Race Recap
July 19, 2025 - Elko, MN
By Jason D Searcy
The annual Tribute night and Eve of Destruction was Saturday night at Elko Speedway. Long-time ELKO announcer Jim Burns returned to the track for the first time in 14 years to pass along his memories of Elko Speedway and to do commentary for the NASCAR sanctioned Late Model division during their two feature events.
Chris Marek #3 from Elko (MN) won the Dwain Behrens memorial race, Behrens was a two-time Elko Speedway Champion who passed away in 1993 in a snowmobile accident. This event has been held annually since 1994. 19 cars started the 40 lap cautionless race. “We’ve been trying to get this one for a long time,” said Marek “It seems like on tribute night we could never put it together but tonight we showed up and had a fast car all day.” Marek led every lap of this extended 40 lap race, he did feel some pressure at the end though as #18 Michael Ostdiek (who is the nephew of Dwain Behrens) closed the gap and finished 1.127 seconds behind Marek at the checkers. “We got lucky with the draw, started up front and was able to hold onto the lead. I know Michael (Ostdiek) really wanted it and he was coming in the mirror, glad we did not see a late race caution,” said Marek.
Marek was the fast-qualifier of the night with a time of 14.79, he also was the winner of the main event, Ostdiek finished second, #52 Chad Walen was third, #75 Joel Thiesen fourth and #19 Jake Ryan was fifth of the 19 cars entered. This was the third win of the season for Chris Marek, for this event he was presented with the traditional clock trophy.
The first Late Model feature was the normal 25 laps and was also caution-free, that race was won by #6 Owin Giles from New Market (MN). Giles grabbed the lead off the start and never looked back, he won by 1.163 seconds, it was the second win of the season for Giles. Ryan Varner #31 finished second, #50 Steve Anderson Jr was third, followed by #14 Grant Brown and 9-time ELKO Champion #41 Donny Reuvers.
With his win Chris Marek now has a 17 point lead over Chad Walen in the race for the 2025 Late Model division Championship at Elko Speedway.
The Eternity Homes sponsored Thunder Car division raced two 20 lap feature events Saturday night at Elko Speedway.
Brent Kane #99 from Lonsdale (MN) won the first feature event. Kane started the race in 10th position of the 16 cars entered, he worked his way towards the front helped by just one caution period during the race. Ben Gannon #41 led the opening lap until #09 Matt Wiebusch took over and dominated the race until a lapped car provided the opportunity for Kane to make a daring pass for the lead just two laps before the finish. Kane made the pass around the lapped car and then held on to win by 0.662 seconds. It was the third win of the season for Kane and the 148th win of his long 26 year racing career. Wiebusch finished second, Julie Jorgenson #83 was third, #41 Ben Gannon finished fourth and #16 Jimmy Omeara was fifth.
The second NASCAR sanctioned Thunder Car feature event was marred by 5 caution periods during this 20 lap race including a green-white-checkerd finish. Taylor Goldman #8 led the first four laps until #29 Tommy Sorem of Northfield (MN) grabbed the top spot. Sorem did a masterful job on every restart and won the battle of attrition, he won by 0.402 seconds at the finish, it was his second win of the season at ELKO. Julie Jorgenson had a fast car but could not get past Sorem, she finished second place, Matt Wiebusch was third, #3 Conrad Jorgenson was fourth and #88 Jason Novak finished fifth of the 16 cars competing. Point leader Brent Kane had to pit for a flat tire during a yellow flag, he returned to the race track and finished 6th.
At the half-way point of the season Brent Kane now has a 28 point lead over Tommy Sorem in the race for the 2025 Thunder Car Championship at Elko Speedway.
The NASCAR sanctioned Power Stocks raced two 20 lap feature events during Eve of Destruction at Elko Speedway.
The first race had #18 Alexis Montour leading the first half of the race, she was then caught by 16 year old Clayton Dorner #14 from Hastings (MN). Dorner raced side by side with Montour for a couple laps and then took over the top spot on lap 11. Dorner was able to hang onto the lead, he held back the hard-charging #88 of Nick Oxborough and won by 0.184 seconds. It was the first win of the season for Dorner and the second win of his career at ELKO. 5-time Champion Oxbrough finished second, Mike Stoer #08 was third, #3 Jimmie Jorgenson was fourth and #77 Payton King was fifth of the nine cars entered.
The second Power Stock race had a couple caution periods, one for a big wreck where the #24 Donovan Michaud car ended up front first into the wall coming out of corner number two causing considerable damage. The Michaud car led the first few laps of the race before being overtaken by #3 Jimmie Jorgenson who was in a furious battle with #88 Nick Oxborough. The Jorgenson and Oxborough cars had contact while sparing for the lead, that contact resulted in both cars slowing and #08 Mike Stoer passed both of them for the lead. Stoer was able to hold onto the lead and won by 0.256 seconds, it was the second win of the season for Stoer. Nick Oxborough fought back for a second place finish, Jimmie Jorgenson was third, Clayton Dorner was fourth and #53 Matt Frye was fifth.
Mike Stoer now leads Jimmie Jorgenson by just two points in the hotly contested race for the 2025 Power Stock Championship at ELKO.
The INEX sanctioned motorcycle engine powered Legends cars raced a 20 lap feature event Saturday night during Eve of Destruction at Elko Speedway.
Fifteen year old Ayrton Brockhouse #16 from Shakopee (MN) won the main event, he took the lead from the start and never looked back, winning by 2.344 seconds in the cautionless race. Brockhouse was driving an unfamiliar #16 as a back-up car after wrecking his primary car the previous night. Tristan Swanson #64 raced up through the field to finish second place just ahead of 13 year old #22 Cam Panitzke who was third, #3 Ryan Johnson who now lives in Charlotte (NC) was fourth and second heat race winner #3 Dirk Henry finished fifth of the 14 cars entered. First heat race winner Tristan Swanson was also the fast qualifier with a time of 15.801.
This was the second feature win at ELKO in 2025 for Ayrton Brockhouse, he now leads Cam Panitzke by 6 points in the race for the Legends division Championship.
The INEX sanctioned Bandolero division for kids ages 7-15 raced a 12 lap feature event during Tribute night at Elko Speedway. Every car participated in a ceremonial lap during opening ceremonies in honor of #21 Aiden Kubiszewski and more specifically his father Brian Huttner who passed away at the age of 51 in a tragic accident one year ago. Huttner was previously named the Savage Fire Department fire fighter of the year.
Rev Heitkamp #57 led the race on the opening lap before #22 Bentley Thompson from West Salem (WI) took over the top spot and never gave it up. Thompson was able to endure three caution periods and won the race by 2.676 seconds, it was the 8th overall win of the 2025 season for Thompson but his first at Elko Speedway this year. Mason Westphal #32 finished second, Rev Heitkamp was third, first heat winner Justice Doubrava #15 finished fourth and second heat winner #27 Roman Crow was fifth of the 14 cars competing.
The Bando Beginner feature winner was 7 year old #52 Andrew Brelje from Elko (MN).
All results and points were unofficial at the time of this release, for more information go to ElkoSpeedway.com <http://elkospeedway.com> or search Elko Speedway on MyRacePass
An impressive field of Drifter cars entertained the crowd with their tandem style drifting. The next Drift Bash at Elko Speedway will be August 8-10, 2025.
Josh Baumgartner drove his new ghost body Monster Truck and crushed cars for the enthusiastic Elko Speedway Eve of Destruction crowd. Teenager Justin Ziemiecki debuted as a Monster Truck driver piloting the classic Monster Truck named Mechanical Mischief.
The evening was capped by a rollover in the popular figure 8 School Bus races.
Up next at Elko Speedway is an Eve of Destruction on Saturday August 2nd with racing in all 5 divisions of cars plus; Monster Trucks, Spectator drags, a petting zoo, Trampoline action athletes, music by Fender Bender and School bus races. Get more information and buy your tickets online at ElkoSpeedway.com <http://elkospeedway.com>
Elko Speedway is a NASCAR sanctioned high banked asphalt oval race track with stadium seating in its 60th year of operation located in Elko-New Market (MN), just 30 minutes South of the Twin Cities.
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