Schlafman cruises into Stampede history

The face of automobile racing has changed tremendously from the days of good old boys talking trash and trading paint.

NASCAR has Danica Patrick, the NHRA has Ashley Force Hood, and the local racing scene was enthusiastically introduced to 18-year-old Jamie Schlafman at Jamestown Speedway on Friday night.

The 2012 Bismarck Century High School graduate etched her name into the record books by winning the first of two 15-lap Hornets features to become the first female winner in the 41-year history of the Jamestown Speedway Stock Car Stampede.

“That’s awesome. I didn’t even know that,” said Schlafman, via cellphone after hearing the news late Friday. “To think that that happened, that’s pretty awesome. It feels great.”

Schlafman started the 19-car race, which was marred with an abundance of early caution flags, from inside the second row. The five-year Hornets driver, or otherwise referred to as Thunder Fours, found the lead early and kept the rest of the field — 18 men and one other female — following behind the back bumper of her No. 22 machine.

“As soon as we got those cautions out of the way, I was lapping some cars,” Schlafman said. “I didn’t know who was behind me. I guess it worked out.”

She might be a girl, but Schlafman’s not one to take any flak from her male counterparts. The victory was her second of the year, the other coming earlier this season in Mandan.

“After racing for five years that was the biggest worry I had, what are they going to think of me? I was the only girl at the track in Mandan when I started,” Schlafman said. “Looking back, it’s gotten a lot better out there and I’m having fun. When (they guys) give you crap, you just have to look back and say, ‘Look who won.’”

Schlafman is from a racing family. Her father Brent has been in the sport for over 18 years, and her brother, Chase, also drives locally.

Chase drove the same car to victory twice during the Stampede two years ago, and now the siblings have something to compare — the size of their trophies.

“It’s definitely the biggest trophy I’ve ever won. It’s almost as tall as me,” said Schlafman, who stands 5-foot-4. “We’ll have to compare.”

The 41st annual Stampede also set a record in driver attendance this weekend, pulling in a whopping 317 cars and drivers. That’s up 26 cars from last year’s total of 291.

The WISSOTA Midwest Modifies have brought in the most cars, topping out at 74.

Blake Jegtvig, of Hawley, Minn. is one step closer to capping off a dream ending to his 2012 season.

The WISSOTA Modified driver just won the 2012 WISSOTA 100 in Huron, S.D. —WISSOTA’s marquee event — last weekend, and he punched his ticked into today’s A-Mod Stampede feature by winning his heat on Friday.

Other heat winners prior to press time on Friday included the 2012 Jamestown Speedway Bomber track champion Cory Rodin and the 2011 WISSOTA Midwest Modified national champion Travis Saurer, of Elizabeth, Minn., who’s behind the wheel of a WISSOTA A-Mod this season.

Racing resumes at the speedway today at 5 p.m.

41st Annual Jamestown Speedway Stock Car Stampede

Friday

Results as of press time (10 p.m.)

Feature races

Hornets

1, Jamie Schlafman; 2, Cody Hulse; 3, Matt Dibb; 4, Derek Nitschke; 5, Parker Bilden; 6, Jacob Johanson; 7, Donnie Schrader; 8, Dakota Qualley; 9, Brandon Thomas; 10, Levi hagen; 11, Charlie McPherson; 12, Zach Buntrock; 13, Alex Kelstrom; 14, Michelle Stoxen; 15, Chase Golliet; 16, Rodney Wolters; 17, Jacob Laber; 18, Chris Bilden; 19, Scott Hagemeister.

Heat races

Bombers

Heat 1: 1, Cory Rodin; 2, Matt McPherson; 3, Dalton Polries; 4, Derik Eiter; 5, Tyler Hintz; 6, Keith Kinzler; 7, Kyle Sand; 8, Mike Qualley; 9, Jaren Wald; 10, Wyatt Rath-Wald (DNF).

Heat 2: 1, Justin Schempp; 2, Scott Gartner; 3, Bryan Wolf; 4, Mike Sahr; 5, Dale Wampler; 6, Dusty Hinrichs; 7, Jeremy Willman; 8, Josh Roehrich; 9, Terry Gregor; 10, Kody Stoxen.

WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds

Heat 1: 1, Scott Harrington; 2, Greg Friestad; 3, Ron Saurer; 4, Erik Pratschner; 5, Tyler Schrenk; 6, Levi Babcokc; 7, Terry Sahr (DNF); 8, Bryan Kakela (DNF); 9, Kris Pickle (DNF).

Heat 2: 1, Tyler Peterson; 2, Lyn Lamb; 3, Eric Edwards; 4, Danny Allen; 5, Brice Kuska; 6, Brian Krog; 7, Norm Reitan; 8, Brandon Langer; 9, Jim Morlock (DNF).

WISSOTA Street Stocks

Heat 1: 1, Mike Mund; 2, Josh Ganser; 3, David Falkenstein; 4, Terry Blacklance; 5, Jason Babcock; 6, Jason Grimes; 7, James Wall; 8, Richard Pommerer; 9, Jeff Vogel; 10, James Tandeski (DNF).

Heat 2: 1, Zack Frederick; 2, Jonny Carter; 3, Kelly Hoerner; 4, Rory Opp; 5, Matthew Lesmeister; 6, James Meagher; 7, Nic Klein; 8, Kyle Langland (DNF); 9, Jake Emo (DNF); 10, Heath Corneliusen (DNF).

WISSOTA Super Stocks

Heat 1: 1, Tim Compson; 2, Tom Wilson; 3, Shawn Malsam; 4, Todd Carter; 5, Rod Fidler; 6, Delwain Lehr; 7, Bill Wadeson; 8, Dave Shipley (DNF); 9, Erne Geist Jr. (DNF); 10, Troy Freadrich (DNF).

Heat 2: 1, Shane Brick; 2, Scott Jacobson; 3, Shane Tendeland; 4, Borg Brennan; 5, Erik Pratschner; 6, Eric Krumm; 7, Dave Jacobson; 8, John Miller (DNF); 9, Al Cleveland (DNF); 10, Al Sedo (DNS).

WISSOTA Modifieds

Heat 1: 1, Travis Saurer; 2, Mark Trautner; 3, John Nord; 4, Corky Thomas; 5, Brian Strand; 6, Justin Jones; 7, Mark Esala; 8, Bryce Bjerke; 9, Rich Gross (DNF); 10, Shawn Strand (DNF).

Heat 2: 1, Blake Jegtvig; 2, Rick Delaine; 3, Eric Edwards; 4, Bryce Borgen; 5, Dale Ames; 6, Hank Berry; 7, Brett Hoium; 8, Dwight Wegner; 9, Jerome Guyot; 10, Brent Pulskamp.

WISSOTA Late Models

Heat 1: 1, Chad Becker; 2, Mitch Johnson; 3, Cody Skytland; 4, Steffen Snare; 5, Matt Aukland; 6, Jason Grimes; 7, Dusty Peterson; 8, Hank Berry; 9, Scott Olson; 10, Paul Mueller (DNF).

Heat 2: 1, Dustin Strand; 2, Brad Seng; 3, Mike Johnson; 4, Bill Mooney; 5, Jake Bitker; 6, Cole Schill; 7, Troy Schill; 8, Zach Naastad; 9, Mark Dahl (DNF); 10, Mike McCaughan (DNF).

Sun sports writer Michael Savaloja can be reached at (701) 952-8461 or by email at msavaloja@jamestownsun.com

Tags: auto racing, sports, speedway