4/29/2018
RacinBoys
Eric Lutz bags $10,000 at Park Jefferson
By Travis Johnson ((Jefferson, SD) -- Park Jefferson Speedway Jefferson, South Dakota (April 28, 2018)—The final night of the Pepsi South Dakota Sprint Car Nationals brought another standing room only crowd to the 3/8 mile facility in Jefferson, South Dakota.
It was Eric Lutz from Sioux Falls, South Dakota who became $10,000 richer as he fought through lap traffic and sharp driving to take home one of his biggest career wins.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet, but hopefully tomorrow! I just have to thank my crew, my dad, Scott Jones, Jeremy Scadden, and his family who give me a chance. We work really good together.” When asked about what $10,000 does for his team in a car who’s not covered in sponsors, he responded, "No it’s not! To have a vinyl “6” is pushing it for us. Normally it’s duct tape and all that but it’s what we enjoy. We don’t care about glitz and glamour, it’s just racing for us. The way the car was yesterday, I could go anywhere on the track. I just needed to trust the car to get by Gregg Bakker. Every lap you get more and more confidence and it paid off. I got into lapped traffic and I knew I just had to follow and plug the bottom and try not to burn up any tires. I had a ton of patience in the cockpit and it’s not like me. This is by far the biggest win of my career! I just want to thank Park Jefferson and everyone who put this on. It’s a lot for us to race for this kind of money and it’s appreciated.”
The prior night’s event saw dual heat races in which the first set of heat races were lined up by a pill draw and the second set were inverted. The top 16 cars, in passing points from the heats, moved onto tonight’s A main event. The rest of the 21 cars were put into two separate B main and the top four from each of those transferred to the back the A main.
It was Canada’s Thomas Kennedy who took top points honors, Friday night, and allowed him to lead the field as the Saldana Racing Products pole sitter, for the $10,000 to win A main event. Eric Lutz would start on his outside completing the front row.
Twenty-four cars took to the green flag as third place starter, Gregg Bakker, got a great start to take the lead going into turn one. Thomas Kennedy followed with Eric Lutz in third. Bakker extended his lead to 5 cars over Lutz who had now moved to second on lap 3 over taking Kennedy. The yellow came out shortly after as John Klabunde and Renn Weber got together needing towed off the track.
On the restart, Gregg Bakker took to the high side in turn one and Lutz and Kennedy followed with Jack Dover rounding out the top 4. On lap seven, Lutz had caught Bakker to put pressure on him coming to lap eight. Lutz showed his nose in turn 2 but Bakker was able to hold his line as they approached lap traffic. Kennedy began reeling the top two in as lap traffic started to slow the leaders down. The top three remained the same as we came to half way through the event. Lap 19 saw Eric Lutz over take Bakker on the high side coming out of four. Lutz, with a two car lead, over Bakker maneuvered through lap traffic as Bakker began to real him back in. On lap 23, Bakker got along side Lutz down the backstretch but couldn’t hold the momentum to take the lead. Other excitement was happening as Jack Dover got around Thomas Kennedy with 5 to go to take over third. Eric Lutz held his own, in lap traffic, to get the win and pocket $10,000.
B Feature #1 (Results) 12 Laps, Top 4 Transfer to A Main
Kevin Flowers
Cody Ledger
Donovan Peterson
Jade Hastings
Skylar Porchaska
Brendan Mullen
Bill Boles
Lyle Howey III
Dylan Opdahl
Chuck McGillivray
Justin Jacobsma
B Feature #2 (Results) 12 Laps, Top 4 Transfer to A Main
Dusty Ballenger
Lee Goos, Jr
John Klabunde
Renn Weber
Taylor Forbes
Kevin Ingle
Mike Kay
Travis Reber
Dylan Peterson
Brant O’Banion
A Main (Results) 30 Laps
Eric Lutz
Gregg Bakker
Jack Dover
Thomas Kennedy
Seth Brahmer
Jody Rosenboom
Paul Nienhiser
Jason Martin
Wade Nygaard
Lee Grosz
Shayle Bade
Ryan Bickett
Dusty Ballenger
Jade Hastings
Donovan Peterson
Lee Goos, Jr.
Jordan Boston
Scotty Thiel
Stu Snyder
Cody Ledger
Kevin Flowers
Tommy Barber
Renn Weber
John Klabunde
Contingencies
Speedway Motors Hard Charger (certificate)- Jade Hastings
Saldana Racing Product Pole Award (certificate)- Thomas Kennedy
Our next race is just 6 days away as we return to I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Nebraska. The Bobby Parker memorial is a tribute race to our series president’s father. The race pays $2500 to win and $500 to start.
To stay up to date on current results, please visit us on Facebook and visit our website to catch all of the latest news from the series!
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KENNEDY SETS PACE IN FRIDAY PRELIMS AT PARK JEFFERSON
By Travis Johnson (Jefferson, SD) -- Park Jefferson Speedway Jefferson, South Dakota (April 27, 2018)— A standing room only crowd filled the stands for day one of the $10,000 to win 360ci show in a north vs. south shootout between the Carpletland Nebraska 360 Sprint Series presented by Malvern Bank and the Property Solutions of America Midwest Sprint Touring Series.
The unique format of day 1 with involve dual heat races with the first round of heat races determined by a pill draw. The second set of heat races will invert off of the first set of heats finishing order. Accumulated passing points, between both heats, will determine the first 16 positions in the $10,000 to win A main event for tomorrow evening. Each heat race has a purse of $300 with first getting $150, second $100, and third $50. Twin consolation races will be run followed by the feature event. The remaining eight spots will transfer through twin consolation events. By using Friday points totals is how the consolation and feature events will be lined up.
Thomas Kennedy will start on the pole for the $10,000 to win A main event. Eric Lutz will be on his out side with Gregg Bakker, Jack Dover, Wade Nygaard and Jody Rosenboom making up the first three rows.
A Main Lineup
Inside Outside
Row 1 Thomas Kennedy Eric Lutz
Row 2 Gregg Bakker Jack Dover
Row 3 Wade Nygaard Jody Rosenboom
Row 4 Jason Martin Seth Brahmer
Row 5 Lee Grosz Paul Nienhiser
Row 6 Tommy Barber Scotty Thiel
Row 7 Jordan Boston Stu Snyder
Row 8 Ryan Bickett Shayle Bade
B Main #1 Lineup
Inside Outside
Row 1 Donovan Peterson Kevin Flowers
Row 2 Jade Hastings Skylar Prochaska
Row 3 Bill Boles Lyle Howey
Row 4 Bendan Mullen Cody Ledger
Row 5 Chuck McGillivray Justin Jacobsma
Row 6 Dylan Opdahl
B Main #2 Lineup
Inside Outside
Row 1 Dylan Peterson Brant O’Banion
Row 2 Taylor Forbes Lee Goos
Row 3 Dusty Ballenger John Klabunde
Row 4 Renn Weber Kevin Ingle
Row 5 Travis Reber Mike Kay
Heat 1 (Results) 10 Laps
Eric Lutz
Thomas Kennedy
Stu Snyder
Donovan Peterson
Jade Hastings
Travis Reber
Kevin Ingle
Mike Kay
Heat 2 (Results) 10 Laps
Gregg Bakker
Kevin Flowers
Brant O’Banion
Shayle Bade
Ryan Bickett
John Klabunde
Bendan Mullen
Dylan Opdahl
Heat 3 (Results) 10 Laps
Jody Rosenboom
Dylan Peterson
Wade Nygaard
Tommy Barber
Taylor Forbes
Chuck McGillivray
Renn Weber
Heat 4 (Results) 10 Laps
Jason Martin
Paul Nienhiser
Lee Grosz
Skylar Prochaska
Jordan Boston
Lyle Howey II
Justin Jacobsma
Heat 5 (Results) 10 Laps
Scotty Thiel
Jack Dover
Seth Brahmer
Dusty Ballenger
Lee Goos Jr.
Bill Boles
Cody Ledger
Heat 6 (Results) 10 Laps
Thomas Kennedy
Eric Lutz
Donovan Peterson
Stu Snyder
Jade Hasings
Kevin Ingle
Mike Kay
Travis Reber
Heat 7 (Results) 10 Laps
Ryan Bickett
Gregg Bakker
Shayle Bade
Bendan Mullen
Brant O’ Banion
John Klabunde
Kevin Flowers
Dylan Opdahl
Heat 8 (Results) 10 Laps
Wade Nygaard
Tommy Barber
Jody Rosenboom
Taylor Forbes
Renn Weber
Dyaln Peterson
Chuck McGillivray
Heat 9 (Results) 10 Laps
Jordan Boston
Lee Grosz
Jason Martin
Paul Nienhiser
Lyle Howey III
Skylar Prochaska
Justin Jacobsma
Heat 10 (Results)
Cody Ledger
Jack Dover
Seth Brahmer
Bill Boles
Lee Goos Jr.
Scotty Thiel
Dusty Ballenger
Night #2 of the Pepsi South Dakota Sprint Car Nationals will resume Saturday evening at the Park Jefferson Speedway in Jefferson, South Dakota. Please visit our website and Facebook page to stay up to date on all news and happenings in our series!
Submitted By: Kirk Elliott
