 |  |
Jeff Wildung (Saturday; left) and Don Shaw (Sunday; right) in victory lane at the Viking Speedway last weekend.
Collin Nelson photos.
Collin Nelson photos.
Jeff Wildung, driver of the No. 50 Veit Companies MB Custom, and Don Shaw, driver of the No. 42S Shaw Trucking Rocket XR1, split the Traditional Labor Day Dobule at the Viking Speedway in Alexandria, MN. Wildung lead all twenty laps to score his fourteenth NLRA win, and twelfth at Viking. Shaw's win is his eleventh NLRA series win, and the sixth year in a row that his has one at least one of the two features contested at Viking on Labor Day weekend.
Wildung Tops Night One
Wildung lined up next to polesitter Mike Balcaen and his No. 10 Enns Brothers Black Diamond at the start. Wildung used the cushion to take the lead during the first trip down the long backstretch of the 'high flyin' half mile.'
| Wildung lined up next to polesitter Mike Balcaen and his No. 10 Enns Brothers Black Diamond at the start. Wildung used the cushion to take the lead during the first trip down the long backstretch of the 'High Flyin' Half Mile.' At the end of the opening lap, Lance Matthees moved his No. 90 past Balcaen for the runner-up spot. Wildung wasted no time asserting his mastery of the Douglas County oval, as the eleven-time NLRA winner at the Speedway heading into the night, built a straightaway lead with six circuits completed. Shortly thereafter, Wildung avoided disaster, as he was able to get on the binders to miss a pileup that formed at the top of the second turn on the beginning of the seventh lap. On the ensuing restart, Balcaen regained the second spot, while also taking a peek to the inside of Wildung in turn two. As Wildung started to re-build his lead, the NLRA point battle was playing out, as Brad Seng cycled around Viking in the fourth spot in his No. 12S S&S Transport MB Custom. Further back, Dustin Strand, driver of the No. 71 Q&Z Plumbing & Heating Millenium SRT, and Shane Edginton, driver of the No. 4 Performance Auto Victory, ran just outside the top ten with Wahpeton's Shawn Meyer, Wisconsin's Mike Prochnow, and Dustin Bluhm. |  Brad Seng will head into Thursday's 'Prelude to the Johnny' as the NLRA point leader. Speedway Shots photo. Related |
Inside of five laps remaining, Wildung caught the back of the field, but his lead was never tested, as he continued on for his fourteenth NLRA series win, and twelfth at Viking. Balcaen was second with Matthees third, Seng fourth, and Dave Mass rounding out the top five in Don Shaw's No. 42M Shaw Trucking Victory.
Cole Schill was sixth in the No. 44 Mid Ag Dispatch MB Custom, with Aberdeen's Thomas Weisgram seventh, Shawn Meyer eighth, Dustin Strand ninth, and Don Shaw completing the top ten.
Matthees, Balcaen, Mass, and Wildung were the heat winners, with Alexandria resident Ryan Mikkelson picking up the B Main victory. Cole Schill was the Performance Auto hard charger, improving eight spots. 32 cars entered night one of the Double at Viking.
Seng's performance gave him the point lead heading into Sunday night, as he built a 38 point lead with his fourth place run, combined with Strand's ninth place finish, and Edginton's fifteenth place run.
Cole Schill was sixth in the No. 44 Mid Ag Dispatch MB Custom, with Aberdeen's Thomas Weisgram seventh, Shawn Meyer eighth, Dustin Strand ninth, and Don Shaw completing the top ten.
Matthees, Balcaen, Mass, and Wildung were the heat winners, with Alexandria resident Ryan Mikkelson picking up the B Main victory. Cole Schill was the Performance Auto hard charger, improving eight spots. 32 cars entered night one of the Double at Viking.
Seng's performance gave him the point lead heading into Sunday night, as he built a 38 point lead with his fourth place run, combined with Strand's ninth place finish, and Edginton's fifteenth place run.
Shaw Stretches Streak To Six At Viking
On Sunday night, Wildung was in prime position to sweep the weekend at the start, as he lined up on the pole, with Don Shaw to his outside.
Shaw, in his own right, headed into the weekend having won at least one of the two features of the Labor Day Double in each of the previous five seasons, including a sweep of the 2016 Double.
After the initial start was called back, Shaw did as Wildung did one night prior, taking the lead at the start from the outside of the front row.
As Shaw and Wildung pulled away up front, the point battle heated up, once again, as Seng and Edginton battled in the latter portion of the top ten. Edginton and Cole Schill went door-to-door for the eighth spot, as Seng cycled around Viking in eleventh.
The third member of the lead trio in the point battle, Dustin Strand, battled towards the back of the field, as he had to win the B Main to start twenty-first.
Edginton used the cushion to try and keep the low running Schill in a rears, but Schill kept up with Edginton in the battle for that position, which was the best on track at that point in the race.
Back up front, Shaw was working lapped traffic, as Wildung kept pace in second at the midway point of the second twenty lapper of the weekend.
Shaw had a decent lead in the waning laps, but traffic allowed Wildung to start closing back in on the leader with less than five remaining.
Shaw, in his own right, headed into the weekend having won at least one of the two features of the Labor Day Double in each of the previous five seasons, including a sweep of the 2016 Double.
After the initial start was called back, Shaw did as Wildung did one night prior, taking the lead at the start from the outside of the front row.
As Shaw and Wildung pulled away up front, the point battle heated up, once again, as Seng and Edginton battled in the latter portion of the top ten. Edginton and Cole Schill went door-to-door for the eighth spot, as Seng cycled around Viking in eleventh.
The third member of the lead trio in the point battle, Dustin Strand, battled towards the back of the field, as he had to win the B Main to start twenty-first.
Edginton used the cushion to try and keep the low running Schill in a rears, but Schill kept up with Edginton in the battle for that position, which was the best on track at that point in the race.
Back up front, Shaw was working lapped traffic, as Wildung kept pace in second at the midway point of the second twenty lapper of the weekend.
Shaw had a decent lead in the waning laps, but traffic allowed Wildung to start closing back in on the leader with less than five remaining.
 |  |
Wildung (left) and Shaw (right) in their respective offices at Viking last weekend. Collin Nelson photos.
Wildung made one last ditch effort to try and sweep the weekend, but it was Shaw who made it back to the flagstand on the final circuit first, by a mere two-tenths of a second over the hard charging Wildung, to stretch his winning streak to six years in a row on Labor Day weekend at Viking.
Morris, Minnesota veteran Shawn Kirwin was third, with Shawn Meyer fourth, and Dave Mass rounding out the top five.
Dustin Bluhm was sixth, with Mike Balcaen seventh, Shane Edginton eighth, Cole Schill ninth, and Jordan Tollakson completing the top ten.
Shaw, Kirwin, Shawn Meyer, and Wildung were the heat winners, with Dustin Strand picking up the B Main win. Brad Seng was the Performance Auto hard charger, improving eight spots to finish eleventh. 30 cars entered the second night of the Double at Viking.
Brad Seng will head into the season ending 'Prelude to the Johnny' at the River Cities Speedway on Thursday night with a thirty point lead over Shane Edginton. Dustin Strand is third, 66 markers back of the lead.
Mike Balcaen and Brody Troftgruben, driver of the No. 14 Gateway Auto Tech Rocket, round out the top five.
Jesse Teunis is sixth with the No. 70 Houde's Excavating MasterSbilt, with Ryan Corbett seventh with the No. C4 Corbett Trucking MasterSbilt, and Cole Schill in eighth.
A pair of rookies round out the current top ten, as Cole Babcock has the No. 2* Casselton Lumber Pierce in ninth, and Ryan Kereluk has the No. 29K Avonlea Group Victory in tenth.
NLRA series action concludes for the 2019 season this Thursday night, September the 5th, at the River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, with the annual running of the 'Prelude to the Johnny.'
Morris, Minnesota veteran Shawn Kirwin was third, with Shawn Meyer fourth, and Dave Mass rounding out the top five.
Dustin Bluhm was sixth, with Mike Balcaen seventh, Shane Edginton eighth, Cole Schill ninth, and Jordan Tollakson completing the top ten.
Shaw, Kirwin, Shawn Meyer, and Wildung were the heat winners, with Dustin Strand picking up the B Main win. Brad Seng was the Performance Auto hard charger, improving eight spots to finish eleventh. 30 cars entered the second night of the Double at Viking.
Brad Seng will head into the season ending 'Prelude to the Johnny' at the River Cities Speedway on Thursday night with a thirty point lead over Shane Edginton. Dustin Strand is third, 66 markers back of the lead.
Mike Balcaen and Brody Troftgruben, driver of the No. 14 Gateway Auto Tech Rocket, round out the top five.
Jesse Teunis is sixth with the No. 70 Houde's Excavating MasterSbilt, with Ryan Corbett seventh with the No. C4 Corbett Trucking MasterSbilt, and Cole Schill in eighth.
A pair of rookies round out the current top ten, as Cole Babcock has the No. 2* Casselton Lumber Pierce in ninth, and Ryan Kereluk has the No. 29K Avonlea Group Victory in tenth.
NLRA series action concludes for the 2019 season this Thursday night, September the 5th, at the River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, with the annual running of the 'Prelude to the Johnny.'
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.
RSS Feed
