Dacotah Speedway hosted their final racing event of the season, Oktoberfest, on Friday, September 26th and Saturday, September 27th.
Nearly 200 drivers checked in for a fun weekend of racing that consisted of heats and dashes on Night 1 with B-Mains and features on Night 2.
The Dacotah Speedway Hobby Stocks kicked off feature racing action on Night 2 of Oktoberfest. After winning the Jamestown Stock Car Stampede the week prior, Kelly Hoerner set the pace early. Track champion, Josh Roehrich, chased Hoerner down for the lead and they raced bumper to bumper for the lead. As Roehrich challenged for the lead, Roehrich suddenly had a flat tire which drew the caution. On the restart, Brody Michaelsohn passed Chris Rangeloff for second place and challenged for the lead. A couple of late race cautions put Michaelsohn and Howe-Kellar on Hoerner’s rear bumper. But on the final restart, Michaelson continued to challenge for the lead on the outside. They raced side by side for the win with two laps to go. As they saw the white flag, Michaelsohn cleared Hoerner for the lead to cross the finish line in first place. Seth Howe-Kellar finished third. Karlie Horner finished fourth while Chris Rangeloff finished in fifth place.
A season high of 17 Slingshots checked in for Oktoberfest weekend. After two complete restarts, last year’s Oktoberfest champion, Gunner Raynard, grabbed the lead early. Raynard started to pull away as Hailey Keller and Landen Hallgren raced hard for second place. Using the slower cars to his advantage, Hallgren slipped by Keller for second place with six laps to go. Keller quickly retook the position before a late race caution regrouped the field. On the restart, Libby Keller passed Hallgren for third place as Hailey Keller challenged Raynard for the win. As the white flag waved, they were side by side going into turn one. Raynard retook the lead out of turn two but Keller had the momentum off turn two to pulled along side of Raynard. Going into corners three and four the final time, Keller dove low under Raynard but slid up the track, allowing Raynard to slip by and cross the finish line first. Hailey Keller finished second ahead of her sister, Libby Keller. Landen Hallgren finished fourth while Weston Uranker of WIlliston finished fifth.
Casselton’s Rich Pavlicek quickly pulled away in the IMCA Sport Mod feature. The race was on between Keenan Glasser, Troy Speten and Nathan Speten for second place. A series of mid-race cautions regrouped the field. Nathan Speten passed Glasser for second but Glasser rallied to retake second place with six laps to go. After coming up short the past two years, Rich Pavlicek finally brought into Dacotah Speedway victory lane. Keenan Glasser held off Nathan Speten for second place. Chris VanMil finished fourth while Jayden Pavlicek rounded out the top five.
When the green flag waved in the IMCA Hobby Stock feature, it was a heated battle between Diezel Raynard and Kyler Satran. Satran took the lead before an early caution reset the field. Cautions came early and often throughout the IMCA Hobby Stock feature. The restarts helped former Oktoberfest champion, Brandon Beeter, to quickly move through the field. On the final restart of the race, Beeter made it a three car battle for the lead. Satran hung on to the top spot as Raynard and Beeter continued to race side by side for second. When the checkered flag waved, Kyler Satran crossed the finish line first. Diezel Raynard held off Brandon Beeter for second. Max Beeter finished fourth while Beth Ann Goudy finished fifth.
Shawn Strand and Jason Berg battled for the lead in the IMCA Stock Car feature. They raced side by side until Strand cleared Berg for the lead. Berg then fell into the clutches of Kyle Schlopp. Finding speed along the high side, Scott Gartner was charging to the front. Gartner and Berg raced side by side for second. However as the laps wound down, more and more cars started to race along the high side of Dacotah Speedway’ ⅜ mile track. Using the low line, the wiley veteran of Marlyn Seidler was storming to the front. With three laps to go, Seidler passed Berg for third and coming to the white flag, he was up to second place. Coming out of corners three and four the final time, Seidler dove low under Strand. It was a drag race coming to the checkered flag but it was Shawn Strand crossing the finish line first. Marlyn Seidler would have to settle for second place ahead of Jason Berg and Scott Gartner. Brennor Grinstead would round out the top five.
They raced three wide for the lead when the green flag waved in the INEX Legends feature. It was a fun and thrilling battle for the lead between Preston Martin, Noah Madler and Donavin Wiest. Madler led early before a series of mid-race caution regrouped the field. On the restart, Madler got a little squirrely, which allowed Wiest to take the lead before another caution slowed the pace. On the restart, Bryce Barnhardt challenged Wiest for the lead. They briefly raced door to door until Barnhardt took the lead on lap 12. Cautions continued to plague the feature but the restarts allowed Wiest and Madler the opportunity to battle for the lead. It was a three battle for the win as they raced three wide for the top spot. Using the high line, Preston Martin threw his hat into the ring and challenged for the win. As they crossed the finish line, Byrce Barnhardt just narrowly edged Preston Martin for the victory. Noah Madler finished third ahead of Donavin Wiest and Austin Wiest.
The IMCA Modifieds were the final feature event of the 2025 racing season at Dacotah Speedway. Jeremy Keller and Travis Hagen started on the front row but when the green waved, Keller was gone. Keller quickly pulled away from the field and started catching lapped traffic. As Keller tried to pick his way through lapped traffic, it allowed second place Travis Hagen to close in. With only a few laps remaining, Hagen passed Keller in lapped traffic to take the lead before a late race caution reset the field. On the final restart, Travis Hagen held off Jeremy Keller for his third straight Oktoberfest championship. Quentin Kinzley finished third while Logan Schmitz held off Crist Pittenger for fourth.
Photo Credit: Tyler Hagen Photography