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Fistful of first-timers take feature wins Sunday night at Bemidji Speedway

By Dennis Peterson

BEMIDJI, MN (June 21) - Father’s Day at Bemidji Speedway welcomed dads on the track and in the stands to enjoy a great field of cars and a fun and exciting night at the track.

Five first-time winners of the seven classes racing highlighted the night. Bryce Borgen, Jordan Henkemeyer, Carter Matthews, Shannon George, Alex Berg and Chad Reller were the WISSOTA Dirt Track Series winners on Sunday.

Carter Matthews and Hunter Weeks led the field of WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds to the green flag for the first feature of the night. An early caution required a restart with Matthews gaining the lead ahead of Weeks and Noah Bitz. Another yellow flag waved for debris on the track.

Again the restart belonged to Matthews with Weeks, Bitz, Josh Beaulieu and Nick Seitz in the top five. Seitz drove low in turn three and into fourth as Bitz dropped to sixth. Matthews raced to his first-ever Midwest Modified win ahead of Weeks, Beaulieu, Joe Swearingen and Seitz in the top five.

Eighteen-year-old birthday boy Alex Berg started on the pole of the WISSOTA Super Stocks, flanked to his right by Landon Weeks. During the first start attempt two cars went over the top of turn one, drawing a yellow.

The second try was better with Berg in the lead followed by Weeks and Aaron Bitker. Multi-time feature winner Austin Carlson charged forward from his fourth-row starting spot into fourth; he kept on the gas and took third in turn two. Carlson moved up again and a spirited side-by-side duel was held with Weeks for second. Racing to the outside Carlson took second, but Berg was way out front and raced to his first win of the season on his birthday. Carlson and Weeks trailed in second and third.

Chad Reller was looking for a clean sweep in the WISSOTA Hornet class, and sat on the pole with Aiden Kessler to his right. Reller powered to the lead chased by Logan Delaney, Kessler and Alyssa Nelson. Kessler raced door to door with Delaney and grabbed the second spot behind Reller. In a flag-to-flag race, Reller picked up the clean sweep ahead of Kessler, Delaney and Nelson.

Brooke Erickson and Shannon George led the pack of WISSOTA Mod Fours to the green flag waved by flagman Lynn Johnson. George took the lead into turn one with Erickson and Ashton Schwinn in the chase. Schwinn moved alongside Erickson in excellent and clean side-by-side racing.

George was steady out front holding his line and the lead, as Schwinn was finally able to get around Erickson for second. A late caution created a restart with George in the lead followed by Schwinn and Erickson. In a green-white-checkered last three laps, Schwinn raced alongside George, but George held the fast lane and took the checkered flag first in an excellent action-packed race. It was George’s first win of the year.

The WISSOTA Super Stocks roared on track next with Justin Barsness on the pole and Jordan Henkemeyer outside. Barsness powered to the lead with Henkemeyer and Austin Niemeyer trailing, followed by Dylan Nelson and Dalton Carlson. Barsness and Henkemeyer dueled side by side for a couple laps, but tight racing action created a caution back in the pack bringing the yellow flag out for a restart.

Barsness led the restart with Henkemeyer and Niemeyer behind him. Carlson passed Nelson for fourth while Henkemeyer and Niemeyer raced door to door for second. Henkemeyer raced inside in turn one and into the lead with Niemeyer following into second, which dropped Barsness to third. Henkemeyer, Niemeyer and Barsness put on a show for the fans in great Super Stock action. Henkemeyer took the checkered, his first at Bemidji, with Neimeyer and Barsness trailing.

The mighty WISSOTA Modifieds were on track with Davey Mills on the pole and Alan Olafson to his outside. The race was slowed for a restart quickly as Mills spun in turn one, which sent him tailback.

Devyn Weleski blasted to the lead after the restart with Olafson and Bryce Borgen chasing him. Following another caution in turns three and four, Weleski looked strong in holding his lead over Borgen in second, while Olafson, Jeff Reed and Mills trailed in the top five. Mills was on the move trying to get back into contention from his spin earlier racing up alongside Olafson.

Up front Weleski and Borgen were in a tight side-by-side race for the lead. Borgen gained the advantage, took the lead, and held his advantage to the checkered flag with Mills charging back to take second and Weleski third. For Borgen, it was his first feature win at Bemidji and a clean sweep.

It was Father’s Day with father and son in row one of the Mini Stock feature - Cameron Schwinn and his father Conrad Schwinn led the pack to the green flag. Conrad raced ahead and picked up another feature win with Nick McCann and Cory Nelson in the top three.

SUMMARY

WISSOTA Modifieds:

A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 7-Bryce Borgen[5]; 2. 22-Davey Mills[1]; 3. 13-Devyn Weleski[3]; 4. 2R-Jeff Reed[4]; 5. (DNF) 77-Alan Olafson[2]; 6. (DNF) 5JF-Jonathen Feda[6]

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 7-Bryce Borgen[2]; 2. 2R-Jeff Reed[1]; 3. 13-Devyn Weleski[3]; 4. 22-Davey Mills[6]; 5. 77-Alan Olafson[4]; 6. 5JF-Jonathen Feda[5]

WISSOTA Midwest Mods:

A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 07-Carter Matthews[1]; 2. 9W-Hunter Weeks[2]; 3. 74B-Josh Beaulieu[9]; 4. 00-Joe Swearingen[10]; 5. 92-Nick Seitz[4]; 6. 6K-Noah Bitz[3]; 7. 21W-Bruce Hislaw[6]; 8. (DNF) 15-Landon Gross[5]; 9. (DNF) 33L-Cejay LaValley[7]; 10. (DNF) 7P-Cory Peterson[8]

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 15-Landon Gross[1]; 2. 07-Carter Matthews[5]; 3. 7P-Cory Peterson[2]; 4. 33L-Cejay LaValley[4]; 5. (DNF) 74B-Josh Beaulieu[3]

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 6K-Noah Bitz[1]; 2. 92-Nick Seitz[2]; 3. 9W-Hunter Weeks[4]; 4. 21W-Bruce Hislaw[5]; 5. (DNF) 00-Joe Swearingen[3]

WISSOTA Super Stocks:

A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 91-Jordan Henkemeyer[2]; 2. 33-Austin Niemeyer[3]; 3. 47J-Justin Barsness[1]; 4. 57-Dalton Carlson[4]; 5. 25-Dylan Nelson[5]; 6. 81X-Matt Sparby[6]; 7. 27C-Cameron Labelle[8]; 8. T26-Nic Lewis[7]; 9. 29-Brandon Bahr[9]; 10. 72-Mike Johnson[10]; 11. X81-Alexa Gross[11]; 12. (DNS) #K 7-Patrick Kuhn

Heat 1 (8 laps): 1. 25-Dylan Nelson[2]; 2. 81X-Matt Sparby[4]; 3. 57-Dalton Carlson[3]; 4. 47J-Justin Barsness[6]; 5. 29-Brandon Bahr[5]; 6. X81-Alexa Gross[1]

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 33-Austin Niemeyer[1]; 2. 91-Jordan Henkemeyer[4]; 3. 27C-Cameron Labelle[5]; 4. T26-Nic Lewis[3]; 5. 72-Mike Johnson[2]; 6. (DNF) #K 7-Patrick Kuhn[6]

WISSOTA Pure Stocks:

A Feature 1 (12 Laps): 1. 18B-Alex Berg[1]; 2. 57-Austin Carlson[7]; 3. 9L-Landon Weeks[2]; 4. 55-Aaron Bitker[3]; 5. 25-Billy Binkley[5]; 6. 11C-Chris Smeby[4]; 7. 38-Nate Zanter[10]; 8. 62-Joshua Bitker[9]; 9. 3-Kade Leeper[8]; 10. (DNF) 7K-Quintyn Karl[6]; 11. (DNF) 8-Karen Puschinsky[12]; 12. (DNF) 15-Caylyn Binkley[11]

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 25-Billy Binkley[2]; 2. 57-Austin Carlson[6]; 3. 9L-Landon Weeks[4]; 4. 55-Aaron Bitker[1]; 5. 62-Joshua Bitker[3]; 6. 15-Caylyn Binkley[5]

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 11C-Chris Smeby[2]; 2. 3-Kade Leeper[3]; 3. 18B-Alex Berg[4]; 4. 7K-Quintyn Karl[6]; 5. 38-Nate Zanter[1]; 6. 8-Karen Puschinsky[5]

WISSOTA Mod Fours:

A Feature 1 (12 Laps): 1. 87-Shannon George[2]; 2. 18-Ashton Schwinn[8]; 3. 99E-Brooke Erickson[1]; 4. 6-Conrad Schwinn[5]; 5. 10-Dexyn Habraken[7]; 6. 4-Dawson Oelrich[6]; 7. 29J-Jayden Bahr[4]; 8. 25-Jordan Thayer[3]; 9. 26L-Lily Knute[9]; 10. 11C-Cody Bush[10]

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 18-Ashton Schwinn[3]; 2. 87-Shannon George[2]; 3. 6-Conrad Schwinn[1]; 4. 29J-Jayden Bahr[4]; 5. 26L-Lily Knute[5]

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 4-Dawson Oelrich[1]; 2. 10-Dexyn Habraken[4]; 3. 99E-Brooke Erickson[2]; 4. 25-Jordan Thayer[3]; 5. 11C-Cody Bush[5]

WISSOTA Hornets:

A Feature (10 Laps): 1. 28R-Chad Reller[1]; 2. 72-Aiden Kessler[2]; 3. 28-Logan Delaney[3]; 4. 35-Alyssa Nelson[4]; 5. (DNS) 30X-Chase Golliet

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 28R-Chad Reller[2]; 2. 72-Aiden Kessler[4]; 3. 28-Logan Delaney[5]; 4. 35-Alyssa Nelson[1]; 5. (DNF) 30X-Chase Golliet[3]

Mini Stocks:

A Feature 1 (12 Laps): 1. 6-Conrad Schwinn[2]; 2. 50-Nick McCann[7]; 3. 90-Cory Nelson[12]; 4. 77-Hayden Engen[11]; 5. 94-Cameron Schwinn[1]; 6. 26-Brooke McCann[4]; 7. 72-Evan Hepsak[6]; 8. 3E-Easton Derby[3]; 9. 7G-Jayme Gordon[9]; 10. 87-Kurt Derby[10]; 11. (DNF) 14-Cooper Francis[5]; 12. (DNF) 19-Troy Foster[8]

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 50-Nick McCann[6]; 2. 19-Troy Foster[2]; 3. 72-Evan Hepsak[3]; 4. 26-Brooke McCann[1]; 5. (DNF) 77-Hayden Engen[5]; 6. (DNF) 90-Cory Nelson[4]

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 94-Cameron Schwinn[2]; 2. 6-Conrad Schwinn[5]; 3. 14-Cooper Francis[6]; 4. 3E-Easton Derby[3]; 5. 7G-Jayme Gordon[4]; 6. 87-Kurt Derby[1]