ESTEVAN — Some of the top modified race car drivers in North America were at the Estevan Motor Speedway on Monday night, yet it was a local favourite who reigned supreme.
Estevan’s Kody Scholpp won the 30-lap feature race for the Dakota Classic Modified Tour. Scholpp started on the outside of the front row, took the lead and outlasted the 25 other drivers to win in convincing fashion.
The mod tour was making its first appearance at the Estevan Motor Speedway since 2019. Restrictions for cross-border travel associated with the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible for the track to host a tour stop in the past three years. Estevan had been a fixture on the mod tour from 2000-2019, to the delight of local fans.
The tour stop brought 45 modifieds and 29 stock cars to Estevan. The top two drivers from each of the four heats in both the modified and the stock car divisions advanced directly to the A-main races.
There were two B-main races in the stock car class, with the top six drivers from each moving onto the feature, and there were three B-mains for the modifieds, with the top four from each of those qualifiers punching their ticket to that feature.
And while there was a large number of drivers from across the U.S. in Estevan to race on Monday night, there were several local drivers and other familiar faces in the feature races.
Finishing second behind Scholpp in the modified feature was Jason Wolla of Ray, N.D., who won a feature in Estevan earlier this year. Travis Hagen of Williston, N.D., who won the speedway’s modified track championship in 2019, was fifth.
Tim Ward of Harcourt, Iowa, was third and Ricky Alvarado of Delta, Col., was fourth.
Aaron Turnbull of Estevan had to go through the B-main to make it to the feature. He started 22nd and wound up eighth. Steven Pfeifer of Minot, who also races regularly in Estevan, started the feature on the pole but fell back to 11th.
Joey Galloway of Arcola was 17th and Les McLenehan of Estevan was 20th.
In the stock car feature, Rob VanMil of Barnesville, Minn., was first for his second feature win in three races. Trent Grager of Sykeston, N.D., was second, followed by Jordan Zillmer of Cleveland, N.D., in third, Daniel Eckblad of St. Peter, Minn., in fourth and Shawn Strand of Mandan, N.D., in fifth. Adam Goff of Minot, who is currently tied for top spot in the speedway’s stock car standings, was eighth.
Chase Davidson of Estevan was the top local driver in ninth. Brendon LaBatte of Weyburn was 12th, Kyle Scholpp of Lampman was 13th, Chris Hortness of Estevan was 15th, Gary Goudy Jr. of Stoughton came in 21st, Austin Daae of Estevan was 22nd and Jeremy Swanson of Estevan was 23rd.
Estevan was the third of six stops on the tour. Drivers headed to Williston, N.D., on Tuesday.
After the Estevan race, Ward had 115 points to lead the modified standings, followed by Hagen with 114, Kody Scholpp with 107 and Alvarado with 106.
VanMil had 119 points to lead the stock car division. Grager was one point back.
The tour is slated to have races in six different communities over a six-day span.
