NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. – Pennsylvania’s Brock Zearfoss outlasted a talented field in a much-anticipated 410 sprint car event Saturday night at Park Jefferson Int’l Speedway.
The first sprint car action in the United States in nearly two months saw no fans in the stands, but plenty watching at home via pay-per-view.
The event, limited to 32 cars, was a bit surreal, as was the scene of those on hand wearing masks and keeping their distance – officials and competitors alike.
Aaron Reutzel trimmed more than seven-tenths of a second off Danny Lasoski’s five-year-old track record of 13.396 seconds around the three-eighths-mile oval in time trials with a circuit of 12.692 seconds, despite drawing the last pill.
In fact, eighteen of the 30 drivers who registered a time were under Lasoski’s old mark.
The feature took a while to get underway. Californian Kyle Offill spun on the first try, collecting Cody Ledger and Wade Nygaard. As the second attempt got underway, rain started falling. A 20-minute delay forced an open red.
The third start was the charm, and Kerry Madsen led Parker Price-Miller and Zearfoss early. Five laps in, Blake Hahn stopped on the backstretch and retired. Price-Miller was all over Madsen on the restart, and passed him for the point two laps later.
Meanwhile, Reutzel looked to be shot out of a cannon as well, and took over third from Zearfoss.
Brendan Mullen got over the turn three berm, bringing another caution eight laps in. Reutzel shot by Madsen on the restart, and the leaders were in lapped traffic just four circuits later.
With nine laps to go, Hunter Schuerenberg tipped over in turn four while running seventh. Cory Eliason, who was eighth at the time, retired from the race at that point.
The incident was costly for Reutzel, who had passed Price-Miller for the lead in turn two in heavy lapped traffic with a three-wide move.
Price-Miller led the exciting event back to green, with Reutzel, Madsen and Zearfoss in tow. Schuerenberg’s wing mounts would give on the restart, negating a move to third from Zearfoss.
But with just five laps to go, Price-Miller slowed in the Philip Dietz-owned No. 14p, handing Reutzel the point.
Then, it was Zearfoss’s turn to make a move. He shot to the high side of turn three on the ensuing restart, circling both Madsen and Reutzel, who slowed and pulled into the infield late.
From there, it was no contest. Zearfoss jetted to the checkers ahead of Madsen, Austin McCarl, Ian Madsen and Channin Tankersley.
Anthony Macri, Kyle Offill, hard-charger Jake Blackhurst, Jody Rosenboom and Chad Boespflug rounded out the top ten.
Blackhurst won the B-main, and his hard charge from 21st to eighth earned him a $750 bonus ($500 from Brandon Black and $250 from Capital Renegade).
Colin Smith was the first Non-Qualifier for the feature and received $150 from OpenWheel101.com.
Hahn, Offill, Scotty Thiel and Mullen won the four heat races. Carson McCarl tangled with Kerry Madsen in the second heat and scratched for the night.
No injuries were reported on the evening.
The 31 drivers in attendance represented 14 states and Australia.
To view complete race results, advance to the next page.