Weiss Steals Performance Auto Late Model in on Final Lap

By Mike Spieker

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (September 1, 2017) – The Performance Auto WISSOTA Late Models put on a wild show during their 20-lap main event. It all began with Bill Mooney checking out from the field in the early going, just to have contact with lapped cars ruin his night. ​

Travis Robertson & Ricky Weiss make contact on the final lap. Mike Spieker photo.

Mooney started on the outside of the front row and opened up a comfortable advantage right at the drop of the green flag. Within several laps, Mooney held nearly a half-lap cushion over NLRA rookie of the year contenders, Travis Robertson and Brody Troftgruben. When Mooney encountered his first lapped car, Bryce Reimer, he suffered severe damage to the right side of his machine. Reimer began to spin just as Mooney was driving by, which resulted in heavy contact between the two drivers.

Mooney kept trucking forward, though, before reaching Nick Minske. In nearly identical fashion, Minske and Mooney made significant contact as well in turn two, which ended Minske’s night and cut down Mooney’s right rear tire.

Mooney’s crew was able to get the tire changed in time for the restart, but he had to rejoin the field at the tail. He would salvage a sixth place finish.

Robertson inherited the lead with 10 laps to go. Robertson held the point with Mike Balcaen and Ricky Weiss breathing down his neck. The final caution was displayed with three laps to go.

On the restart, Weiss moved by Balcaen for second and put Robertson in his crosshairs. On the final lap, Weiss moved to the inside of Robertson for the lead in turn one and the two got together. The contact resulted in a steering component breaking in the left front of Robertson.

Weiss drove away to take the win, as Robertson slowed significantly in turns three and four. Balcaen got into Robertson, which then started a chain reaction wreck at the finish line.

Robertson spun across the line to finish second, as Balcaen, Brad Seng, and Joey Pederson rounded out the top five.

​RESULTS:
A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 7W-Ricky Weiss, [7]; 2. 1R-Travis Robertson, [4]; 3. 10-Mike Balcaen, [3]; 4. 12S-Brad Seng, [5]; 5. 7P-Joey Pederson, [6]; 6. 2-Bill Mooney, [2]; 7. F9-Brandon Fuller, [10]; 8. 14-Brody Troftgruben, [1]; 9. 9-Steve Anderson, [15]; 10. (DNF) 345-Bryce Reimer, [14]; 11. (DNF) T1-Tom Corcoran, [13]; 12. (DNF) 71-Dustin Strand, [8]; 13. (DNF) 1M-Nicholas Minske, [12]; 14. (DNF) 4C-Ryan Corbett, [9]; (DNS) 4-Shane Edginton,
​

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 71-Dustin Strand, [1]; 2. 10-Mike Balcaen, [3]; 3. 2-Bill Mooney, [5]; 4. 7W-Ricky Weiss, [8]; 5. 4C-Ryan Corbett, [2]; 6. 4-Shane Edginton, [7]; 7. T1-Tom Corcoran, [6]; 8. 9-Steve Anderson, [4]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 12S-Brad Seng, [2]; 2. 14-Brody Troftgruben, [1]; 3. 7P-Joey Pederson, [4]; 4. 1R-Travis Robertson, [7]; 5. F9-Brandon Fuller, [5]; 6. 1M-Nicholas Minske, [3]; 7. 345-Bryce Reimer, [6]

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