5/22/2018
Buffalo River Speedway
VanMil Brothers sweep Sunday night racing at Buffalo River Race Park
By Mike Spieker
GLYNDON, Minn. – The dirt was flying off the high-banks of Buffalo River Race Park Sunday evening as their 64th season of weekly auto racing continued. Next week, the Buffalo Wild Wings NOSA Sprint Cars will return to Buffalo River for the first time in two years for their only appearance of the season.
Both modified divisions went to the VanMil brothers, Rob and Chris, of Barnesville, Minnesota.
The IMCA modified feature came down to two heavy weights: 2014 track champion, Justin Jones, and 2015 track champion, Rob VanMil. The two went toe-to-toe for the win. Jones grabbed the lead from front row starter, Lance Schilling, on a restart and looked to distance himself from the field. However, VanMil was hot on his tracks as he blazed through the field from the fifth starting position.
VanMil chased down Jones with seven laps in the books and pulled even with Jones’ No. 69 machine. The two then put on a show racing side by side for the lead, fighting for the preferred low groove around the speedway.
The veteran drivers raced side by side for three laps, inches away from each other without touching before VanMil cleared for the lead at the halfway point. VanMil put five car lengths on the field as Bryce Borgen slid into second.
VanMil went on to hold off Borgen for the win as a hard-charging Michael Greseth rounded out the podium.
Chris VanMil had the IMCA sportmod feature race all wrapped up until the caution flag was displayed with four laps to go. The Barnesville, Minn. driver had a half lap lead over the rest of the field in the closing laps, but the caution put Dan Dowling and Doug Gardner right on his rear bumper for the dash to the checkers.
When the green flag resumed the race, VanMil was unphased from the pressure from behind and quickly opened up another comfortable lead. The best action on the track was the battle for second as five cars chased Dowling for the runner-up spot. At the checkers, VanMil led Dowling, who edged out Gardner and Kelly Jacobson. Scott Jacobson rounded out the top five.
Josh Abrahamson started third for the NLSA Lightning Sprint feature, grabbed the lead on the opening lap, and ran away with the win. The Moorhead, Minn. driver and former WISSOTA national champion took the win by 10 seconds, or three-quarters of a lap, over last week’s winner Kelsi Pederson.
After finishing second last week, Tim Estenson picked up the INEX legends feature win. Kaitlyn Skalicky led the field in the early going from the pole position until Alex Braseth took the point on lap eight.
Braseth didn’t have much time to get comfortable out front as Estenson charged from the 10th position to challenge Braseth at the halfway point. Braseth and Estenson raced side by side for the lead and the win for four consecutive laps before Estenson cleared for the top spot.
From there Estenson, the defending legends track champion at Buffalo River Race Park, checked out and took the win.
Austin Lammers of Pelican Rapids, Minn. claimed a thrilling IMCA sport compact feature win. Lammers spun on the opening lap, but raced his way back through the field to take the lead in the late going. The win marked Lammers’ first of the season at Buffalo River Race Park.
Tim Gonska of Brainerd, Minn. started fifth on the grid for the IMCA hobby stock feature and cruised to his first win of the season at Buffalo River Race Park and fourth win overall.
IMCA Modifieds:
Feature: 1. 4D-Rob VanMil, Barnesville, Minn.; 2. 99-Bryce Borgen, Perley, Minn.; 3. 17-Michael Greseth, Harwood, N.D.; 4. 69-Justin Jones, Bemidji, Minn.; 5. 21S-Jamie Schulz, Fargo, N.D.
IMCA Sportmods:
Feature: 1. 40-Chris VanMil, Barnesville, Minn.; 2. 2D-Dan Dowling, Davenport, N.D.; 3. 41-Doug Gardner, Glyndon, Minn.; 4. 51-Kelly Jacobson, Fargo, N.D.; 5. 5-Scott Jacobson, Fargo, N.D.
NLSA Lightning Sprints:
Feature: 1. 16-Josh Abrahamson, Moorhead, Minn.; 2. 93-Kelsi Pederson, East Grand Forks, Minn.; 3. 1M-Mark Williams, Grand Forks, N.D.; 4. 40-Lawrence Veralrud, Oslo, Minn.; 5. 100-Jason Berg, Fargo, N.D.
INEX Legends:
Feature: 1. 14T-Tim Estenson, Fargo, N.D.; 2. 20-Alex Braseth, Ulen, Minn.; 3. 8JR-Kaitlyn Skalicky, Fargo, N.D.; 4. 28-Casey Henriksen, Moorhead, Minn.; 5. 21-Andrew Jochim, Glyndon, Minn.
IMCA Hobby Stocks:
Feature - 1. 5G-Tim Gonska, Brainerd, Minn.; 2. 3XL-Brad Orvedal, Fargo, N.D.; 3. 39-Caleb Gardner, Glyndon, Minn.; 4. 701-Kyle Hallgren, Hankinson, N.D.; 5. 66K-Aaron Kern, Sabin, Minn.
IMCA Sport Compacts:
Feature: 1. 33L-Austin Lammers, Pelican Rapids, Minn.; 2. 11T-Randy Thompson, Lake Park, Minn.; 3. 44T-Tanner Engen, Detroit Lakes, Minn.; 4. 77H-Daniel Harstad, Fergus Falls, Minn.; 5. 65-Delane Christensen, Dilworth, Minn.
Submitted By: Mike Spieker