ESTEVAN - Local fans were treated to two nights of racing action at the Estevan Motor Speedway Friday and Saturday.
The weekend was billed as the Border Challenge, and drivers from Canada and the U.S. were battling for success and points in all five classes at the track. Seventy-nine drivers were entered on Saturday night and 82 competed on Friday.
Saturday night’s program featured clean racing and few cautions. There weren’t any caution periods in the qualifying heats, and the modified and slingshot races were caution-free as well.
Kody Scholpp captured the modifieds race. Thanks to the lack of cautions, he was able to pull away from the field, and while he was slowed by lapped traffic for a few laps, he was able to pull away again.
Travis Hagen passed Steven Pfeifer for second late in the race, and Pfeifer settled for third. Aaron Turnbull came in fourth.
Adam Goff won the stock car feature. He moved into top spot right away and pulled away from the other drivers. A couple of mid-race cautions brought the field together. And while Goff would be challenged for the lead, he never passed and won handily.
Mike Hagen was second, Kyle Schopp was third and Austin Daae wound up fourth.
Darren Medler won the sport mod feature. He took the lead early on and built up a comfortable lead, but his advantage was erased after a caution. When green-flag racing resumed, he was never challenged for the lead. Robby Rosselli was second, Christopher Zenz finished third and Brock Beeter came in fourth.
The most convincing win of the night was courtesy of Brogan Wagner in the slingshots. He took the lead on the opening lap and was never challenged, beating Gunner Raynard by more than eight seconds. Even when slowed by lapped traffic, Wagner slipped through quickly.
Jacek Ashworth was third and Kolby Fichter was fourth.
Kyler Satran was the hobby stock feature winner. He passed Brennor Grinstead shortly after a caution flag midway through the race, and then held off a challenge by Connor Hanson late in the race.
Kayden Hjorteland, who also pressed Satran for the lead for a few laps, came in third, and Grinstead was fourth.
As for Friday night, in the sport mod class, Gabriel Deschamp won the sport mod feature for the second straight program, finishing ahead of Medler. Ryder Raynard was third and Rossell came fourth.
Ashworth won the slingshot feature ahead of Sladen Pfeiefer, Gage Goetz and Hudson Mann. Ashworth started in the 15th spot on the grid, but worked his way up to the front.
Austin Daae of Estevan was the stock car feature winner. Joren Boyce was second, Chris Hortness was third and Hagen was fourth. It was Hagen’s first appearance at the track since August 2019.
Steven Pfeifer captured the modified feature, finishing ahead of Travis Hagen, Isaiah Geisel and Marcus Tomlinson.
Kruz Wilson won the hobby stock feature, finishing ahead of Grinstead, Satran and Hjorteland.
In the overall standings, Travis Hagen sits first in the modified standings with 117 points, two clear of Pfeifer. Geisel sits third with 106 and Kody Scholpp is fourth at 104.
Goff and Hortness are tied for first in the stock car class with 113 points each, three more than Boyce. Kyle Scholpp is fourth with 107 points.
Rosselli leads the sport mods division with 115 points, eight more than Ryder Raynard’s 107. Leevi Runge and Brian Kentner are tied for third at 105 points.
Satran leads the hobby stock class with 116 points, one more than Grinstead. Hjorteland is third at 105 points and Wilson is fourth at 109.
Sladen Pfeifer leads the slingshots division with 113 points. Ashworth is second at 111, Goetz is third at 109 and Mann is fourth with 107.
The next program at the track will be June 9. It will be the Estevan stop on the Tougher than Dirt Tour.
