7/6/2024
Deer Creek Speedway
O’Neil Scores Gopher 50 Title
Spring Valley, MN (July 6)
By: Todd Narveson
Weather played a huge factor in the 45th running of the NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50 held at the Deer Creek Speedway. Everyone battled the rain and mud for three days to get this event completed. Championship night would be no different when incoming weather was an issue.
The NAPA Auto Care Center Modifieds had 30-entries with four heats and two B-Mains scheduled to run. With the possibility of weather moving in the B-Mains were scrapped and all 30-cars were in the feature. The finale would be 35-laps for the $5000 to win race. Racers that displayed a NAPA decal on their car would pick up a $750 bonus if they won.
Brandon Davis took off from the pole and quickly opened up a lead. The race had all kinds of issues with yellow flags. The biggest on lap two when six cars piled up in turn two. Jake O’Neil bolted to second on the restart, but Davis again opened up the lead. Jake Timm worked to third before another yellow slowed the race on lap 11.
Davis again took off while O’Neil and Timm had an excellent race going for second. Davis had as 2.328 second lead when another yellow flew on lap 25. That brought O’Neil and Timm back to Davis for the restart.
Davis again opened up a lead and looked in control until another yellow came out on lap 30. When the race resumed, Davis led, but O’Neil found something on the track and stayed with Davis. O’Neil made the pass for the lead on lap 32 and led the final three circuits for the $5750 payday.
Davis finished in second while Timm ended up in third. Joe Chisholm would come home in the fourth spot and Rodney Sanders charged from 14th to fifth.
Modifieds
A Feature 1 (35 Laps): 1. 0-Jake O'Neil[2]; 2. 50III-Brandon Davis[1]; 3. 49-Jake Timm[10]; 4. 25-Joe Chisholm[8]; 5. 20-Rodney Sanders[13]; 6. 24C-Jim Chisholm[15]; 7. 95-Keith Foss[7]; 8. 21-Jacob Bleess[12]; 9. 3-Kelly Shryock[22]; 10. 15W-Alex Williamson[19]; 11. 24X-Aaron Benson[23]; 12. 43-Zach Brom[27]; 13. 28-Spencer Stock[9]; 14. 97JR-Landon Volkman[20]; 15. 95X-Shaun Walski[11]; 16. 90W-Ryan Wetzstein[4]; 17. 24S-Charlie Steinberg[29]; 18. 23-Darwin Karau[3]; 19. 94JR-John Doelle[28]; 20. 61T-Tammy Soma Clark[18]; 21. 17W-Ryan Wiome[5]; 22. 7S-Todd Stinehart[25]; 23. (DNF) 33-Joe Ludemann[17]; 24. (DNF) 77-Jacob Stark[24]; 25. (DNF) 29H-Joe Horgdal[16]; 26. (DNF) 32-Derek Green[26]; 27. (DNF) 4A-Joel Alberts[21]; 28. (DNF) 69-Lucas Schott[14]; 29. (DNF) 99-Josh Angst[6]; 30. (DNS) 83-Kylie Kath
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 21-Jacob Bleess[2]; 2. 28-Spencer Stock[8]; 3. 99-Josh Angst[1]; 4. 17W-Ryan Wiome[7]; 5. 33-Joe Ludemann[5]; 6. 4A-Joel Alberts[3]; 7. 7S-Todd Stinehart[4]; 8. (DNF) 94JR-John Doelle[6]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 50III-Brandon Davis[1]; 2. 90W-Ryan Wetzstein[4]; 3. 20-Rodney Sanders[3]; 4. 69-Lucas Schott[6]; 5. 61T-Tammy Soma Clark[2]; 6. 3-Kelly Shryock[7]; 7. 32-Derek Green[5]; 8. 24S-Charlie Steinberg[8]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 0-Jake O'Neil[1]; 2. 49-Jake Timm[3]; 3. 23-Darwin Karau[2]; 4. 24C-Jim Chisholm[5]; 5. 15W-Alex Williamson[6]; 6. 24X-Aaron Benson[7]; 7. 43-Zach Brom[4]
Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 95-Keith Foss[3]; 2. 25-Joe Chisholm[6]; 3. 95X-Shaun Walski[1]; 4. 29H-Joe Horgdal[5]; 5. 97JR-Landon Volkman[7]; 6. 77-Jacob Stark[4]; 7. 83-Kylie Kath[2]
Article Credit: Todd Narveson
Submitted By: Cole Queensland