Sioux Center Iowa — With the Sioux County Youth Fair in full swing, a large crowd made their way to Sioux Speedway in Sioux Center on a fine Thursday evening for the Eighth Annual Ver Hoef Automotive Sprint Car Showdown. With the Sprint Cars as the headliner, the evening kicked off with the Advance Auto Parts Hobby Stocks.
Last year Sioux Falls’ Dustin Gulbrandson was able to break into Sioux Speedway victory lane after several years of trying. With a front row starting spot this go round he was able to show that that last win was no fluke as he has seemed to master the half mile and easily cruised to his second career Sioux Speedway victory. Paul Menard of Merrill, IA has been a tough competitor in the Hobby Stock division for two decades and he was able to finish up in the runner up position. Justin Schenkel of Tyndall, SD made an impressive showing in his first attempt at Sioux Speedway finishing third. Sioux Speedway regular Drew Barglof of Sioux Rapids, IA finished fourth and Joel Norris from Sioux Falls, SD was fifth.
The Steve Brouwer Trucking B-Modfieds saw John Foreman of nearby Hospers take charge early from the front row, but his #1J machine faultered after the first caution as Dustin Kruse charged from the back of the field to take the lead. Kruse went on to dominate the feature picking up his second career win at the Sioux County Fairgrounds. Action behind Kruse was fierce as Foreman, Cody Ahrendt, and Eric Faber all were involved in melees. Connor Vande Weerd from Alton was able to come home in second as fellow Sioux County racers Dan Van Bruggen of Hospers, and Eric Faber of Sioux Center finished third and fourth with John Foreman credited with fifth.
Stefan Sybesma‘s name may have already been on the trophy when he signed in to compete at Sioux Speedway, but the Sanborn, IA racer had to charge from seventh in the Sybesma Graphics Stock Car feature to overtake Roger Verdoorn for the race lead near midway. Verdoorn held off early pressure to lead the first half of the event. A caution flag allowed Sybesma to sneak under Verdoorn in turn three to grab the lead. Mel Elsberry of Orange City also snuck past Verdoorn and put pressure on Sybesma until the end. He came up short; however, as Sybesma pulled off the win. Elsberry finished up in second, and Sibley’s Verdoorn was third. Brandon Murphy of Allendorf, IA was fourth and Mathias Lux from Hartley, IA was fifth.
For one year Carson McCarl had bragging rights over his father at McCarl family dinners. In 2016 he picked up his first career 360 Sprint Car win at Sioux Speedway, a track his father, Terry, had not yet found victory lane. Early on in the 2017 edition of the MSTS 360 Sprint Car Feature, Casey Friedrichsen took a commanding lead over the field. This lead soon diminished once he encountered lap traffic. At this point the Rens Trucking #24 of Terry McCarl charged past the #20 of Friedrichsen. McCarl stretched his lead, but Dusty Zomer ran him down and slid past McCarl in turn one just before a caution flag slowed the event. When the field reverted to the last lap for the restart McCarl was still the leader. McCarl then ran away from Zomer in the Buffalo Wild WIngs #82 and the Altoona, Iowa driver set sail to win his first Sioux Speedway Sprint Car Showdown feature. Cody Ledger had charged from seventh to gain on McCarl at the end, but the Omaha, NE native ran out of laps and finished second in his #35L. Dylan Peterson from Sioux Falls was able to finish third. Arthur, IA’s Friedrichsen was fourth, and Derrik Lusk of Jackson, MN rounded out the top 5.
Complete results can be found at www.siouxspeedway.net or www.siouxspeedway.com
