Sports

Races excite as fans pack stands at make-up

By Tyler Ohmann

08/13/2013

Fans jammed the stands in the best turnout of the season last Wednesday evening at Thunder Mountain Speedway. The make-up race was the IMCA Sportmod/ Hobby Stock Challenge, which was postponed from July 21.

It was not just fans that came in droves for the race though. There were more than 30 cars that participated in the race, 12 sport/hobby stocks and 21 IMCA/Wissota Modifieds.

The extra competition and the approaching end of the season fueled some excited driving.

However, the heats started off pretty tame as the usual suspects dominated the oval. Steve Beckedahl captured the checkered on the first heat race, while Boomer Patterson came out on top in the second heat race.

Beckedahl edged out Frank Smith, while Patterson snuck out Chris Romfo.

The IMCA and Midwest Modifieds had three heat races, thanks to the large turnout. Grant Hall continued his hot run at the track with a win in the first heat race. He beat out Isaac Sondrol’s 12s car.
In the second heat Bottineau’s Shawn Nostdahl returned to form as he took home the checkered ahead of Westhope’s Chase Conway.

Another Bottineau racer won the third heat as Norm Reitan out raced the rest of the heat, including runner-up Kelly Henderson to win.
The race really ramped up as the sun continued to sink down in the evening sun. The races began at 7 p.m.

Shortly after the start of the sport stock feature race a rough crash that flipped a car paused the race for a period.

Kyle Romans’ 21x car flipped upside down coming out of turn four early on in the race. Romans was not hurt, nor was he even that rattled.

“(There is) nothing you really can do,” Romans said. “Hang on and go for a ride, I guess, and hope for the best.”

Romans appeared to try and correct himself after getting a bump from a fellow driver, but couldn’t recover.

“I was trying to (correct myself), but two other cars made that kind of difficult,” Romans said. “(I wasn’t) thinking of anything really.”

As for Romans’ car, which was damaged pretty heavily in the accident, it might never see the track again.

“I think this one is going on the scrap pile,” Romans said. “It’s a good thing I bought a new one.”

The races picked up after the car was flipped back over and towed off and Romans was checked by medical staff.

Not long after the race restarted another caution was called after Kevin Smith spun out in turn one and his tire came flying off the car and rolled halfway around the track before stopping in the infield.

The race was then cut short due to time constraints and races went green for a lap, then were given the white and checkered flags .

After all was said and done Beckedahl came out on top. Romfo finished in second and Scott Juern took third.

Things continued on the exciting path as 21 cars took the track for the modified feature race. This caused a lot of caution as well, though drivers did their best to avoid the destruction.

One particularly hard crash ripped the 49 car of Eric Landerschlager apart and ended his night.
Nostdahl continued his strong night as he crossed the finish line just ahead of Henderson to earn his first feature victory of the year. Hall finished in third.

Races at TMS continue at 4 p.m. this Sunday with the Steven Peck Memorial race.

Championship night will be on Aug. 25.