night of racing. The
Swanson car resumed the race at the back of the pack giving the lead
back to Robby Carter #03. Carter used his veteran smarts to hold back
#08 Cole Klein not just once but two more times on restarts and won by
.120 seconds. Klein was second, McCully third, #16 Matt Allen fourth
and #71 Jon Lemke was fifth of the 19 cars entered. It was the first
win of the season for Carter.
The second Legends feature had #91 Tristan Swanson lead until the #71
car driven by two-time ELKO Late Model Champion Jon Lemke caught him
on lap 6 and passed for the lead on lap 8 of 20. A caution with three
laps to go tightened the field but Lemke held on for the win by .228
seconds over Swanson. Cole Klein #8 was third followed by #47 Austin
Jahr and #8 former two-time Bando Champion Colin Stocker. It was the
first win of the season for Jon Lemke.
Heskett did not race in the second feature so that made #8 Cole Klein
the new point leader in the Great North Legends, he now has a 24 point
lead over Baiden Heskett.
All results and points are unofficial at time of this release.
The Eve of Destruction crowd was entertained by the Big Air ATV tour
where Adam Thene from Sartell (MN) was voted as the ELKO Fans Choice
winner. Three time X-Games Gold Medalist Colton Moore also
entertained the fans with amazing freestyle tricks.
Tim Jones from St James (MO) driving Twisted Addiction was voted by
the ELKO fans as the Monster Truck Freestyle winner.
Nate Icaza from Cannon Falls (MN) was the Spectator Drags winner
driving a 2001 Pontiac Trans-Am.
Scotty Westphal from Farmington (MN) was voted by the ELKO fans as the
Figure 8 school bus race winner. There has been three different
winners in three races so far this year at Elko Speedway.
Coming up next at Elko Speedway is another Eve of Destruction on
Saturday July 6th featuring a Huge Fireworks show, a jet powered
Semi-Truck, Drifters, Figure 8 school bus racing, Spectator drags, the
Wildman Clay Gallagher, Mega Jump BMX and NASCAR racing. Gates open
at 5pm, action at 6pm get more information at ElkoSpeedway.com
Elko Speedway is a 3/8th mile NASCAR sanctioned asphalt racetrack with
stadium seating located in Elko-New Market (MN) just 30 minutes South
of the Twin Cities.
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