By Ben Deatherage
ESTEVAN, Sask. (Aug. 23, 2024) – Kyle Scholpp had the entire crowd at Estevan Motor Speedway on its feet when the checkered flag waved to bring the IMCA Sunoco IMCA Stock Car main event to a close.
The Lampman driver, who started on the inside pole, held on by a margin to win his third victory of the season at his home track on championship night.
Austin Daae led at the line on the first lap after a spirited battle with Scholpp. Still, Scholpp countered with a terrific run on the backstretch to obtain the lead on the second corner. Gabe Deschamp would scoot past Daae for second on lap seven. Daae tried to stay on the podium as his hands were full with Chase Davidson chasing for third.
Daae tried to reclaim second, but Deschamp kept him in check. Things got interesting late when the lone caution came out with three trips around remaining.
Daae went to work on his trademark high line while Deschamp rolled the bottom, both in pursuit of Scholpp. Deschamp submitted a legitimate challenge with two to go. Coming to the white, Deschamp and Scholpp were side by side, but Scholpp, the inside polesitter, had a better run in the final set of corners to win the drag race to the checkers.
Deschamp was a close second, followed by Daae in third. Daae won the track championship.
Three other IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing divisions are in attendance, including the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods. The winners were Kody Scholpp, Connor Hanson and double-duty running Deschamp.
The other half of the Scholpp brotherhood, Kody, won the initial battle for the lead at the start of the Modified feature. As the leader took off, Tyson Turnbull and Les McLenehan went after it for second. Turnbull would secure the position but lost the spot on the ninth circuit when McLenehan took it back.
McLenehan did his best to keep up with Kody Scholpp, but the hometown pacesetter was in a different postal code, dominating the race by nearly half a lap. It was his third trip to the winner’s circle at Estevan and the inside polesitter was crowned the track champion.
Hard-charging McLenehan settled in second, with Turnbull completing the podium in third.
Kody Scholpp dominated in topping the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event on Championship Night at Estevan Motor Speedway. (Photo by Byron Fichter)
Kayden Hjorteland demonstrated exceptional speed in the Hobby Stock main. Despite a long green flag run, Hjorteland maintained a significant lead. Landon Runge, however, showed relentless determination, steadily closing the gap on the leader.
Runge managed to catch up with Hjorteland but couldn’t overtake. The race took a dramatic turn when the yellow flag was waved with two laps to go. The restart provided Hanson with a golden opportunity to make a move, as he swiftly passed Runge and set his sights on Hjorteland.
Hjorteland and Hanson engaged in a thrilling drag race, with Hanson seizing the lead, the win, and the championship in a single move. The Torquay specialist, who started fifth, showcased his skill and strategy, securing his first win at Estevan in 2024.
Hjorteland and Runge were the second and third-place finishers.
Levi Runge showed the way on the first lap of the Northern SportMod finale. But the consistently fast Bottineau, North Dakotan Deschamp lurked in the waters. Deschamp got second place on the second circuit and caught Runge two laps later.
By the fifth time past the flag stand, Deschamp had become the new trailblazer with a move to the inside of the second corner. Starting the race third, he went on to dominate the rest of the distance to score his 15th win of the current campaign and the fifth time he’s taken home the winner’s purse at EMS. When all points were tallied, Deschamp was declared the champion.
Keenan Glasser made some moves late in the race to grab second, followed by third, finishing Runge.
The event was broadcast on IMCA TV affiliate DARN TV.
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