Strand wins 1st feature race of season
Mike McFeely, The Forum
Published Saturday, May 24, 2008

Jason Strand survived the caution flag this time.

The Midwest Modifieds driver from Portland, N.D., won his first feature race of the year at the Red River Valley Speedway on Friday night, holding off Ryan Fike of Jamestown, N.D., and Ryan Restad of Fargo after a yellow flag erased Strand's huge lead with three laps to go.

The yellow flag might've brought back unpleasant memories for Strand. On the speedway's opening night on May 10, Strand had a seemingly insurmountable lead with four laps remaining, when a caution flag tightened the field. Travis Saurer of Elizabeth, Minn., and Brock Gronwold of Fergus Falls, Minn., passed Strand after the restart to finish first and second, with Strand taking third.

Strand didn't let that happen this time. He kept his lead after the reset and immediately began pulling away. Strand stretched his advantage to six car lengths with a lap to go and was never threatened.

“I got some pointers from my buddies after that happened,” said Strand. “They told me to keep my line. I changed my line that first week and it cost me. This time I stayed in the same groove when the caution flag came out.

“That, and I'm getting so comfortable in the car. That first week was my first time in this car, but now I'm getting used to it. I know what it is going to do and how it is going to react.”

Fike led through the early stages of the race until Strand passed him on Turn 4 of the ninth lap. Strand fought to the front of the pack from the No. 8 starting position.

Mike Johnson of Fargo won his first Late Model feature by holding off Mitch Johnson of Hickson, N.D., down the stretch.

Corky Thomas of Fargo won the night's most exciting race in the 20-lap Modified feature. Corey Seckerson of Jamestown saw a huge lead with 10 laps remaining dwindle as Thomas and Blake Jegtvig of Hawley, Minn., chipped away. Thomas caught Seckerson on the last lap and passed him on the final turn as lap traffic came into play. Thomas ended Jegtvig's two-race victory streak in the Mod feature.

Todd Carter of Lisbon, N.D., was the third different winner in the Super Stocks class, leading most of the way and winning easily over Terry Dale of Portland, N.D.

The Mod Fours continued to struggle with a small field, as only four cars qualified for the six-lap feature.

Street Stocks

First heat: 1, Scott Paulson, Kimball, Minn. 2, Rick Schulz, Fargo. 3, Aaron Leininger, Rothsay, Minn.

Feature: 1, Paulson. 2, Jason Babcock, Horace, N.D. 3, Royce Jawaski, Horace, N.D. 4, Luke Nelson, Valley City, N.D. 5, Schulz.

Mod Fours

First heat: 1, Shayne Laske, Moorhead. 2, Jay Lere, Moorhead. 3, Corry Van Mil, Lake Park, Minn.

Feature: 1, Laske. 2, Lere. 3, Jim Erdmann, Horace, N.D. 4, Karmith Christenson, Fargo.

Midwest Modifieds

First heat: 1, Richard Pavlicek, Casselton, N.D. 2, Chris Tuchscherer, Fargo. 3, Phil Christlieb, Fargo.

Second heat: 1, Jason Strand, Portland, N.D. 2, Ryan Restad, Fargo. 3, Ryan Fike, Jamestown, N.D.

Third heat: 1, Travis Saurer, Elizabeth, Minn. 2, Kenny Klaudt, Bismarck, N.D. 3, Dennis Swanson, Moorhead.

Feature: 1, Strand. 2, Fike. 3, Restad. 4, Pavlicek. 5, Saurer.

Super Stocks

First heat: 1, Todd Carter, Lisbon, N.D. 2, David Shipley, Fargo. 3, Terry Dale, Portland, N.D.

Second heat: 1, Dusty Peterson, Fargo. 2, Corky Thomas, Fargo. 3, Scott Jacobson, Fargo.

Third heat: 1, John Nord, Enderlin, N.D. 2, Dusty Peterson, Fargo. 3, Adam DuBord, Kindred, N.D.

Feature: 1, Carter. 2, Dale. 3, Ty Hanten, West Fargo. 4, Thomas. 5, Jeff Hapala, Fargo.

Modifieds

First heat: 1, Tim Thomas, West Fargo. 2, Corky Thomas, West Fargo. 3, Jason Grimes, Valley City, N.D.

Second heat: 1, Corey Seckerson, Jamestown, N.D. 2, Bryce Bjerke, Argusville, N.D. 3, Scott Danziesen, Herman, Minn.

Third heat: 1, Blake Jegtvig, Hawley, Minn. 2, Bobby Gierke, Westport, Minn. 3, Bob Sagen, Arthur, N.D.

B-Main: 1, Dell Arneson, Fargo. 2, Ross Romdalvik, West Fargo. 3, Allen Kent, Fargo.

Feature: 1, Corky Thomas. 2, Seckerson. 3, Jegtvig. 4, Bjerke. 5, Chad Ohnstad, Harwood, N.D.

Late Models

First heat: 1, Mike Johnson, Fargo. 2, Cody Skytland, Edmore, N.D. 3, Greg Meyer, Wahpeton, N.D.

Second heat: 1, Matt Aukland, Moorhead. 2, Mitch Johnson, Hickson, N.D. 3, Paul Mueller, Bismarck, N.D.

Feature: 1, Mike Johnson. 2, Mitch Johnson. 3, Myron Tschakert, Kent, Minn. 4, Skytland. 5, Aukland.