FAIRMONT, Minn. – The first Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights Tour event in Minnesota ended with a home state driver getting his career first IMCA Modified tour victory.
Brandon Beckendorf led all 25 laps of the Wednesday night feature at Fairmont Raceway, earning $1,500 along with a place on the 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot for his efforts.
Forty-nine modified drivers from 10 states and Canada vied in the Bob Shryock Memorial midweek show.
“To win the first race held in Minnesota was pretty cool. It means a lot to me to be able to do it here,” said Beckendorf, the defending track champion and current point leader at Fairmont.
The Danube driver started outside the front row and took charge from the get-go, with 2012 tour champion Jay Noteboom, Berry, tour point leader Richie Gustin and Kollin Hibdon his closest pursuit.
His advantage was more than a half a straightaway before Beckendorf caught up with the back of the field. Noteboom had reeled in the leader before the only caution of the race came out on lap 17, but pulled into the infield before the race restarted.
Berry headed the chase from that point but had to settle for second. Gustin, Mike Mullen and Hibdon completed the top five. Benji LaCrosse was sixth while hard charger Kelly Shryock went from 19th starting to seventh.
Beckendorf’s best finish in three previous tour outings, all of them at Hancock County Speedway, was 12th, in 2015.
Final dates of the 10th annual Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights Tour are Sept. 21 at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa, and Sept. 28 at Benton County Speedway in Vinton, Iowa.
Other winners Wednesday at Fairmont were Luke Sathoff in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Cory Probst in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Troy Gochanour in the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and Terry Blowers in the Mach-1 Sport Compacts.