The only vehicle Derek Bernstein didn't have in his rear-view mirror was the pace car.
While the pace car made four appearances on the track due to caution flags, Bernstein built considerable leads after each en route to a Street Stocks feature victory Friday at West Fargo's Red River Valley Speedway.
The Enderlin, N.D., driver, who finished just four points behind Royce Jawaski for last season's track points championship, held off numerous charges from three-time WISSOTA national points champion Scott Paulson of Kimball, Minn.
But after each caution flag, Bernstein found a way to build a lead.
"It feels good beating a three-time national champion," Bernstein said with an appropriate winner's smile.
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After the fourth caution flag dropped with four laps left, race officials cut the remainder of the race to just two laps. Paulson passed Bernstein on the back straightaway with less than two laps left, but Bernstein reclaimed the lead with one lap left for the win.
"We won on a tough track, beating a tough competitor," Bernstein said.
Bernstein and Paulson finished first and second, respectively, in the second Street Stocks heat.
The Sprints feature was postponed after two separate accidents delayed the race. Greg Nikitenko of Minot, N.D., and Dave Glennon of Casselton, N.D., flipped their vehicles one lap into the race.
Nikitenko and Glennon were running in second and third behind Natalie Sather of Glyndon, Minn., when Nikitenko's car got loose heading into the second turn. Nikitenko's car flipped, and Glennon tried to avoid it, but flipped his vehicle over.
On the first turn of the restart, Scott Butz of Argusville, N.D., flipped his Sprints vehicle over.
The three drivers' conditions were not available at press time.
The Sprints feature will be made up July 15.
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Blake Borgen of Perley, Minn., took the Midwest Modifieds feature victory, holding the lead the entire race after starting from the pole position. The race was called with one lap left after another vehicle lost its tire, sending it into traffic.
John Nord of Enderlin led the entire Super Stocks feature, staving off early challenges from Paul Kuzel of Wyndmere, N.D. Kuzel and Nord were neck-and-neck three laps into the feature before Kuzel's car got loose on the third turn with 17 laps remaining. Nord built a considerable lead after a caution fell with 13 laps left to earn the victory.
Mike Greseth of Harwood, N.D., passed Bill Leahy of Argusville, N.D., two laps into the Mod Fours feature, earning the victory. Fargo's Dennis Charles finished second.
Moorhead's Dev Malmlov earned a victory in the Modifieds feature, which was also cut short after a fourth caution flag.
NOTES: Race officials started a fund for Nikitenko and Glennon while the Sprints feature was held up. Race fans lined up during the break to donate money to help pay for the damage to the two cars. ... Sather is the second woman to drive at Red River Valley Speedway this season. Stephanie Shumway drove a Sprints car at the track in a race last month.
Street Stocks
Heat One: 1, Jon Young, West Fargo. 2, Royce Jawaski, Horace, N.D. 3, Duffy Froemke, Lisbon, N.D.
Heat Two: 1, Derek Bernstein, Enderlin, N.D. 2, Scott Paulson, Kimball, Minn. 3, Ryan Flaten, Grand Forks, N.D.
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Feature: 1, Bernstein. 2, Paulson, 3, Froemke. 4, Jawaski. 5, Luke Nelson, Valley City, N.D.
Midwest Modifieds
Heat One: 1, Blake Borgen, Perley, Minn. 2, Brock Gronwald, Fergus Falls, Minn. 3, Cody Neset, Mayville, N.D.
Heat Two: 1, Rich Pavlicek, Casselton, N.D. 2, Kyle Olson, West Fargo. 3, Ron Saurer, Dalton, Minn.
Heat Three: 1, Travis Saurer, Dalton, Minn. 2, Karl Tollefson, Beltrami, Minn. 3, Cullen Brown, Fergus Falls, Minn.
Feature: 1, Borgen. 2, T. Saurer. 3, Tollefson. 4, Tony Johnson, Davenport, N.D. 5, Olson.
Mod Fours
Heat One: 1, Matt Greseth, Harwood, N.D. 2, Dennis Charles, Fargo. 3, Bill Leahy, Argusville, N.D.
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Heat Two: 1, Shayne Laske, Moorhead. 2, Blake Jegtvig, Hawley, Minn. 3, Mike Greseth, Harwood, N.D.
Feature: 1, Mi. Greseth. 2, Charles. 3, Jegtvig. 4, Leahy. 5, Ma. Greseth.
Super Stocks
Heat One: 1, Kevin Robertson, Enderlin, N.D. 2, Todd Carter, Lisbon, N.D. 3, Terry Dale, Portland, N.D.
Heat Two: 1, Todd Heinrich, Christine, N.D. 2, Justin Thompson, Horace, N.D. 3, Jeff Hapala, Fargo.
Heat Three: 1, Tim Compson, Valley City, N.D. 2, Corky Thomas, Fargo. 3, Paul Kuzel, Wyndmere, N.D.
Feature: 1, John Nord, Enderlin, N.D. 2, Heinrich. 3, Thomas. 4, Cody Jensen, Erie, N.D. 5, Kuzel.
Modifieds
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Heat One: 1, Mark Trautner, Mahnomen, Minn. 2, Greg Pfaff, Fingal, N.D. 3, Chad Ohnstad, Harwood, N.D.
Heat Two: 1, Dev Malmlov, Moorhead. 2, Jason Blue, Moorhead. 3, Scott Dollinger, Fargo.
Heat Three: 1, Sam Rankin, Fargo. 2, Jodi Olson, Hibbing, Minn. 3, Greg Johnson, Harwood, N.D.
Feature: 1, Malmlov. 2, Ohnstad. 3, Pfaff. 4, Dollinger.
Sprints
Heat One: 1, Curt Lund, Redwood Falls, Minn. 2, Scott Broty, Prior Lake, Minn. 3, Lee Grosz, Harwood, N.D.
Heat Two: 1, Dave Glennon, Casselton, N.D. 2, Dustin Lindquist, Floodwood, Minn. 3, Natalie Sather, Glyndon, Minn.
Feature: Postponed
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Readers can reach Forum reporter Hayden Goethe at (701) 241-5558
