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GALLERY: Worthington Speedway delivers quality racing

dominic burns and tim middagh, the daily globe, worthington, minn.
·6 min read

Jul. 3—WORTHINGTON — The Worthington Speedway has a new promoter this season in Doug Tuin, but the same focus of putting together quality evenings of family fun and racing remains.

Racing, at this level, is not a money-making endeavor. The cars are expensive, and the track needs constant maintenance and preventive care. But Tuin recognizes that through firm fiscally-responsible decisions that the track can have upkeep and even upgrades.

This year the far wall had its barrier improved to a concrete block wall. Another aesthetic improvement was made to the podium area as concrete landscape edging was painted checkered black and white.

Sponsor banners litter the cars, walls and center. Tuin said that the races could not be held without the financial support.

Every race also has a night sponsor. On Saturday the feature races were sponsored by Eric Juarez Construction.

Adrian Auto has tow trucks available when cars crash into the walls or need assistance leaving the track.

Anyone interested in becoming a Worthington Speedway sponsor may contact Tuin at (507) 360-2056 or wgtnmnspeedway@gmail.com.

Before racing began on Saturday, United States military veterans were welcomed onto the track to be recognized during the invocation and singing of the national anthem.

Racing at the Worthington Speedway is a family affair. Tuin was approached to be the promoter by Nobles County Fair Board member Ron McCarvel, the father of Tuin's daughter's boyfriend.

Tuin and his whole family volunteer at the races. His wife and daughter work the entry stand for drivers and spectators, while the other daughter volunteers as an EMT in the retired Osceola County Ambulance, which is stocked and prepared to triage an emergency at a moment's notice.

Racing also can't work without fans of the sport. Other volunteers including Worthington firefighters and racing officials are needed to keep races prompt and safe for all involved.

And it's not just work on race day. Tuin said he comes down to the track just about every day — checking in on its condition.

Tuin and the volunteer officials had to get the dirt track up to optimal racing conditions after it started in a tacky, hard condition. Walking across the track after it was finished for racing felt like a person's shoes would stick just enough to get them stuck in place: A great condition for racing.

On Saturday there were nine feature races, as two makeup features from June 10 were run first after the opening hot laps. More than 70 cars competed in the races.

The Worthington Speedway is part of the International Motor Contest Association and requires all participating drivers to be licensed through that agency. Some drivers have been racing for decades, while others are beginning in their teenage years.

One young driver is Florence Drost of Rushmore. Drost participated in the J&K Poultry Outlaw Mini Mods — a new addition to the Worthington Speedway. Drost took first place in the heat laps, but finished third in the three-person feature. Winning the mini mods was Jesse Logan from Spencer, Iowa — his first feature win this year.

Ernie Dailey — operator of Dailey Drywall in Worthington — also won his first feature this season in the makeup in the Wyffel Hybrid Hobby Stocks. Dailey finished seventh in the July 1 hobby stocks feature, which was won by Malik Sampson of Worthington.

After winning the Sybesma Graphics Sport Compact feature race, Nathan Recker of Granville, Iowa, said that there is no better feeling than winning a race.

And that stands true for many who follow racing, the excitement brought on as drivers throw themselves through corners in machines they have spent blood, sweat and many a dollar on is, simply put, thrilling. Even the most casual of motor sport enthusiasts cannot leave the speedway without feeling a little jubilation from the excitement they have witnessed.

And the speedway has a lot of great racing left. On Saturday, July 8, the midseason championship will take place.

Full results from Worthington Speedway July 1, 2023 races:

A Feature 1 (12 Laps): 1. 3-Brian Campbell[5]; 2. 2X-Walter Kiggins[4]; 3. 22H-Cody Hansen[2]; 4. 165-Robert Thompson[6]; 5. 66-Todd Koppen[8]; 6. 16-Scott Jones[9]; 7. 76-Aaron Fischer[1]; 8. (DNF) 78-Trey Anderson[7]; 9. (DNF) 05-Brandon Elness[3]

A Feature 1 (10 Laps): 1. 24-Jesse Logan[2]; 2. 29-Brandon VanKlompenburg[3]; 3. 14-Florence Drost[1]

A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 27-Malik Sampson[7]; 2. J3K-Jaeden Strandberg[8]; 3. 16B-Zachary Bierman[5]; 4. 23-Jordan Ahlers[2]; 5. 16X-Blake Luinenburg[6]; 6. 5-Jeremy Johnson[3]; 7. 14-Ernie Dailey[4]; 8. 9-Trevor Iverson[1]; 9. 32-Nate Regnerus[10]; 10. 81-Travis Vanden Top[12]; 11. 09C-Christy Moffatt[9]; 12. 23M-Kent Miller[11]; 13. (DNF) 2234-Chad Hinds[13]

A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 7-Sam Hoffman[1]; 2. 25-Ricky Stephan[7]; 3. C5-Chris Palsrok[2]; 4. 7S-Todd Stinehart[4]; 5. 15JR-Cole Bents[5]; 6. 45R-Dyllan Ricks[6]; 7. XX-Jordan Rogotzke[3]; 8. (DNF) 25X-Tyler Pospisil[9]; 9. (DNF) R1-TJ Brown[8]

A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 48-Tommy Tanner[2]; 2. 00-Colby Fett[11]; 3. 44-Cameron Vande Weerd[6]; 4. 21-Connor Vande Weerd[9]; 5. 221-Blake Arends[10]; 6. 20-Brayden Ahlers[8]; 7. 88N-Nate Albrant[13]; 8. R6-Danny Myrvold[3]; 9. 22J-James Jenkins[4]; 10. 3B-Blake Andrews[7]; 11. XA-Alissa Palsrok[5]; 12. 88-Dan Wagner[15]; 13. 79W-Bill Wegner[14]; 14. 37V-Levi Verdoorn[12]; 15. 5B-Tim Bergerson[1]; 16. 54J-Doug Hilkemann[16]; 17. (DNF) F117-Leo Schmidt[17]; 18. (DNF) 47-Jaxon Fisher[18]

A Feature 1 (12 Laps): 1. 24R-Nathan Recker[2]; 2. 1-Chase Felix[5]; 3. 11-Justice Limoges[1]; 4. 29X-Jason Bolte[6]; 5. 07-Brooke Osler[4]; 6. 04Z-Zach Vande Kieft[3]; 7. 28C-Christopher Vande Kieft[7]; 8. (DNF) 11A-Bubba Brown[9]; 9. (DNF) 21M-Cullen Gossage[8]

A Feature 1 (18 Laps): 1. 7L-Jeffrey Larson[8]; 2. 17-Trevor Holm[2]; 3. 17X-Justin Luinenburg[12]; 4. 14-Jason Fisher[5]; 5. F1-Levi Feltman[7]; 6. 20K-Spenser Kalass[9]; 7. 22N-Gage Noyes[6]; 8. 04-Roger Verdoorn[4]; 9. 18X-Trent DeGroot[11]; 10. (DNF) 21-Larry Kracht[10]; 11. (DNF) 14X-Nick Johansen[1]; 12. (DNF) 69M-Gary Mattison[3]; 13. (DNF) 82-Dylan Fitzpatrick[13]