7/2/2023
I-90 Speedway
Barger scores exciting Freedom Classic win at I-90 Speedway
In a night of close racing on the track and fireworks in the sky after the competition, Nate Barger scored the main event win of the I-90 Speedway Freedom Classic in the Spielman Excavating IMCA Sprint Cars. Colby Klaassen made a late race move to take the victory in the First Interstate Bank Late Model Street Stocks. Derek VanVeldhuizen scored the Reaves Buildings USRA B-mod win from deep in the field and Nick Brady opened the night with the victory in a dramatic LawnSnow.com USRA Hobby Stock feature.
Trefer Waller, fresh of the most recent win in the IMCA Sprint Cars took the initial lead of the IMCA sprint car feature. He’d pace the field to a 3 second lead just past the halfway point in the 20 lap main event. However, a series of cautions would erase that interval and give several other drivers a chance.
That included Barger who attempted a slide job for the lead, but Waller battled back. Next, Barger charged to the top of the track. The momentum is what the driver of the Point Bar #98 needed and he took over the lead on lap 16. Barger would go from there to his $1,000 payday and fourth win of the season at the track. Waller was second with John Lambertz third. Lee Goos was fourth and Dusty Ballenger fifth.
Klaassen's move to the lead came with just a couple laps to go in the late model street stock feature. He took over the top spot from Garet DeBoer who was out front for the initial 15 laps. For Klaassen, the victory marks his class-best third of the year and sixth of his career at the Hartford, South Dakota, speedway. John Hoing was second with Tim Dann in third. DeBoer was fourth with Jayke Glanzer completing the top five.
VanVendhuizen got the win in the B-mod main from the eleventh starting position. It took the former Rapid Speedway champion just five laps to get to the lead, but he wasn’t the only car charging forward. Duke Erickson raced from fourteenth to take second with Chase Alves going from seventeenth to third. Camden Myers went from twelfth to fourth and Click Erickson, who was out front for the first four laps, placed fifth.
Feature events started with a very exciting race in the hobby stocks. Dustin Gulbrandson made the most of the draw/redraw format and took the initial lead. However, on lap four, Nick Brady, who had started in row five, made the move to take the lead. However, the race was far from over. Brady and Gulbrandson would run side-by-side for the duration of the event. Gulbrandson officially had the lead on laps 1-3, 7, 9, 11. Meantime, Brady was the leader on laps 4-6, 8, 10 and 12. The win was career win no. 14 for Brady at I-90 Speedway. Gulbrandson was second with Bryant Klaassen third. Landon Krohn was fourth and Tracy Halouska completed the top five.
I-90 Speedway returns to racing next Saturday night with a driver meet and greet for fans before the races. The entire schedule and details are available at I90speedway.com.
Submitted By: Shawn Neisteadt
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