JACKSON, Minn. — Bill Balog, Javen Ostermann and Zach Raidart each earned their first feature victory of the season at Jackson Motorplex on Friday during the opening night of the Casey’s General Stores Open Wheel Nationals presented by Sea Foam.
The trio of victors on Harvey’s Five Star Roofing Night make it 32 different winners during 41 A Mains this season at Jackson Motorplex.
Additionally, Bill Johnson became the final track champion as he garnered the Heartland Steel RaceSaver sprint cars presented by Wyffels Hybrids title.
Balog, who started sixth, came out on top of a spirited battle for the Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series and Outlaw Sprints Fueled by Casey’s General Stores 410 winged sprint cars main event.
He owned a sizeable lead and was in turn three on the final lap when a caution occurred, setting up a green-white-checkered finish with veteran Terry McCarl on his rear bumper.
The duo duked it out for the win in a wild final stage with Balog edging McCarl by 0.265 of a second, warranting one of McCarl’s patented kisses on the cheek in Victory Lane for Balog.
“I didn’t need that last caution, but it made for a good show,” he said.
McCarl finished in the runner-up spot after starting seventh with eighth-starting Mark Dobmeier rounding out the podium. Austin McCarl maneuvered from ninth to fourth and Jake Blackhurst, who led early, placed fifth.
Balog set quick time out of the 29 drivers during qualifying before Tasker Phillips, Scotty Neitzel and Dobmeier captured heat race wins. Jody Rosenboom was the B Main winner.
Osterman was equally excited after recording his first Heartland Steel RaceSaver sprint cars presented by Wyffels Hybrids victory. Stu Snyder hustled from 11th to second and Elliot Amdahl ended third after starting fourth.
Johnson wrapped up his championship in style by rallying from 14th to fourth and Brandon Bosma secured a fifth-place finish.
Raidart posted his fifth triumph of the year during Wisconsin WingLESS Sprint Series competition and his first at Jackson Motorplex.
Tim Cox scored a runner-up result with Derek Crane, Jimmy Kouba and 16th-starting Johnny Parsons III rounding out the top five, respectively.
The finish:
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 17B-Bill Balog (6); 2. 4-Terry McCarl (7); 3. 13-Mark Dobmeier (8); 4. 17A-Austin McCarl (9); 5. 73-Jake Blackhurst (2); 6. 35-Skylar Prochaska (3); 7. 83-Lynton Jeffrey (13); 8. 7T-Tasker Phillips (4); 9. 55-Brooke Tatnell (11); 10. 64-Scotty Thiel (15); 11. 5J-Jeremy Schultz (20); 12. 73AF-Joey Moughan (10); 13. 35L-Cody Ledger (21); 14. 2W-Scott Neitzel (5); 15. 2K-Kevin Ingle (22); 16. 44-Chris Martin (14); 17. 23W-Scott Winters (23); 18. 23-Russel Borland (18); 19. 14AJ-Wayne Modjeski (24); 20. (DNF) 16-Travis Whitney (1); 21. (DNF) 7H-Justin Henderson (12); 22. (DNF) 14-Jody Rosenboom (19); 23. (DNF) 33-James Broty (17); 24. (DNF) 7-Eric Lutz (16).