On a cool but very pleasant evening for summer racing, the Minneapolis Raceway hosted 123 cars in 6 classes before another large crowd for the next to last weekend of racing for division points this season. The clay track was tacky and provided a great surface for the drivers to test their skills and car setups.

The Lott Implement Sportsman Modifieds were the first out the blocks for the "A" Feature races. Donnie Cleveland started in the outside pole position and quickly took the lead. With his new car, he nursed that lead throughout the race to take his first Feature win since July of 2008. The Heat races were won by Cleveland and Phillip Brown.

Point leader Allen Rice finished in a good position after starting in the last half of the pack and should continue his double digit points division lead.

For the 3rd week in a row, Tyler Frye captured the checkered flag in the T&R Dirt Construction IMCA Sportsman Modifieds. This was his 9th feature win for the season in 14 starts. Starting on the outside of row 6, Frye showed an action of relentless pursuit. Working through 2 restarts, Frye worked his way to the front and in lap 7 passed Brian Fink and Chris Humphries who had been contending for the lead. He then survived 3 caution restarts to win by a comfortable margin and add to his large points lead in this division. Kurt Kalivoda, Frye and Fink won the Heat races.

The results in the Bank of Tescott IMCA Stock car division were breath taking. Geoff Jermark started on the outside pole position and established an early lead which seemed somewhat comfortable for a good portion of the Feature. However, in another example of relentless pursuit, division point leader Cory Struckhoff slowly made his way up from his 7th row starting position and showed himself as a threat in the last 5 laps, trailing Jermark and Jared Remus. In the last lap Struckhoff was able to pass Remus and set himself up for a charge on Jermark. That charge came out of turn 4 of the last lap, diving below two lapped cars to catch Jermark and beat him by just thousandths of a second at the finish line. This was also Struckhoff's 9th Feature win in 11 starts and maintained his double digit division point lead. The Heat races were won by Josh McCarrell and Trevor Thornton.

The following Terry Smith Plumbing Mod-Lites division Feature was a little more cut and dried. Brian Ward started on the inside of the second row and early in the race passed the pole position drivers, Brian Davidson and Tony Drummond. Ward then held off all challengers to claim his first career Feature win. Division points leader Dustin Forsberg wasinvolved in an early mishap and had to leave the track for emergency repairs. Upon his return he took the last position and was never able to recover. Having entered the evening leading by only 3 points, he surrendered the lead

going into the last week to Brian Gray. Davidson and Bud Lee won the Heat races for the division.

In the Grandma Max's Restaurant IMCA Modifieds, Tim Watts established an early lead out of his outside pole position, holding off the drivers from the first several rows. However with 13 laps remaining, Dave Hardesty caught and passed Watts followed closely by Corey Lagroon. With 10 laps remaining Lagroon put an inside move on Hardesty in turns 1 & 2. Lagroon then held off Hardesty for a few laps until Hardesty left the race because of mechanical issues. Lagroon then deflected challenges from Joe Cleveland and Danny Morrison, Jr. to take his first Feature win of the season as the defending points champion. Morrison finished closed behind to maintain his double digit points lead for 2009. The Heat races were won by Kyle Chase, Larry Sutton, and Watts.

The Coors Lite IMCA Hobby Stocks provided more drama. For the first time this season, points leader BJ Dauer didn't qualify for the "A" Feature out of the Heat races. Dauer won the "B"

Feature to qualify for the main event. Starting 7 rows back, Dauer also displayed his normal relentless pursuit to work his way through the pack and start to challenge for the lead. Then he developed mechanical issues and had to leave the race. Ron Rous, driving Dauer's

former car took an early lead from his outside pole position and held off the challengers to capture his first career "A" Feature win. Dennis Berry, Jacob Williams, Tony Slothower, and GW Fuller won the Heat races

During intermission, Delbert "The Ice Man" Smith hot lapped in his Late Model car, giving the fans a quite a taste of things to come on Saturday September 19, as the MidwestDirt Late Model Series will make an inaugural run for the 2009 season finale of the Minneapolis Raceway.

Next Saturday, September 5, will close the points chase in each division. Another night of full house racing will begin at 7pm.