Johnson Claims Street Stock Win in Closest Finish in RCS History

By Mike Spieker

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (July 28, 2017) – Trey Hess and Brandon Fah battled for the race lead in the early going of the Wells Concrete Street Stock feature. Hess took sole position of the point on lap two as Dustin Ebensteiner followed Hess into the second spot.

Ebensteiner then battled Hess for the race lead on lap four. Ebensteiner ran on the low side on the freshly groomed River Cities Speedway and took the lead on lap eight.

A caution on lap nine set up an Evergreen Insurance restart, where a four car battle for the lead broke out. Hess mounted a charge on Ebensteiner for the lead as he had a push from Ryan Johnson, who rode in fourth. Aaron Blacklance was also in the mix in third as the top four cars ran side by side two rows deep.

The final restart came with three laps to go. Johnson was all over Hess as the race resumed. The driver of the No. 25 from Karlstad, Minn. took the lead on the low side coming to the white flag, but Hess battled back into turn one. Blacklance entered the fray once again exiting turn two as the trio raced three wide for the lead down the back straightaway.

Exiting turn four, it came down to Hess and Johnson. At the Valley Sunrise Properties flagstand, Johnson edged out Hess by a mere 0.002 seconds, marking the closest finish in River Cities Speedway history since electronic timing and scoring was implemented in 2006. 

Blacklance, Ebensteiner and James Meagher rounded out the top five. 

RESULTS:
A Feature (15 Laps): 1. 25-Ryan Johnson, [9]; 2. 4-Trey Hess, [1]; 3. 39-Aaron Blacklance, [8]; 4. 00-Dustin Ebensteiner, [3]; 5. 7-James Meagher, [5]; 6. 29-Dan McNamee, [6]; 7. 18B-Matt Beehler, [7]; 8. 18-Adam Burrows, [21]; 9. 3-Zach Lee, [14]; 10. 35-John Halvorson, [11]; 11. 33-Daniel Aberle, [15]; 12. 11F-Brandon Fah, [2]; 13. 1M-Nicholas Minske, [17]; 14. 48-Chase Boen, [19]; 15. 27P-Tucker Pederson, [12]; 16. 17-Casey Vargason, [18]; 17. 99-Josh Barker, [13]; 18. 76-Ron Olafson, [16]; 19. 21J-Brian Johanson, [10]; 20. (DNF) 77-Benjamin Coopland, [20]; 21. (DNF) 18X-Riley Gregoire, [4]; 22. (DNF) 24T-Tiffany Noreikis, [22]


Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 7-James Meagher, [4]; 2. 18X-Riley Gregoire, [2]; 3. 29-Dan McNamee, [5]; 4. 21J-Brian Johanson, [1]; 5. 99-Josh Barker, [7]; 6. 76-Ron Olafson, [8]; 7. (DNF) 18-Adam Burrows, [6]; 8. (DNF) 24T-Tiffany Noreikis, [3]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 00-Dustin Ebensteiner, [1]; 2. 18B-Matt Beehler, [3]; 3. 4-Trey Hess, [2]; 4. 35-John Halvorson, [6]; 5. 3-Zach Lee, [4]; 6. 1M-Nicholas Minske, [5]; 7. 48-Chase Boen, [7]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 25-Ryan Johnson, [3]; 2. 11F-Brandon Fah, [2]; 3. 39-Aaron Blacklance, [6]; 4. 27P-Tucker Pederson, [7]; 5. 33-Daniel Aberle, [4]; 6. 17-Casey Vargason, [5]; 7. 77-Benjamin Coopland, [1]