NLRA Tour regulars Cole Schill and Mike Balcaen used a break in the series schedule to pick up their first wins of the 2013 season during the last week. In Schill's case, it was also his first career victory. Schill lead the first seven laps of the main event at the River Cities Speedway back on June the 14th when the rains came, ending the night early, and forcing a make-up later in the season. That make-up came last Friday night, and this time Schill picked up right where he left off, leading all 20 laps, parking his No. 44 Quaker Steak and Lube Rocket in victory lane.
An elated Schill said after the race "My mom was behind me. my dad was behind me, and I guess here were are. It's the best feeling ever." Schill held off NLRA and Wissota national point leader Dustin Strand, driver of the No. 71S Q&Z Plumbing & Heating Millenium, River Cities Speedway point leader Joey Pederson, driver of the No. 7P Dahlstrom Motors Mars MB Custom, defending NLRA champion Brad Seng, driver of the No. 12S S&S Transport Mars MB Custom, and Bill Mooney, driver of the No. 2 freehearingtest.ca Rocket, who rounded out the top five.
Brad Seng would win the second feature of the night after passing five time and defending World of Outlaws Sprint Car Champion Donny Schatz with three to go to win his fourth feature in five races. Pederson, Strand, and Mike Balcaen rounded out the top five.
Balcaen Wins In Williston
Mike Balcaen would also score his first victory of the 2013 season on Monday night at the Basin Speedway in Williston, ND. Balcaen, driver of the No. 10 Northstar Canada Victory Circle, rebounded from a crash on Saturday night at the Dacotah Speedway in Mandan, ND, finishing fifth Sunday night in Williston, before his victory on Monday. The win was the 203rd career triumph for the three time NLRA champion. Balcaen would score his third top five in as many days Tuesday night as a runner up to former World of Outlaws regular Pat Doar at the Estevan Motor Speedway in Saskatchewan.
Dustin Strand also rebounded from a DNF on Saturday, scoring a fourth and a second in Williston, while Cole Schill finished fourth on Monday, along with two other top tens. Steve Anderson, driver of the No. 9 Hi-Per-Flex Panel Systems Pierce, had a tough weekend, with a ninth place run on Sunday night sandwiched between two DNF's.
Two NLRA Series Regulars Return to the Track
It was great to see two NLRA series regulars return to the track last week. Troy Schill, driver of the No. 11 Forks Finest Auto Body Victory Circle, and Jeff Hapala, driver of the No. 16S Auto Solutions GRT, returned to action last Friday at the River Cities Speedway. Schill's bad luck had cost him two blown motors earlier this season, while Hapala missed a month of action after rolling down the backstretch during the NLRA series stop at the Red River Co-Op Speedway near Winnipeg, MB on June 27th.
NLRA Series action resumes on Thursday August 8th when the series makes its' third and final visit this season to the Norman County Raceway in Ada, MN, and continues with a weekend double header at the Jamestown Speedway on Saturday August the 10th , and the Buffalo River Race Park on Sunday August the 11th.
TOUR SPONSORS
Adams Automotive, Burger King, S & S Transport, Wes' Plumbing, Initials Custom Embroidery (ICE), BOSS Signs & Graphics, Millar Race Engines, Cartunz, Todd's Electric, Gateway Cenex, White Water Truck Wash, ADrenaLize Graphics, Generous Jerry's/Gold-Silver Exchange, Lance Schill Construction, WJ Bradley Mortgage, Gateway Sports, Grand Forks Subaru Kia, Ramada, Sunray Printing, On The Edge Graphics, Kelly's Bar, Marco's Pizza, General Signs, Tom's Backhoe, Fastlane Racing Equipment, Applied Designs
CONTINGENCY SPONSORS
Speedway International Fuel, Hi-Per Flex Panel Systems, Schaeffer's Oil & Lubricants, Mars Race Cars, Hoosier Tire North, FYE Motorsports Promotion, Intercomp, CMD Shocks, Shocks by Hammer
Brad Seng would win the second feature of the night after passing five time and defending World of Outlaws Sprint Car Champion Donny Schatz with three to go to win his fourth feature in five races. Pederson, Strand, and Mike Balcaen rounded out the top five.
Balcaen Wins In Williston
Mike Balcaen would also score his first victory of the 2013 season on Monday night at the Basin Speedway in Williston, ND. Balcaen, driver of the No. 10 Northstar Canada Victory Circle, rebounded from a crash on Saturday night at the Dacotah Speedway in Mandan, ND, finishing fifth Sunday night in Williston, before his victory on Monday. The win was the 203rd career triumph for the three time NLRA champion. Balcaen would score his third top five in as many days Tuesday night as a runner up to former World of Outlaws regular Pat Doar at the Estevan Motor Speedway in Saskatchewan.
Dustin Strand also rebounded from a DNF on Saturday, scoring a fourth and a second in Williston, while Cole Schill finished fourth on Monday, along with two other top tens. Steve Anderson, driver of the No. 9 Hi-Per-Flex Panel Systems Pierce, had a tough weekend, with a ninth place run on Sunday night sandwiched between two DNF's.
Two NLRA Series Regulars Return to the Track
It was great to see two NLRA series regulars return to the track last week. Troy Schill, driver of the No. 11 Forks Finest Auto Body Victory Circle, and Jeff Hapala, driver of the No. 16S Auto Solutions GRT, returned to action last Friday at the River Cities Speedway. Schill's bad luck had cost him two blown motors earlier this season, while Hapala missed a month of action after rolling down the backstretch during the NLRA series stop at the Red River Co-Op Speedway near Winnipeg, MB on June 27th.
NLRA Series action resumes on Thursday August 8th when the series makes its' third and final visit this season to the Norman County Raceway in Ada, MN, and continues with a weekend double header at the Jamestown Speedway on Saturday August the 10th , and the Buffalo River Race Park on Sunday August the 11th.
TOUR SPONSORS
Adams Automotive, Burger King, S & S Transport, Wes' Plumbing, Initials Custom Embroidery (ICE), BOSS Signs & Graphics, Millar Race Engines, Cartunz, Todd's Electric, Gateway Cenex, White Water Truck Wash, ADrenaLize Graphics, Generous Jerry's/Gold-Silver Exchange, Lance Schill Construction, WJ Bradley Mortgage, Gateway Sports, Grand Forks Subaru Kia, Ramada, Sunray Printing, On The Edge Graphics, Kelly's Bar, Marco's Pizza, General Signs, Tom's Backhoe, Fastlane Racing Equipment, Applied Designs
CONTINGENCY SPONSORS
Speedway International Fuel, Hi-Per Flex Panel Systems, Schaeffer's Oil & Lubricants, Mars Race Cars, Hoosier Tire North, FYE Motorsports Promotion, Intercomp, CMD Shocks, Shocks by Hammer
Cole Schill in River Cities Speedway victory lane last Friday night July the 26th. Photo courtesy of Traci Palya
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