Monday, May 7, 2012

Some personal stuff, and lots of racing

I ended up staying home from work again today, because my wife was feeling very poorly. She's having heart troubles, and someone had to stay and take care of my mother, so I was elected since Linda couldn't do it. She's had an overnight stay at St.E's Hospital and then another trip to the ER at Bryan LGH. Despite I don't know how many tests, they can't find out what the cause is. We've discussed the wife's problems with several of Linda's doctors, and Ed Raines of course, and we'll talk it over tonight after I get Mom in bed and make our decision then as to what we're going to do. Her cardiologist and Dr. Raines both said she should probably have a pacemaker, so we'll decide on that and go from there. We've got insurance, but the co-pay is going to be a biggun I'm afraid. I just pray that I don't run out of vacation time before the end of the year. I sure can't afford to take a day off without pay since I'm the sole source of income in the house.

Mom's doing as well as can be expected, so we can be thankful for that. I cherish every day that she's with us, and want every one of them to be the best that they can because those days are numbered.

Speaking of Ed Raines, it was SOO nice to chat with him again, even considering the circumstances. I miss him terribly already, at the track and outside of it. We were never really close friends outside of racing, but it was a great comfort to know that he was available whenever we needed him. I doubt that will change, and I wish him well wherever he lands. I know he'll do great, and many lives will be saved thanks to him.

Speaking of racing; we've actually gotten 4 of the first 5 race nights in this year. If you recall, that's pretty good compared to the last couple of years. The only one that we missed out on was the World of Outlaws. That really bummed me out, because it's been 3 years since they've been at Eagle and I really miss seeing all of my friends on the tour. The race has been rescheduled as a mid-week show in September. Let's all keep our fingers crossed that Mother Nature doesn't rear her ugly head for that one!!

USAC will be coming back on August 3rd to hopefully get in the first USAC 410 wingless sprint car race ever held in Nebraska. That's another one that I'm very jazzed about seeing, since I've never seen them before and grew up with the wingless sprints. The topless super late models will be running with them, so it should be one whale of an evening. After last year's rain-out, we need good weather for that one too.

The first 2 nights this year were the Icebreaker Challenge, and it was CHILLY both nights. The first night saw plenty of racing; even a C Feature in the IMCA Sport Modifieds. Last year's IMCA Sport Modified Champion Jesse Sobbing was there and won as he seems to do so often. Jay Noteboom came down and took home the IMCA Modified Main. Kaley Gharst won the ASCS 360 Sprint Car Feature. Kaley has been showing up every week, and there are rumors floating around that he intends to run the high banks every week this season. Stay tuned to find out if that's true or not.

The second night of the Icebreaker was a real treat for me and probably 10,000 others. After Tony Stewart announced that he'd be running that night the fans came in droves!! Heck, I bet that we had over 1000 just in the pits. Brandon Johnson won the IMCA Hobby Stock A, with Johnny Saathoff winning the IMCA Modified Feature and Ole Olsen coming home in first for the IMCA Sport Compacts. Then came the most exciting race that I've seen at Eagle Raceway in quite awhile. Last year's points champion Stu Snyder snagged the lead on lap #3 with Stewart and Jack Dover right behind him. Stewart used lapped traffic to grab the lead on lap #11. The race ran from green to checkers without a caution or red flag and I can tell you that all of the fans got their $15 worth just in that 1 race. Stewart was the master racer that he is throughout, but he never ran away from Stu! I still get excited just recalling it. Although Stewart had said that there would be no autographs, he stayed in the pits for over an hour and a half until everyone that wanted to got their autograph. I had interviewed the other winners and ended up standing off to the side for over half an hour before I could talk to him. I reminded him that I had told him earlier that I needed to interview him and he said "C'mon man! I have to be up at 8:30!!!" and it was already past midnight. As he walked into his trailer he repeated "C'mon!" indicating that I should follow him. I would have been okay with not getting the interview, considering that he still had to drive out to the other side of Lincoln, take a plane to Kansas City and then drive to the track; only to get a few (very few) hours of sleep before racing the next day, but was thrilled when he said he would. He seemed to be extremely impressed with all of the improvements that had been made since he was there 18 years before. He also praised the track conditions, which obviously were to his liking given his performance. His statement was “This track is just awesome, and it’s the perfect size and shape. It was easy to run anywhere I wanted; top, middle or bottom. The racing is fantastic. I didn’t want to get down off of my hauler for my race because I was having so much fun watching the sport compacts. I mean they were running 3-wide behind the leader!”. I gave him a picture that I had printed out of him and the trophy from his last visit to Eagle. When he saw it he called his crew together and said "Look guys!! I WAS skinny once". I hope he comes back soon and often, because he is one whale of a racer and seems to be a pretty nice guy to boot.

The next weekend was the first points show at the track, and the temperatures weren't too awfully bad during the day, but then the clouds rolled in and the temperature dropped but the wind didn't and again it was a 3 sweatshirt night for this Pit Shack Guy. We got over 180 cars in the pits that night! How many dirt tracks would KILL to say that? Jesse Sobbing came back and won from the front row in the IMCA Sport Modifieds. It just isn't fair to give that good of a racer a front row spot, because pretty much everyone else is running for the rest of the purse. Jesse VanLaningham took the victory in the IMCA Hobby Stocks, Chris Alcorn was first in the IMCA Modifieds and Nick Lindblad won the IMCA Sport Compact Feature. Mike Boston got his first win of the season in the 360 Sprint Cars. Another great night of racing.

Last Saturday saw another great turnout of cars in the pits and a really great crowd in the stands. The racing was no less spectacular than the preceding weeks either. The biggest change was that instead of freezing, we were all sweating (well, as least I was) as the afternoon temperatures were above 90 degrees. The wind was relentless again (that seemed to be the rule every week so far) and the track turned dry-slick again, but that didn't mean that the racing was any less great. The competition was still 3-wide in the features. Max Harder won the IMCA Sport Modifieds. Chad Bassinger was the winner in the IMCA Sport Compacts after Scott Spellmeier was DQ'ed for a modified rear suspension. Lee Kracht won the most intense A Feature so far in the IMCA Hobby Stocks as he and Justin Busboom battled tooth and nail for the lead throughout. Johnny Saathoff again won in the IMCA Modifieds and Jordan Boston won a truly fabulous 360 Sprint Car A main, passing for the lead on lap 12 and holding off 3 really tough competitors in Trevor Grossenbacher, Mark Pace and Jack Dover.

Despite being dry-slick most times this year, the track has been extremely smooth and racey. The addition of George Bogue to the track prep crew to help out Larry Tombs seems to have resolved the problem with the dip in turn 1 right over the spring that has been a problem for as long as I can remember. I even kidded him that he and Larry should try putting some water on the track and he said "We started watering at 9 this morning!!". With winds and temps like Saturday, I don't think that there IS enough water for the track. Keep up the great work guys, it's well appreciated by the drivers and fans. Even if we do have to eat a little dust, when the racing is as good as it's been, who cares???

The crowds have been good, the racing has been great; what more could we ask?? I heard that Eagle Raceway had been named the #2 dirt track in the country. I haven't verified that, but I will look into it more and see where that was published if I can. I love working at and watching racing at Eagle, so it doesn't surprise me at all that such accolades should befall the facility; because last year it was named the #2 fan venue in the state behind Memorial Stadium. Roger and the staff must be doing something right, huh??

If you want to see the complete stories (written by yours truly) and the complete results, just go to http://www.eagleraceway.com/EagleRaceway/ and find whichever week you want to know about. There is also a complete schedule and lots of other information. Check it out.

As always, I welcome any and all comments so feel free!!

I'll try to at least get results up every week, but with caring for both Linda and Mom plus working a full-time job and at Eagle it's been tough. I have 3 unfinished articles and 1 in the works that I haven't had time for either. Hopefully soon things will settle down and life will return to it's normal level. Please keep my 2 special ladies in your thoughts and prayers. Until next time, I hope to see you all out at the track!!

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Home life, Tony Stewart and more

Well, it's Sunday again and it has not been a good one. My wife is having a horrible day, so that leaves my mother's care to me. I don't mind, and it's not hard work, but it leaves me unable to do anything else like get the yard work done. The lawn needs to be mowed and "weed and feed"ed, but I'm stuck in here so maybe tomorrow night after work.

Mom is having a pretty good day actually, and for that we're very thankful. She even got up and walked around with her walker today; a really good day for her. Supper's going, so I'm taking a little time to do the blog that I promised in my last posting. I'll finish it after supper and getting Mom in bed and then publish it.

First off, I got a call from the owner/promoter at Eagle Raceway Friday. Nothing unusual in that, but the news he had was definitely out of the ordinary. He told me that Tony Stewart (yes, THAT Tony Stewart) was coming to run with the ASCS sprints next Saturday night at The Icebreaker Challenge at Eagle. So, after it became official I started getting the word out to the public. I received several differing responses with my announcement; and I was surprised by some of them, even though I probably shouldn't have been.

As with all famous people, Tony evokes many differing emotions in the general populace. They range from those who fawn over him, to such comments as "Big deal!!" or "He's a jerk" to "What a big ego" and even "We don't want him there!!". I even experienced a couple of folks who didn't know who he was. Now THAT surprised me, since the 1000 pound gorilla known as NASCAR is so ever-present that it seems odd that anyone could not have some inkling as to who "Smoke" is.

Quite a few said that they would come out and bring their friends just because he was going to be there, and that's the whole point. When you run a dirt track the most important thing is to fill the stands, and it looks like that will happen thanks to Tony.

I'm not worried about that so much, because I think that is a given. What I AM concerned with is that we'll have so many "NASCAR groupies" that it's going to be a disaster. It happens quite frequently it seems, because at a Sprint Cup event you have absolutely NO access to the drivers, whereas at a dirt track race you can go right into the pits either during the evening (with a pit pass) or after the night's contests are finished with no extra cash outlay. And when a certain part of the populace finds out that someone like Tony will be there they lose all common sense. They HAVE to be there!!

At Tony's own track, Eldora Speedway, they have a big late model race every year, The Dream. There also is a race with late models the night before that is called "Prelude to the Dream"!! Most of the competitors in the Prelude are NASCAR drivers or personalties past and present along with a few from other racing endeavours such as USAC and even drag racing. This year Danica Patrick is slated to race in fact. All of the proceeds go to charity, and from what I gather, the stands are PACKED!!! I've heard more than 1 dirt track fan and Eldrora regular complain about all of the "NASCAR people" who are only there to see the Sprint Cup stars. I'm hoping against hope that it doesn't happen this coming weekend. I've also got my fingers crossed that some of the folks who make their first trip to Eagle end up really enjoying the racing and become regulars. The only way that I know of to get folks hooked on dirt track racing is to get them to go to one.

We'll provide extra security for Tony and his team, but not just because he's a star; but still partially due to that fact. He has given and continues to give back not just to dirt track racing but also to charities in significant amounts. I personally think that he deserves the right to use his free time as he wishes. If that means going to and competing at a dirt track like any other racer, so be it. We provide the same courtesy to folks such as Larry the Cable Guy who has made numerous trips to Eagle Raceway. Larry wanted the ability to just sit and watch the races with his family, and we made sure that he could do exactly that. Just because you're famous, or rich, doesn't mean that you can't have some peace and quiet when you want it.

The long and short of it is, Tony wants to be just another sprint car driver for the night. He doesn't want to be pestered by autograph seekers, or drooling fans who want to get close to a star. No autographs, no pictures with your kids, none of that. Seems like a fair request to me. Should he give the autographs and take the pictures? Maybe so, but that's his call; not mine or anyone else's.

I admire Tony's accomplishments in the racing world today. Many people have deigned him the modern day AJ Foyt; a designation with which I wholeheartedly agree. He can drive and win in almost any type of race car. He's a past NASCAR Champion, IRL Champion, USAC Champion, he won the Triple Crown, even snagged a World of Outlaws race win last year. He drinks plain old beer, plays poker, and enjoys what he does best; RACE!! If I weren't just a lowly pit shack guy I'd love to be able to pal around with him because he seems to me to be just a regular guy who makes a VERY good living racing. Sadly, not everyone sees it that way.

I once wrote an article for a long-defunct website that I titled "But I paid for this ticket". It was basically telling the average race fan that the price of a seat in the stands did not entitle them to anything but a good show. They didn't buy the right to pry into or discuss the drivers' personal lives, or those of the owner or promoter of a race track, or those who put the teams out there for our enjoyment. I think that goes for the present situation especially. Do people come to where you work and pester you for an autograph, or a picture of you with their children or themselves? Doubtful. And don't give me the same, tired old excuse of "They're famous. They aren't like everybody else". Of course they are, they're just famous. If you don't like what you DID pay for, you can complain. But, if you complain, you'd better be able to offer a better way of doing what you didn't like. A reasonable way that actually will work without bankrupting the track or causing more headaches that it solves.

And that takes me off of the soap box and onto another subject that is reflected above. A certain bloviator....excuse me; blogger; embodies to the Nth degree the sort of thing that I mentioned above. Although they admit to being nothing more than a grumpy fan (read bleacher creature) he constantly berates promoters as if though they were second class citizens, not normal human beings. Where this attitude springs from is up for debate, and his actions are a matter of humor even to his friends. I've been told that more than once in fact. This person also is constantly putting me down for my attitude towards race tracks and their owners & promoters. My only belief is that the owner/promoter that I deal with constantly is a great guy. He took over a track that the previous owner was losing large amounts of money at and was prepared to sell to the highest bidder. It didn't matter to him what the purchaser wanted to do with it. Land development, housing or keep the facility going; it wasn't important. The new owner didn't want to see the track close, so he not only purchased it, he made a go of it, and is finally turning a profit at it. I read that Eagle is the second highest attended fan venue in the state, behind Memorial Stadium. No, it doesn't hold the most, but over a year's time, it draws the 2nd highest amount of people. I believe an average weekly show is around 2500 people. Pretty good for a dirt race track I'd say, and the envy of some much more well-known ones. With so many dirt tracks folding every year, it's a shining example of what can be done at one.

One wish I have is that this person and his fellow complainers would actually have control of a dirt track for just 1 year. After they implemented all of their fantastic innovations and lost a huge amount of money and failed miserably in their attempt they most likely would STILL refuse to believe that they didn't have the know-how to run such a facility and would blame it on God, the previous owner or something else. Maybe if this blogger would actually WORK at a track and be a part of the inner workings of said facility they might realize that a lot of what they think are brainstorms are really only brain farts!!

Oh well, I suppose that will never happen. And the blogger will keep on complaining about tracks and promoters with no workable solutions  to remedy what is perceived by them as a problem. And, they'll probably insist on continuing their 5-year old game of "I know something that you don't want to be told and if you aren't careful I'll tell!!". Just another perceived but untrue situation that I know the truth of. There is no problem, as both parties involved were pleased with the arrangement that was agreed upon and fulfilled.

Alright; Mom is in bed and I'm heading there shortly. Take care, and I hope to see you out at Eagle Raceway soon. If you make the trip; and you should; stop by and say hello. As far as I'm concerned, you're either already a racing friend or one that I just haven't met yet. We may not agree on everything, but what friends do?? We need to remedy that situation!!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Long time no blog

As a lot of you know, my mother is not doing very well. She moved in with us about 2 months ago in a hospice situation. She will be here until she leaves us forever, and we wouldn't have it any other way. My saintly wife cares for her while I go to work and we share the duties while I'm home. This, coupled with her having spent the previous months in and out of the hospital offset with stays in assited living facilities has meant little to no time to spare for things like blogging. For this, I apologize. I will do my utmost to keep up my duties as a blogger to the best of my ability under the current constraints.

Eagle Raceway's season starts in less than 2 weeks. The 19th of this month will be an open practice night for any and all classes. Front gates open at 6 with free admission for everyone. Pit gates open at 5 with pit passes just $10.

The following 2 nights are the Icebreaker Challenge, featuring the IMCA Modifieds. Friday night's support classes will be Lucas Oil ASCS Sprints and IMCA Sport Modifieds. Front gates open at 6 and racing starts at 8. Adult admission is $12, youths 6-12 are just $5 and 5 and under are free. Pit gates open at 4 with pit passes costing $25.

Saturday evening the Lucas Oil ASCS Sprints will again be racing, but the Sport Modifieds will be replaced by the IMCA Hobby Stocks and IMCA Sport Compacts. Front gates will open at 5 with racing beginning at 6:30. Adult front gate admission will be $15 while the youth and children's admissions prices remain the same. Pit gates again open at 4 with pit passes again being $25.

The 27th and 28th of April there will again be a double-header weekend. On Friday night the World of Outlaws presented by SLS Promotions make their return to the high banks of America's Home Track after having been absent the past 2 years. The best 410 travelling series in the world will have the mini-sprints as their support class. Front gates open at 5:30 with time trials at 6:30 and racing at 7. If you wait until the day of the show, adult front gate admission is $35, youths are $15 and 5 and under receive free admission with a paid adult. There is a package deal with both a reserved seat and a pit pass available for just $5 more. You can save $5 on adult admission by visiting participating NAPA stores. You also can purchase reduced price front gate tickets online at SLS Promotions tickets for Eagle Raceway or by calling 1-815-344-2023. Pit gates open at 4 P.M.

Then on Saturday the Nebraska Lottery presents the SuperMania 2012 Season Opener. All regular weekly shows will consist of the Budweiser 360 Sprints, Nebraska Drive Shaft & Radiator IMCA Modifieds, NAPA IMCA Sport Modifieds, Valentino's IMCA Hobby Stocks and Exhaust Pros IMCA Sport Compacts. Front gates open at 5:30 with racing at 6:30. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for youths 6-12 and 5 and under are free. Pit gates open at 4 and pit passes are $20.

There will be lots of fun for all ages with give-aways, contests and other fan interaction to go along with plenty of racing action. As I always say, "Going to the races is an event", and the events at Eagle Raceway will have you planning your next trip back there even before you leave.

The next big event will be held the 8th and 9th of June when TBJ Promotions presents the Eagle Nationals featuring the Lucas Oil ASCS National Sprints. Friday night the IMCA Sport Modifieds and IMCA Hobby Stocks will also be on the card and Saturday evening IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sport Compacts will be the support classes. The Eagle Nationals is always one of the most exciting and hotly contested events of the year as the Eagle regulars attempt to protect their home turf against the national touring drivers.

August 3rd the Amsoil National Championship 410 non-winged Sprint Cars will make their first ever appearance in the state of Nebraska at the Rumble in the Bullring. The event was originally scheduled for last August, but unfortunately Mother Nature decided that the previous week's lack of rain needed to be remedied and the event had to be cancelled. The NCRA/MARS Super Late Models will be running topless and the other support class will be the Mod Lites.

The 2012 season wraps up with two Sunday shows. September 2nd Budweiser presents the Eagle Super Shootout featuring the 360 Sprints, IMCA Modieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, IMCA Hobby Stocks and IMCA Sport Compacts.

The final event will again feature the Lucas Oil Sprints at the Nebraska Cup on September 9th. They will be supported by the IMCA Sport Modifieds and IMCA Hobby Stocks.

The entire 2012 Eagle Raceway schedule can be viewed at Eagle Raceway 2012 Schedule and the website is updated regularly during the season with results and news.

Eagle Raceway should be on everyone's bucket list, and there is no better time than the present to check that one off!!

I'll try to get another blog posted yet this week, as there are some things being said that need to be addressed; so stay tuned!!!

As always, your comments are welcomed and even encouraged!! So sound off.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

2012 Eagle Raceway Schedule

There will be plenty of racing action on the high banks of America's Home Track this season as Eagle Raceway brings you a complete field of action each and every Saturday night with lots of specials thrown in to boot!! Weekly racing action will feature the IMCA A Modifieds, IMCA Northern Sport Modifieds, IMCA Hobby Stocks and IMCA Sport Compacts in addition to the 360 Winged Sprints.

The ASCS Sprints kick off the year headlining the Ice Breaker Challenge Friday and Saturday April 19th & 20th.

The World of Outlaws 410 Winged Sprints come to town for the first time in 3 years on Friday April 27th.

Friday and Saturday, June 8th and 9th will see the ASCS Sprint National Tour invade Eagle to take on the locals during the Eagle Nationals.

USAC brings their non-winged 410 sprinter cars to Nebraska for the first time in history on Friday August 3rd.

The ASCS Sprints return to Eagle on Sunday September 9th to help close out the season.

Here's the tentative schedule for the year:

■Thursday, Apr 19 2012 - Open House Practice Night


■Friday, Apr 20 2012 - Ice Breaker Challenge* -Fri. April 20, 2012

■Saturday, Apr 21 2012 - Ice Breaker Challenge* -Sat. April 21, 2012

■Friday, Apr 27 2012 - SLS presents World of Outlaw Sprints* -Fri. April 27, 2012

■Saturday, Apr 28 2012 - Season Opener -April 28th, 2012

■Saturday, May 5 2012 - Jr Fan Club Night -May 5th, 2012

■Saturday, May 12 2012 - Super Mother's Day Tribute -May 12th, 2012

■Saturday, May 19 2012 - Armed Forces Day -May 19th, 2012

■Saturday, May 26 2012 - Memorial Day Extravaganza -May 26th, 2012

■Saturday, Jun 2 2012 - Student Breakout Night -June 2nd, 2012

■Friday, Jun 8 2012 - TBJ presents Eagle Nationals* -Fri. June 8th, 2012

■Saturday, Jun 9 2012 - TBJ presents Eagle Nationals* -June 9th, 2012

■Saturday, Jun 16 2012 - Father's Day Tribute -June 16th, 2012

■Saturday, Jun 23 2012 - Super Mania 12 -June 23rd, 2012

■Saturday, Jun 30 2012 - Freedom Fest* Fireworks Extravaganza -June 30th, 2012

■Saturday, Jul 7 2012 - Christmas in July -July 7th, 2012

■Saturday, Jul 14 2012 - Super Mania 12 -July 14th, 2012

■Saturday, Jul 21 2012 - Kid's Night Super Bike Giveaway -July 21st, 2012

■Saturday, Jul 28 2012 - Super Mania 12 and Kid's Bike Races -July 28th, 2012

■Friday, Aug 3 2012 - Rumble in the Bull Ring* -Fri. August 3rd, 2012

■Saturday, Aug 4 2012 - Scout Night and Kid's Car Rides -August 4th, 2012

■Saturday, Aug 18 2012 - Jr Fan Club Night -August 18th, 2012

■Saturday, Aug 25 2012 - Season Finale -August 25th, 2012

■Sunday, Sep 2 2012 - Eagle Shootout* -Sun. September 2nd,2012

■Sunday, Sep 9 2012 - Nebraska Cup* -Sun. September 9th, 2012


S-Budweiser Sprints, M-RevHoney IMCA Modifieds, B-NAPA IMCA Sport Modifieds, H-Valentino’s IMCA Hobby Stocks, T-Exhaust Pro’s IMCA Sport Compacts.

For further information, stop by Eagle's website at http://www.eagleraceway.com/

I look forward to seeing you all out there. If you get a chance, stop by the Pit Shack and say hello!!!

Friday, February 10, 2012

Stu Snyder article for Flat Out Magazine

It's been over 5 months since my last blog, but my mother's health concerns have been my only priority in that time. She's back home with us now, and doing fairly well so it's time to let a little of my mind think about racing.

I know that not everyone subscribes to Flat Out Magazine, and I've had requests from those who don't to post my last article online. Well, to those of you who don't subscribe, you should!! But, I want everyone to read about Stu Snyder. Stu was the 2011 points champion in the 360 Sprint Car division at Eagle Raceway, and a nicer young man you could never hope to meet.

So. here it is; my latest article. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It appeared in the lastest issue of Flat Out Magazine. Please, click on the ads beside the blog to help support those who allow me to have my blog on here.


I and a lot of other well-seasoned fans remember fondly the days before the huge trailers with plenty of spares; when even the best of the best pulled into a dirt track with a sprinter on an open trailer behind a pickup and a few extra tires. That was all that they needed to win wherever they raced.

Stu Snyder is proof that you can still do it that way and be successful. He won the 2011 Eagle Raceway Sprint Car points championship, and did it old school! “The trucks and trailers don’t win races; cars, crews and drivers win races” is how Stu puts it. “Would it be nice? Oh yeah it would; but when you don’t have the money for it, you spend the money where it matters. And we’ve proved that a 10 thousand dollar motor can beat anyone out there; we HAVE beaten the best with one”.

Stu started out racing a go kart for the Manleys when he was spotted by Ron Love who gave him the chance to run his 600 mini-sprint at a practice night at Wave-Link Park. After 25 laps Ron told Stu’s father “It’s time to get him into racing full time”. “My career basically began because of the Love family. I started driving for mom and dad; we ran as many 360 shows as we could, and even got to run a 410 show with the Outlaws”. Stu’s dad Joe had worked on mini-sprints quite a lot, but when he started helping out Jeff Lowery (past Eagle Raceway champion), Stu told himself “I want to do that, and I want to be as good as him, if not better!.  Dad brought home Jeff’s 1997 Jenkins when I was 13. Mom wasn’t too happy about the purchase, but after a year of seeing my school work take a turn for the better, she said okay. That was the deal my dad made with me; work your butt off in school and pull good grades, try and get sponsors and work on the car, they would do what they could to get me in a race car”.

Being named the 2003 ESTS and 2004 NCRA Rookie of the Year heralded great things to come, and Stu’s first feature victory came in 2005 while driving for Reagan Kitchen (a previous Eagle champion). The next 4 years saw 3 different teams, plus a ride at the 2009 Belleville Midget Nationals for AJ Felker where he made the A Main both nights. He also had a few nights at the end of that year with his current car owners Eldon and Paula Rhoten. The Rhotens gave him the seat full-time in 2010 and Stu, in turn, gave them their first points win in a long time in 2011.

“I have helped some other drivers win races and championships, including 2 USAC Western States Midget titles with Cruz Pedregon, but I can say now that we won Eldon and Paula something they have wanted for so many years. I only wish I could have driven for them years ago and had my whole career with them. Who knows what more we could have accomplished??”. They managed 4 wins and an 89% top 5 percentage in 2011 at Eagle. “That’s what it takes to be the champ. Wins are nice, but you also have to be smart; make sure you keep finishing in the top 5 and not have any DNF’s. We might have won the title in 2010, but had a few DNF’s that cost us. This year I wasn’t letting anything take it away”.

When asked where he wanted to be 10 years from now in racing, Stu said “I would like to be able to move on to racing with the big dogs in NASCAR or even running some Indy cars”. Stu’s early idols were Doug Wolfgang, Keith Hightshoe, Jeff Lowery, John Gerloff and Jan Opperman. And now, he looks up to former dirt trackers Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon. “I always wanted to follow in their footsteps because they started out doing what I’m doing and made it to the big leagues. That’s what I want to do with my career. But, the Rhotens are the most amazing people I’ve ever driven for, and I hope we can continue this relationship on down the road”.

Stu has great passion for the sport and wants nothing more than to give back to it. “I spend every night in the shop, and every day trying to learn and get better as a driver and as a teacher. The people that come down after the races with their families give every one of us the chance to do something we love to do”. That is the sign of a true champion; paying it forward.e T


Monday, August 8, 2011

A bad couple of nights, a sad couple of weeks

Well, the last 2 nights at Eagle haven't been the greatest. We got to the track a little after 3 on Friday, and went to the office to pick up the money drawers and bands to put on the people coming into the pits. While we were standing outside waiting it decided to rain; and I DO mean rain!! It came down for about an hour, long enough that the night couldn't be salvaged. After a very long and very intense discussion between the owner and Jason from USAC, it was decided that there was no way to make it work. They also discussed a possible make-up at a later date, but it just couldn't be worked out.

We headed home around 5:30 and went to the drug store to pick something up. We came out to more rain and got into the car to sit it out. After 10 minutes of a downpour, I said "The heck with this, I'm heading home". Not the smartest move on my part as it rained even harder!! I could barely see the road and the gutters were running full. Guess USAC and Roger made the right call, huh??

Such a shame!! The first time EVER for USAC's 410 wingless sprints in the state and the only appreciable rain in a couple of weeks has to happen!! There were people from all over camped at the track specifically to catch this show, and I can't remember all of the people who called to find out if the races were still on. Most of them said "AHHH NO!! Oh well, we'll be back next year". Throw in all of the racers who towed in for the show; USAC, SLMR, the mod lites and 600cc mini-sprints, and you have an awful lot of disappointed people. I would be right up there at the top of the list, followed closely by the owner. He said to me that this was the show that he was most excited to watch all year!! One of the drivers even told Jason that he had been looking forward to running the high banks with his 410 ever since he did it in a midget! Oh well, we will all just have to start planning our vactions, sick days, etc. for next year in August.

So, on to Saturday night. Another typical August day in Nebraska. Hot and muggy as all get out!! Lots of people in the stands, track was VERY fast but had a few holes due to all of the rain the night before. There was some really good racing in the heats for all 5 classes, with the only real problem being when Gene Ackland caught the hole in turn 1 and went from wheels, to air, to wheels, to air and back to wheels. He dinged the wing just slightly, but I saw on his Facebook page that the frame was junked.

At intermission the drivers gave all of the kids in the crowd rides around the track in some of the cars that were competing that night. Sport compacts, hobby stocks and modifieds had youngsters getting a thrill that they won't soon forget.

So, as I looked around the sky which had been showing lightning in a 270 degree arc around the track, I hear them telling people to get out of the high-rise grandstand. Well, it didn't take long for the wind to shift and the monsoon began!! The lightning flashed, the thunder crashed and the rain came down SIDEWAYS!! So, we sat in the Pit Shack and watched the procession of haulers and half-drowned spectators slowly pass by the windows. After quite awhile it began to let up and lo and behold, there was clear sky out west. We headed up front to check out and went to the car to try and get out of the parking lot. It only took about 10 minutes; a lot shorter than the folks who left right away. I was told that some of them had spent an HOUR waiting for their turn to hit the highway.

2 nights, 2 rain-outs. The bright spot in it is that I and the fans will be treated to double features during Junior Fan Club Night on the 20th. Hope to see you all there.

Now that I've discussed the couple of bad nights, I'll touch on the sad couple of weeks. 2 weeks ago Saturday Gary Grossenbacher passed away at the young age of 65. This was a great loss to our racing family, to say the least. Gary was the crew chief for the "Black Bandit", Lonnie Jensen, and then took on the role for Lonnie's son Tige who is an Eagle regular in the 360 Sprints.

Equally sad for the local racing scene, and even more sorrowful for me personally was the loss of Frank "Zook" Scdoris. Zook raced at all kinds of local tracks from Capitol Beach, to Beatrice where he is enshrined in their Hall of Fame, to Midwest Speedway where he ended his driving career and took up the reigns as flagman. After he stopped racing his daughter Rhonda took over the seat in the 52 sprinter. And now, his grandson Nick races a 360 at Eagle. The Scdoris (and now Bryan) families are in our thoughts and prayers. They are some of the greatest people I've ever met and I'm very VERY proud to call them friends. I knew Frank for what seems like forever, and I'll miss him terribly, but I know that he's in a better place now.

God obviously needed a couple of great guys who knew their way around a sprinter, because he got 2 of the very best. Our loss is his gain, and I know that the 3 of them are bench racing right now and having a whale of a time!! That would be a conversation worth hearing. Lord, please keep these 2 close to you, and hold their families in your heart as they travel through these rough times.

So, there you have it. 2 lost nights of racing, and MUCH more importantly, 2 horrible losses to our racing family. It's life, and sometimes life is hard. The rest of us just have to pick up the slack for our 2 lost friends and carry on the racing tradition that they were such a large part of.

Thank you for stopping by, and please click on the ads on the right side of the page to help support this site that allows me to post my blogs.

Monday, July 11, 2011

You have to love/hate this heat!!

Well, another weekly show at Eagle Raceway is in the books, and was it ever steamy!! Temperatures over 90 with a dew point over 80 made it more than just a touch warm Saturday. Thankfully, we had a nice little breeze most of the evening out of the south to help out. Personally, I sweat in the wintertime, so you can't judge by me. I will say though, that while doing post-race interviews I was dripping on my notebook so bad that one of the seasoned veteran racers handed me a handful of paper shop towels off a roll. I thanked him and put them to good use, soaking through all of them before I left to head home.

This weekend's forecast is calling for temperatures in the high 90's with the accompanying high humidity of course. It's definitely going to be a day to haul the cooler filled with water with us and keep hydrated as well as possible. For my readers who are, like me, calendrically challenged (getting older), please do the same no matter if you're going to be at the races or not. High temperatures at our age can be deadly. I saw a message from a friend of mine who went to an Indiana Sprint Week show at Lawrenceburg, Indiana. He's 10 years older than I, and went to the top of the grandstand. It was 93 degrees with no breeze. Well, he suddenly started feeling sick and felt his hands and legs cramping. Luckily he got to his car and home safely. Let this be a lesson to us all.

Okay, enough about the weather and back to racing.

Another great show at Eagle this past weekend. A really good crowd (even better than normal) saw some great racing action all night. All the classes put out some fantastic competition, topped off by the A Modifieds. It's hard for a lot of die-hard fans of the other classes to admit sometimes, but the A Mods really do put on some fantastic racing on the high banks. Several Armed Forces personnel were at the track, collecting toys for the Toys for Tots campaign. Any adult who brought a new toy to be donated received 1/2 price front gate admission. Is it the racing, or the other things that take place that keep the fans coming? I don't know, and I don't think it matters; as long as it works, don't change it!! I've heard that Eagle Raceway is the second largest sporting venue in the state. GEE! I wonder what #1 would be.

The Sport Modifieds were won by a racer who was running only his second race ever at Eagle. Cory Hutchison took advantage of his forward starting position to lead all but 1 lap. In his interview he made mention of the good, clean racing and the great hospitality shown to he and his team. A very nice young racer, and hopefully we'll be seeing him at the track regularly.

The Hobby Stock feature looked to be another RJ Macku win,  but Chadley Fegley pulled off a huge move on the white flag lap to grab the lead and hold it to the finish. Chad was all smiles because he had been wanting to go toe-to-toe with RJ all year and finally got his wish. I want to mention Justin Busboom, who moved up to the class last year. He had a great run, coming home fourth. I asked him what led to his improvement Saturday night, and he said "We got the motor to run finally!". That always helps.

Dustin Andersen got set back 1 row for jumping the initial start of the A Modified A. When they tried it again, he made a banzai move between 2 cars that ended up causing a HUGE mess in 3 & 4. All together Andersen and 5 others were involved, and 4 of those were unable to return. In the end multi-time IMCA Modified Champion Johnny Saathoff made another run up through the field to take the victory. In his interview he called Eagle Raceway the best facility in the country. I realize that may have been just "interview speak", but it's not that big of a stretch. He's been doing this for a lot of years, and has been at more than a few tracks; he knows that if you win a weekly show at Eagle you've done something! The best run however, was made by Chris Ableson who makes the trek all the way down from Sioux City, Iowa weekly. With the flooding on the Missouri, that's no easy jaunt. Chris had to come through the B Feature and tag the entire field in the A. He let it all hang out and left absolutely NOTHING on the table to get to second. Chris has had some really bad luck the last few weeks, and it's great to see him get up where he belongs in the finishing order.

Barry Kinnersley got the big check in the Sport Compact division, for his first win of the year. It seems that in this division, like in almost all of the other classes, that the competitors are a big family. Racers helping racers weekly just to get to the track, let alone win, is commonplace. Barry's dad Maynard is the one who gave me the shop towels. Those who have been around racing in this area for an extended period of time, as have I, should remember Maynard well. He's turned a few thousand laps on the dirt around here, and was running in the Sport Compacts until a nasty accident a few weeks ago. I sure miss seeing Maynard on the track, but I'd rather have him around for a lot of years just in case I need more towels.

The Sprint Car win went to Mike Boston who also got a favorable starting position thanks to the ASCS style redraw of the top 8 points earners in the heats. Mike's victory gave him the lead in the points race as well. Ryan Kitchen got what I believe is his best finish of the season by coming home third. Ryan's been plagued by motor problems and other difficulties all year, so it was great to see him finish on the podium. Trevor Grossenbacher showed no signs of having let the accidents that befell him the last two weeks bother him. He made a quick advancement through the field to get into second. A late race caution gave Boston a clear field, and Trevor couldn't catch him. This young man's talent shows every week, and I can't believe that he hasn't snagged a W yet this year. His time is coming, make no mistake about that.

Time Warner Cable was on site, taping all of the races. They will be showing the races weekly on both Channel 411 Tuesdays and on the Metro Sports Channel on Fridays. I asked the one of the crew what channel I could watch it on Dish Network, but all he said was "Not funny!!". This reminds me of back in the day when you could watch replays of Midwest Speedway every week here in town. Oh well, guess I'll just have to watch it in person, because I'm not switching back to TWC.

Next weekend is Fire Prevention Night, and all fire & rescue personnel wearing their uniform or with a current picture ID receive free front gate admission. As always, there will be lots of things for the fans to participate in, and face painting for the kids. All 5 classes will be in action, with racing starting at 6:30.

Come out and have some fun; but be careful. It's going to be another scorcher!!

Again I ask that you take a few minutes to click on the ads on the right side of the page. It helps pay the bills for this site so I can keep blogging. Thanks to everyone who reads my blog, whether you click or not, because I love writing about racing and it's nice to know it's appreciated. Tell your friends and family to stop by also. Who knows, they might actually enjoy it!!

RESULTS:

360 Sprint 7/9/2011

A Main:1. Mike Boston (Crete, NE), 2. Trevor Grossenbacher (Lincoln, NE), 3. Ryan Kitchen (Weston, NE), 4. Doug Lovegrove (Waverly, NE), 5. Stu Snyder (Waverly, NE), 6. Gene Ackland (Lincoln, NE), 7. Tadd Holliman (Beaver Lake, NE), 8. Jason DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 9. Mitchell Moore (Edgerton, KS), 10. Mark Pace (Lincoln, NE), 11. Jay Russell (Elwood, KS), 12. Roger SLUKA (Lincoln, NE), 13. Terry Holliman (Hamburg, IA), 14. Lee Bowes (Lincoln, NE), 15. Frank Sheridan (Lincoln, NE), 16. Taylor Forbes (Neligh, NE), 17. Nick Bryan (Lincoln, NE), 18. John Klabunde (Fort Calhoun, NE)
Heat 1:1. Mike Boston (Crete, NE), 2. Mark Pace (Lincoln, NE), 3. Trevor Grossenbacher (Lincoln, NE), 4. Mitchell Moore (Edgerton, KS), 5. Jay Russell (Elwood, KS), 6. Nick Bryan (Lincoln, NE)
Heat 2:1. Doug Lovegrove (Waverly, NE), 2. Jason DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 3. Gene Ackland (Lincoln, NE), 4. Roger SLUKA (Lincoln, NE), 5. Frank Sheridan (Lincoln, NE), 6. Lee Bowes (Lincoln, NE)
Heat 3:1. Ryan Kitchen (Weston, NE), 2. John Klabunde (Fort Calhoun, NE), 3. Terry Holliman (Hamburg, IA), 4. Tadd Holliman (Beaver Lake, NE), 5. Stu Snyder (Waverly, NE), 6. Taylor Forbes (Neligh, NE)
IMCA Hobby Stock 7/9/2011

A Feature:1. Chad Fegley (Eagle, NE), 2. Roy Armstrong (Beatrice, NE), 3. Randall Macku (Lincoln, NE), 4. Justin Busboom (Lincoln, NE), 5. Joe Wollenhaupt (Neola, IA), 6. Ben Becher (Lincoln, NE), 7. Lee KRACHT (Scribner, NE), 8. Dan Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 9. Don Kros (Weston, NE), 10. Garrett Bolander (Blair, NE), 11. Rob Brown (Nebraska City, NE), 12. Robbie Hobus (Council Bluffs, IA), 13. Scott Santee (Omaha, NE), 14. Tim Kozak (Lincoln, NE), 15. Mike Hansen (Weeping Water, NE), 16. Ron Novak (Blair, NE), 17. Tim LaPointe (Lincoln, NE), 18. Damon Richards (David City, NE), 19. Don Hall Jr (Lincoln, NE), 20. Keith Dragoo (Lincoln, NE)
B Feature:1. Rob Brown (Nebraska City, NE), 2. Ron Novak (Blair, NE), 3. Garrett Bolander (Blair, NE), 4. Lee KRACHT (Scribner, NE), 5. Damon Richards (David City, NE), 6. Danny Patrick (Wilbur, NE), 7. Adam Vrbka (Eagle, NE), 8. Luke Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 9. Jared Flodman (Lincoln, NE), 10. David Carter (Fremont, NE), 11. Dale Hoyle (Nebraska City, NE), 12. Khrysta Stransky (Lincoln, NE), 13. Derick Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 14. Mark McKinney (Omaha, NE), 15. Jacob Waldron (Beatrice, NE)
Heat 1:1. Don Kros (Weston, NE), 2. Randall Macku (Lincoln, NE), 3. Scott Santee (Omaha, NE), 4. Joe Wollenhaupt (Neola, IA), 5. Robbie Hobus (Council Bluffs, IA), 6. Rob Brown (Nebraska City, NE), 7. Lee KRACHT (Scribner, NE), 8. Khrysta Stransky (Lincoln, NE), 9. David Carter (Fremont, NE), 10. Danny Patrick (Wilbur, NE)
Heat 2:1. Don Hall Jr (Lincoln, NE), 2. Keith Dragoo (Lincoln, NE), 3. Ben Becher (Lincoln, NE), 4. Roy Armstrong (Beatrice, NE), 5. Tim Kozak (Lincoln, NE), 6. Dale Hoyle (Nebraska City, NE), 7. Derick Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 8. Adam Vrbka (Eagle, NE), 9. Mark McKinney (Omaha, NE), 10. Jacob Waldron (Beatrice, NE)
Heat 3:1. Tim LaPointe (Lincoln, NE), 2. Chad Fegley (Eagle, NE), 3. Dan Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 4. Justin Busboom (Lincoln, NE), 5. Mike Hansen (Weeping Water, NE), 6. Garrett Bolander (Blair, NE), 7. Luke Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 8. Ron Novak (Blair, NE), 9. Jared Flodman (Lincoln, NE), 10. Damon Richards (David City, NE)
IMCA Modified 7/9/2011

A Feature:1. Johnny Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 2. Chris Ableson (Sioux City, IA), 3. Justin Wulf (Arlington, NE), 4. Roger Hadan (Bennington, NE), 5. Rik Gropp (Lincoln, NE), 6. Dylan Smith (Osceola, NE), 7. Dan Nelson (Beatrice, NE), 8. Terry Richards (Denton, NE), 9. Josh Most (Red Oak, IA), 10. Scott Bivens (Ceresco, NE), 11. Lance Borgman (Beatrice, NE), 12. Dustin Andersen (Omaha, NE), 13. Clint Homan (Bellevue, NE), 14. Mike Densberger (Malcolm, NE), 15. Jim KRUPICKA (Denton, NE), 16. Jerry Trejo (Lincoln, NE), 17. Bob Zoubek (Dorchester, NE), 18. Ed RAINES (Lincoln, NE), 19. Shane Hiatt (Rising City, NE), 20. Chris Alcorn (Lincoln, NE)
B Feature:1. Terry Richards (Denton, NE), 2. Clint Homan (Bellevue, NE), 3. Lance Borgman (Beatrice, NE), 4. Chris Ableson (Sioux City, IA), 5. Aaron Pella (Lincoln, NE), 6. Lacey Tuttle (Elmwood, NE), 7. Doug Deterding (Lincoln, NE), 8. Tim Pickens (Omaha, NE), 9. Justin Addison (Leigh, NE), 10. Patrick DONOVAN (Sterling, NE), 11. Jace Wikoff (Lincoln, NE), 12. Chad Andersen (Omaha, NE), 13. Andrew Hille (Hickman, NE), 14. Matt Stevens (Waverly, NE), 15. Jarrod Wiechert (Lincoln, NE), 16. Jan Korth (Lincoln, NE), 17. Bob Ruisinger (Bennet, NE)
Heat 1:1. Jim KRUPICKA (Denton, NE), 2. Rik Gropp (Lincoln, NE), 3. Justin Wulf (Arlington, NE), 4. Josh Most (Red Oak, IA), 5. Clint Homan (Bellevue, NE), 6. Doug Deterding (Lincoln, NE), 7. Terry Richards (Denton, NE), 8. Bob Ruisinger (Bennet, NE), 9. Jace Wikoff (Lincoln, NE)
Heat 2:1. Johnny Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 2. Chris Alcorn (Lincoln, NE), 3. Shane Hiatt (Rising City, NE), 4. Scott Bivens (Ceresco, NE), 5. Tim Pickens (Omaha, NE), 6. Andrew Hille (Hickman, NE), 7. Matt Stevens (Waverly, NE), 8. Lacey Tuttle (Elmwood, NE)
Heat 3:1. Roger Hadan (Bennington, NE), 2. Bob Zoubek (Dorchester, NE), 3. Dan Nelson (Beatrice, NE), 4. Jerry Trejo (Lincoln, NE), 5. Lance Borgman (Beatrice, NE), 6. Aaron Pella (Lincoln, NE), 7. Patrick DONOVAN (Sterling, NE), 8. Chad Andersen (Omaha, NE)
Heat 4:1. Dylan Smith (Osceola, NE), 2. Dustin Andersen (Omaha, NE), 3. Ed RAINES (Lincoln, NE), 4. Mike Densberger (Malcolm, NE), 5. Jarrod Wiechert (Lincoln, NE), 6. Jan Korth (Lincoln, NE), 7. Justin Addison (Leigh, NE), 8. Chris Ableson (Sioux City, IA)
IMCA Sport Compact 7/9/2011

A Feature:1. Barry Kinnersley (LaVista, NE), 2. Troy Knoell (Omaha, NE), 3. Matt Moyer (Gretna, NE), 4. Nick Lindblad (Beatrice, NE), 5. Jesse Osmon (Alvo, NE), 6. Kyle Gannon (Lincoln, NE), 7. Chad Bassinger (Nebraska City, NE), 8. Ole Olsen (Carter Lake, IA), 9. Fred Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 10. Trevor Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 11. Tim Horsham (Raymond, NE), 12. Travis Schellpeper (Douglas, NE), 13. Josh Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 14. Brandon Bolin (Lincoln, NE), 15. Brian Haller (Lincoln, NE), 16. Kenny Roberts (Lincoln, NE), 17. Nic Hitz (Lincoln, NE), 18. Melissa Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 19. Kevin Fearing (Lincoln, NE), 20. Kevin Zeitner (Omaha, NE)
Heat 1:1. Barry Kinnersley (LaVista, NE), 2. Brandon Bolin (Lincoln, NE), 3. Kyle Gannon (Lincoln, NE), 4. Kenny Roberts (Lincoln, NE), 5. Sara Deterding (Lincoln, NE), 6. Rick Hollandsworth (Lincoln, NE), 7. David Knoell (Omaha, NE), 8. Shannon Wulf (Lincoln, NE), 9. Jeff Davis (Lincoln, NE), 10. Don Heyne (Omaha, NE)
Heat 2:1. Trevor Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 2. Troy Knoell (Omaha, NE), 3. Tim Horsham (Raymond, NE), 4. Travis Schellpeper (Douglas, NE), 5. Erica Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 6. Keith Miller (Lincoln, NE), 7. David Knoell Sr (Fremont, NE), 8. Blake HAAS (Eagle, NE), 9. Chad Bassinger (Nebraska City, NE), 10. Rick Larsen (Omaha, NE)
Heat 3:1. Nic Hitz (Lincoln, NE), 2. Melissa Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 3. Brian Haller (Lincoln, NE), 4. Kevin Zeitner (Omaha, NE), 5. Ole Olsen (Carter Lake, IA), 6. Josh Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 7. Sydney Yost (Nebraska City, NE), 8. Lindsay Nicewonger (Lincoln, NE), 9. Fred Johnson (Lincoln, NE)
Heat 4:1. Matt Moyer (Gretna, NE), 2. Kevin Fearing (Lincoln, NE), 3. Nick Lindblad (Beatrice, NE), 4. Jesse Osmon (Alvo, NE), 5. Michelle Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 6. Billy Roberts (Lincoln, NE), 7. James Snelling (Omaha, NE), 8. Austin Angel (Lincoln, NE), 9. Larry Cronin (Lincoln, NE)
IMCA Sport Modified 7/9/2011

A Feature:1. Cory Hutchison (Plattsmouth, NE), 2. Gary Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 3. Kevin Anderson (Lincoln, NE), 4. Max Harder (Blue Springs, ne), 5. Marty Steinbach (Fremont, NE), 6. Nathan Kobus (Lincoln, NE), 7. Kyle Prauner (Norfolk, NE), 8. Nelson Vollbrecht (Stanton, NE), 9. Buddy Ray Jones (Council Bluffs, IA), 10. Anthony Kobus (David City, NE), 11. Matt Boucher (Murdock, ne), 12. Gary Laflin (Beatrice, NE), 13. Joe Schidler (Lincoln, NE), 14. Nate Thompson (Fremont, NE), 15. Don Rinke (Lincoln, NE), 16. Joey DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 17. Lindsey Yost (Nebraska City, NE), 18. Shelly Andersen (Lincoln, NE), 19. Dustin Thayer (Bellevue, FL), 20. Steve Swarthout (Beatrice, NE)
B Feature 1:1. Nelson Vollbrecht (Stanton, NE), 2. Buddy Ray Jones (Council Bluffs, IA), 3. Rick MUNSON (Omaha, NE), 4. Kole Nordquist (Beresford, SD), 5. Jared Cote (Lincoln, NE), 6. Roger Harpster (Omaha, NE), 7. Kevin Jochum (Roca, NE), 8. Kyle Driskell (Rock Port, MO), 9. Ron Allen (Nickerson, NE), 10. Larry Robinson Sr (Omaha, NE), 11. Benji Legg (Beatrice, NE)
B Feature 2:1. Anthony Kobus (David City, NE), 2. Shelly Andersen (Lincoln, NE), 3. Todd Sanford (Lincoln, NE), 4. Ryan Munhall (Plattsmouth, NE), 5. Sean Conaway (Omaha, NE), 6. Denny BERGHAHN JR (Plattsmouth, NE), 7. Jeremy Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 8. Mary Lenz (Elmwood, NE), 9. Keegan Nordquist (Beresford, SD), 10. Jack Prall III (Union, NE)
Heat 1:1. Don Rinke (Lincoln, NE), 2. Gary Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 3. Marty Steinbach (Fremont, NE), 4. Joe Schidler (Lincoln, NE), 5. Kevin Jochum (Roca, NE), 6. Rick MUNSON (Omaha, NE), 7. Ron Allen (Nickerson, NE), 8. Buddy Ray Jones (Council Bluffs, IA), 9. Larry Robinson Sr (Omaha, NE), 10. Keegan Nordquist (Beresford, SD)
Heat 2:1. Kevin Anderson (Lincoln, NE), 2. Joey DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 3. Gary Laflin (Beatrice, NE), 4. Steve Swarthout (Beatrice, NE), 5. Mary Lenz (Elmwood, NE), 6. Jack Prall III (Union, NE), 7. Jeremy Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 8. Shelly Andersen (Lincoln, NE), 9. Todd Sanford (Lincoln, NE), 10. Kole Nordquist (Beresford, SD)
Heat 3:1. Cory Hutchison (Plattsmouth, NE), 2. Dustin Thayer (Bellevue, FL), 3. Matt Boucher (Murdock, ne), 4. Kyle Prauner (Norfolk, NE), 5. Nelson Vollbrecht (Stanton, NE), 6. Kyle Driskell (Rock Port, MO), 7. Jared Cote (Lincoln, NE), 8. Roger Harpster (Omaha, NE)
Heat 4:1. Nathan Kobus (Lincoln, NE), 2. Nate Thompson (Fremont, NE), 3. Max Harder (Blue Springs, ne), 4. Lindsey Yost (Nebraska City, NE), 5. Anthony Kobus (David City, NE), 6. Sean Conaway (Omaha, NE), 7. Denny BERGHAHN JR (Plattsmouth, NE), 8. Ryan Munhall (Plattsmouth, NE), 9. Benji Legg (Beatrice, NE)