Royle sweeps Twin 30’s at Elko Speedway

Lonsdale’s Adam Royle admitted after the action that he would “go down swinging” in the Championship battle at Elko Speedway, after sweeping twin 30 lap features for the NASCAR Super Late Models to highlight an action packed EVE of DESTRUCTION RAW Saturday September 8, 2012.

The opening 30 lapper saw Joel Theisen and Nick Murgic battle for early control, with Theisen taking the point on lap two, with Royle and Donny Reuvers working under Chad Walen to take third and fourth by lap eight. As the field began to stretch out, it was Theisen who had his hands full as Murgic kept constant pressure on the leader, pulling even as the field reached the midpoint, before taking the lead on lap 17. With Murgic now pacing the action, it was Royle who came to life, sliding under Theisen for second on lap 18 before reeling in the leader on lap 19, taking the point as the tandem crossed the start/finish line. With Royle now leading, Reuvers moved around Theisen for third on lap 20 and and eventually caught and passed Murgic for second, but Royle deftly drove around, under and by lapped traffic in the caution free race to roll to the checkers, with Reuvers, Murgic, Theisen and a fast closing Matt Goede earning top fives.

In the second 30 lapper, a similar storyline came to be as Murgic and Theisen again battled for early control with Murgic leading the opening five laps before Theisen rolled by on the outside taking the lead on lap six, with Royle, Goede, Reuvers and Walen in tow. As the action remained “clean and green”. Theisen kept a two car length advantage over Murgic, while Goede bypassed Royle for third on lap 11, before mechanical issues forced Murgic down pit road on lap 13. With Theisen’s lead now four car lengths, Royle rolled by Goede on lap 14 to reclaim second, with his sights set on the leader and a “sweep” of the action. It would take Royle six laps to pull even with Theisen before the tandem swapped the lead on laps 21 and 22 before Reuvers joined in the action and slid under the leaders to take the point on lap 24. Over the final six laps, Reuvers and Royle swapped a little paint in an exciting door to door battle, with Royle muscling the lead away on lap 28 enroute to the win, keeping his title hopes alive, with Reuvers, Theisen, Goede and Walen earning top fives.

In the Thunder Cars, Conrad Jorgenson and Devin Schmidt put on a thrilling side by side duel for the lead through the opening four laps of racing, before Jorgenson settled into the lead on lap five, with Dillon Sellner putting pressure on Schmidt. As Jorgenson began to stretch out his advantage, Sellner was able to track down Schmidt, taking second on lap seven with Michael Gilomen following suit on lap eight and Doug Brown also moving by as the field reached lap 10. Of the challengers, it was Brown who carried the momentum as he was able to roll by both Gilomen and Sellner by lap 18 with his sights set on the lead, but Jorgenson would use experience and a bit of “racing savvy” to hold off Brown to earn the win, with Sellner and Gilomen third and fourth and Ted Reuvers overcoming a season long “handling issue” to take fifth.

The Power Stocks were their usual “wild and wooly” selves as Josiah King and Bryan Wrolstad battled for the lead, with King taking the point on lap two,with Shawn Evans working under Wrolstad for second on lap three, with Taylor Goldman continuing Wrolstad’s slide on lap four. As the action remained caution free, it was Evans who showed surprising power in tracking down King, taking the lead as the pair exited turn two on lap 11. With Evans pacing the action for the first time, things would be entertaining to say the least as King continued to apply the pressure and as the leaders received the white flag, contact from King sent the leader spinning wildly ending a promising run. On the restart, Tom Doten and John Lebens bulled their way forward and battled for the lead, with Doten taking the point and the win, with Lebens second as the action behind the leaders became chaotic with cars slipping and sliding and slamming around. With cars scrambling high and low, King rebounded for the apparent third place finish, but in post race tech he failed the weight requirement, moving Todd Tacheny to third with Larry Scott fourth and Evans a disappointed fifth.

Topping off the racing action were the Mini Stocks and it was Matt Busson pacing the opening three laps of the 15 lap main before John VanDen Heuvel came charging underneath to take the point on lap four. VanDen Heuvel would feel immediate pressue after taking the lead as Jack Purcell quickly reeled in Busson and pulled to the leaders bumper as Justin Schlietzke, Blake Dorweiler and Aaron Hopkins also working by Busson to join the top five. With VanDen Heuvel and Purcell able to pull away, they put on and exciting late race battle, but it would be VanDen Heuvel holding on for his second consecutive win, with Purcell, Schlietzke, Dorweiler and Hopkins in the top five.

The large and enthusiastic crowd also roared their approval all night long as the BIG DAWG Monster Truck strutted “it’s stuff”, while GUILTY by ASSOCIATION showed off their high flying tricks and the first ever Garbage Hauler Race made it’s debut before the nights showpiece event came on the track…the Camper vs. DA BUS and the former student carrier might not have “soared” a record distance, but it destroyed the RV to the delight of the fans, ending an action packed night.

 The action now resumes at Elko Speedway on Saturday September 15, 2012 with the NASCAR Whelen All American Season Championships plus FREE Carnival Rides on the concourse for the entire family with all time favorites the Ferris Wheel and the Spider on sight. For directions, ticket information or general questions, contact the Racing Office at (952) 461-7223.