Chad Becker in victory lane at the Sheyenne Speedway Sunday night. Speedway Shots photo.
Chad Becker, driver of the No. 12B Aberdeen Wings MB Custom, turned a rainout at the Casino Speedway in Watertown, SD earlier in the day, into an NLRA victory Sunday night at the Sheyenne Speedway in Lisbon, ND. The win is Becker's third career NLRA series victory, and first since 2010 at the Red River Valley Speedway on the old half mile, as he continues his pursuit as the current Wissota national point leader, to become a two-time national champion.
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Shane Edginton lined the No. 4 Performance Auto Victory on the pole of the main event, with Ryan Corbett on the outside in the No. C4 Corbett Trucking MasterSbilt.
It was Edginton who took the lead at the drop of the green, as the field began the first few trips around the quarter-mile, Ransom County speedplant. After a caution with one circuit completed, the field re-stacked for the first double file restart of the race. Brody Troftgruben capitalized on the ensuing restart, as he moved the No. 14 Gateway Auto Tech Rocket past Corbett and into second. Troftgruben's great restart went all for not on the exit of turn four, however, as mechanical issues for his mount bought out the second caution of the race with two laps complete. This moved Chad Becker, and new NLRA point leader heading into the night, Dustin Strand, and his No. 71 Walhalla Builders Millenium SRT, into second and third respectively. The leaders caught up to the back of the field in no time, as they began to work lapped traffic just seven laps into the twenty-five lapper. |
Chad Becker speeds down the backstretch at the Sheyenne Speedway. Mike Spieker photo.
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The lead duo of Edginton and Becker had to abandon the bottom for the top, as the lapped cars were making their way around the bottom of the Sheyenne Speedway.
At this point, Becker was on Edginton's tail, but Edginton was able to hold the lead as they continued thought the traffic. The following lap, the race for the lead really heated up, as Becker tried the very top of the track to move past Edginton.
Becker, however, slid off the top of the exit of turn two, allowing Late Model rookie, and winner last Friday at the I-94 Speedway in Fergus Falls, Billy Vogel, driver of the No. 4V EZ Open Garage Door Rocket XR1, to close in on the lead duo to make it a three car battle for the top spot.
At this point, Becker was on Edginton's tail, but Edginton was able to hold the lead as they continued thought the traffic. The following lap, the race for the lead really heated up, as Becker tried the very top of the track to move past Edginton.
Becker, however, slid off the top of the exit of turn two, allowing Late Model rookie, and winner last Friday at the I-94 Speedway in Fergus Falls, Billy Vogel, driver of the No. 4V EZ Open Garage Door Rocket XR1, to close in on the lead duo to make it a three car battle for the top spot.
Vogel was able to sneak by on the bottom of both Edginton and Becker to lead his first lap in NLRA competition, in his first race with the series.
Becker was able to regain the lead in turns one and two, before another caution with seven laps remaining. During the caution, both Edginton and Vogel fell victim to flat tires, sending both pit side. Only Edginton was able to continue.
On the final restart, Becker resumed as the leader as 2017 Sheyenne winner Don Shaw moved the No. 42S Shaw Trucking Victory into the runner-up spot, with Strand close behind in third.
With two laps left, Shaw and Strand made contact heading into turn one, as Shaw regained the second spot. This allowed the winner of the first of the two B Mains, Curt Gelling, driver of the No. 18 Riverview Sales & Rental Rocket, to move past Brad Seng's No. 12S Interstate Power Systems MB Custom, and to the tail of Strand for the final spot on the podium.
Becker was able to regain the lead in turns one and two, before another caution with seven laps remaining. During the caution, both Edginton and Vogel fell victim to flat tires, sending both pit side. Only Edginton was able to continue.
On the final restart, Becker resumed as the leader as 2017 Sheyenne winner Don Shaw moved the No. 42S Shaw Trucking Victory into the runner-up spot, with Strand close behind in third.
With two laps left, Shaw and Strand made contact heading into turn one, as Shaw regained the second spot. This allowed the winner of the first of the two B Mains, Curt Gelling, driver of the No. 18 Riverview Sales & Rental Rocket, to move past Brad Seng's No. 12S Interstate Power Systems MB Custom, and to the tail of Strand for the final spot on the podium.
Becker continued on for the victory over the seventeenth starting Gelling to make it a one-two finish for Aberdeen natives. Seng finished third after starting eleventh to round out the podium.
Two-time series champion Cody Skytland finished fourth in the No. 15 Fargo Petro Rocket, in his first late model race in two years, while Mike Balcaen rounded out the podium in the No. 10 Mission Transport Black Diamond.
Cole Schill was sixth in the No. 44 Mid Ag Dispatch MB Custom, with Dave Smith seventh after starting twentieth in the No. 06 Polar Industries Capital, and Cory Tammen eighth in the No. Redline Graphix No. 71X.
Casey Meyer in the No. 03 Smith Motors Victory and Jesse Teunis in the No. 70 Grand Prix Amusements MasterSbilt, rounded out the top ten.
Becker on the win afterwords said, "It was a blast. A lot more fun than I thought it was actually gonna be. We just followed him [Edginton] around the bottom, so I figured we had to try something on that restart. So we were just feeling the top out, and I knew I could run up there, just had to get a lot of steam off the top, and it worked out awesome. Car would drive anywhere, it was fun, and it was a blast, and good job on track prep."
Troftgruben, Edginton, Corbett, and Strand were the heat winners. Gelling and Tom Corcoran, driver of the No. T1 C&B Motors MB Custom, were the B Main winners. Corcoran was also honored by the track along with Street Stock driver Jerry Lamb for their 50 years of racing during intermission. A season high 32 cars were in attendance at the Sheyenne Speedway.
NLRA series action continues on Saturday night, August the 24th, at the Greenbush Race Park in Greenbush, MN.
The NLRA would like to thank Tour Sponsors: Performance Auto, Adams Automotive & Machine, S&S Transport, Gateway Cenex, Millar Engines, Wes' Plumbing & Heating, White Water Truck Wash, On The Edge Graphics, Anderson Brother's Body Shop, Smitty's Transmission, Fastenal, El Roco Nightclub & Bottleshop, Hart Attack Racing, Residual Materials, Generous Jerry's, Gold & Silver Exchange, Gateway Sportz, Grand Forks Subaru/Kia, BOSS Signs & Graphics, Fargo Forum Printing, Fastlane Racing Equipment, Q&Z Plumbing, A&L Siding, Bank Insure/Forward, Hugo's Wine & Spirits, Daydreams Specialties, Play It Again Sports, Red Wing Shoes, Speedway Shots, Country Financial, Storbakken & Sons Construction, EGF American Legion Post #157, EZ Open Garage Door, Schill Construction, Northern Lights Floral Co., Jess Rice Crary Realty, Generations Salon, Northern Motors, and Contingency Sponsors: CMD Shocks, Hoosier Tire North, Mars Race Cars, Performance Auto, Speedway International Fuel, Schaeffer's Oil & Lubricants, for their support.
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