Pederson & Truscinski Claim Corn Cob Royalty at BRRP

Kelsi Pederson in victory lane Saturday night. Mike Spieker photo.

Alex Truscinski in victory lane Sunday night. Mike Spieker photo.

​By Mike Spieker

GLYNDON, Minn. (September 19, 2017) – The Northern Lightning Sprint Association’s 10th season came to a close last weekend with the running of the two-night Corn Cob Nationals at Buffalo River Race Park. 

The event brought in some of the highest car counts seen all year with totals of 20 or more competitors each night. 

A full field of 20 NLSA lightning sprints took to the semi-banked quarter-mile clay oval for their 20-lap main event on Saturday night. The race was slowed for a handful of caution flags, including three rollovers, but all drivers involved were able to walk away from their machines uninjured.

Kelsi Pederson raced to her first career Corn Cob Nationals victory to be crowned Queen of the Cob. The young lady from East Grand Forks, Minn. led every lap despite having veteran drivers Dexter Dvergsten and Brandon Johnson right behind her. The win for Pederson was her second of the season at BRRP and third overall.

Dvergsten and Kevin Thomas Sr., who started 10th, rounded out the podium. Eleventh place starter, Johnson, finished fourth while Zak Kwiatkoski crossed the line in fifth.

Sunday evening was a night of redemption for Alex Truscinski. At last year’s Corn Cob Nationals, Truscinski went for a wild ride down the back straightaway, flipping end over end multiple times before coming to rest.
Nearly one year to the day afterwards, Truscinski found himself in victory lane at BRRP.

The Greenbush, Minn. driver led all 20 circuits en route to his second win at BRRP. Pederson fought hard to close in on Truscinski in hopes of sweeping the weekend, but Truscinski cruised to the win by over three seconds.

Josh Abrahamson, Brandon Johnson, and Presley Truedson rounded out the top five.