Berg Goes Flag-to-Flag for First Dacotah Speedway Stock Car Victory

Feature, Modified, News, Stock Car

Jason Berg of Fargo, N.D. celebrates after leading all 20 laps to capture his first Dacotah Speedway victory and first EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region win of the 2026 season in Sunoco IMCA Stock Car action on May 15. (Photo by LTE Photography & Designs)

By Becca Pelkey

MANDAN, N.D. (May 15, 2026) — When the green flag waved for the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature at Dacotah Speedway, pole sitter Jason Berg quickly pulled away from the field. As Berg’s lead continued to grow, the battle raged behind him for second place between Brennor Grinstead and Travis Ulmer. They raced door-to-door and side-by-side for several laps.

A caution with seven laps to go erased Berg’s large advantage over the field. On the restart, Andrew Jochim quickly moved into the second position and challenged for the lead.

Mechanical failure on Jochim’s car resulted in contact between the leaders, but Berg held onto the top spot while Jochim took his car to the pits.

Berg, from Fargo, pulled away once more to lead all 20 laps and cruise to his first Dacotah Speedway win and first EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region victory of the 2026 season. Travis Ulmer finished second ahead of points leader Geoff Hellman, who charged from 18th to third. Brennor Grinstead slipped to fourth while Todd Carter rounded out the top five.

Strand Charges to First Modified Victory of 2026

In the final feature of the night, Mark Dahl and Chris Tuchscherer led the field to the green flag in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature. Dahl, a six-time Dacotah Speedway track champion, led early in the race. However, it didn’t take long for 11-time track champion Shawn Strand to reel in Dahl for the lead.

The Mandan driver, who started fourth, briefly battled side-by-side with Dahl before taking over the lead on lap 10. Strand quickly pulled away from the field and led the final 15 laps to earn his first victory of the season and first Razor Chassis North Central Region win of 2026.

Robert Hellebust made a late-race pass to finish second ahead of Dahl. Scott Gartner recorded a season-best fourth-place finish while Zach Frederick crossed the line in fifth.

The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV. Catch every lap again with the IMCA TV Replay Subscription, available for just $25.99/month. And don’t miss Season 2 of the Boone Docuseries, streaming exclusively on IMCA TV.

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