September 26, 2020 - Elko, MN
By Jason D Searcy
September is now winding down and so is the Covid-19 shortened race season at Elko Speedway, Saturday night was the penultimate race of 2020. The ELKO crowd enjoyed great racing and some fans in attendance were watching in costume as they waited for Star Wars Empire Strikes Back to be played at Elko Drive-in after the races were finished.
The first 25 lap race in the Late Models, the premiere division of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts hometrack series at Elko Speedway, #17 Jon Lemke had the lead from the start, a caution happened at lap 8 and #26 Lawrence Berthiaume challenged for the top spot going side by side, Lemke then reestablished the lead on lap 12 and was fighting off the advances of #19 Michael Haggar until #3 Chris Marek from Lakeville (MN) found some speed up top and passed both Haggar and then Lemke on the high side on lap 20 and motored to the win by 0.489 seconds, it was his third win of the season at ELKO. Lemke finished second, Haggar was third, #21 Adam Bendzick fourth, #52 Chad Walen fifth and fast-timer #72 Jacob Goede was sixth.
In the second Late Model feature #26 Lawrence Berthiaume took the lead off the start then 2019 Rookie of the year #51 Justin Neisius went side by side and took the lead on lap nine. Neisius held the lead during this cautionless race until lap 22 when #72 Jacob Goede from Carver (MN) moved up from his sixth starting position to grab the top spot. Goede won the race by 0.745 seconds, it was his fifth win of the season at ELKO. Justin Neisius was second, #31 Ryan Varner was third, #13 Bryan Wrolstad fourth and #21 Adam Bendzick fifth of the 16 cars entered in the race.
Jacob Goede now has a 77 point lead over #52 Chad Walen in the race for the 2020 Late Model Championship. Chris Marek is now 85 points behind and Adam Bendzick is 99 points behind in the standings going into the final race night of the season.
The new WISSOTA Midwest Modified division at Elko Speedway has seen increasing car counts recently, on Saturday night nine cars entered the 15 lap feature event. Bryan Syer-Keske #81from Lakeville (MN) took the lead off the start and won the cautionless race by 3.899 seconds, it was his fifth feature win of 2020 at ELKO. Modified semi-feature winner #25 Eric Campbell finished second but the race of the night was for third place as #12 Matt Dickey and #96 Keith Paulsrud raced side by side nearly the entire race in these open-wheel cars, Dickey ended up beating Paulsrud by 0.307 seconds at the finish line to capture third position. Scott Marschall #5 was fifth of the nine cars entered.
Bryan Syer-Keske now has an 8 point lead over Eric Campbell in the race for the inaugural WISSOTA Modified point title at ELKO.
It was an incredible night for #37 Bryce Blohm from Prior Lake (MN) in the Thunder Car division, Blohm started off by having the fastest time in qualifying. Norm Grabinger #92 led the first few laps of the first feature before getting passed by #9 Adam Wiebusch, after a caution on lap 13 of 20 Blohm snuck past Wiebusch on the high side for the lead and held on to win by 0.829 seconds, it was his seventh win of the season at ELKO. Wiebusch was second, #3 Conrad Jorgenson third, #07 Dillon Sellner fourth and #32 Jeremy Wolff fifth of the 12 cars entered. It was the seventh win of the season for Blohm.
In the second 20 lap feature #14 Tony Holm had the early lead until #9 Adam Wiebusch challenged for the top spot at the half-way mark of the race and took the lead with an inside pass. As the laps were counting down in this cautionless race Bryce Blohm again raced up from his 8th starting position and got side by side for the top spot. Blohm and Wiebusch had an epic battle for the final five laps that ended with one of the closest finishes we have seen in quite some time. Blohm edged Wiebusch by just 0.012 seconds at the finish line to win for the 8th time in 2020 and have a clean sweep of the night. Wiebusch was second, #3 Conrad Jorgenson third, #32 Jeremy Wolff fourth and #07 Dillon Sellner fifth of the 12 Thunder Cars racing.
Bryce Blohm now leads Conrad Jorgenson by 53 points in the race for the Thunder Car Championship. Adam Wiebusch is 102 points back and Jeremy Wolff is 108 out of the lead in the standings going into the final night of racing in 2020.
The first 20 lap Power Stock feature had #66 Joe Prusak from Clayton (WI) take the lead off the start but his mirror was full of #62 Tom Doten who was pressuring Prusak lap after lap, even edging ahead of him midrace but the veteran Prusak fought back every attempt by Doten and ended up winning by 0.617 seconds during this caution-free race, it was his 6th win of 2020 at ELKO and the 204th of his long career. Tom Doten finished a strong second, #41 Ben Gannon was third, fast-timer #88 Nick Oxborough fourth and #83 Julie Jorgenson was fifth of the 12 cars entered.
The second Power Stock feature had #08 Mike Stoer take the early lead, #83 Julie Jorgenson from Lakeville (MN) got side by side with Stoer on lap seven and passed him on the high side on lap 11 of 20. Jorgenson then extended her advantage and ended up winning by 2.307 seconds, it was her fourth win of 2020 at ELKO. Mike Stoer was second, he just held off #41 Ben Gannon who finished third, #66 Joe Prusak was fourth and #88 Nick Oxborough fifth.
Nick Oxborough now leads Julie Jorgenson by 40 points, Mike Stoer and Joe Prusak are tied for third, they are 67 points behind in the race for the 2020 Power Stock Championship at Elko Speedway.
Coming into the race night two different Elko Speedway drivers were leading the National INEX point standings. Austin Jahr was leading in the Semi-pro division and Tim Brockhouse was leading in the Masters division.
The INEX sanctioned Great North Legends division first 20 lap feature had an ominous start as #43 Bruce Allen hit the wall hard on the opening start and then had fast-timer #75 Baiden Heskett and #2 Robby Thurston tangle in corner #1 after the next restart, none of those three drivers finished the race. After the chaos #3 Dirk Henry from Sauk Centre (MN) took the lead and #47 Austin Jahr was close behind, the race stayed that way throughout with Jahr challenging Henry both high and low but Henry held on for the win by 0.397 seconds, it was his first win in over three years at ELKO. Austin Jahr was second, #13 Tim Brockhouse third, #71 Jon Lemke fourth and #8 Colin Stocker fifth of the 14 cars entered.
In the second Great North Legends feature #4 Johnny Kemp had the early lead until #71 Jon Lemke took over on lap 2 of 20. Baiden Heskett #75 from Hastings (MN) fixed his car from the wreck earlier in the night to fight for the lead on lap 8, a caution occurred on lap 13. Off the restart Heskett took the lead and held back the many pass attempts from Lemke to win by 0.356 seconds for his third win of the season at ELKO. Jon Lemke finished second and there was a great battle for third as #3 Dirk Henry edged #47 Austin Jahr by 0.015 seconds, Henry was third, Jahr fourth and #13 Tim Brockhouse was fifth.
Tim Brockhouse now leads Baiden Heskett by 61 points in the race for the 2020 Elko Speedway Championship, Brockhouse has never won a point title at ELKO. Jon Lemke is 230 points behind in third and Colin Stocker is 252 behind in fourth place in the point standings going into the final night of racing at Elko Speedway.
The first INEX sanctioned Bandolero feature was marred by numerous cautions, #32 Colton Roe Pershall led lap one, #12 Ayrton Brockhouse from Shakopee (MN) took the lead on the second lap, then we saw cautions on laps 3, 5, 6 and 8 but Ayrton Brockhouse was steadfast through it all and won by 1.617 seconds, it was his 7th win of 2020 at Elko Speedway. It was very close for second place as #70 Josiah Kottschade held off #901 Alex Hartwig by 0.036 seconds at the finish line. Jackson Kottschade #07 was fourth and #13 Ayden Brockhouse finished fifth of the nine cars entered.
The second 12 lap Bando feature saw #01 Zachary Konop from Kenyon (MN) take a big lead off the start, by the half-way mark #70 Josiah Kottschade caught him and took the lead. On lap eight the #901 of Alex Hartwig and #12 of Ayrton Brockhouse spun and Brockhouse took responsibility with the gentlemans tap-out rule so Hartwig got his spot back and Brockhouse went to the back of the pack. Kottschade had the lead coming into the final lap, Hartwig pulled alongside and there was contact sending both cars offline. Zachary Konop seized this opportunity and passed both cars before crossing the finish line winning by 0.375 seconds, it was his first win of the season at ELKO. Alex Hartwig was second, Ayrton Brockhouse finished third, #07 Jackson Kottschade fourth and Josiah Kottschade regrouped for fifth.
Ayrton Brockhouse now leads Josiah Kottschade by 37 points in the race for the 2020 Bando point title at Elko Speedway. Jackson Kottschade is 123 points behind and Adam Ratliff is 155 points behind going into the final night of racing at ELKO.
All points and results are unofficial at this time
Josh Baumgartner from Litchfield (MN) put on a great show for the fans doing a Monster Truck freestyle with his truck named Mechanical Mischief.
Up next at ELKO is Championship night in all divisions with fireworks and figure 8 school bus racing on Saturday October 3rd, gates open at 5pm, action just before 6pm.
Get more information at ElkoSpeedway.com or follow Elko Speedway on social media. Elko Speedway is a NASCAR sanctioned 3/8th mile oval race track with stadium seating located 10 minutes South of Lakeville in Elko/New Market Minnesota.
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