BRANDON, S.D. – Justin Henderson, Nick Barger and Cory Yeigh posted victories on Saturday at Huset’s Speedway during the penultimate night of Championship Weekend.
Henderson is one step closer to winning the Casey’s 410 Sprint Cars presented by Big Frig track championship as he added to his points lead entering the season finale on Sunday thanks to a dominating performance on Saturday evening when the Buffalo Wild Wings Northern Outlaw Sprint Association sanctioned the action.
Henderson led all 25 laps during the feature, which was broken up by cautions on lap eight, lap 16, lap 18, lap 19 and lap 24 – the final stoppage creating a green-white-checkered finish that took Henderson out of traffic.
Henderson, whose lead was dwindled down to less than half a second as traffic was side by side in front of him prior to the caution, made the most of the clear track for the final restart and he pulled away to win by 1.396 seconds.
“I’m really proud of these guys and really proud to be on the front stretch, and going to be extremely happy to win the championship tomorrow,” he said in Victory Lane.
Matt Juhl came out on top of a spirited battle for the runner-up position.
“The car felt great,” he said. “I just could not get any great restarts. I felt good in (turns) one and two and everybody was kind of the same in (turns) three and four. It would have gotten fun there (without the final caution), but that’s racing.Mark Dobmeier rallied from 10th to round out the podium.
“Overall it was a great Huset’s track,” he said. “We just got ourselves behind the eight ball early. We had an excellent car, especially on long green-flag runs. That last yellow, I didn’t really want to see it because we had Henderson and Juhl right there, lapped cars all in the way. I was really licking my chops there.”
Brooke Tatnell finished fourth and Ryan Timms charged from the back of the field following an early incident to a fifth-place result. Timms was running second when he brought out the first caution of the race after jumping the cushion and spinning in turns three and four on Lap 8.
Timms and Juhl set quick time during their qualifying groups. Timms, Jack Dover, Skylar Prochaska and Jade Hastings each won a heat race. Colin Smith captured the B Main.
Barger produced his first career sprint car win as he led the distance of the 20-lap Wyffels Hybrids RaceSaver Sprint Car Series A Main.
“It’s pretty incredible,” he said. “It’s been a long road. I’m just happy to get one done.”
Bayley Ballenger earned a second-place showing with Lee Goos Jr. charging from 20th to third. Brandon Bosma advanced from 15th to fourth and points leader Dusty Ballenger hustled from 18th to fifth.
Taylor Ryan, Shane Fick, Barger and Ty Hanten won the heat races. Whitley Barr garnered the B Main.
Yeigh recorded his track-best sixth Nordstrom’s Automotive Late Model Street Stocks victory of the season. Matt Steuerwald placed second with Colby Klaassen ending third, Evan Miller fourth and Zach Olivier fifth.
Klaassen and Yeigh posted heat race triumphs.