Ryan Bicket Refuses to Give Up

by Steve Zwemke

   HARTFORD, SD — Sounding a little bit like Winston Churchill and Jimmy Valvano, Ryan Bickett’s mantra in victory lane was “never give up.”  Bickett definitley had to fight back to earn his second Hard Core Speed Shop IMCA 360 Sprint Car win this season at I-90 Speedway on Saturday night after losing the lead to Dusty Ballenger on the eighth lap.  Bickett used an excellent restart to motor by Ballenger on lap 14 and take back the lead for good in a race that saw three lead changes.  Second place finisher Eric Lutz came from the sixth row.

   Craig Hanisch is now tied for second with Nick Beyenhof on I-90 Speedway’s all-time wins list after taking the checkered flag in the Express Copy and Printing Late Model Street Stock feature.  Hanisch now has 35 career wins at Hartford, only five fewer than Shawn Reed.  Cory Yeigh led the first three laps and raced to a strong second place finish.

   After winning the season’s first two USRA B-Modified A-Mains, Tracy Johnson’s summer was turning into an assortment of mechanical issues and disappointments.  Johnson hopes that is all behind him now after scoring his third win while gaining some ground on his brother Tyler Johnson and Kenny Scholten at the top of the point standings.  Johnson took the lead away from Dave Kennedy on the fifth lap of the 15-lap feature.  Meanwhile, Jeremiah Christensen crossed the finish line in second for the third consecutive week.

   Travis Schreurs is showing signs of being unstoppable in the Hobby Stock division.  Schreurs got around Tim Waltner on the third lap on his way to winning his fourth straight feature and fifth overall.

   Mark Bauman took the wheel as a provisional driver for his daughter Harley and preserved her lead at the top of the point standings by winning the night’s Fast Auto Wash Super Chargers A-Main.

   I-90 Speedway’s 360 Outlaw Sprint Car Nationals will be held on Saturday, July 9.  The ASCS Midwest Regional Series headlines the show with a $3000 to win, $300 to start main event.

RESULTS

Saturday, July 2

IMCA 360 SPRINT CARS

   Heat Winners:  Brock Dump, Randy Droescher, Tommy Barber

   B Feature Winner:  Greg Gunderson

   Feature:  1. Ryan Bickett, 2. Eric Lutz, 3. Dusty Ballenger, 4. Brock Dump, 5. Cody Hahn, 6. Bryan Gossel, 7. Mike Young, 8. Dylan Peterson, 9. Kevin Flowers, 10. Dustin Beenken, 11. Greg Gunderson, 12. Micah Schliemann, 13. Tommy Barber, 14. Heather Underberg, 15. Randy Droescher, 16. Terry Chester, 17. John Lambertz, 18. Daryl Reverts, 19. Brandon Bosma, 20. Don Bickett  

LATE MODEL STREET STOCKS

   Heat Winners:  Brandon Ferguson, Kipp De Groot, Craig Hanisch

   Feature:  1. Craig Hanisch, 2. Cory Yeigh, 3. Jesse Akkerman, 4. Matt Steuerwald, 5. John Hoing, 6. Marshall Pater, 7. Don Bickett, 8. Jamie Tieszen, 9. Sam Johnson, 10. Billy Prouty, 11. Brandon Ferguson, 12. Jim Hoing, 13. Kipp De Groot, 14. Fred Konechne, 15. Eric Moser, 16. Kevin Larson, 17. Scott Borkowski, 18. Brylee Gough, 19. Terry Prouty, 20. Bob Dafoe, 21. Dale Furby

USRA B-MODIFIEDS

   Heat Winners:  Devon McMartin, Justin Saathoff, Jeremiah Christensen

   B Feature Winner:  Devon Schlumbohm

   Feature:  1. Tracy Johnson, 2. Jeremiah Christensen, 3. Brad Haas, 4. Tim Dann, 5. Dave Kennedy, 6. Craig Hanisch, 7. Mitch Van Engen, 8. Aaron Penning, 9. Devon Schlumbohm, 10. Jesse Ebbesen, 11. Doug Folkens, 12. Cory Gronewold, 13. Greg Eden, 14. Kenny Scholten, 15. Devon McMartin, 16. Tyler Johnson, 17. Koalin Nelson, 18. Darin Noyes, 19. Kevin Joachim, 20. Justin Saathoff

HOBBY STOCKS

   Heat Winners:  Jason Mehlhaff, Don Brady

   Feature:  1. Travis Schreurs, 2. Tim Waltner, 3. Don Brady, 4. Jordan Kott, 5. Paul Hartley, 6. Dustin Gulbrandson, 7. Zach Olivier, 8. Brian Hoing, 9. Jason Mehlhaff, 10. Derek Baartman, 11. Mike Chaney, 12. Dan Carsrud, 13. Mike Dahler, 14. Tom Hudson, 15. Justin Smith, 16. Terry Larsen

SUPER CHARGERS

   Heat Winners:  Laura Ebbesen, Mark Bauman

   Feature:  1. Mark Bauman, 2. Laura Ebbesen, 3. Keith Johnson, 4. Kyle Crawford, 5. Jessica Brandt, 6. Tyler Martin, 7. Tyler McFarland, 8. Joe Blake, 9. Court Ecklund, 10. Justin Peterson, 11. Cory Stark