Defending series champion Jade Hastings began his championship defense in style last Friday night at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, winning the season opening feature. The win was Hastings 25th career series victory which is one away from 2009 series champion Bobby Martin for sixth on the series all-time wins list.
Jack Croaker in the Hugo's Eight Ball and Josh Swangler in the Infinite Skin No. 10 led the field to green at the start. The initial start was called back then a broken radius rod for Zach Omdahl on the MinnKota Power Cooperative No. 17 slowed the pace early.
Croaker led the opening two laps but it was Hastings in the Ault Construction No. 8H running the bottom in turns three and four and taking the point on lap three.
From there, Brendan Mullen moved in to battle Croker for the second spot In the Native Nations Cannabis No. 11M before Austin Pierce caused a caution with six laps complete. Pierce was filling in for Mark Dobmeier in the Buffalo Wild Wings No. 13
Hastings continued to lead on the restart while Mullen was able to take the second spot from Croaker. Nick Omdahl in the CMS No. 0 and Gage Pulkrabek in the Proseed No. G5 moved in on Croaker in a three car battle for the third spot.
Just past the midway point, the right rear wheel on Mullen’s No. 11M broke, causing him to flip off of turn two. Mullen was okay but his night was over.
On the restart, it was Pulkrabek and Pierce rebounding from early cautions to move into the second and third spots by the time the final caution flag of the race flew with nine laps to go setting up a single file restart.
Hastings remained the class of the field as he went on to victory over Pulkrabek, Pierce, Weston Olson in the Olson Underground No. 27 and Croaker.
“Man, the car was a rocket ship,” Hastings said in victory lane post race. “I'd say we got our first big boy engine this offseason and holy cow man, I can just drive by people like it's like nothing I've ever experienced before. It makes me so happy.”
Hastings continued, “We spent all week in the shop changing and measuring and changing stuff we should have done eight to ten years ago and just never got around to doing but we did it and man it helped. What a night. What a way to start.”
Hastings and Adam Sobolik in the Evil Iron Classics No. 52 were the heat winners while Hastings was also the fastest qualifier in time trials.
The series is back in action Friday night at River Cities.
A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 8H-Jade Hastings[4]; 2. G5-Gage Pulkrabek[9]; 3. 13-Austin Pierce[5]; 4. 27-Weston Olson[10]; 5. 8-Jack Croaker[1]; 6. 52-Adam Sobolik[8]; 7. 0-Nick Omdahl[6]; 8. 4-Colton Young[12]; 9. 41T-Travis Strandell[13]; 10. 50-Brad Flaten[15]; 11. (DNF) 11M-Brendan Mullen[3]; 12. (DNF) 10S-Josh Swangler[2]; 13. (DNF) 14-Tom Egeland[11]; 14. (DNF) 17-Zach Omdahl[7]; 15. (DNF) 78-Bill Wagner[14]; 16. (DNF) 26-Blake Egeland[16]
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 8H-Jade Hastings[4]; 2. 0-Nick Omdahl[1]; 3. 8-Jack Croaker[3]; 4. G5-Gage Pulkrabek[7]; 5. 10S-Josh Swangler[2]; 6. 14-Tom Egeland[6]; 7. 41T-Travis Strandell[5]; 8. 78-Bill Wagner[8]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 52-Adam Sobolik[1]; 2. 13-Austin Pierce[4]; 3. 11M-Brendan Mullen[3]; 4. 17-Zach Omdahl[2]; 5. 27-Weston Olson[5]; 6. 4-Colton Young[6]; 7. 50-Brad Flaten[8]; 8. (DNS) 26-Blake Egeland
Croaker led the opening two laps but it was Hastings in the Ault Construction No. 8H running the bottom in turns three and four and taking the point on lap three.
From there, Brendan Mullen moved in to battle Croker for the second spot In the Native Nations Cannabis No. 11M before Austin Pierce caused a caution with six laps complete. Pierce was filling in for Mark Dobmeier in the Buffalo Wild Wings No. 13
Hastings continued to lead on the restart while Mullen was able to take the second spot from Croaker. Nick Omdahl in the CMS No. 0 and Gage Pulkrabek in the Proseed No. G5 moved in on Croaker in a three car battle for the third spot.
Just past the midway point, the right rear wheel on Mullen’s No. 11M broke, causing him to flip off of turn two. Mullen was okay but his night was over.
On the restart, it was Pulkrabek and Pierce rebounding from early cautions to move into the second and third spots by the time the final caution flag of the race flew with nine laps to go setting up a single file restart.
Hastings remained the class of the field as he went on to victory over Pulkrabek, Pierce, Weston Olson in the Olson Underground No. 27 and Croaker.
“Man, the car was a rocket ship,” Hastings said in victory lane post race. “I'd say we got our first big boy engine this offseason and holy cow man, I can just drive by people like it's like nothing I've ever experienced before. It makes me so happy.”
Hastings continued, “We spent all week in the shop changing and measuring and changing stuff we should have done eight to ten years ago and just never got around to doing but we did it and man it helped. What a night. What a way to start.”
Hastings and Adam Sobolik in the Evil Iron Classics No. 52 were the heat winners while Hastings was also the fastest qualifier in time trials.
The series is back in action Friday night at River Cities.
A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 8H-Jade Hastings[4]; 2. G5-Gage Pulkrabek[9]; 3. 13-Austin Pierce[5]; 4. 27-Weston Olson[10]; 5. 8-Jack Croaker[1]; 6. 52-Adam Sobolik[8]; 7. 0-Nick Omdahl[6]; 8. 4-Colton Young[12]; 9. 41T-Travis Strandell[13]; 10. 50-Brad Flaten[15]; 11. (DNF) 11M-Brendan Mullen[3]; 12. (DNF) 10S-Josh Swangler[2]; 13. (DNF) 14-Tom Egeland[11]; 14. (DNF) 17-Zach Omdahl[7]; 15. (DNF) 78-Bill Wagner[14]; 16. (DNF) 26-Blake Egeland[16]
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 8H-Jade Hastings[4]; 2. 0-Nick Omdahl[1]; 3. 8-Jack Croaker[3]; 4. G5-Gage Pulkrabek[7]; 5. 10S-Josh Swangler[2]; 6. 14-Tom Egeland[6]; 7. 41T-Travis Strandell[5]; 8. 78-Bill Wagner[8]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 52-Adam Sobolik[1]; 2. 13-Austin Pierce[4]; 3. 11M-Brendan Mullen[3]; 4. 17-Zach Omdahl[2]; 5. 27-Weston Olson[5]; 6. 4-Colton Young[6]; 7. 50-Brad Flaten[8]; 8. (DNS) 26-Blake Egeland
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