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Gone, but never forgotten

Conway remembered as racing resumes at Nodak

Alex Eisen/MDN Conclusion of tribute laps driven by Steven Pfeifer in memory of Westhope driver Robbie Conway and his No. 2 IMCA Sports Mod machine on Sunday before the weekly races at Nodak Speedway.

With a lot of heavy hearts following the recent death of IMCA Sport Mods driver Robbie Conway, Nodak Speedway resumed weekly points racing on Sunday.

A powerful two-finger salute for the No. 2 of Conway was given on every second lap of the five main features.

While it would have been fitting for Minot’s Steven Pfeifer, driving a tribute No. 2 Modified in memory of Conway, to take the final checkered flag of the night, it wasn’t meant to be. He settled for a podium spot in the IMCA Modified feature with Williston’s Travis Hagen getting around him in the final laps.

Other feature winners included Minot’s Jeff Hooker in the IMCA Sport Mods, Minot’s Andrew Bertsch in the IMCA Hobby Stocks, Williston’s Dalton Flory in the IMCA Stock Cars and Bismarck’s Jason Berg in the IMCA Sport Compacts.

The Sport Mods took to the track first with three heat races, which were won by Minot’s Erik Laudenschlager, Hooker and Williston’s Brady Bjella.

Alex Eisen/MDN Bismarck’s Eric Harpole (87, black) leads Brett Woznicki (36, white) and Nathan Burke (orange) in the first heat race for the IMCA Stock Cars on Sunday.

This was the only class of cars that needed a ‘B’ feature with the first eight cars transferred to the main event. It got off to an eventful start with both No. 54 cars crashing out in the first two laps: Robert Seeking and Thomas Goldsberry.

Kadi Ruby, who started on the pole and was sent to the back for causing the first crash, recovered to finish third and couldn’t quite make the pass on winner Zach Lutz with Adam Goff all over his bumper.

In the main feature, Hooker went from third to the front in the opening turns and never looked back. At the halfway point of the 20-lap feature, Hooker had caught up to lapped traffic.

Hooker had lapped five cars when reaching five laps to go, and was ahead of second place by half a lap. But, a caution flew for a spin-out and brought everyone back together.

On the restart, Hooker picked up right where he left off and drove away for a series-best fourth feature win at Nodak Speedway this season. Robby Rosselli and Chad Strachen rounded out the podium.

The closest finish of the night came in the second heat of the IMCA Hobby Stocks. Riese Dignan got around Makenzie Baker with four laps to go, was pulled back to the field after a caution and then he got passed by Dana Brandt as they approached the white flag. Dignan tried to recover on the last turn and got under Brandt, but came a nose short of taking it on the line.

Pole sitter Joe Schrodt went around on his own in the first turn of the feature event for the Hobby Stocks. Baker inherited the lead because of it and was looking to win her second feature ever after collecting her first win Saturday in Williston.

Kevin Tvedt had other ideas and snuck under Baker for first place with 13 laps to go. Heat 4 winner and track class points leader Bertsch made the decisive race-winning move shortly after by using the high groove.

Bertsch rode the top of the track to victory lane for his third feature win at Nodak this season, Tvedt held second and Alan Bertsch slotted into third.

In the non-weekly Sport Compacts class, Berg dominated the lone heat race and went on to continue his win streak at Nodak Speedway with his fifth feature victory in as many races.

Pole sitter Joren Boyce led the first six laps of the IMCA Stock Cars main event before Joe Flory arrived on the scene and looked like he had been shot out of a cannon.

Flory, using Bertsch’s tactic of sticking with the high line, found himself in a battle against his son, Dalton, on the bottom, with six laps left.

Side-by-side in the corners, Dalton just couldn’t find the pace down the straightaways. That was until the last corner when he got it to stick and beat his dad back to the finish line by half a car length. Very valuable track points for Dalton, who came into this weekend second in the season points. Points leader Austin Daae took eighth.

The final race of the night, like most Sunday nights, was the IMCA Modifieds main feature. The wait was worth it.

Three laps in, track points leader Jason Wolla got tangled up in a crash. Pfeifer controlled the front of the race until about the midway point before getting passed by Aaron Turnbull and Hagen.

A restart with six laps to go set the stage in the order. Pfeifer moved up to second around Hagen, then a caution waved with four laps to go. Now, Wolla was back in the mix having charged back up to fourth.

Pfeifer slid up the track to block Turnbull on the restart, got into him and allowed Hagen to take the lead and the win. Wolla followed him though and kept Pfeifer behind him for second.

The World of Outlaws will take over Nodak Speedway next Sunday. Minot native and eight-time series champion Donny Schatz is gunning for his sixth straight win at his home track. Tickets can be purchased online or at the grandstand on race day.

Alex Eisen covers Minot High School, Minot State athletics and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.

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