A field of 89 cars kicked off the 2020 auto racing season — the 66th — at Casino Speedway in Watertown on Sunday night.

The number cars was similar to the amount of people who witnessed the event line, since no grandstand fans were allowed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Only family and pit-crew members were on hand to watch the races.

Sunday’s program included Casino’s regular classes — WISSOTA late models, Midwest modifieds, modifieds, street stock and super stocks. The field included 23 Midwest modifieds, 20 late mdoels, 17 modifieds, 16 super stocks and 13 street stocks.

Feature winners included Mike Nichols of Watertown, Midwest modifieds; Chad Olsen of Hendricks (Minn.), late models; Tyler Peterson of Hickson (N.D.), modifieds; Chris Serr of Aberdeen, street stocks and Cole Searing of Huron, super stocks.

Nichols won the 20-lap Midwest modified feature, followed by Searing and Brendan Blascyk of Kensington (Minn.). Heat winners were Blascyk, Zach Benson of Princeton (Minn.) and Scott Harrington of Waubay.

Olsen took the checkered flag in the 25-lap late model main, beating Aberdeen drivers Chad Becker and Josh Skorczewski to the finish line. Trevor Walsh of Watertown, Becker and Cole Schill of Horace (N.D.) won heat races.

Peterson is the defending season points champion in the modified class and got his title defense off to a good start by taking the 25-lap feature. Minnesota drivers Dan Ebert of Lake Shore and Dustin Strand of East Grand Forks were second and third, respectively. Peterson and Dale Ames of Huron won heat races.

Chris Serr of Aberdeen topped the field in the 20-lap street stock feature, followed by Justin Vogel of Brooten (Minn.) and Andy Rossow of Florence. Al Schmidt of Watertown and Vogel notch heat victories.

Searing went 2-for-2 on the night in the super stock class, taking his heat race and also winning the 20-lap feature. Minnesota drivers Dan Nissalke of Winona and Dylan Kromschroeder of Cambridge were second and third, respectively. Trevor Nelson of Warner won the other heat.

Fans were able to watch Sunday’s program on pay-per-view at Dirk Race Central.

Another regular weekly racing program is scheduled for Sunday. More details on the starting time and other details will be announced later this week on the Casino Speedway’s web site (www.casinospeedway.com) and the track’s socal media outlets.

Casino Speedway

2020 Season Opener

Sunday’s Results


Feature — 1. Chad Olsen, Hendricks (Minn.); 2. Chad Becker, Aberdeen; 3. Josh Skorczewski, Aberdeen; 4. David Carlson, Huron; 5. Morgan Ward, Watertown; 6. Ryan Engels, Watertown; 7. Cole Schill, Horace (N.D.); 8. Justin Boomsma, Huron; 9. Chuck Swenson, Watertown; 10. Curt Kranz, Watertown; 11. Nick Grehl, Hitchcock; 12. Curt Gelling, Aberdeen; 13. Blair Nothdurft, Sioux Falls; 14. Trevor Walsh, Watertown; 15. Rich Thomas, Aberdeen; 16. Ryan Bjerke, Clear Lake. DNF: Hope Swenson and Scott Ward, Watertown and Scott Borstad, Volga. DNS: Nathaniel Persson, Sacred Heart (Minn.).

First Heat — 1. Walsh; 2. Carlson; 3. Olsen; 4. Grehl; 5. Borstad; 6. H. Swenson. DNF: Northdurft.

Second Heat — 1. Becker; 2. S. Ward; 3. M. Ward; 4. Engels; 5. Kranz; 6. Boomsma; 7. Persson.

Third Heat — 1. Schill; 2. Skorczewski; 3. C. Swenson; 4. Gelling; 5. Bjerke; 6. Thomas.


Feature — 1. Mike Nichols, Watertown; 2. Cole Searing, Huron; 3. Brendan Blascyk, Kensington (Minn.); 4. Zach LaQua, Watertown 5. Derek Rieck, Ortonville (Minn.); 6. Dan Wheeler, Savage (Minn.); 7. Kolton Luepke, Granite Falls (Minn.); 8. Jackson Hansen, Hamill; 9. Ryan Gierke, Villard (Minn.); 10. Tommy Nichols, Watertown; 11. Toby Eilers, Aberdeen; 12. Aaron Sowers, Watertown; 13. Dakota Tirrel, White. DNF: Terry Reilly, Tom Neitzel and Red Anderson, Watertown; Jayme Peterson, Highmore; Dean Small, Arlington; Scott Hansen, Garden City; Scott Harrington, Waubay; Tyler McFarland, Goodwin and Zach Benson, Princeton (Minn.). DNS: Robert Persson, Moorhead (Minn.).

First Heat — 1. Blasczyk; 2. Searing; 3. Reilly; 4. Eilers; 5. Anderson; 6. Tirrel; 7. Gierke; 8. Neitzel.

Second Heat — 1. Benson; 2. M. Nichols; 3. LaQua; 4. S. Hansen; 5. Peterson; 6. Sowers; 7. J. Hansen. DNF: Persson.

Third Heat — 1. Harrington; 2. T. Nichols; 3. Wheeler; 4. Rieck; 5. McFarland. DNF: Luepke. DNS: Small.


Feature — 1. Tyler Peterson, Hickson (N.D.); 2. Dan Ebert, Lake Shore (Minn.); 3. Dustin Strand, East Grand Forks (Minn.); 4. Devin Fouquette, St. Cloud (Minn.); 5. Duke Erickson, Sioux Falls; 6. Dale Ames, Huron; 7. Trevor Anderson, Watertown; 8. Ryan Damm, Watertown; 9. Alex Guthmiller, Huron; 10. Nick Wranek, Harrisburg; 11. Arne Anderson, Watertown; 12. Tony Konold, Clear Lake. DNF: Jayson Good and Tim Waba, Watertown. DNS: Chris Mensen, Carlos (Minn.); Ryan Gierke, Villard (Minn.) and Terry Bendel, Madison (Minn.).

First Heat — 1. Peterson; 2. Erickson; 3. Fouquette; 4. Waba; 5. A. Anderson. DNF: Good, Konold and Wranek. DNS: Mensen.

Second Heat — 1. Ames; 2. Strand; 3. Ebert; 4. T. Anderson; 5. Damm; 6. Gierke. DNF: Guthmiller and Bendel.


Feature — 1. Chris Serr, Aberdeen; 2. Justin Vogel, Brooten (Minn.); 3. Andy Rossow, Florence; 4. Ashley Wampler, Hecla; 5. Matt Goth, Huron; 6. Kyle Dykhoff, Perham (Minn.); 7. Maria Broksieck, Goodwin; 8. Trajan Schmidt, Watertown; 9. Tyler Lamb, Clark; 10. Al Schmidt, Watertown; 11. Justin Brandsrud, Henry. DNF: Chad Willmott, White and Taylor Garberich, Maynard (Minn.)

First Heat — 1. A. Schmidt; 2. Dykhoff; 3. Broksieck; 4. Serr; 5. Wampler; 6. Lamb. DNF: Willmott.

Second Heat — 1. Vogel; 2. T. Schmidt; 3. Rossow; 4. Goth; 5. Brandsrud. DNS: Gaberich.


Feature — 1. Cole Searing, Huron; 2. Dan Nissalke, Winona (Minn.); 3. Dylan Kromschroeder, Cambridge (Minn.); 4. Trevor Nelson, Warner; 5. Jacob Knapper, Montevideo (Minn.); 6. Josh Zimpel, Braham (Minn.); 7. Shawn Fernkes, Pennock (Minn.); 8. Jeff Crouse, Alexandria (Minn.); 9. Casey Hanson, Badger; 10; Blake Whitlock, Watertown; 11. Luis Chavez, Aberdeen. DNF: Charley Beck, South Shore; Dave Thomas, Aberdeen; Trent Brutger, Watkins (Minn.) and Chad Fouquette, St. Cloud (Minn.). DNS: Jeremy North, Huron.

First Heat — 1. Nelson; 2. Nissalke; 3. Beck; 4. Brutger; 5. Chavez. DNF: Whitlock, Thomas and Hanson.

Second Heat — 1. Searing; 2. Knapper; 3. Kromschroeder; 4. Crouse; 5. Zimpel; 6. Fouquette. DNF: North and Fernkes.

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