Ekern Wins Feature, Ballenger Earns Three-Peat

   HARTFORD, SD — Dave Ekern led all 20 laps of Saturday’s Hard Core Speed Shop IMCA 360 Sprint Car feature to chalk up his third career win at I-90 Speedway.  The feature was halted on the opening lap as pole-sitter Dustin Beenken spun and then collected Jordan Martens.  Three laps later the red flag appeared again for an accident involving Eric Schulz.  Schulz flipped his car in turn one and also took out Travis Schreurs. 

   Justin Glaser started to gain on Ekern late in the race, but Ekern gassed it over the final few laps to pick up his first win since last August.

   Meanwhile, Dusty Ballenger did not need a lot of help in hunting down his third straight points title.  Ballenger’s ninth place finish was good enough to hold off Brock Dump by 15-points for another championship.

   Six wins was not enough in Matt Steuerwald’s chase for a fourth Express Copy and Printing Late Model Street Stock championship.  Steuerwald raced to his sixth win after passing Brylee Gough on the sixth lap.  Steuerwald was able to cruise to victory lane from there.  Craig Hanisch came from the sixth row to finish second.

   Jesse Akkerman of Luverne, Minnesota, captured his first I-90 Speedway track championship.  Akkerman finished 10th in the feature and 17-points ahead of Eric Moser at the top of the Late Model Street Stock points.  Three-time champ Matt Steuerwald ended the season in third.

   The most exciting points battle heading into the final night was in the USRA B-Modifieds.  Tyler Johnson needed to gain 19-points on his brother Tracy Johnson to earn the division’s title.  And, while Tyler Johnson did as much as he could by winning his fourth feature, his brother crossed the line in second to become a three-time B-Modified track champion at I-90 Speedway.

   Mike Chaney was overdue for a Hobby Stock feature win after scoring three last season.  Chaney was impressive in leading all 12 laps of the season finale to put an end to his drought.  Equally impressive was Travis Schreurs who came in second and earned his fourth straight Hobby Stock track title.

   The Fast Auto Wash Super Chargers feature saw Keith Johnson’s car in victory lane for the second straight week.  Johnson outdistanced Tyler McFarland over the final laps for the win.

   Third place finisher Harley Bauman ended the season at the top of the Super Chargers point standings.  She notched eight wins and 16 Top 5 finishes.

 

 

IMCA 360 SPRINT CARS

   Heat Winners:  Dave Ekern, Brandt O’Banion, Dustin Beenken

   B Feature:  Mike Young

   Feature:  1) Dave Ekern, 2) Justin Glaser, 3) Lane Brenden, 4) John Lambertz, 5) Troy Schreurs, 6) Brock Dump, 7) Randy Droescher, 8) Gary Reber, 9) Dusty Ballenger, 10) Zeb Larsen, 11) Ryan Bickett, 12) Kevin Flowers, 13) Mike Young, 14) Rick Hansen, 15) Travis Schreurs, 16) Eric Schulz, 17) Brandt O’Banion, 18) Terry Chester, 19) Dustin Beenken, 20) Jordan Martens

LATE MODEL STREET STOCKS

   Heat Winners:  Billy Prouty, Kipp De Groot, Jim Hoing

   Feature:  1) Matt Steuerwald, 2) Craig Hanisch, 3) Eric Moser, 4) Cory Yeigh, 5) Brylee Gough, 6) Scott Borkowski, 7) Marshall Pater, 8) Dale Furby, 9) Kipp De Groot, 10) Jesse Akkerman, 11) Don Bickett, 12) John Hoing, 13) Jim Hoing, 14) Kade Powell, 15) Terry Prouty, 16) Fred Konechne, 17) Billy Prouty, 18) Mike Forseth, 19) Bob Dafoe, 20) Brett Larsen

USRA B-MODIFIEDS

   Heat Winners:  Dave Kennedy, Andy Wieczorek, Tim Dann

   Feature:  1) Tyler Johnson, 2) Tracy Johnson, 3) Tim Dann, 4) Brad Haas, 5) Jeremiah Christensen, 6) Trevor Tesch, 7) Jeremy Rozeboom, 8) Dylan Fitzpatrick, 9) Steve Pruner, 10) Andy Wieczorek, 11) Jesse Ebbesen, 12) Danny Harmon, 13) Chris Goetz, 14) Alec Vanden Brink, 15) Kenny Scholten, 16) Dave Kennedy, 17) Brock Hess, 18) Tyler Tesch, 19) Mark DeBoer, 20) Darin Noyes

HOBBY STOCKS

   Heat Winners:  Dustin Gulbrandson, Mike Chaney

   Feature:  1) Mike Chaney, 2) Travis Schreurs, 3) Dustin Gulbrandson, 4) Zach Olivier, 5) Tim Waltner, 6) Andy Wieczorek, 7) Jordan Kott, 8) Ryan Korthals, 9) Derek Baartman, 10) Justin Smith, 11) Don Brady Jr., 12) Brian Hoing, 13) Paul Hartley, 14) Derek Gramstad, 15) Brian Campbell, 16) Tony Fetterman

SUPER CHARGERS

   Heat Winners:  Tyler McFarland, Jessica Brandt

   Feature:  1) Keith Johnson, 2) Tyler McFarland, 3) Harley Bauman, 4) Tyler Martin, 5) Jessica Brandt, 6) Laura Ebbesen, 7) Joe Blake, 8) Micahael Pechous, 9) Scott Ecklund