By Jason D Searcy
August 5, 2017 – Elko, MN
Youngsters packed full nine school buses and were driven around Elko Speedway by the defending Champion drivers at ELKO on Saturday night in honor of Kids Night at the races. Children were also treated to free Pony Rides, Face Painting and lots of prizes were handed out on a night that celebrated the future of our sport.
Dylan Moore #54 from Northfield (MN) took the lead, lost it and then took it back in route to his second feature win in the Hiway Federal Credit Union Late Model division at Elko Speedway. Derek Lemke #71 grabbed the lead from Moore on lap four of the 30 lap feature, but Lemke could not shake Moore, who regained the lead on lap 20 and held on for the win by .260 seconds over Lemke at the finish line. Chris Marek #3 finished third, #42 Ryan Kamish dropped to fourth after starting on the pole and #72 Jacob Goede moved up from his eleventh starting position to finish fifth out of the 22 cars entered.
The second NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model feature event at ELKO went to #72 Jacob Goede from Carver (MN), it was his second trophy of the year. Sixteen year old #14 Grant Brown jumped out to a huge lead early in the race and led every lap until Goede slipped past him with two laps remaining in the 30 lap main event. Goede won the race by 1.127 seconds over Brown with fifteen year old #6 Owin Giles coming in third followed by #40 Michael Beamish fourth and #13 Bryan Wrolstad in fifth in this caution free race.
With the win, Jacob Goede extended his point lead to 101 points over Grant Brown in the race for the Elko Speedway track Championship.
Brent Kane #99 from Lonsdale (MN) won his sixth Genz-Ryan Thunder Car feature of the year Saturday night at Elko Speedway. Dave Reed #52 looked like he was shot out of a cannon to start the race and he took a big lead until the caution flew at lap 13 of 20. Kane took the advantage off the restart, held on and scored his sixth win of the season, he then invited kids to join him for a photo in ELKO victory lane. Matt Weibush #09 ran a great race to finish second, he challenged Kane on a late restart and lost by only .372 seconds at the checkers. Conrad Jorgenson #3 drove from his thirteenth starting spot up to finish third, Mike Homan #28 crossed the line fourth and #07 Dillon Sellner was fifth. Point leader #32 Jeremy Wolff was involved in the Gentleman Tap Out rule, he admitted fault for causing a wreck, was sent to the back on a late restart and finished 17th of the 20 cars racing.
The second Thunder Car feature had sixteen year old #13 Colin Neisius taking the lead early until a caution flag bunched up the field on lap six. Conrad Jorgenson #3 from Lakeville (MN) started ninth on the grid but moved up to the lead before the mid-race signal and he never looked back to capture his sixth feature win of the year. Jeremy Wolff #32 followed Jorgenson from the back to the front and finished second by only 1.5 seconds, #99 Brent Kane had a great battle with Neisius and beat him to the finish line by only .128 seconds, #07 Dillon Sellner finished fifth of the twenty cars entered in feature number two at ELKO.
Jeremy Wolff now only has a five point advantage over Conrad Jorgenson in the battle for the Thunder Car Championship at Elko Speedway.
Derek Lemke #71 from Shakopee (MN) won the Eternity Homes Great North Legends 20 lap main event at ELKO. The race was marred by numerous cautions both early in the race and late but Lemke, who started fourth row outside, remained cool behind the wheel and won his fourth trophy in eight races this year at Elko Speedway. “It felt good to get that monkey off our back, it seems like a while since we have won,” said Lemke “I was trying to run away from Baiden (Heskett) because he is always quick and don’t know where Cole (Klein) came from but I had a mirror full from him, he was really fast.” Baiden Heskett #75 finished second edging #8 Cole Klein by just .069 seconds at the stripe, #17 Jon Lemke finished fourth and #16 Matt Allen was fifth of the 16 cars racing.
With his fourth win of the season Lemke extended his point lead to 77 points over his father Jon Lemke in the race for the Championship.
The first Pepsi Power Stock feature was won by veteran driver #66 Joe Prusak from Clayton (WI), it was the 186th victory of his career and second this year at ELKO. Matt Ryan #93 led the first half of the race before being overtaken on the high side by Prusak after a restart, Ryan finished second, defending Champion #62 Tom Doten finished third with #10 Dusty Mann fourth and #8 Taylor Goldman fifth in this highly competitive nineteen car 20 lap shootout in the Power Stocks.
The second feature winner was #10 Dusty Mann from Farmington (MN), he worked his way up from the ninth starting position to take the lead just after midway and held on for his 6th win of 2017. Early in the race Matthew Frye #53 led until #27 Darin Patnode took the top spot on lap four, Patnode held onto the lead until Mann took it from him with a pass on the inside on lap twelve of 20. Patnode finished as strong second, #62 Tom Doten moved up to third, #8 Taylor Goldman finished fourth and #88 Nick Oxborough rounded out the TOP 5.
Dusty Mann now has a 39 point lead over Tom Doten in the Power Stock standings at Elko Speedway.
Michael Weiss #89 from Bloomington (MN) won the first Hornets feature event. Weiss jumped out to a big lead early but #36 Alex Vincent made it close at the finish as Weiss won by only .151 seconds at the finish line. Justin Schelitzche #14 was third, #36b Brandon Olson finished fourth and #55 Brandon Plekkenpol finished fifth of the 11 cars entered in the race. It was the second win of the year for Weiss.
Alex Vincent from Waterville (MN) won the second 15 lap feature at ELKO. Vincent started ninth on the grid and worked his way through the field, eventually passing on the high side on the last lap to be victorious by .322 seconds for his second feature win of the year. Michael Wachs Jr #3 finished second, the blue #36 of Brandon Olson was third, #55 Brandon Plekkenpol finished fourth and #14 Justin Schelitzche was fifth. Eight different drivers have won a feature this year in the Hornets division at Elko Speedway.
Justin Schelitzche now has a slim 14 point lead over Brandon Plekkenpol in the race for the Hornets Championship.
Eleven year old Collin Stocker #8 from Farmington (MN) won his third Brock’s Flooring Bandoleros feature of the year at Elko Speedway. Christopher Konop #88 finished second and #56 Clayton Dorner was third of the twelve cars racing. Stocker has now won three of the four feature events raced this year.
Many drivers donated bikes and large prizes that were given away to young fans during Kids Night at Elko Speedway. The track would like to thank everyone who was involved including: Tom Doten race team, Tracy Aarthun, Ziemiecki Racing, Michael Ostdiek Racing, Jeremy Wolff racing, Jack and Maddie Larson, David Reed, Goldman Racing, Jackson Lewis, Ricky Arends, Brent Kane Racing, Chris Marek Racing, Tyler Kingery Racing, Justin Schelitzche, Jessie Mahoney, Grant Brown, Owin Giles, Prusak Racing, Natalie Bartyzal, Tim Brockhouse and others for contributing prizes for the Children.
Coming up next at ELKO is an Eve of Destruction on Saturday August 12 with NASCAR racing plus two Monster Trucks, the Wildman Clay Gallagher stunts, the Timberworks Lumberjacks, Spectator Drags, Figure 8 Bus races and music by Arch Allies. Gates open at 5pm and action begins at 6pm. Get more information by following Elko Speedway on social media, downloading the free Elko Racing app, going to ElkoSpeedway.com or by calling (952) 461-7223.
Elko Speedway is a NASCAR sanctioned 3/8th mile asphalt oval race track located in Elko (MN) just 30 minutes South of Minneapolis just off of I-35 and county road 2.