Hellman nabs win

Using a backup engine, Mandan teenager rolls to Street Stocks victory
Geoff Hellman came to the Southwest Speedway on Saturday looking to do a test-and-tune on his Wissota Street Stocks race car. The 18-year-old left with his first feature race victory of the season.

Using a backup engine, Hellman took the outside pole, got the lead early in the 20-lap race and held off Bismarck's John Feist for the win in a race that took just 8 minutes, 40 seconds.

"I wasn't really pushing as hard as I can," said Hellman, who graduated from Mandan High School in May. "I could have pushed harder."

Hellman said getting the win was a relief, especially after four consecutive second-place finishes at Mandan's Dacotah Speedway.

"You get that close, it's kind of nice to get one," Hellman said.

With just one early caution in the race, Hellman got a line and was able to block Feist and Zach Frederick, who each pushed for the lead.

While Hellman said the backup engine likely won't stay in the car long, he said he's been happy with it.

"It's got some power, but not as much as that first one," he said with a smile.

Eric Paul got past a hard-charging Tracey Domagala then fought through a shaky spat with his car and held off the always-tough Les McLenehan to win his first IMCA Modifieds feature of the season.

With about six laps left, Paul said he felt his car begin to shake horrendously.

"I thought I blew a tire," Paul said.

It turned out Paul just had a mud-clogged back right wheel. He said the shaky ride almost threw him off his game, which would have allowed McLenehan to pass him in the late laps.

"It was working good," said Paul, the track's defending Modifieds champion. "I just didn't want anything to fly off."

Saturday was also the first time in three tries that the Modifieds were able to finish the full 25-lap feature race. The two previous races were shortened because numerous cautions caused time issues.

"It was good to get the whole race in," Paul said.

Bob Miller, a 51-year-old rookie driver from Baker, Mont., captured the first wins of his career Saturday when he won his Pure Stocks heat and feature races.

Miller, who is in only his third night of racing, took the lead on the fifth lap of and held off Terry Davenport and Greg Wheeler in the final 10 laps.

"I'm sweating like a dog," Miller said. "It was stressful. Fun though. It was fun."

Less than a month ago, on opening night, Bob's son Brandon Miller won the feature race. Brandon didn't race Saturday night and another of his son's, Brian Miller, finished 11th in the feature.

Bob Miller said capturing the sweep while holding off a couple drivers he considers friends gave him the perfect night.

"We had a heck of a race," he said.

Kendall Booke of Dickinson won the Thunder 4's feature race that had just three cars. Booke dueled Nick Jensen in the 10-lap race that took just 3:32 after Dustin Frank dropped out.

Southwest Speedway

IMCA Modifieds

Heat 1: 1, Eric Paul. 2, Tracey Domagala. 3, Randy Burwick. 4, Jarrett Wold. 5, Jason Wolla. 6, Dale Burwick. 7, Lenny Makowski, DNF. 8, Dwight Burwick, DNF. 9, Travis Olheiser, DQ.

Heat 2: 1, Josh Jones. 2, Fran Martin. 3, Les McLenehan. 4, A.J. Davenport. 5, Jamall Wold. 6, Wyatt Dinius. 7, Jason Dinius, DNF. 8, Steven Kuntz, DNF. 9, Allan Frederick, DNf.

Feature: 1,Paul. 2, McLenehan. 3, Jones. 4, Kuntz. 5, Jamall Wold. 6, R. Burwick. 7, Wolla. 8, Dw. Burwick. 9, Jarrett Wold. 10, Frederick, DNF. 11, Domagala, DNF. 12, Dale Burwick, DNF. 13, W. Dinius, DNF. 14, Martin, DNF. 15, J. Dinius, DNF. 16, Davenport, DNF. 17, Makowski, DNF.

Wissota Street Stocks:

Heat 1: 1, Travis Ulmer. 2, Steve Johnson. 3, John Feist. 4, Ryan Hugelen. 5, Richard Jordan. 6, Pat Stoltz.

Heat 2: 1, Bill Miller. 2, Geoff Hellman. 3, Shawn Volk. 4, Terry Zastoupil. 5, Rick Johnson. 6, Kelly Wanner.

Heat 3: 1, Zach Frederick. 2, T.C. Shelhamer. 3, John Weber. 4, Brad Schmitt. 5, Monte Gawryluk. 6, J.D. Kuntz.

Feature: 1, Hellman. 2, Feist. 3, Frederick. 4, Volk. 5, Ulmer. 6, Weber. 7, Miller. 8, Shelhamer. 9, S. Johnson. 10, Hugelen. 11, Jordan. 12, Zastoupil. 13, Gawryluk. 14, Schmitt. 15, Wanner. 16, Stoltz. 17, Kuntz. 18, Johnson, DNF.

Pure Stocks

Heat 1: 1, Bob Miller. 2, Mark Selle. 3, Terin Garwyluk. 4, Casey Ost. 5, Shawn Olheiser. 6, Jordan Binstock. 7, Darren Kruger. 8, Brian Miller, DNF.

Heat 2: 1, Terry Davenport. 2, Greg Wheeler. 3, Tyler Ashley. 4, Lyndon Hinderer. 5, Chad Jahner. 6, Jeremey Binstock. 7, Lester Iverson.

Feature: 1, Bob Miller. 2, Davenport. 3, Wheeler. 4, Selle. 5, Olheiser. 6, Jeremey Binstock. 7, Ashley. 8, Gawryluk. 9, Iverson. 10, Jahner. 11, Brian Miller, DNF. 12, Jordan Binstock, DNF. 13, Kruger, DNF. 14, Hinderer, DNF. 15, Ost, DNF.

Thunder 4's

Feature: 1, Kendall Booke. 2, Nick Jensen. 3, Dustin Frank, DNF.