Dustin Strand won his third NLRA feature of the season last Saturday in Jamestown. Mike Spieker photo.
Two-time series champion, and current point leader Dustin Strand, driver of the No. 71 Q&Z Plumbing & Heating Millenium SRT, scored his third NLRA victory of the year last Saturday night at the Jamestown Speedway in Jamestown, ND. The win is Strand's 17th career win with the series, which is fifth on the all-time wins list.
| After a lengthy rain delay, Cole Schill, driver of the No. 44 Mid Ag Dispatch MasterSbilt by JMR, and Casey Meyer, driver of the No. 03 Smith Motors Victory, lead the field to the green at the start. The pair went three-wide with Strand at the start, with Meyer using the middle to rocket to the lead down the backstretch on the opening circuit. Meyer powered off the top of turn four to lead the first round, with Strand and Schill in tow. Seventh starting Brad Seng, driver of the No. 12S S&S Transport MB Custom, used the bottom to charge past Troy Schill, driver of the No. 11 Todd's Electric MasterSbilt, at the end of lap two. Seng continued his move forward shortly thereafter, reeling in Cole Schill, eventually going door-to-door for the final spot on the podium, as the field sped around the high-banked, quarter-mile oval. Cole Schill fought Seng off, however, as the leaders caught up to the back of the field, and started to work lapped traffic. |  Travis Robertson was the hard charger, improving seven spots. He finished twelfth after starting 19th. Related |
Strand used the traffic to pull back to within a car length of Meyer for the majority of a lap, with the exception of turn three, when he would peek to Meyer's inside for the lead.
Meyer was able to use a pair of lappers as a pick to lengthen his lead, as Strand was stuck behind the pair.
Once he was clear of the traffic, Strand reeled in Meyer one more time, as the pair caught up to the spoilers of another pair of about-to-be lapped cars.
Meanwhile, tenth starting Mike Balcaen, driver of the No. 10 Enns Brothers Black Diamond, used the same traffic that Meyer and Strand previously lapped, to move past Cole Schill for third.
Back at the front, Strand took the lead for the first time at the conclusion of the 16th round as the lead duo continued to be unable to move past the newest pair of lapped cars.
This was the beginning of an epic struggle for the lead, which saw a new leader at the end of each lap for five straight circuits. Meyer used the top as Strand made the bottom work, as the pair swapped the lead during drag races to the line on each lap.
A lapped car got loose at the top of turn four as the field came to the flag stand with ten laps remaining, causing Meyer to have to get on the binders, allowing the low running Strand to squeak by and build his first lead of the race.
The traffic then set up another epic battle for the final podium spot, as Balcaen, Seng, and Cole Schill started to dance the same dance as the lead duo did just one lap prior.
It was Balcaen who had the most success early, as he was the first one able to move past the traffic, leaving Seng and Schill to battle as they navigated through the traffic.
Seng used the top to move past Schill, as he was caught behind a lapped car. Seng then started to track down Balcaen in one last bid for fourth.
Clear of traffic, Seng ripped around the cushion, and moved past Balcaen for fourth in the waning circuits.
Dustin Strand sped under the flag stand on the final lap after building a three-and-a-half second lead by the conclusion of the green-to-checkered affair, with Casey Meyer finishing second, for his best career finish with the series.
Mike Balcaen was third, with Brad Seng fourth, and Cole Schill rounding out the top five.
Ryan Mikkelson was sixth in the Red Headed Rebel Brew No. 15*, with Eric Edwards seventh in the M&C Plumbing & Heating No. 14E. Troy Schill was eighth, with Kevin Robertson ninth in the No. 9R MLGC MB Custom, and Shane Edginton rounding out the top ten in the No. 4 Performance Auto Victory.
Travis Robertson, driver of the No. 1R Tires Plus MasterSbilt, was the hard charger, improving seven spots. He finished twelfth after starting 19th.
Cole Schill, Casey Meyer, and Strand won the heats. 19 cars were in attendance in Jamestown.
The series returns to action on Thursday night, August the 16th, for the fifth annual Can-Am Late Model Challenge at the Red River Co-Op Speedway in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which kicks off a four race stretch for the NLRA.
Meyer was able to use a pair of lappers as a pick to lengthen his lead, as Strand was stuck behind the pair.
Once he was clear of the traffic, Strand reeled in Meyer one more time, as the pair caught up to the spoilers of another pair of about-to-be lapped cars.
Meanwhile, tenth starting Mike Balcaen, driver of the No. 10 Enns Brothers Black Diamond, used the same traffic that Meyer and Strand previously lapped, to move past Cole Schill for third.
Back at the front, Strand took the lead for the first time at the conclusion of the 16th round as the lead duo continued to be unable to move past the newest pair of lapped cars.
This was the beginning of an epic struggle for the lead, which saw a new leader at the end of each lap for five straight circuits. Meyer used the top as Strand made the bottom work, as the pair swapped the lead during drag races to the line on each lap.
A lapped car got loose at the top of turn four as the field came to the flag stand with ten laps remaining, causing Meyer to have to get on the binders, allowing the low running Strand to squeak by and build his first lead of the race.
The traffic then set up another epic battle for the final podium spot, as Balcaen, Seng, and Cole Schill started to dance the same dance as the lead duo did just one lap prior.
It was Balcaen who had the most success early, as he was the first one able to move past the traffic, leaving Seng and Schill to battle as they navigated through the traffic.
Seng used the top to move past Schill, as he was caught behind a lapped car. Seng then started to track down Balcaen in one last bid for fourth.
Clear of traffic, Seng ripped around the cushion, and moved past Balcaen for fourth in the waning circuits.
Dustin Strand sped under the flag stand on the final lap after building a three-and-a-half second lead by the conclusion of the green-to-checkered affair, with Casey Meyer finishing second, for his best career finish with the series.
Mike Balcaen was third, with Brad Seng fourth, and Cole Schill rounding out the top five.
Ryan Mikkelson was sixth in the Red Headed Rebel Brew No. 15*, with Eric Edwards seventh in the M&C Plumbing & Heating No. 14E. Troy Schill was eighth, with Kevin Robertson ninth in the No. 9R MLGC MB Custom, and Shane Edginton rounding out the top ten in the No. 4 Performance Auto Victory.
Travis Robertson, driver of the No. 1R Tires Plus MasterSbilt, was the hard charger, improving seven spots. He finished twelfth after starting 19th.
Cole Schill, Casey Meyer, and Strand won the heats. 19 cars were in attendance in Jamestown.
The series returns to action on Thursday night, August the 16th, for the fifth annual Can-Am Late Model Challenge at the Red River Co-Op Speedway in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which kicks off a four race stretch for the NLRA.
The NLRA would like to thank Tour Sponsors: Wes' Plumbing, S&S Transport, Performance Auto, Adams Automotive & Machine, White Water Truck Wash, Day Dreams, Grand Forks Subaru/Kia, BOSS Signs & Graphics, Storbakken & Sons Construction, A&L Siding, Millar Engines, Gateway Cenex, Fastlane Racing Equipment, Q&Z Plumbing, Fargo Forum, On The Edge Graphics, Hugo's, EGF American Legion Post 157, and Contingency Sponsors: Speedway International Fuel, Hi-Per Flex, Schaeffer's Oil & Lubricants, Hoosier Tire North, and FYE Motorsports Promotion, for their support.
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