First-time winners and thrills highlight Redwood Speedway feature action
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REDWOOD FALLS -- Midsummer tradition was in full swing this past weekend as the Redwood County Fair filled the air with carnival lights and high energy.
Right next door at "The Big House," local drivers brought their own brand of fireworks to the famous black dirt of Redwood Speedway, delivering hard-charging action, wild battles, and high-stakes drama from the moment the first green flag dropped.
Danube Auto Works Sport Mods
The tight action started immediately with the Sport Mods. Outside pole sitter Alex Barnes (18B) set a blistering pace early on, jumping into the lead and holding the top spot through the first five laps.
The race took a controversial turn on lap 5 when Fairmont's Jacob Korte (81K) made contact with Barnes, sending the 18B into a spin. To the crowd's audible displeasure, track officials sent Barnes to the rear of the field, leaving Korte in control.
Korte held off the pack for the next eight laps, but a charging Blake Luinenburg (16X) was slicing through the field. Having started back in 10th position, Luinenburg stalked the lead car until lap 14, when he made a daring move around the high side in turn four to snatch the top spot.
The packed grandstands erupted as Luinenburg held on to pilot the 16X into victory lane for the first time since June 14. Korte crossed the finish line in second, while Eric Larson put on an impressive drive of his own--climbing from a ninth-place start--to round out the podium in third.
Zeuli Race Engines WISSOTA Street Stocks
Up next was complete and utter dominance in the WISSOTA Street Stocks division. Janesville's Keith Tourville proved once again why he's the driver to beat at Redwood, putting on a clinic in the 111JR car. Tourville captured the checkered flag in commanding fashion, marking his third consecutive feature victory at "The Big House."
Coltyn Schuler put together a solid night to finish second behind the runaway leader, while birthday boy Michael Brockman gave himself something to celebrate by driving into the third spot on the podium.
Magers Construction IMCA Modifieds
Just like the race before it, the IMCA Modified feature turned into a clinic put on by a driver in total control. Danube's Brandon Beckendorf jumped out from the outside pole in the No. 5 car and simply hid from the rest of the pack. Beckendorf built a massive lead and cruised to victory, continuing a red-hot streak where he has now claimed four wins out of the last six races.
Sanborn's Jesse Rogotzke steered the XXX car into a distant second-place finish, while Dan Menk rounded out the top three on the podium.
Evolution Ag Tech Hobby Stocks
An 18-car field took to the track for the Hobby Stock feature, and the racing was wild right from the green flag. Pole sitter Chad Volk (32) and outside starter Jorey Prescott (43) led the field into tight three- and four-wide battles through the early laps, with Volk eventually securing the top spot.
The temperature turned up as the Harazin brothers--Tayte (23) and Payton (03)--waged a thrilling battle for 2nd and 3rd while trying to hunt down the leader. Late-race drama struck when Payton Harazin made contact with Corey Probst (75C), sending Probst off the track. Officials sent the 03 to the rear of the field and restored Probst to his running position.
When the green flag dropped for the final restart, Chad Volk would not be denied. Volk held his line to capture his first-ever feature win at "The Big House." Tayte Harazin brought home a strong second-place finish, while Corey Probst recovered to round out the podium in third.
J&S Trucking / VEST Bar IMCA Stock Cars
The IMCA Stock Cars hit the track to close out a memorable Fair Night. Dustyn Zieske (24) and Randy Melvin (18M) led the pack to green from the front row. Zieske paced the field to lead lap one, but Curt Lund (87)--charging up from an eighth-place starting spot -- made a quick move to grab the lead and never looked back, putting on a dominant performance up front.
While Lund checked out, the crowd was treated to an absolute showdown further back in the pack. Dalton Majors (M56), making his debut start in a Stock Car from the 10th spot, sliced his way forward to challenge Jesse Rogotzke (XXX). Majors and Rogotzke locked into a side-by-side battle for most of the feature. Majors ultimately earned a stunning second-place finish in his class debut, while Rogotzke capped off a busy night by rounding out the top three.