July 13, 2019 - Elko, MN
By Jason D Searcy
Chandler Smith #20 from Talking Rock (GA) won the ARCA Menards series
Menards 250 presented by MatrixCare Saturday night at Elko Speedway.
This was the 6th ARCA race in the history of Elko Speedway.
Christian Eckes #15 from Middletown (NY) was the fast timer in
qualifying and started on the General tire pole. Chandler Smith
qualified 7th on the grid and had to work his way through heavy
traffic to move up to the lead by lap 92, on lap 145 Smith slid
through oil on the track and spun bringing out a caution and putting
him to the back of the lead lap cars. Series point leader #25 Michael
Self, #18 Ty Gibbs, grandson of NASCAR team owner Joe Gibbs, and Sam
Mayer swapped the lead back and forth until Chandler Smith charged up
and took back the lead on lap 209. Smith then extended his advantage
and won by an impressive 4.147 seconds, it was his third series
victory of 2019. Ty Gibbs from Huntersville (NC) finished second, Sam
Mayer from Franklin (WI) was third, Michael Self from Salt Lake City
(UT) was fourth and NASCAR rising star Hailie Deegan #55 finished on
the lead lap in 8th place. Get more details on the race at
ARCARacing.com
ELKO local cars also raced on Saturday night, they raced 40 laps in
the premier NASCAR Late Models division sponsored by The Car Lot in
New Prague. Owin Giles #6 took an early big lead, Jacob Goede #72
from Carver (MN) diced his way through the field to move up to second
place by mid-race. With fourteen laps remaining a caution period
occurred and Giles pulled into the pits with mechanical problems
handing the lead over to five time defending Champion and fast-timer
on the night Jacob Goede. Goede then ran to the checkers and won by
1.028 seconds over #3 Chris Marek who was battling with #13 Bryan
Wrolstad who finished third, #42 Ryan Kamish was fourth and #18
Michael Ostdiek finished fifth of the 21 cars entered in the race.
Jacob Goede now has a 41 point lead over Chris Marek in the race for
the 2019 Late Model Championship.
The Genz-Ryan Thunder Cars had Rookie of the year #6 Robert Michaels
take the early lead until #75 Keith Paulsrud took over the top spot on
lap 9 of 30. Bryce Blohm #37 from Prior Lake (MN) then challenged
Paulsrud and overtook him for the lead with 9 laps remaining in the
race. Blohm beat Paulsrud to the finish line by 2.034 seconds for his
7th win of the season. Fast-timer #3 Conrad Jorgenson was third, #25
Eric Campbell fourth and #23 Steve Schultz was fifth of the 11 cars
entered in the race.
Five time ELKO Champion Conrad Jorgenson still leads in the standings
by 6 points over defending Champion Bryce Blohm in the race for the
2019 title.
The Pepsi Power stocks raced 30 hard laps and had #56 Paul Hamilton
lead early until #66 Joe Prusak took the point, then fast-timer and
defending Champion #8 Taylor Goldman charged up from her fourth row
starting spot to take the lead on lap 8 with an impressive high-side
pass. Goldman had a big lead until a caution with 6 laps to go
bunched up the field. Goldman and #08 Michael Stoer from Prior Lake
(MN) then had a furious fight for the top spot, they raced side by
side for numerous laps and had a clean drag race to the finish line.
Stoer won by just .065 seconds, it was his 2nd win of the season.
Goldman finished second, Joe Prusak third, #88 Nick Oxborough fourth
and #27 Darin Patnode fifth.
Oxborough still leads in the race for the 2019 Power Stock
Championship, he holds a 35 point advantage over Michael Stoer.
All results and points are unofficial at time of this release.
Up next at Elko Speedway is a NASCAR night sponsored by Safety Kleen
and Performance Plus motor oil Saturday night July 20th, gates open at
5pm and action begins just before 6pm. Get more information at
ElkoSpeedway.com
Elko Speedway is a NASCAR sanctioned 3/8th mile asphalt oval race
track with stadium seating located 30 minutes South of the Twin Cities
in Elko-New Market (MN).
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