JACKSON, Minn. — Chase Randall and Brandon Halverson collected the spoils of victory on Friday during the Merle Johnson Memorial Border Battle at Jackson Motorplex.
Randall captured the $7,000 top prize and a unique trophy for winning the Midwest Sprint Touring Series 410 Sprint Cars A Main.
“It’s really special to win a really, really special race,” he said. “I definitely felt a lot of pressure. Once I got to lapped traffic I was committed to the top in (turns) one and two. Once I got close to guys I felt myself slowing down and couldn’t get off the corners. I was searching a little bit. I saw the bottom was still good in (turns) one and two. We were able to hold them off.
“We’ve been making a lot of gains the past couple of weeks on the bigger tracks. It’s good to head into these next couple of weeks with a lot of momentum.”
Randall led the distance of the 25-lap feature, but it wasn’t without any drama. Traffic began to jumble things up in the final 10 laps as the top five began bunching together.
Aaron Reutzel passed Garet Williamson for second on lap 20 and Scott Bogucki got by Williamson for third place two laps later. Bogucki then passed Reutzel down the backstretch on lap 24, but when Reutzel slid in front of Bogucki entering turn three the two made contact.
Bogucki endured a vicious flip that ended his night and Reutzel finished toward the back of the pack as well.
Kaleb Johnson inherited second for a green-white-checkered restart. Randall was smooth out front during the final two laps to win by 1.114 seconds and Williamson made a last-lap pass on Johnson to score a second-place result.
“We were good early on,” Williamson said. “In traffic we really struggled with being balled up. Hats off to Chase and their whole crew. I struggled where to be at on the track. Luckily I got by Kaleb to get back up the podium. To be on the podium is nothing to hang our heads about. Second stings, but we’ll build on it.”
Johnson’s third-place effort marked his third podium outing in as many starts at Jackson Motorplex this season.
“I’m a little upset with myself on that last corner,” he said. “I drove it too hard and let Garet get by me. Congrats to Chase and the No. 2ks team.”
Matt Juhl finished fourth after starting 10th and 11th-starting Christopher Thram was fifth.
Halverson held the lead throughout the 20-lap Wyffels Hybrids RaceSaver Sprint Cars presented by Heser Auto & Detailing main event. It marked his first winged sprint car win at the track.
Jacob Peterson reeled in Halverson as traffic neared on lap eight, but a caution slowed the race. Halverson built more than a one-second advantage following the restart before Peterson closed to within two tenths of a second as Halverson was stymied while trying to lap a fellow competitor with only a handful of circuits remaining. However, Halverson was able to make the move in the waning laps and hold on for the victory by 0.462 seconds.
Peterson placed second with Jeremy Kerzman ending third. Brett Allen was fourth and Brandon Bosma advanced from 13th to fifth.
The finish:
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 2KS-Chase Randall (1); 2. 23-Garet Williamson (2); 3. 22-Kaleb Johnson (5); 4. 09-Matt Juhl (10); 5. 24T-Christopher Thram (11); 6. 3-Tim Kaeding (9); 7. 16-Brooke Tatnell (4); 8. 13-Mark Dobmeier (17); 9. 18T-Tanner Holmes (12); 10. 55-Kerry Madsen (7); 11. 45X-Jace Park (13); 12. 4-Cameron Martin (24); 13. 11M-Brendan Mullen (15); 14. 95-Tyler Drueke (19); 15. 44-Chris Martin (22); 16. 64-Andy Pake (23); 17. 51A-Koby Werkmeister (20); 18. 14T-Tim Estenson (21); 19. 29-Logan McCandless (18); 20. (DNF) G5-Gage Pulkrabek (16); 21. (DNF) 87-Aaron Reutzel (3); 22. (DNF) 10-Scott Bogucki (6); 23. (DNF) J2-John Carney II (14); 24. (DNF) 3J-Dusty Zomer (8).