Schatz Completes River Cities Speedway Sweep with NLRA win
By Mike Spieker
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (August 17, 2018) – Donny Schatz picked up his second NLRA Late Model win of the 2018 season Friday night at River Cities Speedway in front of a capacity crowd. Schatz, who most recently won with the NLRA Late Models at Nodak Speedway in Minot, started on the outside of the front row before collecting his seventh career win with the series.
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (August 17, 2018) – Donny Schatz picked up his second NLRA Late Model win of the 2018 season Friday night at River Cities Speedway in front of a capacity crowd. Schatz, who most recently won with the NLRA Late Models at Nodak Speedway in Minot, started on the outside of the front row before collecting his seventh career win with the series.
Brad Seng led the opening laps as Schatz and Mike Balcaen battled for the runner-up spot. Schatz went from third to the lead on lap four, but Balcaen used the low side of the speedway to take the lead on the following circuit.
Schatz ran behind Balcaen until lap 10 when he placed a successful bid for the lead amid lapped traffic.
“When you roll into the gates, it’s your goal to win both races,” said Schatz of running both the Late Model and Sprint Car on the same night. “When you can get back to a track close to home, and run two different cars that have two different feels, and put yourself in a position to be competitive in both… I’m damn proud of that. Especially to have been able to do that three times here. I’ve got great people surrounding me. I’m enjoying it while I can and will do it as long as I can.”
Joey Pederson made a late race charge through the top five to come home second. Balcaen, Seng and Troy Schill rounded out the top five.
NLRA and River Cities Speedway point leader entering the night, Dustin Strand, didn’t make the call for the main event.
Jeff Hapala was the hard charger of the event, moving up sixth spots from 18th to 12th.
SUMMARY
A Feature (25 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz, [2]; 2. 7P-Joey Pederson, [5]; 3. 10-Mike Balcaen, [3]; 4. 12S-Brad Seng, [1]; 5. 11S-Troy Schill, [7]; 6. 4C-Ryan Corbett, [4]; 7. T1-Tom Corcoran, [11]; 8. 2-Bill Mooney, [10]; 9. 4-Shane Edginton, [8]; 10. 06-David Smith, [6]; 11. 86-Matthew Smith, [14]; 12. 16S-Jeff Hapala, [18]; 13. 14-Brody Troftgruben, [9]; 14. 9-Steve Anderson, [13]; 15. F9-Brandon Fuller, [19]; 16. 70-Jesse Teunis, [17]; 17. 1R-Travis Robertson, [16]; 18. 11-Shane Holden, [12]; 19. 1M-Nicholas Minske, [21]; 20. 71X-Cory Tammen, [15]; 21. 5-Brad Kerrison, [20]; (DNS) 2D-Don Platow, ; (DNS) 71-Dustin Strand,
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 10-Mike Balcaen, [6]; 2. 7P-Joey Pederson, [1]; 3. 4-Shane Edginton, [3]; 4. 14-Brody Troftgruben, [4]; 5. 11-Shane Holden, [8]; 6. 71X-Cory Tammen, [5]; 7. 16S-Jeff Hapala, [2]; 8. 1M-Nicholas Minske, [7]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 12S-Brad Seng, [1]; 2. 4C-Ryan Corbett, [2]; 3. 71-Dustin Strand, [7]; 4. 2-Bill Mooney, [4]; 5. 9-Steve Anderson, [3]; 6. 1R-Travis Robertson, [6]; 7. F9-Brandon Fuller, [5]; 8. (DNF) 2D-Don Platow, [8]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz, [5]; 2. 06-David Smith, [2]; 3. 11S-Troy Schill, [1]; 4. T1-Tom Corcoran, [3]; 5. 86-Matthew Smith, [7]; 6. 70-Jesse Teunis, [4]; 7. 5-Brad Kerrison, [6]
Schatz ran behind Balcaen until lap 10 when he placed a successful bid for the lead amid lapped traffic.
“When you roll into the gates, it’s your goal to win both races,” said Schatz of running both the Late Model and Sprint Car on the same night. “When you can get back to a track close to home, and run two different cars that have two different feels, and put yourself in a position to be competitive in both… I’m damn proud of that. Especially to have been able to do that three times here. I’ve got great people surrounding me. I’m enjoying it while I can and will do it as long as I can.”
Joey Pederson made a late race charge through the top five to come home second. Balcaen, Seng and Troy Schill rounded out the top five.
NLRA and River Cities Speedway point leader entering the night, Dustin Strand, didn’t make the call for the main event.
Jeff Hapala was the hard charger of the event, moving up sixth spots from 18th to 12th.
SUMMARY
A Feature (25 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz, [2]; 2. 7P-Joey Pederson, [5]; 3. 10-Mike Balcaen, [3]; 4. 12S-Brad Seng, [1]; 5. 11S-Troy Schill, [7]; 6. 4C-Ryan Corbett, [4]; 7. T1-Tom Corcoran, [11]; 8. 2-Bill Mooney, [10]; 9. 4-Shane Edginton, [8]; 10. 06-David Smith, [6]; 11. 86-Matthew Smith, [14]; 12. 16S-Jeff Hapala, [18]; 13. 14-Brody Troftgruben, [9]; 14. 9-Steve Anderson, [13]; 15. F9-Brandon Fuller, [19]; 16. 70-Jesse Teunis, [17]; 17. 1R-Travis Robertson, [16]; 18. 11-Shane Holden, [12]; 19. 1M-Nicholas Minske, [21]; 20. 71X-Cory Tammen, [15]; 21. 5-Brad Kerrison, [20]; (DNS) 2D-Don Platow, ; (DNS) 71-Dustin Strand,
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 10-Mike Balcaen, [6]; 2. 7P-Joey Pederson, [1]; 3. 4-Shane Edginton, [3]; 4. 14-Brody Troftgruben, [4]; 5. 11-Shane Holden, [8]; 6. 71X-Cory Tammen, [5]; 7. 16S-Jeff Hapala, [2]; 8. 1M-Nicholas Minske, [7]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 12S-Brad Seng, [1]; 2. 4C-Ryan Corbett, [2]; 3. 71-Dustin Strand, [7]; 4. 2-Bill Mooney, [4]; 5. 9-Steve Anderson, [3]; 6. 1R-Travis Robertson, [6]; 7. F9-Brandon Fuller, [5]; 8. (DNF) 2D-Don Platow, [8]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz, [5]; 2. 06-David Smith, [2]; 3. 11S-Troy Schill, [1]; 4. T1-Tom Corcoran, [3]; 5. 86-Matthew Smith, [7]; 6. 70-Jesse Teunis, [4]; 7. 5-Brad Kerrison, [6]
