It was a great night for the local drivers at the Estevan Motor Speedway on Friday night, as drivers from southeast Saskatchewan swept the feature races at the track.
The Can-Am Late Model Shootout brought some of the top race car drivers from the Canadian Prairie provinces and the northern mid-west U.S. to the speedway, but it was Estevan’s Aaron Turnbull who prevailed.
Turnbull moved up from the No. 5 position on the starting grid and won the feature, finishing ahead of veteran late model driver Mike Balcaen of Winnipeg. David Smith of Parkland County, Alta., was third, completing an all-Canadian top three.
“It’s always lots of fun to win in Estevan,” said Turnbull. “I have lots of fans there, and we had some good competition there, too.”
The track was watered before the feature race, and he expected it to slowly dry out, which it did. Halfway through the feature, his car was improving, and he started picking off drivers one by one.
A few cautions helped him make his way up the field.
“The car kept getting better the whole race, so it worked out well,” he said.
Balcaen has been racing late models for years, Turnbull said, while Smith has been running well this year.
Turnbull has been racing late models for a few years, following a successful career as a modified driver in which he captured the track championship at the Estevan Motor Speedway, and even finished first in the Dakota Classic Modified Tour a few years ago.
He doesn’t race modifieds much any longer; when he does, he’s usually racing the car of a friend.
Switching to a late model has provided a new challenge for him.
“It takes some getting used to. Usually you don’t have to do as much fixing on them. Guys run a little cleaner. There are some different races we can go to.”
The win in Estevan was his second feature race victory of the year, as he also won in Dickinson, N.D. He has also finished in the top five a number of times.
Jim Harris of Estevan was seventh in the feature. Some American drivers who are well-known to local fans also competed, including Hank Berry of Sidney, Mont., who finished fifth, and Steven Pfeifer of Minot, N.D., who came in sixth.
As for the other classes, in the modified division, Mason Big Eagle won the modified race, with Kody Scholpp of Estevan in second and Travis Hagen of Williston, N.D., finishing third.
The hobby stock feature was won by Leevi Runge of Lampman, with his brother Landon Runge in second. Riese Dignan of Kenmare, N.D., wound up in third.
Chris Hortness of Estevan was the winner in the stock car feature, with fellow local drivers Austin Daae and Gregg Mann finishing second and third, respectively, to complete the all-Estevan top three.
Finally, in the slingshot class, Keenan Glasser of Estevan was the winner, with Ryder Raynard in second spot and Cash Saxon of Lampman coming third.
The points standings remain tight in most classes with two programs remaining. Hagen leads Scholpp by two points, 270-268, in the modified class. Tyson Turnbull of Estevan is third with 251 points.
The Runge brothers are also battling atop the hobby stock standings. Leevi Runge has 231 points, which is seven more than Landon Runge in what amounts to a two-driver race for the title. Kaiden Tuchscherer of Estevan is third with 188 points.
Joren Boyce of Minot sits first in the stock car class with 260 points. Keith Mattox of Ray, N.D. is second with 245 points. Chris Hortness of Estevan and Bob Fuegmann of Minot are tied for third with 238 points.
Ryder Raynard leads the slingshot class with 318 points, 30 more than Jace Emmel in second with 288 points and Cash Saxon with 284 points.
The other division at the track, the sport mod class, didn’t race on Friday. Darren Medler of Minot has 189 points, two more than Robby Rosselli, also of Minot. Blake Penna of Estevan is third with 167 points.
The next event at the track will be a regular program on Aug. 10, starting at 7 p.m.
