The Slingshot feature kicked off the feature racing action on Night 1 of the North Dakota Governor’s Cup Auto Races on Friday, July 25th. When the green flag waved, Halle Turnbull and Caiden Davenport raced the lead before a caution on lap one regrouped the field. On the restart, Caiden Davenport grabbed the top spot but had his hands full with a speedy Hailey Keller. Hailey Keller slipped up out of corner four, allowing Landen Hallgren to pass her for second place. Landen Hallgren quickly caught Caiden Davenport and they battled hard for the win. When the checkered flag waved, Caiden Davenport held off Landen Hallgren for the victory. Hailey Keller finished third ahead of her younger sister, Libby Keller while Easton Olson rounded out the top five.
Hazelton’s Derrick Appert started on the pole after scoring the most passing points from the heat races. Brody Michaelsohn, who recently picked up his first Dacotah Speedway victory, quickly grabbed the lead. Michaelsohn felt pressure from behind from Appert and Jeremy Herr. Young Joseph Feist made it a four car battle. Contact between Herr and Fiest resulted in the two drivers spinning in front of the field. On the restart, Michaelsohn and Appert raced side by side for the lead while Fiest lurked in third place. As the laps wound down, Appert was all over Michaelsohn’s rear bumper. However, the veteran driver could not find a way around the young Wishek driver. Brody Michaelsohn crossed the finish line first ahead of Derrick Appert and Joseph Fiest. Points leader Josh Roehrich finished fourth while Ryker Vetter finished in fifth place.
The Madler brothers of Noah and Gage led the field to the green flag in the INEX Legends feature. Noah Madler led early but Gage Madler was all over his rear bumper. Defending track champion, Donavin Wiest, who started 14th, quickly worked his way through the field. Wiest and Bryce Barnhardt raced hard for the third position before a mechanical failure ended Barnhardt’s night early. Wiest set his eyes on the Madler brothers. The battle for second place was heating up between Gage Madler and Donavin Wiest. As they raced hard for second, it allowed Noah Madler to pull away. Noah Madler led all 20 laps to win the feature. Gage Madler held off Donavin Wiest for second place. Dustin Hagen finished third ahead of Austin Wiest.
Andrew Jochim and Jonny Carter started on the front row in the IMCA Stock Car feature. Picking up where he left off during the Dakota Classic Modified Tour, Jonny Carter led early. However, Carter had his hands full with Jochim and Geoff Hellman. It was a thrilling three car battle for the lead while Matt Dosch lurked in fourth. Using the highline around the track, Hellman cleared Jochim for second and challenged Carter for the lead. With five laps to go, Hellman slid up in front of Carter for the top spot. However, Carter did not give up, he dove low under Hellman and they continued to race side by side for the win. When the checkered flag waved, Geoff Hellman just narrowly edged Jonny Carter for the win. Andrew Jochim, who rolled his race car the prior week, got it back together in time to finish third. Matt Dosch finished fourth ahead of fifth place Jeremy Herr.
Points leader Jeremy Keller led the field to the green flag in the IMCA Modified feature. Keller quickly pulled away from the field as the race for third place was heating up between Mark Dahl and Shawn Strand. The defending track champion, Strand, passed Dahl for third place and quickly reeled in Chris Tuchscherer for second place. They briefly raced side by side before Strand took the position on lap 10. While Keller raced in heavy lapped traffic, Strand could not cut into Keller’s large lead. Jeremy Keller won his fifth victory of the season in dominating fashion. Shawn Strand was forced to settle for second place. Mark Dahl made a late race pass to finish third ahead of Chris Tuchscherer as John Corell rounded out the top five.
Back by popular demand, the WISSOTA Late Models returned to the North Dakota Governor’s Cup Auto Races. After last year’s thrilling feature races, 37 Late Models checked-in and prepared to do battle on the high banks of Dacotah Speedway. Ryan Mikkelson, who used to race at the Dacotah Speedway in the early 2000’s led the field to the green flag. Mikkelson quickly pulled away from the field as Jeremiah Ladue and Jaden Christ battled for second place. Dave Mass made it a three car battle before he passed Ladue for third and then a few laps later, he passed Christ for second. A few mid-race cautions regrouped the field, however Mikkelson pulled away on the restart each time. Ryan Mikkelson dominated and led all 25 laps to win the feature. Dave Mass finished second ahead of Cole Schill. Brody Troftgruben finished fourth while Travis Robertson rounded out the top five.
Championship Night of the North Dakota Governor’s Cup Auto Races was Saturday, July 26th. The Slingshots were our first feature event of the evening with 15 in attendance. When the green flag waved, points leader Landen Hallgren quickly grabbed the lead and pulled away from the field. Within a few laps, Hallgren started catching the slower lapped traffic. However, with three laps to go, he made contact with a slower car which resulted in Hallgren spun in corners one and two. The caution was charged to Hallgren which turned the lead over to Caiden Davenport. On the restart, Caiden Davenport pulled away to sweep the weekend and be crowned the Gov Cup champion. Eli Turnbull made a last lap pass over his younger sister, Halle Turnbull to finish second. Libby Martin just narrowly edged Landen Hallgren for fourth place.
Derrick Appert and Brody Michaelsohn led the field to the green flag in the Hobby Stock feature. Appert led early as Jeremy Herr and Michaelsohn battled for second place. Herr cleared Michaelsohn for second and was all over Appert’s rear bumper for the lead. While Appert and Herr raced hard for the lead, it allowed Michaelsohn to make it a three car battle. With six laps to go, Michaelsohn dove low under Herr and they made contact going into corner number, leaving Herr spun out in front of the field. The caution was charged to Michaelsohn and on the restart, Appert had his hands full with Herr. When the checkered flag waved, Derrick Appert held on to win over Jeremy Herr. Defending track champion, Bill Hultberg, finished third. Nathan Mundahl, who started 13th, finished fourth ahead of Seth Howe-Kellar. Appert’s victory gave him the Gov Cup championship.
Pole sitter, Bryce Barnhardt, led when the green flag waved in the INEX Legends feature. Noah Madler was all over Barnhardt’s rear bumper. A small bobble from Barnhardt allowed Madler to slip by and take the lead. Madler quickly pulled away from the field and started to catch the slower lapped traffic. Lapped traffic would hold up the leaders while Madler continued to stretch his lead. Using the slower lapped traffic to his advantage, Andrew Bargmann and Gage Madler passed Casey Martin for third and then a lap later, passed Barnhardt for second with three laps to go. Noah Madler would sweep the weekend and take over the points standings going into the final two races of the season. Andrew Bargmann finished second ahead of Gage Madler. Dauntae Martin would finish fourth while Kody Machart rounded out the top five.
Picking up where they left off the night before, Geoff Hellman and Jonny Carter battled for the lead in the IMCA Stock Car feature. Hellman would clear the top spot as Carter would have his hands full with Andrew Jochim and Travis Ulmer. Contact while racing for second allowed Jochim to shuffle into the second position. An early caution reset the field and on the restart, it was a three car battle for second between Jochim, Carter and Ulmer. Jochim held onto the second position and stayed in Hellman’s tire tracks. Geoff Hellman led all 20 laps to win and sweep the weekend and clinch the Gov Cup championship. Andrew Jochim finished second while Jonny Carter finished third. Travis Ulmer finished fourth ahead of fifth place Todd Carter.
Points leader Jeremy Keller started on the pole for the IMCA Modified feature. When the green flag dropped, Keller pulled away from the field. An early caution regrouped the field and on the restart, Shawn Strand passed Quentin Kinzley for fourth place. Meanwhile, back up front, John Corell was keeping pace with Keller. As the lap wound down, Keller started to pull away again. However, a caution with three laps to go would change everything. On the final restart, Corell passed Keller for the lead. Corell led the final two laps to win his first Dacotah Speedway victory since the 2017 Gov Cup. Jeremy Keller finished second ahead of Mark Dahl. Shawn Strand finished fourth while Quentin Kinzley rounded out the top five. Keller’s second place finish clinched the Gov Cup championship.
Austin Kuehl led the field to the green flag in the WISSOTA Late Model feature but outside pole sitter, Ryan Mikkelson, passed him for the lead on the outside. Kuehl faded early in the feature, losing positions to Cole Schill, John Seng, and Dave Mass. Mikkelson quickly caught lapped traffic which allowed Schill to reel in the leader. As the laps wound down, the Mikkelson was slicing and dicing through lapped traffic but Schill navigated through it quicker. With only a few laps remaining, Schill waited for Mikkelson to make a mistake. As they took the white flag, Schill dove low under Mikkelson and slid up in front of the leader. However, Ryan Mikkelson, carrying the momentum out of the corner retook the lead down the backstretch and held on to sweep the weekend. Cole Schill settled for second place while Dave Mass finished a distant third place. Austin Kuehl finished fourth while former Gov Cup champion, Mitch Johnson, rounded out the top five.