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A strong field for a big event didn’t phase Warner driver Trevor Nelson.
With more than 120 cars chewing up the dirt oval at Brown County Speedway Friday, July 10, and Saturday, July 11, Nelson held off the competition during the Super Stock feature in the finale of the third-annual Andy Daly Memorial.
Nelson went wire to wire for the win and took home $3,012 for his efforts. It was the biggest payout of the season for the Super Stocks.
He also won Friday night’s Super Stock feature.
“It’s a cool event for sure, and we don’t race for this kind of money very often, especially in front of your hometown crowd,” Nelson said. “Home track advantage helped us (Saturday), but we want to thank all the drivers who came out here to Aberdeen to race for some good money.”
He found his lane on the top of the track, which he said was the most stable for his car.
“It’s a high-bank track, and that’s where all the dirt ends up and that’s where all the moisture is when it gets up around the top. It was definitely a fine line, though, up there (Saturday)…,” Nelson said.
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He started on the outside pole and led all 35 laps, but got a test from William Lund of Brandon, Minn.
“After a yellow, I saw him in second running the bottom and figured, ‘Let me get down there,’ and I did and made sure I was patient around the lap cars and we were able to get the win,” Nelson said. “It was a solid race for us, and I can’t thank Mike Stearns enough for putting this event on and allowing us to race for the type of money we did.”
Mike Stearns of Aberdeen runs the low line in the Modified feature Saturday, July 11 during the Andy Daly Memorial at Brown County Speedway. Stearns took the checkered flag Friday and Saturday night in the Modified division. Aberdeen Insider photo by Robb Garofalo.
Steans honors former teammate with sweep of Modified features
The Andy Daly Memorial was started by Aberdeen’s Mike Stearns, who was a racing teammate with Daly before he died in 2022.
Stearns paid homage to Daly by finishing first in the Modified feature both Friday and Saturday nights.
“These (wins) were for Andy,” Stearns said. “This event is so special, I just want to win, obviously, for him. The goal for this event is to keep a great friend’s memory alive, and we figured a good way to do that was to put on a successful racing event that the track wants to keep doing year after year.”
Stearns also qualified for the Late Model feature both nights. He finished fourth Saturday and second Friday.
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“It’s always been our goal to win the Late Model and Modified on the same night because we haven’t done it. It would have been pretty special, but it wasn’t meant to be. Two checkereds, though, is a pretty good way to finish. I’m just thankful we had a good turnout with cars, and hopefully they keep coming back,” Stearns said.
Martin goes back to back in Legends division
Preston Martin of Lincoln, N.D. had a very good weekend in Aberdeen.
Preston Martin stays at the top of the track to hold off Donavin Weist for the checkered flag in the INEX Legends feature race Saturday, July 11 at the Brown County Speedway. Aberdeen Insider photo by Robb Garofalo.
Martin used the same strategy by sticking to the top of the track and won the INEX Legends features Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, he clipped Wishek, N.D.’s, Donavin Weist at the finish line after a restart with two laps to go.
Martin admitted he had no idea the checkered flag was his.
“On that final restart I wanted to get to the bottom on the last lap, but right when we got to turn one (Weist) was there, and I’m like, ‘Oh man, I’m screwed,'” Martin said. “I was able to get back to my line, and coming around turn four, just went for it. I didn’t even know I won and had to take an extra pace lap to see who did.”
That’s the same strategy he used Friday when he caught Regan Reinke of Lisbon, N.D., with three laps remaining in the feature to eventually win.
“I watched the feature ahead of us and knew there was a solid line up top,” Martin said, “But what I couldn’t see was that there was also a pretty solid line at the bottom. Ryan Erdahl, who also likes to run the top, picked the low side, and I was thinking, ‘Did I just screw up?'”
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Martin said he noticed after each lap up top he was gaining on Erdahl little by little.
“I knew I had to stay solid, but with 15 laps time runs out quickly, so I pushed it as much as I could around some of those turns up top,” Martin said. “When we got into heavy lap traffic, I noticed nobody was up top — everyone was middle or closer to the bottom— and I was able to catch him.”
Erdahl ultimately placed third behind Reinke.
Searing holds off field on final lap to claim Saturday Late Model victory
Navigating through 24 cars Saturday night, Huron’s Cole Searing held off a last-lap charge by Watertown’s Trevor Anderson and Mike Greseth of Harwood, N.D., to win the Late Model Feature.
“We were good right away, then we kept having some yellow flags at the end, and I think I worked my right rear tire a little too hard,” Searing said. “I thought (Anderson) got me with about two laps to go, and I thought I wasn’t gonna be able to get him, but luckily things worked in our favor.”
Searing said once he found his lane at the top of the track, he was confident it could carry him through the race.
“Once I got married to that top line I was OK. I was a little more worried about lap traffic because we catch up to them at a high rate of speed, and they’re kind of across the racetrack, but we figured out where to go and did the same after the last restart,” he said.
Maria Broksieck maintains her lead over Kyle Bertram in the Street Stock division en route to the feature win Friday, July 10 during the Andy Daly Memorial at Brown County Speedway. Aberdeen Insider photo by Robb Garofalo.
Broksieck catches break to take Friday Street Stock feature
To find success in two days of racing, a driver might need to catch a break.
Maria Broksieck of Goodwin caught one at the right time and was able to win the Street Stock feature Friday.
Broksieck thought she lost her lead late in the race until a caution flag restored the driver positions to what they were prior to the yellow flag.
“Sometimes it takes luck, and we got a little of that tonight,” she said.
Broksieck won her second feature at Brown County Speedway this season and sixth of the year. She said her start was key.
“The moves I made in the beginning of the race really put us up front, and then we were able to make the additional move to get into first,” she said.
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Broksieck said the high side of the track was the lane she felt was best for her.
“The bottom of the track was so slick, probably the most slick I’ve seen in quite some time,” she said. “I moved back to the top after a caution because it was just so slick down there I just couldn’t hold it anymore. I just had to block where the fast line was up top, and that really got me the win.”
Andy Daly Memorial
Saturday results
- Super Stocks A feature: Nelson
- Super Stocks B feature: Kenneth Clemens, Madison
- Late Models A feature: Searing
- Late Models B feature: Chase Gelling, Aberdeen
- Modifieds: Stearns
- Midwest Modifieds: Jason Grimes, Jamestown N.D.
- Street Stocks: Grady Myers, Winner
- INEX Legends A feature: Martin
- INEX Legends B feature: Tyler Anglin, Aberdeen
Friday results
- Super Stocks: Nelson
- Late Models: Kent Arment, Aberdeen
- Modifieds: Stearns
- Midwest Modifieds: Dawson Zabel, Selby
- Street Stocks: Broksieck
- INEX Legends A feature: Martin
- INEX Legends B feature: Dusty Mund, Lisbon N.D.
