GOLDESBERRY WINS LASALLE

A strong 37-car field assembled at La Salle Speedway on a warm and sunny Saturday evening. 2026 Rookie of the Year contender Paul Nienhiser kicked off the night by setting the fastest time in Box3 Media Hot Laps. A split Carbon Safety Technologies Qualifying session followed. Jake Blackhurst was fastest in Flight A with a 12.024-second lap, receiving the overall Hi-Plains Building Division Quick Time Award. Will Armitage was fastest in Flight B with a 12.139-second lap.

A 37-car field called for a four-heat race night. Logan Julien picked up the Fox Lake Harbor presents Allstar Performance Heat Race #1 win. Maxium Property Services presents Behling Racing Equipment Heat Race #2 followed. Springfield, Illinois native Jordan Goldesberry maintained his pole position to pick up the win. 2025 IRA Champion, Blake Nimee, advanced one position in Engler Machine & Tool presents diversifiedracing.com Heat Race #3 to win. To round out heat race action, Travis Arenz picked up the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet presents Five Star Race Car Bodies Heat Race #4 win. All Drivers, including the following fastest from qualifying, would advance to the Horizon Whiskey Dash Redraw.
Searching for a front row starting position in the night’s feature, Logan Julien and Jake Blackhurst would pull the pole positions in the Horizon Whiskey Dash Redraw for Optimum Electric Dash #1 and 5-Star Firearms Speedloaders Dash #2.

The four-lap dashes would take the track. Despite one Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Caution Flag, Julien won Optimum Electric Dash #1 and secured the pole position in the night's 30-lap feature. 5-Star Firearms Speed Loaders Dash #2 followed; Blackhurst took the checkered and would line up beside Julien in the feature. Immediately after, Hebron, Indiana's Corbin Gurley picked up the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet B-Main win. Also transferring were Danny Schlafer, Dave Uttech, and Tyler Brabant. The A Main Apparel B-Main award went to Clayton Rossmann.

The 30-lap feature took the green at La Salle Speedway. Julien led the field to the green, but John Barnard got sideways in turn two, collecting Joel Myers Jr. with him, bringing out the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Caution Flag. Both drivers restarted at the tail of the field. Blackhurst threw a slider to Julien on the restart to take the lead on lap one; Goldesberry and Julien followed closely behind. With only two laps in, the second caution flag flew for Travis Arenz, who was running in fifth.

After evaluating in the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Work Area, Arenz retired for the night with a gear issue. 28 laps to go on the next Gibbsville Cheese Restart.
Blackhurst led the second restart, and Goldesberry advanced to second. With 26 laps to go, Nienhiser came behind Julien, initiating a tight battle for third. Nienhiser passed Julien for third, while a battle for the lead was breaking out between Blackhurst and Goldesberry. With 23 laps to go, Goldesberry grabbed the lead from Blackhurst. Nienhiser continued his hunt through the field, getting side by side with Blackhurst for second. Goldesberry made his way into lap traffic, where Blackhurst followed him to create a gap between him and Nienhiser.

With 15 laps to go, Goldesberry continued to lead while lap traffic got heavier for the top 4 positions. Julien made contact with a lap car, closing the gap for Will Armitage in fifth. Armitage slid up on Julien with 13 laps to go and made the pass for fourth. Armitage continued his momentum on the next lap, where he made a successful pass for third on Nienhiser. With 9 laps to go, Shane O’Banion passed Nienhiser for fourth. Julien made his way back to fourth after passing Armitage with 5 laps to go. The final Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Caution Flag flew with four laps to go for Nienhiser in the 9X after he got around in turns one and two. Nienhiser rejoined the field at the tail after repairing a radius rod in the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Work Area.

Goldesberry led the final four laps after the Gibbsville Cheese Restart to park the 65 in Horizon Whiskey Victory Lane for the first time in 2026. Jake Blackhurst and Shane O’Banion rounded out the podium.

The Bumper to Bumper Auto Value IRA Sprints are off for one week, but will return to action on June 12th at Outagamie Speedway and June 13th at Shawano Speedway. Can’t be there? Catch all the action live on Flo Racing!