BARROWS-For the second time this season Modified driver Billy Kendall stood on the winners podium Saturday night after winning the 20-lap feature event.
What happened between Kendall's first and second wins makes Saturday's win special.
Coming off of his 2016 track championship season, the expectations were high for Kendall, who started the season with a win April 22 and a third-place finish April 29. Kendall didn't make it for the feature the following week. Word spread he was in a wreck in Jamestown, N.D., that week. While he checked out fine, his car was damaged.
The next week the No. 9 car was back, but at the back of the field as Kendall chose that spot coming off of his crash.
"After that big crash, it did take a lot to get my mind straight because it was a crazy crash that I went through," Kendall said. "But we were also making sure the car was good before we really went after it. We had a couple of problems with the new car, but once we got that straightened out we were ready. And for me, once I had that one night of just hanging back I knew I was ready to get back in the winner's circle."
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May 27 he captured a third-place finish.
Saturday the concern for Kendall and the other drivers was traction as the final race of the night saw dry, dusty conditions.
"I had to make sure that I saved my tires because the track was really abrasive tonight," Kendall said. "I had to keep cool at the beginning and then start getting faster as the night went on and I felt that helped me win the race because I had the same car at the end of the race as I did at the beginning."
Kendall and current points leader Shawn Fletcher each started from the fourth row. Both worked their way to the front with Fletcher holding the lead over Kendall and Aaron Johnson.
Staying patient, Kendall was able to take the lead and put distance between himself and the field before a caution flag with five laps left. The race restarted with Kendall in the lead when another caution happened on the same Turn Two.
"I kept thinking that my tires were going to go bad," Kendall said. "It is hard to stay focused when it is going like that. You don't want to get frustrated at that point so if your mind and focus are right you will be fine."
With the race reduced to two laps because of excessive cautions, Kendall regained his momentum on the restart and continued to run in front of Fletcher to get his second win.
IMCA Sport Compacts:
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Feature: 1-Curt Derichs, 2-Brendon Yamry, 3-Derek Stanoch
Heat 1: 1-Curt Derichs, 2-Brendon Yamry, 3-Derek Stanoch
IMCA Hobby Stocks:
Feature: 1-Corey Hill, 2-Joe Gonska, 3-Timothy Gonska
Heat 1: 1-Mike Patnode, 2-David Dosh, 3-Timothy Gonska
Heat 2: 1-Joe Gonska, 2-Corey Hill, 3-Robert Young Jr.
NCS Mod 4s:
Feature: 1-Dean Blanchard Jr., 2-Mitchell Hribar, 3-Justin Pogones
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Heat 1: 1-Mitchell Hribar, 2-Jess Geesey, 3-Bob Holtquist
Heat 2: 1-Justin Pogones, 2-Dustin Holtquist, 3-Gerry Nohner
IMCA Northern Sport Modifieds:
Feature: 1-David Siercks, 2-Jake Hagemann, 3-Jacob Kierstead
Heat 1: 1-Adam Bohlman, 2-Jake Hagemann, 3-Mike Johnson
NCS Super Stock:
Feature: 1-Eric Martini, 2-Seth Kramer, 3-Dylan Nelson
Heat 1: 1-Eric Martini, 2-Jake Goetze, 3-Seth Kramer
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IMCA Modifieds:
Feature: 1-Billy Kendall, 2-Shawn Fletcher, 3-Aaron Johnson
Heat 1: 1-Billy Kendall, 2-Aaron Johnson, 3-Justin Jones
Heat 2: 1-Mark Martini, 2-Lance Schilling, 3-Shawn Fletcher
