By Kevin Busse, Correspondent

Drew Skaja has been the man to watch this summer at Raceway Park in Shakopee.

The Burnsville driver won for the 25-lap feature for the third straight week and for the fifth time in the last six weeks. He built a commanding lead with six laps to go, beating Joe Sutton of Bloomington at the checkered flag.

In Figure Eights, Dave Nogel of Hastings won the first feature race with Dennis Barta of Richfield winning the second. Keith Paulsrud of Rogers won the Short Trackers race with Bill Woodworth of Chanhassen winning Hobby Stocks and Donny Reuvers of Dundas capturing Late Models.

In two additional feature races, Blake Dorweiler of Montgomery won the mini-stocks race, while Jimmy Hansen of Indiana won the Great Northern Legends race.

Racing action will continue on Sunday, July 20 starting at 6 p.m. For more information, go to www.racewaypark.com.

Four laps into the Bombers feature, Hopkins’ driver Phil Jones lost a tire going into turn two bringing out the first caution of the evening. At the restart, Sutton was working his way through traffic, and with nine laps remaining, moved up to second.

Skaja, who found himself regrouped with the rest of the field at the restart, was once again on the gas, and with six laps to go, had again built a commanding lead as a tight battle for third place developed between Todd Eberhardy of Minneapolis and Shakopee’s Chuck Costanzo, which Eberhardy won. In the first Figure Eights feature, Nogel took the lead just two laps in, and was building it up to several lengths with 11 laps to go. Ricky Martin of Farmington was moving through the pack and was in second with seven laps remaining. And that’s where he finished with Danny Johnson of Lakeville took third.

 In the second Figure Eights feature, Barta took advantage of a driving error by Fridley’s Phil Haluptzok to grab a huge lead on the opening lap and didn’t look back. Prior Lake’s Steve Dehler was able to pass Mark Bronstad of Rockford in the final turn to finish second.

In Short Trackers, Paulsrud took the early lead with others staying close in the chase. The top three cars began to pull away from the rest of the field with 12 laps to go, lead by Paulsrud, Elko’s Ryan Kamish, and Charlie Pehrson of Shakopee.

Paul Haeg of Shakopee, the winner of the last two Short Tracker races, was a distant fourth with nine laps remaining, but he found himself in third two laps later as Kamish lost power and pulled off the track. Pehrson ended up in second, while Haeg was third.

 In the Hobby Stocks feature, Cory Butler Sr. of Belle Plaine lead the field into the first turn, but was quickly challenged by Woodworth. Their battle continued for the next five laps before Woodworth passed for the lead.

Red Wing’s Don Whitebear followed in second behind Woodworth and that’s where he stayed at the checkered flag. Dusty Mann of Dundas was third.

In the Late Model feature, Northfield’s Gordy Swanson got sideways in turn three taking both Hastings’ driver Molly Rhoads and Larry Fitzsimmons of Crystal with him.

At the complete restart, Rhoads jumped from the back of the pack before the green flag and found herself docked several positions. Matt Dickey of Shakopee lead early, but with 26 laps to go was trying to hold off the advancing Reuvers.

Behind the lead cars, Prior Lake’s Chad Walen and Adam Royle of Northfield were battling for third. Six laps later the two made contact and spun out going into turn three, bringing out the caution once again.

Lane choice had Reuvers alongside Dickey. As the green flew, Reuvers made his move for the lead, where he finished. Dickey ended up second, while Bryan Turtle of Chaska was third.