BRANDON, S.D. — Ryan Timms, Blake Ballenger and Cory Yeigh were victorious at Huset’s Speedway on Sunday during Goodin Company Night.
Timms powered into the lead on Lap 8 and cruised to the Cressman Sanitation 410 Outlaw Sprint Cars triumph during the final tune-up at the track prior to the upcoming fifth annual BillionAuto.com Huset’s High Bank Nationals, which runs this Wednesday through Saturday.
“I was just reacting to whatever happened in front of me,” he said. “The track is a lot slicker tonight than on a weekly show. We were able to get through there. This thing was lights-out fast. It’s so good to be here in victory lane again.
“We had a bad night the last time we were here with the Outlaws. I got upside down. We’re just trying to get better every time we race here, especially for this race coming up. It’s the biggest paying race in sprint car racing. It’s one you really want to win. The best guys in the world are going to be here.”
Andy Pake led the first seven laps before Timms used the bottom in turns three and four to drive into the top spot. A pair of late red flags, including one as Timms was taking the white flag, bunched the field together for two restarts. However, Timms was strong en route to winning by 1.198 seconds.
Tyler Courtney produced a second-place finish.
“I was a little too free on entry,” he said. “I had to be really on top of (the berm) just to get any grip. We’ll work on it. I’m glad we got to come here tonight and work for our stuff for this weekend. It’s going to be a great week. I’m excited.”
Pake rounded out the podium.
“It was a lot of fun, definitely my most fun sprint car race at Huset’s,” he said. “I was really stable and could drive it really straight.”
Daison Pursley posted a fourth-place result after starting 14th and Chase Randall finished fifth.
Ballenger took over the top spot on Lap 2 and survived a side-by-side challenge as well as a pair of late cautions to top the 20-lap Heser Auto & Detailing RaceSaver Sprint Car Series main event. It marked his first career victory at the track in just his second start.
“It’s awesome,” he beamed on the frontstretch. “I have a bunch of people here to support us. This car was really good.”
Mason Slendy led the opening circuit before Ballenger drove into the lead. Midway through the race, Laney Moore closed quickly and on Lap 14 pulled even with Ballenger entering turn one. The duo appeared to make contact fighting for the bottom with Ballenger holding onto the top spot.
Following back-to-back cautions on the next two circuits, Ballenger pulled away in the waning laps for a margin of victory of 1.201 seconds.
John Lambertz passed Moore for second place with Micah Slendy ending fourth. Aydin Lloyd powered from the 12th starting spot to fifth.
Yeigh led the distance of the 18-lap Nordstrom’s Automotive Late Model Street Stocks main event, which was stymied by six cautions, to win by 1.117 seconds.
“I was looking for the No. 54 car,” he said after his 24th career triumph at the track. “How to keep your composure, I don’t know. I’ll let you know when I figure that out.”
Dustin Gulbrandson – the driver Yeigh was referencing – hustled from 14th to a runner-up result with Chris Ellingson placing third. Ryan DeBoer finished fourth after starting 12th and Tim Dann maneuvered from 16th to fifth.
The finish:
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 10-Ryan Timms (4); 2. 7BC-Tyler Courtney (5); 3. 64-Andy Pake (2); 4. 9P-Daison Pursley (14); 5. 9R-Chase Randall (3); 6. 22K-Kaleb Johnson (8); 7. 24T-Christopher Thram (18); 8. 1K-Kelby Watt (16); 9. 51-Ashton Torgerson (19); 10. 45X-Rees Moran (12); 11. 27A-Emerson Axsom (24); 12. 44-Chris Martin (13); 13. 11-Justin Henderson (9); 14. 14H-Matt Juhl (11); 15. 16-Riley Goodno (25); 16. 88-Austin McCarl (10); 17. 6-JJ Hickle (6); 18. 13-Mark Dobmeier (23); 19. 11M-Jade Hastings (15); 20. 31-Koby Werkmeister (26); 21. 83V-Austin Wood (17); 22. 11D-Dominic White (21); 23. (DNF) 83JR-Sam Henderson (22); 24. (DNF) 17S-Spencer Bayston (7); 25. (DNF) 17-Lee Goos Jr (1); 26. (DNF) G5-Gage Pulkrabek (20).
