Battle for titles heating up at Casino Speedway with three weeks left

Roger Merriam, Watertown Public Opinion
·2 min read
Dale Ames of Huron earned the $1,500 purse for winning the modified special Sunday night during the Advantage RVs Modified Tour Championship race at Casino Speedway. Johnny Booking of Grand Rapids (Minn.) was the overall tour champion.
Dale Ames of Huron earned the $1,500 purse for winning the modified special Sunday night during the Advantage RVs Modified Tour Championship race at Casino Speedway. Johnny Booking of Grand Rapids (Minn.) was the overall tour champion.

After nearly three months of the 68th season of racing at Casino Speedway, things are really starting to heat up.

Only three weeks of the regular season remain, with 6:30 programs the final two Sundays in August before the season track championships on Sunday, Sept. 4.

All six classes competed Sunday night — late models, limited late models, modifieds, Midwest modifieds, street stocks and hornets. All six will compete again next Sunday with the limited late models currently not scheduled to race on Sunday, Aug. 28.

A recap of Sunday's racing program

Sunday's program featured the Advantage RVs Modified Tour Championship, which ended up being big nights for Dale Aames of Huron and Johnny Broking of Grand Rapids, Minn.

Aames won the $1,500 purse for winning the 40-lap feature. Broking placed fifth in the feature and won the overall tour championship. Aames' win was his second of the season at the speedway.

Chad Becker of Aberdeen (late models, 25 laps), Scott Hansen of Garden City (Midwest modifieds, 20 laps) and Adam VanDerostyne of Canby, Minn. (hornets, 10 laps) each won their fourth features of the season.

Other feature winners were Tony Croninger of Watertown (limited late models, 15 laps) and Andy Rossow of Florence (street stocks, 20 laps). Croninger's win was his third of the season. Rossow won for the second time.

Trony Croninger of Watertown (8T) won his third limited late models feature Sunday night at Casino Speedway. Croninger grabbed the overall season points lead in the division with three weeks to go in the regular season.
Trony Croninger of Watertown (8T) won his third limited late models feature Sunday night at Casino Speedway. Croninger grabbed the overall season points lead in the division with three weeks to go in the regular season.

The battle for season points titles

There's some familiar faces sitting in control for season championships and one of those is Becker, who is in the driver's seat to win a fourth consecutive late model title. He holds a 109-point leader over fellow Aberdeen driver Josh Skorczewski.

The standings in the other divisions are much closer, especially in the limited late models division. Croninger's feature win pushed him to the top of the season standings. He leads fellow Watertown driver Doug Walsh by six points.

Other points leaders include Mike Nichols of Watertown in the Midwest modifieds, by 37 over Derek Rieck of Ortonville, Minn.; Adam VanDerostyne of Canby (Minn.) in the hornets, by 55 over Bradley Rossow of Florence; Tyler Peterson of Hickson (N.D.) in the modifieds, by 21 over Aames; and Maria Broksieck of Goodwin in the street stocks, by 34 over Jason Marko of Watertown.

Nichols is chasing his third-straight Midwest modifieds title and Peterson his third modifieds championship in four years. Broksieck is looking to continue an even-number year streak, having won street stock titles in 2018 and 2020. VanDerostyne is the defending hornets champion.

D.J. Tesch of Brandt won the first two limited late models titles at Casino Speedway, but the division will have a first-time champion this summer.

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Only three weeks of the regular season remain at Casino Speedway.