The racing season is quickly winding down at Nodak Speedway as the calendar flips over into August. But, that’s when the action starts to heat up.

Nodak Speedway brings in the NLRA Late Models this Sunday for a second consecutive season. Last year, local icon Donny Schatz, a 10-time World of Outlaws champion, won his hometown race.

Schatz is expected to be in attendance on Sunday to defend his victory. Also, expect a sea of pink shirts in the grandstand for “Turn Nodak Pink” night.

Pink shirts will be available for purchase ($20) with proceeds going to the Trinity Health Foundation to help local families with travel expenses when getting the care and treatment they need.

Also racing Sunday will be the IMCA Hobby Stocks, Sport Mods and Sport Compacts.

Then, after a week off, the Magic City Dirt Series returns on August 18 for the penultimate week of racing for track titles. Championship Night will follow on August 25.

All five of the weekly classes are still up for grabs.

IMCA Modifieds

The most substantial point gap between first and second place is in the IMCA Modified division. Tom Berry Jr. from Newburg holds the top spot with a 10-point advantage over Minot’s Drew Christianson.

A 10-point deficit isn’t that substantial when considering all five track championships last season were decided by seven points or more.

Berry Jr. has won four out of the six feature races this year. The two other wins belong to Williston’s Travis Hagen, but he sits in fourth place (22 points back). Turtle Lake’s Marcus Thomlinson is in third place (19 points back).

IMCA Sport Mods

Eight points separate Minot natives Robby Rosselli and Erik Laudenschlager. Both drivers have finished in the Top 5 in all seven feature races this season. Defending track champion Rosselli has the upper hand, however, with two feature wins.

Laudenschlager has a handful of other victories at the McLean County Speedway this season but hasn’t found his way to Victory Lane at Nodak Speedway.

Turtle Lake’s Isaac Sondrol is on the outside looking in, sitting in third place (29 points back).

IMCA Hobby Stocks

The Top 4 drivers — all from Minot — are within 12 points of each other.

Brad King leads the way with 246 points. He is getting chased by defending track champion Andrew Bertsch (6 points back), Caden Appelt (9 points back) and Adam Goff (12 points back).

Appelt is the only one in that group that hasn’t picked up a feature win yet. Bertsch leads the field with two victories.

King has just been consistent with six Top 5 finishes in the seven feature races.

IMCA Stocks Cars

A single point separates Williston natives Mike Hagen and Dalton Flory.

All six features have been won by the guys occupying the Top 3 spots in the standings: Hagen (three wins), Flory (one win) and Austin Daae (two wins, 19 points back).

Hagen and Flory have Top 5 finishes in all six features.

IMCA Sport Compacts

Another one-point cushion has defending track champion Christopher Zentz from Max ahead of James Gilbert. These are the only two Sport Compact drivers to race all five feature races this season.

Zenz has three wins, Gilbert nabbed one and Greg Zenz — currently in third place (36 points back) — got the other win.

After Championship Night

Once 2019 track champions are crowned on August 25, Nodak Speedway will also host a Motor Magic All-Star Race on August 30 and then two nights of Motor Magic racing on August 31 and September 1.

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