By Randy Pospishil
NORFOLK, Neb. (May 20, 2023) – Saturday night’s track conditions at Off Road Speedway allowed as many passing options as a three-lane highway.
Those drivers who guided their cars into victory lane took full advantage, sometimes using all three lines during a single lap.
In the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature, Tyler Afrank recorded his second Off Road Speedway win of the season. The Norfolk driver needed just four laps to move from the inside of the third row to the front of the field, passing leader Ronnie Grass on the inside of turn four.
With no cautions to benefit the other drivers, Afrank gradually established a straight away lead while Wes Hochstein and Cameron Meyer competed for second place behind him.
Hochstein’s car had skidded higher on the track exiting turn two during three straight laps, and when it happened again during the final lap, Meyer took advantage, passing on the inside and charging down the backstretch in sole possession of second.
Rusty Glosser also seized the opportunity to squeeze inside of Hochstein as the pair exited turn four to finish third.
Afrank also added a win in the SportMod-designated four-car Trophy Dash race to his night of success.
Shannon Pospisil led the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature for the first eight laps with Anthony Bruhn right behind.
Meanwhile, the remainder of the field battled for third place a short distance behind, but during the restart following the race’s first caution, Bruhn made his move by passing Pospisil on the inside of turn two.
Bruhn successfully defended his position at the front of the pack during four more caution restarts and sped to his third consecutive Off Road Speedway victory.
Nate Buck’s chance for a top three finish ended when his car spun out during the battle with Jace Malasek, who went on to finish second while Mark Arduser took third place.
Much of the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature was a competition between the Wilkinson brothers, Kyle and Cameron, but several other drivers played a role in the outcome.
Starting on the outside of row one provided John Hadcock with the chance to lead the 20-lap race, but three early restarts during the first two laps reset the field with Tanner Cunningham out front for the next seven.
Right after moving into second, Eric Haase got his opportunity at the lead when Cunningham spun out, creating a caution that became a single-file restart.
By then, however, Kyle Wilkinson had made his way from the fifth row to Haase’s rear bumper.
Kyle Wilkinson took the lead with eight laps left as Cameron Wilkinson joined the competition for first place and, when Haase went high into the wall of turn two, the Wilkinson brothers began a battle for the lead that lasted during the next four laps.
When Cameron’s car spun into the infield with three laps remaining, Kyle Wilkinson wrapped up his second Off Road Speedway win of the season while Austin Brauner and Neil Bruns finished in second and third place, respectively.
In the IMCA Sunoco Late Model feature, Ben Sukup – starting on the inside of the second row – pounced on an immediate chance at the lead then, establishing an early straightaway-length lead, stayed there the entirety of the 25-lap race.
Behind him, second place became a two-car battle between Newman Cory Dumpert and Joey Haase.
When Haase spun in turn two, Dumpert took over the position behind Sukup but wasn’t able to threaten for the lead, finishing second, while Devin Johnson was third.
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