RECAP: Naastad & Imrie Record Wins at the Bullring

Photo by Adrienne Gahm (Speedway-Shots.com).

Photo by Adrienne Gahm (Speedway-Shots.com).

 By Mike Spieker
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (June 9) – River Cities Speedway put the ‘premier’ in Premier Racing Series Friday night as the bullring hosted NOSA 410 Sprints, Late Models and A-Modifieds. The fan-favorite School Buses were also in action, where Craig Houser picked up the win. 

Zach Naastad claimed his first career victory at River Cities Speedway in the Performance Auto Late Models. Naastad started third on the grid before grabbing the lead on lap three from Tom Corcoran.
 
Corcoran, the 48-year racing veteran, ran in the second spot until the midway point when Joey Pederson stole the runner-up position. Pederson was surpassed by Brad Seng two circuits later as Seng set his sights on Naastad for the lead.
 
Mike Balcaen moved into the final podium position with under five to go. Seng closed the gap between himself and Naastad, but the driver of the No. Z17 was too strong as he went on to take the win by over one second.
 
Seng, Balcaen, Pederson, and Dustin Strand rounded out the top five.
 
Ward Imrie held off Dustin Strand in a thrilling WISSOTA Modified feature. Imrie took the lead from the pole position at the drop of the green flag, as Ryan Kereluk moved into second. Fifth place starter, Scott Greer, moved into the runner-up spot on lap seven and held that position until Strand stole the spot at the halfway point.
 
Imrie and Strand put on some of the best racing of the night as the two raced for the lead and the win in the closing laps.
 
At the checkers, Imrie held off Strand by a mere 0.158 to take his No. 10W to RydellCars.com Victory Lane.
 
Greer, Kereluk, and Aaron Holtan rounded out the top five.
 
The Buffalo Wild Wings NOSA Sprint Car feature was postponed due to rain and a tornado warning issued for Grand Forks County.
 
Racing continues next Friday night at River Cities Speedway, featuring the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Cars and the NLRA Late Models. For ticket information, visit SLSpromotions.com.
 
SUMMARY

WISSOTA Late Models:
A Feature  (20 Laps): 1. Z17-Zach Naastad, [3]; 2. 12S-Brad Seng, [5]; 3. 10-Mike Balcaen, [7]; 4. 7P-Joey Pederson, [4]; 5. 71-Dustin Strand, [6]; 6. T1-Tom Corcoran, [1]; 7. 4C-Ryan Corbett, [10]; 8. F9-Brandon Fuller, [11]; 9. 71S-Steffen Snare, [8]; 10. 1R-Travis Robertson, [12]; 11. 14-Brody Troftgruben, [14]; 12. (DNF) 1M-Nicholas Minske, [13]; 13. (DNF) 2-Bill Mooney, [9]; 14. (DNF) 9-Steve Anderson, [2]
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. Z17-Zach Naastad, [3]; 2. 7P-Joey Pederson, [7]; 3. 9-Steve Anderson, [1]; 4. 12S-Brad Seng, [6]; 5. 2-Bill Mooney, [5]; 6. F9-Brandon Fuller, [2]; 7. 1M-Nicholas Minske, [4]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 71-Dustin Strand, [2]; 2. 10-Mike Balcaen, [4]; 3. 71S-Steffen Snare, [3]; 4. T1-Tom Corcoran, [7]; 5. 4C-Ryan Corbett, [6]; 6. 1R-Travis Robertson, [5]; 7. 14-Brody Troftgruben, [1]

WISSOTA Modifieds:
A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 10W-Ward Imrie, [1]; 2. 71-Dustin Strand, [6]; 3. 5G-Scott Greer, [5]; 4. 29K-Ryan Kereluk, [3]; 5. 2-Aaron Holtan, [8]; 6. 1R-Rick Delaine, [9]; 7. 4N-Nolan Olmstead, [7]; 8. 48-Jerome Guyot, [19]; 9. 95-Mark Esala, [14]; 10. 32-Eric Haugland, [11]; 11. 81-Jordan Duray, [18]; 12. 77R-Ryan Schroeder, [12]; 13. 39-Shawn Teunis, [16]; 14. 33-Murray Temple, [15]; 15. 57-Michael Tiani, [17]; 16. (DNF) 21J-Joe Chaplinski, [13]; 17. (DNF) 74-Dustin Wahl, [4]; 18. (DNF) 17-Lance Schill, [10]; 19. (DNF) 22-Rick Hamel, [2]
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 5G-Scott Greer, [4]; 2. 2-Aaron Holtan, [2]; 3. 10W-Ward Imrie, [5]; 4. 17-Lance Schill, [7]; 5. 21J-Joe Chaplinski, [1]; 6. 39-Shawn Teunis, [6]; 7. (DNF) 48-Jerome Guyot, [3]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 1R-Rick Delaine, [2]; 2. 71-Dustin Strand, [6]; 3. 74-Dustin Wahl, [3]; 4. 32-Eric Haugland, [1]; 5. 95-Mark Esala, [4]; 6. 57-Michael Tiani, [5]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 29K-Ryan Kereluk, [1]; 2. 22-Rick Hamel, [4]; 3. 4N-Nolan Olmstead, [3]; 4. 77R-Ryan Schroeder, [5]; 5. 33-Murray Temple, [2]; 6. 81-Jordan Duray, [6]

NOSA Sprint Cars:
Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 13-Mark Dobmeier, [6]; 2. 10TRB-Robert Martin, [2]; 3. 8H-Jade Hastings, [1]; 4. 6-Zach Wilde, [3]; 5. 14-Tom Egeland, [7]; 6. 4M-Cale Mack, [5]; 7. 12-Brayden Pengilly, [4]
Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 8-Casey Mack, [2]; 2. 9N-Wade Nygaard, [5]; 3. 7-Trent Stengl, [4]; 4. 31-Shane Roemeling, [3]; 5. 8C-Jack Croaker, [1]; 6. 42-Rick Bates, [6]; (DNS) 99-Jordan Graham,
Heat 3 (10 Laps): 1. 2A-Austin Pierce, [3]; 2. 26-Blake Egeland, [4]; 3. 20A-Jordan Adams, [6]; 4. 0-Nick Omdahl, [7]; 5. 24-Jon Sorenson, [1]; 6. (DNF) 51-Alex Larson, [2]; (DNS) 1AJ-Trevor Mell,

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