BILLINGS, Mont. (Sept. 10, 2016) – Danny Lasoski doubled up at Billings Motorsports Park on Saturday when he led the distance to claim the $7,500-to-win Dan Laber Memorial.
While Lasoski swept the two-day NSA Shootout event, which earns his name on a special trophy located at the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum as the Dan Laber Memorial champion, Kelly Miller was crowned the overall NSA Shootout champion following the conclusion of the six-race series.
“It’s consistency,” Miller said. “I think we were in the top 10 every night.”
Saturday night began with a tribute to Harvey Ostermiller, a respected car owner and businessman in Montana who passed away last Sunday.
More than two dozen sprint cars took to the track with J.J. Hickle setting quick time during qualifying before Aaron Reutzel, Lasoski and Sammy Swindell each won a heat race. All four drivers advanced into the feature redraw, where Lasoski and Swindell – the veteran World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series champions who both made their first visit to the area for the first time in more than a decade – drew front row starting positions for the 29-lap main event.
Lasoski took the lead as the green flag was waved and he quickly moved to the favorable top groove around the 3/8-mile dirt track. Reutzel and Swindell slid each other back and forth for the runner-up position during the opening laps as Lasoski held a sizeable advantage.
The drivers entered traffic on Lap 7 and were mired in thick traffic 10 laps later.
Dennis MacEachern stopped on the backstretch with eight laps remaining to bring out the first caution and give open track to Lasoski, who was again brought back to the field three laps later when Swindell slowed in turns three and four with a flat right rear tire while running third.
Lasoski got a clean restart and sailed to his second straight victory.
“Drawing the ace and putting us on the pole was the key to victory tonight,” he said. “I didn’t probably run this thing 55 percent. I knew we had to have tire left. If I got to a situation where I had to run it hard I wanted to make sure I was better the last 10 (laps) than the first 10.”
Reutzel posted a runner-up finish to score his second podium of the weekend.
“I went for it on the start and was able to get by Sammy and get to second,” he said. “Danny knew to jump straight to the top and wait on the rubber where I tried rolling the bottom and that was how I was able to get Sammy. We won this deal earlier in the year and we just came up one spot short this time.
“I can’t thank everyone enough that puts on this event. It’s cool to come out here and race for $7,500 to win.”
Seth Bergman rounded out the podium.
“I’m glad to come out of here with a third-place result,” he said. “This is where we belong. We definitely are a top-five, top-three car every time we hit the race track I feel like. We’re battling through a bunch of woes here lately, but that’s the way it goes. I’m happy for our team to be up front both nights and be in contention.”
Trey Starks maneuvered from 10th to fourth place and Joe Ramaker scored a fifth-place result.
Dennis Hurd capitalized on a mid-race restart to record the midwest modifieds feature triumph.
“I thought my only shot was to just try in the middle and it worked,” he said. “It’s so cool. My wife comes out and supports me all time. My brother is here from California driving my backup car. I was lucky enough to win the first race of the year and lucky enough to win the last.”
Rod Lorenz charged from ninth to place second with eighth-starting Jake Dimond settling for third after leading several laps. Cody Kuglin finished fourth and Kolby Hannah fifth.
NSA Shootout Race Report: Round 6 at Billings Motorsports Park in Billings, Mont., on Sept. 10, 2016 –
Qualifying: 1. 3-J.J. Hickle 14.049; 2. 19-Dennis MacEachern 14.053; 3. 99SS-Sammy Swindell 14.086; 4. 98-Joe Ramaker 14.141; 5. 1M-Danny Lasoski 14.182; 6. 23-Seth Bergman 14.237; 7. 2-Kyle Evans 14.263; 8. 12-Jerry Brey 14.445; 9. 23N-Phil Dietz 14.498; 10. 55-Aaron Reutzel 14.524; 11. 33-Robert DeHaan 14.532; 12. 27DD-David Hoiness 14.597; 13. 9X-Jake Bubak 14.629; 14. 2JR-Kelly Miller 14.639; 15. 8R-Trey Starks 14.756; 16. 24-Rich Martin 14.765; 17. 99-Skylar Gee 14.779; 18. 35M-Cody Masse 14.889; 19. 75-D.J. Brink 14.982; 20. 97-Matthew Dusseault 15.220; 21. 1-Bill Boyce 15.427; 22. 00-Roger Cummings 15.647; 23. 24R-Lany Reber 15.811; 24. 7-Mike Sires 15.845; 25. 14-Ben Holmberg 15.943.
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 55-Aaron Reutzel (1); 2. 98-Joe Ramaker (3); 3. 3-J.J. Hickle (4); 4. 9X-Jake Bubak (5); 5. 00-Roger Cummings (8); 6. 2-Kyle Evans (2); 7. 24-Rich Martin (6); 8. 75-D.J. Brink (7); 9. 14-Ben Holmberg (9).
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 1M-Danny Lasoski (3); 2. 99-Skylar Gee (6); 3. 12-Jerry Brey (2); 4. 2JR-Kelly Miller (5); 5. 19-Dennis MacEachern (4); 6. 33-Robert DeHaan (1); 7. 97-Matthew Dusseault (7); 8. 24R-Lany Reber (8).
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 99SS-Sammy Swindell (4); 2. 23-Seth Bergman (3); 3. 8R-Trey Starks (5); 4. 1-Bill Boyce (7); 5. 27DD-David Hoiness (1); 6. 23N-Phil Dietz (2); 7. 7-Mike Sires (8); 8. 35M-Cody Masse (6).
B Main (12 Laps/Top 4 Transfer): 1. 24-Rich Martin (3); 2. 75-D.J. Brink (6); 3. 1-Bill Boyce (1); 4. 35M-Cody Masse (5); 5. 24R-Lany Reber (8); 6. 7-Mike Sires (7); 7. 97-Matthew Dusseault (4); 8. 14-Ben Holmberg (9); 9. 00-Roger Cummings (2).
Feature (29 Laps): 1. 1M-Danny Lasoski (1); 2. 55-Aaron Reutzel (3); 3. 23-Seth Bergman (5); 4. 8R-Trey Starks (10); 5. 98-Joe Ramaker (6); 6. 99-Skylar Gee (9); 7. 3-J.J. Hickle (4); 8. 12-Jerry Brey (8); 9. 75-D.J. Brink (18); 10. 2JR-Kelly Miller (13); 11. 9X-Jake Bubak (11); 12. 27DD-David Hoiness (14); 13. 99SS-Sammy Swindell (2); 14. 1-Bill Boyce (19); 15. 23N-Phil Dietz (15); 16. 24-Rich Martin (17); 17. 35M-Cody Masse (20); 18. 33-Robert DeHaan (16); 19. 2-Kyle Evans (12); 20. 19-Dennis MacEachern (7). Laps Led: Danny Lasoski 1-29.
(Drivers opened the night by qualifying. The fastest qualifier earned 50 points with each subsequent position dropping by one point. Heat races were inverted by four with the heat race winner receiving 50 points and each subsequent position dropping by three points. The top six in combined qualifying and heat race points advanced to the feature redraw with the top 16 locking into the A Main.)