During the first heat race of Sunday's program at Nodak Speedway, a rabbit hopped onto the track, seemingly unaware of the impending danger.
Somehow the rabbit escaped harm, leaping past the guardrail before an IMCA Sport Modified car made it roadkill.
Wilton driver Wes Doepke was not so fortunate. On the second lap of the INEX Legends race, Jon Schumann's No. 68 car bumped into John Huettl's No. 31 and started a multi-car collision that sent Doepke's car airborne.
Article Photos
Daniel Allar/MDN
Brad Seng, left, trails Mike Balcaen Jr. on the front straightaway during a heat race Sunday at Nodak Speedway. Seng won the NLRA Late Models feature race later in the evening.
"I thought I was going to do what Wes was doing," said Huettl, a Minot native. "(Schumann) lost it, hit me and then I thought I was going over."
Doepke's machine landed roughly on the back straightaway. The flagman waved the red flag, halting action to allow emergency personnel onto the scene.
Ambulance assistance was needed and the only update available on Doepke's condition was that he was awake and alert, but complained of back pain.
Fact Box
Unofficial Results
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Heat 1: 1. Robbie Conway, Westhope; 2. Justin Medler, Minot; 3. Jeff Hooker, Minot.
Heat 2: 1. Chad Hassan, Minot; 2. Jordan Huettl, Minot; 3. Wyatt Olson, Des Lacs.
Feature: 1. Olson; 2. Kelly Henderson, Minot; 3. Conway; 4. Medler; 5. Hooker.
INEX Legends
Heat 1: 1. Tom Wagner, Mercer; 2. John Huettl, Minot; 3. Wes Doepke, Wilton.
Heat 2: 1. Paul Huettl, Bismarck; 2. Zac Lutz, Burlington; 3. Drew Papke, Bismarck.
Feature: 1. Wagner; 2. J. Huettl; 3. Papke; 4. P. Huettl; 5. Lutz
IMCA Stock Cars
Heat 1: 1. Olson; 2. Brett Woznicki, Minot; 3. Kelly Henderson, Minot.
Heat 2: 1. Randy Conway, Minot; 2. Nathan Burke, Minot; 3. Gregory Gutt, Weyburn, Sask.
Feature: 1. Conway; 2. Henderson; 3. Olson; 4. Burke; 5. Austin Daae, Estevan, Sask.
NLRA Late Models
Heat 1: 1. Mike Balcaen, Jr., Winnipeg, Man.; 2. Brad Seng, Grand Forks; 3. Matt Auklund, Fargo.
Heat 2: 1. Ricky Weiss, Headingley, Man.; 2. Dustin Strand, Grand Forks; 3. Steven Pfeifer, Minot.
Heat 3: 1. Jeremy Keller, Mandan; 2. Jason Storbakken, Williston; 3. Troy Schill, Williston.
Feature: 1. Seng; 2. Weiss; 3. Balcaen, Jr.; 4. Steve Anderson, Grand Forks; 5. Keller.
Schumann, who had a large cut above the eye, declined comment.
"(Schumann's) probably beating himself up pretty bad," Huettl said. "Rightfully so. He collected somebody. It wasn't intentional, we know that.
"Some guys got speed first, control second. Control should be first, speed should be second."
After a delay of more than 30 minutes, racing resumed and Mercer's Tom Wagner finished first.
In the 25-lap NLRA Late Models feature, Grand Forks driver Brad Seng accomplished something he had yet to achieve in his 15-year racing career when the 44-year-old won for the first time in Minot.
"It's just another one off the bucket list," Seng said.
Seng built up substantial leads throughout the race before numerous caution flags tightened the pack. When the green flag waved, Seng took off again, unchallenged by the other 21 drivers.
"I knew his car would be good," said Rickey Weiss, who finished in second place, more than three seconds after Seng crossed the finish line. "The only way I would have got him was if he slipped up."
Wyatt Olson waited until the second-to-last lap of the 20-lap IMCA Sport Modifieds race to make his move, but his timing worked out perfectly.
The Des Lacs driver passed Robbie Conway and held on to win the race.
Conway's brother Randy Conway won the IMCA Stock car race. Randy Conway held off a pack that included Olson to win the 20-lap feature.