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Dignan, Swanson win titles, crown, cash

Kenmare, N.D.’s Riese Dignan has had a lot of success so far this season, on the Estevan Motor Speedway track and others this year.
Hobby stocks
Stoughton’s Beth Ann Goudy leads a group of cars including Kianna Stepp of Estevan (81) , Jaice Gibson of Estevan (6) and Dan Blackburn of Estevan (5) in a hobby stocks heat Sunday.

Kenmare, N.D.’s Riese Dignan has had a lot of success so far this season, on the Estevan Motor Speedway track and others this year.

And although he finished second twice in a row, that was good enough to claim the Dirt Wars title for the 2018 season last weekend.

“This year I’ve had quite a few second places,” said Dignan. “It would have been nice to get a win but I can’t complain.”

Dignan wasn’t the only driver to take some bonus cash from the weekend. Jeremy Swanson in the street stocks division won the first ever DARN-TV shootout, complete with a dollar store crown and $500

Swanson went from a rollover in the feature race to the winner’s circle for the DARN-TV event.

“It was just kind of a racing deal, I don’t really know exactly what happened,” Swanson said of the rollover. “A couple of cars checked up in front of me, and just got crossed up. But I went in the truck… and then the guys looked and said ‘hey, this isn’t that bad I think we can fix it.’”

Swanson and the other top ten drivers in the street stocks qualified through their performance in the heat races, and their race took place after the A features for the online viewing audience.

He had done so well in the heats he was on the pole when it started. As the drivers went green, white, checkered in consecutive laps, the last place driver was eliminated each time. Swanson and Gregg Mann were the last two drivers remaining and Swanson held onto the lead for the win and the $500 American prize.

“Consistency and being able to do it over and over again,” Swanson said. “It was a neat little program that DARN-TV put on (Saturday) night.”

Dignan, meanwhile, has had a lot more success this year with his car not only here but through North Dakota as well. It was a break for him in claiming the Dirt Wars title when David Rieks of Webster City, Iowa won Saturday’s feature but got as flat tire late in Sunday’s feature and couldn’t get it fixed in time to climb back into the lead after a pit stop.

“I could breathe a little bit but I knew Leevi (Runge) was a point behind me and I knew he was gong to be quick,” Dignan said. “I’ve been racing with him all year. I like racing with him but I wanted to win.”

It’s been a much better season than last year for Dignan, who has piled up a lot of points with some high caliber performances.

“The competition up here is pretty fast,” Dignan said. “I’ve got more second places… I like racing up here. I think it’s one of the best race tracks around.”

Officially as of July 22’s races, Dignan has 175 points and is in third place, 16 points behind Lampman’s Leevi Runge with three races to go in the season.

“I’d rather go for the win than points,” Dignan said. “Points come second to me.”