By Becca Pelkey
MANDAN, N.D. (July 27, 2024) – Rain did its best to wreak havoc but couldn’t wash away all of the North Dakota Governor’s Cup Auto Races at Dacotah Speedway.
Saturday checkers would ultimately fly for $1,500 Friesen Performance IMCA Modified winner Aaron Turnbull, $1,000 IMCA Sunoco Stock Car winner Hunter Domagala and $400 Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact winner Zach Hughbanks.
Tim Perkins and Mark Dahl led the field to the green flag in the Modified main event, the final feature of the weekend. Cautions were frequent as drivers struggled to get laps in but despite the yellows, the seventh starting Turnbull stealthily moved through the field.
Restarts helped him grab the lead by lap four but cautions continued to fall. As the Canadian driver led the field back to line, he would quickly pull away from the field. It was now a race for second between Dahl, Quentin Kinzley and Jeremy Keller.
Keller used the cautions to slip by Kinzley and Dahl to take second. Dahl and Kinzley continued to race hard for third. When the checkered flag waved, Kinzley made a last lap pass on Dahl to finish third. Shawn Strand finished fifth.
Turnbull’s third win of the season was accompanied by Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility.
The track prep crew had been able to work the racing surface back in and the first feature on the fresh oval Saturday night was for the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars.
When the green flag waved, the cars were flying around the 3/8-mile speed plant. Outside pole sitter Domagala took the lead before a caution on lap three regrouped the field.
On the restart, Strand passed Domagala for the lead but a few laps later, Domagala retook the front spot. Strand got loose, which allowed third running Jonny Carter to close in and pass Strand with 10 laps to go.
Carter reeled in Domagala and as the white flag waved, Domagala made contact with a lapped car which allowed Carter to throw a slider for the lead.
Carter washed up the track, however, and Domagala retook the lead down the backstretch.
Going into the final set of turns, Carter looked to the outside of Domagala. Using the momentum off the corner they came to the finish line side-by-side in a photo finish as Domagala just hung on to win by mere inches. Shawn Strand finished third ahead of Marlyn Seidler and Jason Berg.
The victory made Domagala B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible.
Hunter Domagala won an IMCA Sunoco Stock Car thriller, collecting $1,000 along with B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility along with the Governor’s Cup checkers. (Photo by Layn Mudder)
Outside pole sitter Hughbanks grabbed the lead in the Sport Compact feature.
Alex Thompson reeled in Hughbanks and with four laps to go, they raced door-to-door for the lead. Thompson, still looking for his first victory of the season, slipped by Hughbanks with two laps to go.
Hughbanks continued to hang with Thompson and they continued to battle. Hughbanks threw a slide job to reclaim the lead but Thompson crossed over to hang on.
As the white flag waved, contact between the leaders led to an action-packed finish. When the checkered flag waved, Hughbanks held on to win his fourth straight victory ahead of Thompson, Harrison Schwartz, Averie Lageson and Dustin Thompson.
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