Nygaard wins ASCS race at Eagle

BY JASON ORTH / For the Lincoln Journal Star

EAGLE – North Dakota driver Wade Nygaard topped the field of American Sprint Car Series regional drivers on Saturday night at Eagle Raceway. It was his second win in as many nights after winning the previous night in Denison, Iowa.

The victory wasn't easy for the Fargo driver as his opportunity for the win didn't come until the final two circuits, in what was the first visit to Eagle Raceway for the ASCS series.

ASCS Northern Plains region point leader Chuck Swenson of Watertown, S.D., took the early lead of the 25-lap A feature from the pole position. Eagle Raceway regulars Adam Gullion and Ryan Roberts mounted challenges for the lead, but Swenson prevailed.

Eagle Raceway point leader Mike Boston moved into fourth place after starting in the seventh row and briefly made it a four-way fight for the lead. Nygaard stole second place from Roberts after a lap-14 restart. The yellow flew again as Tige Jensen spun in turn two with eight laps remaining. It took several laps for Nygaard to run down Swenson after the restart, but with six laps left he began to peek inside to challenge for the lead.

Swenson defended the bottom groove until the second to last lap when he took the high line to lap Jeff Lowery. Nygaard took the opening and grabbed the inside line before Swenson could make it past the lapped car and held on for the win. Swenson was second as Roberts and Boston followed. Gregg Bakker qualified from the B feature, started 16th and finished in fifth place.

Chris Alcorn won for the third time this year in the IMCA modified division, after passing Sean Burklund with three laps remaining. Rich Small won his fourth Hobby Stock A feature of the year after a race-long battle with R.J. Macku, while Barry Kinnersley won the Tuner division A feature for the second time this season.

ASCS Midwest vs. Northern Plains Region Results:

First Heat (10 Laps): 1. 96kx-Adam Gullion, 2. 5-Eric Lutz, 3. 53-Jack Dover, 4. 6g-Bryan Gossel, 5. 9J-Mark Schmidt, 6. 56-Johnn Cressman, 7. 4-Lee Grosz, 8. 3R-Rodney Droud, 9. 31-Mark Pace, 10. 92-Mike Sitzmann, Jr.

Second Heat (10 Laps): 1. 76-Jay Russell, 2. 9-Wade Nygaard, 3. 45-Jeff Lowery, 4. 3-Jeff Griffis, 5. 87-Curt Lund, 6. 14g-Gene Ackland, 7. 82-Jason Danley, 8. 91-Brad Krutz, 9. 2-Don Droud, Sr.

Third Heat (10 Laps): 1. 18-Ryan Roberts, 2. 5b-Rick Ideus, 3. 71-Tige Jensen, 4. 51-Mike Boston, 5. 4x-Mike Chadd, 6. 94s-Natalie Sather, 7. 2L-Dusty Ballenger, 8. 17-Gage Dorr, 9. 71x-Kellen Love.

Fourth Heat (10 Laps): 1. X-Chuck Swenson, 2. 84-Toby Chapman, 3. 4c-Dean Chadd, 4. 11x-Gregg Bakker, 5. 77-John Klabunde, 6. R19-Scott Winters, 7. 23R-Tadd Holliman, 8. 23-Terry Holliman, 9. 46-Rob Danielsen.

First "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 3-Jeff Griffis, 2. R19-Scott Winters, 3. 17-Gage Dorr, 4. 92-Mike Sitzmann, Jr., 5. 14g-Gene Ackland, 6. 77-John Klabunde, 7. 82-Jason Danley, 8. 6g-Bryan Gossel, 9. 3R-Rodney Droud, 10. 71x-Kellen Love, 11. 31-Mark Pace, 12. 4-Lee Grosz.

Second "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 11x-Gregg Bakker, 2. 4x-Mike Chadd, 3. 91-Brad Krutz, 4. 56-Johnn Cressman, 5. 2L-Dusty Ballenger, 6. 9J-Mark Schmidt, 7. 46-Rob Danielsen, 8. 23R-Tadd Holliman, 9. 2-Don Droud, Sr., 10. 94s-Natalie Sather. DNS: 23-Terry Holliman.

A Feature (25 Laps): 1. 9-Wade Nygaard, 2. X-Chuck Swenson, 3. 18-Ryan Roberts, 4. 51-Mike Boston, 5. 11x-Gregg Bakker, 6. 53-Jack Dover, 7. 5-Eric Lutz, 8. 5b-Rick Ideus, 9. 87-Curt Lund, 10. 4c-Dean Chadd, 11. 96kx-Adam Gullion, 12. 91-Brad Krutz, 13. 76-Jay Russell, 14. 3-Jeff Griffis, 15. 4x-Mike Chadd, 16. 17-Gage Dorr, 17. 84-Toby Chapman, 18. 45-Jeff Lowery, 19. 71-Tige Jensen, 20. R19-Scott Winters.