Eagle Raceway
Kaanta repels Goldsmith for $5,000 win at Eagle
From series reports
EAGLE, Neb. (July 3) — Jumping into the lead at the outset, John Kaanta of Elk Mound, Wis., led all 50 laps at Eagle Raceway as he held off a late challenge from polesitter Bryant Goldsmith of Corning, Iowa. Kaanta earned $5,000 for the event co-sanctioned by the World Dirt Racing League and O'Reilly National Championship Racing Association.
"While I was trying to get around lapped traffic, I kept hearing motors around me," Kaanta said. "I wasn't sure if they were lapped cars or not, and I wasn't sure how close they were to me."
Throughout most of the feature, Kaanta had a one- or two-car cushion of lapped cars separating him from Goldsmith. With 10 laps remaining, Goldsmith had dispensed of the lapped traffic and was on Kaanta's back bumper. "I didn't know he was that close," Kaanta said.
A lap-44 caution tightened the field but gave Kaanta clean racetrack the rest of the way. "You always worry about the guys behind you, and where they are running," Kaanta said. "I won races and lost races that way. You never know where everyone is running behind you, but we were able to hold them off for the win."
Goldsmith finished second with Kyle Berck of Marquette, Neb., finishing third. Eric Pember of Pittsville, Wis., and Chad Simpson of Mount Vernon, Iowa, rounded out the top five.
WDRL-NCRA @ Eagle: (1) John Kaanta, (2) Bryant Goldsmith, (3) Kyle Berck, (4) Eric Pember, (5) Chad Simpson, (6) Rick Hanestad, (7) Kelly Boen, (8) Jason Utter, (9) Matt Furman, (10) Rob Moss, (11) John Anderson, (12) Denny Eckrich, (13) Jason Friesen, (14) Delbert Smith, (15) Joe Kosiski, (16) Dave Eckrich, (17) Mike Wiarda, (18) Mike Collins, (19) Chris Simpson, (20) Ben Schaller, (21) John Hampel, (22) Chris Spieker, (23) Frank Heckenast Jr., (24) Al Humphrey, (25) Shawn Harker, (26) Mike Stadel. Fast qualifier (among 56 cars): Anderson, 14.437 seconds. Heat race winners: Hanestad, Boen, Kaanta, Goldsmith, Berck, Pember. Consolation winners: Wiarda, Furman, Collins. Dash winner: Goldsmith. Provisional starters: Heckenast, Dave Eckrich.
