Championship Night: Intense Battles and New Champions

After a season filled with mostly rain outs and postponements, Dacotah Speedway hosted Championship Night on Friday, August 23rd. The points battles were super close in most of the racing divisions going into the final race of the regular racing season. 

Defending track champion, Krys Yost, led early in the IMCA Sport Compact feature. Zach Hughbanks, who has won six consecutive races in a row at Dacotah Speedway, quickly drove through the field and challenged Yost for the lead. As they raced hard for the top spot, it allowed Benjamin Burke to make it a three car battle. A couple of mid-race cautions regrouped the field and on the final restart, points leader Alex Thompson passed Yost for third. As the laps wound down, Burke was all over Hughbank’s rear bumper. With two laps to go, Burke passed Hughbanks for the win. But Hughbanks battled back and they raced side by side for the win. When the checkered flag waved, Benjamin Burke held off Zach Hughbanks for the victory. Alex Thompson finished third ahead of Krys Yost and Couy Snyder. Hughbank’s runner up finish was enough to clinch the track championship over Thompson. 

• After the conclusion of the IMCA Sport Compact feature, the #02 of Couy Snyder was disqualified for not having working breaks.

Pole sitter, Karlie Hoerner, led early in the Hobby Stock feature. As Hoerner started to pull away, second place Trenton Kohler started to fall into the clutches of third place Jeremy Engelhardt. They briefly raced side by side before Engelhardt cleared the second position. Engelhardt started to reel in Hoerner but with six laps to go, Engelhardt suddenly slowed on the frontstretch, which ended his night early. It was now a battle for third place between Kelly Hoerner, Joseph Feist and Dylan Sandberg. As they crossed the finish line for the final time, Kelly Hoerner just narrowly edged Joseph Feist and Dylan Sandberg for third. Trenton Kohler finished a season best of second place while Karlie Hoerner led all 15 laps to win her first Dacotah Speedway victory. Bill Hultberg won his second track championship with an eight place finish. 

When the green flag waved in the INEX Legends feature, it was a three car battle for the lead between Dauntae Martin, Andy Bargmann and Duston Herz. Dauntae Martin shuffled into the lead early as it was a wild race behind him with cars using every inch of our ⅜ mile race track. Points leader, Donavin Wiest, worked his way to the front and grabbed the lead before a lap seven caution regrouped the field. A series of mid-race cautions slowed the pace but on the final restart, Wiest pulled away from the field. It was now a race for second between Noah Madler and Preston Martin. As they raced hard, it allowed young Ty Olson to make it a three car battle. When the checkered flag waved, Preston Martin finished second ahead of Ty Olson and Noah Madler. Andy Bargmann held off Gage Madler and Brandon Anderson for fifth. Meanwhile, Donavin Wiest cruised to his second Dacotah Speedway victory and clinched his 13th track championship. 

Jason Meidinger and Marlyn Seidler led the field to the green flag in the IMCA Stock Car feature. Seidler quickly grabbed the lead while Meidinger and Jarrett Carter raced side by side for second. Trouble struck Shawn Strand, who was sitting second in the points standings, as he took his 99 machine to the pits on lap one. Cautions came early and often which allowed points leader Hunter Domagala to move through the field. On the final restart with six laps to go, Domagala was all over Seidler’s rear bumper. Domagala was there but struggled to find a way around the racing veteran. Finding some late race speed along the highside of the track, Carter made it a three car battle for the win. However, Marlyn Seidler held off Hunter Domagala and Jarrett Carter for the victory. Scott Gartner finished fourth while Jeremy Engelhardt rounded out the top five. Hunter Domagala was crowned the first time IMCA Stock Car champion for Dacotah Speedway. 

After losing a driveshaft the week before, Quentin Kinzley wasted no time going to the front in the IMCA Modified feature. Kinzley quickly pulled away from the field and started putting cars a lap down. Defending track champion, Mark Dahl, who started eight, climbed into the second position. However, a caution with five laps to go changed everything. On the restart, Logan Schmitz passed Dahl for second and Dahl fell into the clutches of fourth place Shawn Strand. They raced hard for third in the closing laps, which allowed fifth place Marlyn Seidler to reel them in. It was a thrilling car battle but Mark Dahl held off Shawn Strand and Marlyn Seidler for third. Logan Schmitz finished a distant second while Quentin Kinzley won his fourth victory of the season. Although Dahl finished a respectable third place on the track, he came up two points short of defending his track championship over Strand.     

TRI-ENERGY CENEX DRIVER OF THE NIGHT

Congratulations to Logan Schmitz for earning Driver of the Night powered by our friends at Tri-Energy Cenex! Logan takes home a $50 gift card to use on gas, snacks, and more at Cenex.

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