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.

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!!!

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

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.

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)

The 4th of July

Okay, it's been over a month since I last put up a blog. Unlike some bloggers, I don't feel it necessary to bloviate incessantly (sometimes more than twice a day). Between family health concerns and our quarterly cycle count at work, I just haven't had the time or inclination to post. I also have 4 articles in the pipeline for Flat Out magazine, but am currently waiting on input from others so I'm at a stand-still. But today, in honor of the 4th of July I just feel like it again.

Today we celebrate the anniversay of the signing of the Declaration of Independance; the document that told the world that we were through belonging to any nation, and that we were a force to be reckoned with. To paraphrase Rodney Dangerfield in 'Back to School': "We don't take crap from anybody!!.

Lately, unfortunately, that really hasn't held true. Not only are we still helping out every country that can't take care of themselves, our own government can't even take care of it's own. We spend BILLIONS of dollars on non-citizens and freeloaders, but don't do anything to right the problems that plague the hard-working folks who supply the money to do so.

I'll step off of my "Our government needs to get it's head out of it's lower orifice" soapbox and get back to our regularly scheduled blog. Yes, it's a sore subject with me; but I don't want to get myself started or we'll be here all day.

With only 11 weeks left in Eagle's schedule, I think the place has been doing REALLY well. VERY good crowds weekly, and great racing every night makes this old fan a happy man!! I would venture a guess that it also puts a smile on the faces of the owners/promoters of the facility. Sadly, the same can't be said for a lot of dirt track facilities around the country, and we lose more every year. That is bad for every true dirt track fan; no matter what class is your favorite. Go out and spend an evening at your local track; and while you're at it, take 2 friends who've never been. We need new blood out there, because the die-hard fans are getting fewer and fewer all the time.

This last Saturday's events were no exception. 5 classes of cars racing on what was arguably the best racing surface of the year so far (thanks to no rain on Friday night), and still done early; can't beat that with a stick. The A Modified feature was one of the best races I've witnessed in a long time. From the battle for the lead between Dustin Andersen and Justin Wulf, to the back-and forth at the end with Justin getting the win over multi-time IMCA Champion Johnny Saathoff after Johnny passed him, had the crowd rockin' and rollin' with excitement. Justin was his usual, very quiet self during the interview, but you could see that he was jumping for joy inside. He has a true racer's mentality; evidenced by his quote in his interview "I am NOT going to let Johnny beat me!!!". His first A Mod win was a long time coming, but I highly doubt it will be long before he sees victory lane again.

We're lucky to have what has been called the strongest field of A Mods in the country, and the other classes are no slouches either. A great field in every class makes for fantastic competition in each. If you are a dirt track fan, this is the place to be on summer Saturdays!!

Kevin Anderson got his first win in a Sport Mod, and was really happy to get that monkey off of his back. I kidded him that Roger finally gave him a track that fitted his set-up, but he corrected me by telling that they had finally gotten the car dialed in. All that was thanks to his crew, plus Randy Flodman and Todd Sanford as well as Ed Wooge. Salute to the people who make it possible for all of the racers to get to do what they love!!

RJ Macku got #6 in the hobby stocks Saturday night, after falling out and suffering a DNF the 2 previous weeks. If he can keep his nose clean and stay out of trouble, I just don't see anyone overcoming him for the points win this year. If he didn't hang around with that "Handsome" guy, I'd root for him (sorry Chad; I had to!).

Matt Moyer won his second on the year in the Sport Compacts. A lot of people look down on this class, but when you see the smiles on the face of a winner in ANY class, you just have to love it. Sure, it's an entry-level class, but if you think it's any easier to win because of that you have another think coming. They work all week long at their regular jobs, then go to work on their race cars. They sweat and bleed just as much as any other class, and most do it on their own dime with minimal sponsorship.

Trevor Grossenbacher was on his way to a win over Jack Dover in the 360 sprints, only to catch the Armco in turn 3; snagging the victory from his grasp for the second week in a row. He had been running low, but with all of the lapped traffic he had no choice but to move to the top. His racer ended up riding up onto the wall and finally rolling over. According to the announcer he had been running 1/10th of a second faster than Dover and most likely would not have been caught. Jack mentioned to me in his interview that Trevor needs to slow down just a bit, and he'll be great. I also spoke with Trevor's dad, Steve, after the racing and he referenced a time that he personally took out a tree after clearing that same wall when he ran a sprinter at Eagle. Trevor has the drive, the equipment and the talent to be not just a winner wherever he runs but a champion. Keep your chin up Trevor; it's coming. Mike Boston made it a contest after that, but just couldn't get past Jack. It appeared that the bottom was the place to be, and Jack held on for the win.

I wish that I could get to other tracks, but with our money situation I just don't see that happening. What really bothers me is the fact that I won't get to see the World of Outlaws this year (barring a strange occurence like the one that made it possible for me to attend my one and only Knoxville Nationals a few years ago). This really sucks, because there are SO many people that I only get to see once a year. I'll especially miss our time with Dana and Stevie Kinser. Those are 2 of our favorite members of our extended racing family. I truly think that seeing our friends is more important than the racing itself; both at a WoO event and any other dirt track race. Don't get me wrong, because any and all dirt track racing is something to not be missed; and the WoO is the cream of the crop when it comes to cruising around the clay!!

Coming up next weekend is Christmas in July, where we try to help out the Toys for Tots campaign by giving $5 off an adult admission for the donation of a new toy to the cause. The following week anyone in uniform or with a current ID showing that they are a volunteer fire or rescue member gets in the front gate free. Saturday July 23rd is our annual Kids Night/Bike Giveaway. Can a new record be set after having over 340 bicycles given away last year? Come out and see for yourself, but you'd better get there early if you want a good seat because the place will be packed!!!

The show that I'm really jazzed about is coming August 5th. USAC will be bringing their wingless 410 sprint cars to Nebraska for the first time EVER!! The very thought of this event hearkens my heart back to the old IMCA State Fair sprint car shows of yesteryear. I cannot wait to see those fire-breathers on the high banks!!

Please, click on the ads on the right side of the page. We need to help support the people who make it possible for yahoos like myself to have a place to blog at. Thanks for taking the time out from your busy lives to read my blog.

Here are last Saturday's results:

360 Sprint 7/2/2011

A Main:1. Jack Dover (Springfield, NE), 2. Mike Boston (Crete, NE), 3. Gene Ackland (Lincoln, NE), 4. Doug Lovegrove (Waverly, NE), 5. Tyler Drueke (Omaha, NE), 6. Mark Pace (Lincoln, NE), 7. Jeff Osborn (Savannah, MO), 8. Ken Klabunde (Omaha, NE), 9. John Klabunde (Fort Calhoun, NE), 10. Jason DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 11. Tadd Holliman (Beaver Lake, NE), 12. Mitchell Moore (Edgerton, KS), 13. Josh Riggins (Lincoln, NE), 14. Stu Snyder (Waverly, NE), 15. Terry Holliman (Hamburg, IA), 16. Lee Bowes (Lincoln, NE), 17. Trevor Grossenbacher (Lincoln, NE), 18. Frank Sheridan (Lincoln, NE), 19. Nick Bryan (Lincoln, NE), 20. Terry Cadwallader (Lincoln, NE), 21. Dave Glennon, 22. Tige Jensen (Lincoln, NE),

Heat 1:1. Tyler Drueke (Omaha, NE), 2. Jack Dover (Springfield, NE), 3. Tige Jensen (Lincoln, NE), 4. John Klabunde (Fort Calhoun, NE), 5. Stu Snyder (Waverly, NE), 6. Tadd Holliman (Beaver Lake, NE), 7. Nick Bryan (Lincoln, NE), 8. Frank Sheridan (Lincoln, NE),

Heat 2:1. Mike Boston (Crete, NE), 2. Gene Ackland (Lincoln, NE), 3. Jason DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 4. Jeff Osborn (Savannah, MO), 5. Josh Riggins (Lincoln, NE), 6. Lee Bowes (Lincoln, NE), 7. Mitchell Moore (Edgerton, KS), 8. Ryan Kitchen (Weston, NE),

Heat 3:1. Mark Pace (Lincoln, NE), 2. Ken Klabunde (Omaha, NE), 3. Trevor Grossenbacher (Lincoln, NE), 4. Doug Lovegrove (Waverly, NE), 5. Terry Holliman (Hamburg, IA), 6. Dave Glennon, 7. Terry Cadwallader (Lincoln, NE),

IMCA Hobby Stock 7/2/2011

A Feature:1. Randall Macku (Lincoln, NE), 2. Roy Armstrong (Beatrice, NE), 3. Robbie Hobus (Council Bluffs, IA), 4. Don Hall Jr (Lincoln, NE), 5. Chad Fegley (Eagle, NE), 6. Don Kros (Weston, NE), 7. Mike Hansen (Weeping Water, NE), 8. Rob Brown (Nebraska City, NE), 9. Ben Becher (Lincoln, NE), 10. Eric Cerny (Rogers, NE), 11. Justin Busboom (Lincoln, NE), 12. Keith Dragoo (Lincoln, NE), 13. Tim LaPointe (Lincoln, NE), 14. David Carter (Fremont, NE), 15. Kyle Hein (Columbus, NE), 16. Adam Vrbka (Eagle, NE), 17. Mark McKinney (Omaha, NE), 18. Derick Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 19. Andrew Lewis (Martell, NE), 20. Joe Wollenhaupt (Neola, IA),

B Feature:1. Joe Wollenhaupt (Neola, IA), 2. Derick Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 3. Kyle Hein (Columbus, NE), 4. Tim LaPointe (Lincoln, NE), 5. Mark McKinney (Omaha, NE), 6. Scott Santee (Omaha, NE), 7. Luke Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 8. Khrysta Stransky (Lincoln, NE), 9. Dale Hoyle (Nebraska City, NE), 10. Jeremy Conkel (Lincoln, NE), 11. Jared Flodman (Lincoln, NE), 12. Danny Patrick (Wilbur, NE), 13. Jason Tadlock (Omaha, NE), 14. Dan Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 15. Jacob Waldron (Beatrice, NE),

Heat 1:1. Don Hall Jr (Lincoln, NE), 2. Randall Macku (Lincoln, NE), 3. Don Kros (Weston, NE), 4. Justin Busboom (Lincoln, NE), 5. Keith Dragoo (Lincoln, NE), 6. Jason Tadlock (Omaha, NE), 7. Mark McKinney (Omaha, NE), 8. Danny Patrick (Wilbur, NE), 9. Jared Flodman (Lincoln, NE), 10. Jeremy Conkel (Lincoln, NE),

Heat 2:1. Rob Brown (Nebraska City, NE), 2. Robbie Hobus (Council Bluffs, IA), 3. Mike Hansen (Weeping Water, NE), 4. Adam Vrbka (Eagle, NE), 5. Eric Cerny (Rogers, NE), 6. Derick Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 7. Joe Wollenhaupt (Neola, IA), 8. Tim LaPointe (Lincoln, NE), 9. Luke Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 10. Scott Santee (Omaha, NE),

Heat 3:1. David Carter (Fremont, NE), 2. Roy Armstrong (Beatrice, NE), 3. Chad Fegley (Eagle, NE), 4. Andrew Lewis (Martell, NE), 5. Ben Becher (Lincoln, NE), 6. Kyle Hein (Columbus, NE), 7. Khrysta Stransky (Lincoln, NE), 8. Dale Hoyle (Nebraska City, NE), 9. Dan Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 10. Jacob Waldron (Beatrice, NE),

IMCA Modified 7/2/2011

A Feature:1. Justin Wulf (Arlington, NE), 2. Johnny Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 3. Matt Brack (Mead, CO), 4. Bob Zoubek (Dorchester, NE), 5. Dustin Andersen (Omaha, NE), 6. Lacey Tuttle (Elmwood, NE), 7. Chris Ableson (Sioux City, IA), 8. Shane Hiatt (Rising City, NE), 9. Ed RAINES (Lincoln, NE), 10. Rik Gropp (Lincoln, NE), 11. Tim Pickens (Omaha, NE), 12. Scott Bivens (Ceresco, NE), 13. Jerry Trejo (Lincoln, NE), 14. Jan Korth (Lincoln, NE), 15. Mike Densberger (Malcolm, NE), 16. Roger Hadan (Bennington, NE), 17. Dylan Smith (Osceola, NE), 18. Lance Borgman (Beatrice, NE), 19. Will Brack (Mead, co), 20. Nathan Landauer (Lincoln, NE),

B Feature 1:1. Jan Korth (Lincoln, NE), 2. Ed RAINES (Lincoln, NE), 3. Doug Deterding (Lincoln, NE), 4. Jarrod Wiechert (Lincoln, NE), 5. Matt Stevens (Waverly, NE), 6. Jace Wikoff (Lincoln, NE), 7. Bob Ruisinger (Bennet, NE), 8. Jim KRUPICKA (Denton, NE), 9. Mike Scheinost (Lincoln, NE),

B Feature 2:1. Will Brack (Mead, co), 2. Nathan Landauer (Lincoln, NE), 3. Chad Andersen (Omaha, NE), 4. Andrew Hille (Hickman, NE), 5. Tyler GREENE (Rock Port, MO), 6. Patrick DONOVAN (Sterling, NE), 7. Brian Olson (Lincoln, NE), 8. Aaron Pella (Lincoln, NE), 9. Matt TEMPLIN (Lincoln, NE),

Heat 1:1. Bob Zoubek (Dorchester, NE), 2. Matt Brack (Mead, CO), 3. Shane Hiatt (Rising City, NE), 4. Scott Bivens (Ceresco, NE), 5. Bob Ruisinger (Bennet, NE), 6. Doug Deterding (Lincoln, NE), 7. Jan Korth (Lincoln, NE), 8. Matt Stevens (Waverly, NE), 9. Mike Scheinost (Lincoln, NE),

Heat 2:1. Chris Ableson (Sioux City, IA), 2. Justin Wulf (Arlington, NE), 3. Dylan Smith (Osceola, NE), 4. Lacey Tuttle (Elmwood, NE), 5. Nathan Landauer (Lincoln, NE), 6. Andrew Hille (Hickman, NE), 7. Matt TEMPLIN (Lincoln, NE), 8. Will Brack (Mead, co), 9. Brian Olson (Lincoln, NE),

Heat 3:1. Mike Densberger (Malcolm, NE), 2. Johnny Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 3. Dustin Andersen (Omaha, NE), 4. Rik Gropp (Lincoln, NE), 5. Jim KRUPICKA (Denton, NE), 6. Ed RAINES (Lincoln, NE), 7. Jarrod Wiechert (Lincoln, NE), 8. Jace Wikoff (Lincoln, NE),

Heat 4:1. Lance Borgman (Beatrice, NE), 2. Jerry Trejo (Lincoln, NE), 3. Roger Hadan (Bennington, NE), 4. Tim Pickens (Omaha, NE), 5. Aaron Pella (Lincoln, NE), 6. Chad Andersen (Omaha, NE), 7. Patrick DONOVAN (Sterling, NE), 8. Tyler GREENE (Rock Port, MO),

IMCA Sport Compact 7/2/2011

A Feature:1. Matt Moyer (Gretna, NE), 2. Nick Lindblad (Beatrice, NE), 3. Fred Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 4. Kenny Roberts (Lincoln, NE), 5. Chad Bassinger (Nebraska City, NE), 6. Ole Olsen (Carter Lake, IA), 7. Kyle Gannon (Lincoln, NE), 8. Josh Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 9. Trevor Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 10. Brian Haller (Lincoln, NE), 11. Troy Knoell (Omaha, NE), 12. Travis Schellpeper (Douglas, NE), 13. Michelle Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 14. Brandon Bolin (Lincoln, NE), 15. Kevin Staack (Lincoln, NE), 16. Jesse Osmon (Alvo, NE), 17. Melissa Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 18. Amanda Rhiley (Bennington, NE), 19. Barry Kinnersley (LaVista, NE), 20. Nic Hitz (Lincoln, NE),

B Feature:1. Josh Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 2. Brandon Bolin (Lincoln, NE), 3. Michelle Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 4. Troy Knoell (Omaha, NE), 5. Nic Hitz (Lincoln, NE), 6. David Knoell (Omaha, NE), 7. Kevin Fearing (Lincoln, NE), 8. Mike Simpson (Ashland, NE), 9. John Sedlachek (Eagle, NE), 10. Sara Deterding (Lincoln, NE), 11. Rick Hollandsworth (Lincoln, NE), 12. David Knoell Sr, 13. Samantha Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 14. Amanda Triplette (Lincoln, NE), 15. Erica Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 16. Lindsay Nicewonger (Lincoln, NE), 17. Blake HAAS (Eagle, NE), 18. Larry Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 19. Shannon Wulf (Lincoln, NE),

Heat 1:1. Fred Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 2. Matt Moyer (Gretna, NE), 3. Ole Olsen (Carter Lake, IA), 4. Jesse Osmon (Alvo, NE), 5. Kyle Gannon (Lincoln, NE), 6. Erica Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 7. Brandon Bolin (Lincoln, NE), 8. Michelle Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 9. Samantha Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 10. Shannon Wulf (Lincoln, NE), 11. Blake HAAS (Eagle, NE),

Heat 2:1. Barry Kinnersley (LaVista, NE), 2. Nick Lindblad (Beatrice, NE), 3. Kevin Staack (Lincoln, NE), 4. Kenny Roberts (Lincoln, NE), 5. Travis Schellpeper (Douglas, NE), 6. Kevin Fearing (Lincoln, NE), 7. Mike Simpson (Ashland, NE), 8. Rick Hollandsworth (Lincoln, NE), 9. David Knoell (Omaha, NE), 10. David Knoell Sr, 11. Amanda Triplette (Lincoln, NE), 12. Nic Hitz (Lincoln, NE),

Heat 3:1. Trevor Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 2. Melissa Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 3. Amanda Rhiley (Bennington, NE), 4. Brian Haller (Lincoln, NE), 5. Chad Bassinger (Nebraska City, NE), 6. Josh Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 7. Larry Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 8. Troy Knoell (Omaha, NE), 9. Sara Deterding (Lincoln, NE), 10. Lindsay Nicewonger (Lincoln, NE), 11. John Sedlachek (Eagle, NE),

IMCA Sport Modified 7/2/2011

A Feature:1. Kevin Anderson (Lincoln, NE), 2. Marty Steinbach (Fremont, NE), 3. Todd Sanford (Lincoln, NE), 4. Nelson Vollbrecht (Stanton, NE), 5. Joey DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 6. Kyle Prauner (Norfolk, NE), 7. Benji Legg (Beatrice, NE), 8. Anthony Kobus (David City, NE), 9. Larry Robinson Sr (Omaha, NE), 10. Joe Schidler (Lincoln, NE), 11. Ryan Munhall (Plattsmouth, NE), 12. Laini Schwartz (Omaha, NE), 13. Steve Swarthout (Beatrice, NE), 14. Matt Boucher (Murdock, ne), 15. Gary Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 16. Kyle Driskell (Rock Port, MO), 17. Nathan Kobus (Lincoln, NE), 18. Max Harder (Blue Springs, ne), 19. Dan JACKSON (Crete, NE), 20. Shelly Andersen (Lincoln, NE),

B Feature:1. Nelson Vollbrecht (Stanton, NE), 2. Benji Legg (Beatrice, NE), 3. Shelly Andersen (Lincoln, NE), 4. Matt Boucher (Murdock, ne), 5. Larry Robinson Sr (Omaha, NE), 6. Denny BERGHAHN JR (Plattsmouth, NE), 7. Nate Thompson (Fremont, NE), 8. Buddy Ray Jones (Council Bluffs, IA), 9. Lindsey Yost (Nebraska City, NE), 10. Roger Harpster (Omaha, NE), 11. Jared Cote (Lincoln, NE), 12. Don Rinke (Lincoln, NE), 13. Steven Saunders (Bellevue, NE), 14. Mary Lenz (Elmwood, NE), 15. Jeremy Noonan (Lincoln, NE),

Heat 1:1. Kyle Prauner (Norfolk, NE), 2. Nathan Kobus (Lincoln, NE), 3. Ryan Munhall (Plattsmouth, NE), 4. Joe Schidler (Lincoln, NE), 5. Laini Schwartz (Omaha, NE), 6. Shelly Andersen (Lincoln, NE), 7. Matt Boucher (Murdock, ne), 8. Larry Robinson Sr (Omaha, NE), 9. Jeremy Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 10. Buddy Ray Jones (Council Bluffs, IA),

Heat 2:1. Kyle Driskell (Rock Port, MO), 2. Max Harder (Blue Springs, ne), 3. Todd Sanford (Lincoln, NE), 4. Anthony Kobus (David City, NE), 5. Dan JACKSON (Crete, NE), 6. Nelson Vollbrecht (Stanton, NE), 7. Denny BERGHAHN JR (Plattsmouth, NE), 8. Nate Thompson (Fremont, NE), 9. Steven Saunders (Bellevue, NE), 10. Jared Cote (Lincoln, NE),

Heat 3:1. Kevin Anderson (Lincoln, NE), 2. Joey DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 3. Gary Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 4. Marty Steinbach (Fremont, NE), 5. Steve Swarthout (Beatrice, NE), 6. Benji Legg (Beatrice, NE), 7. Don Rinke (Lincoln, NE), 8. Lindsey Yost (Nebraska City, NE), 9. Mary Lenz (Elmwood, NE), 10. Roger Harpster (Omaha, NE),

What's important

I didn't post a blog last week, partly because Eagle Raceway rained out. Mostly though, I've been reviewing my priorities. My mother hasn't been very good lately, and at 88 it's not going to be easy for her to bounce back like she used to. Couple that with my wife's ongoing problems, and it's hard to worry too much about racing, as much as I love it.

Since this weekend is Memorial Day, I also have been reflecting on years past. As I've mentioned before, we always went to Milligan (where my father was from) and decorated the graves of our relatives. So, Monday we'll be heading there again; this time we'll be cleaning and decorating my father's final resting place.

When you throw in all of the horrible weather around the country, the huge loss of life, people without anything left of their possessions, some things just pale in comparison. However, the world goes on, and so must we. With that in mind, let's talk about racing.

This past weekend Roger and the crew worked a LOT of hours in order to get the track ready so we could hold races. When I talked to him Thursday he stated "I don't care if it kills me, we're racing!!". When you consider that Eagle was the ONLY track that raced for hundreds of miles around Thursday, Friday or Saturday, you can imagine what it took to be able to do so. What more could you ask of a promoter?? Some folks think that promoters are a breed that don't care about the fans or racers, but that mold definitely doesn't fit Roger. He wants to give the racers somewhere to compete and to put on a good show for the fans, because that's what racing is about. I'd say that he succeeded again.

Saturday night all racers who came to pick up their payout were handed a stack of free admission tickets for the Memorial Day weekend races. Sounds like a good deal for the racers and especially for the fans; free admission is something that you just don't get much anymore. The teams & racers get the chance to let their families watch from the stands for nothing, plus giving back to their fans. I have a few left, so if you need a couple just stop by the pit shack before the races.

The racing was pretty darned good too. Max Harder got his first victory ever at Eagle in a Sport Modified and summed up most of the racers feelings when he said "I’m so glad that we actually had a track to race on after everyone else cancelled”. Judging by a bunch of posts on Facebook the week before, he wasn't alone in that sympathy.

I believe that the Sport Compact win by Cameron Meyer was a first also, but I couldn't locate him for an interview. By the time that I got to the back pits he was evidently gone already. Sorry Cameron; I'll be sure to catch you after your next victory.

RJ Macku grabbed the Hobby Stock Feature again, holding off "Handsome" Chad Fegley and Roy Armstrong. Racing all around the track and throughout the pack made it exciting for all. I thought about asking RJ if winning was getting old, but I'd already given him a hard enough time.

Johnny Saathoff bounced back from an uncharacteristic 4th place in his heat with a vengeance, capturing the A Feature for the Modifieds. You could tell that Saathoff was on a mission, and wasn't going to settle for anything less than a win. The Modified racing at Eagle is second to none anywhere in the country. If you can be among the top in points there, you can race ANYWHERE and be successful!

There was a bit of controversy in the 360 sprint A Main. With just over a handful of laps left, Jack Dover passed then leader Logan Forler. But, a yellow flag came out for another car who had spun in turn 3. Dover thought that he should have the lead, but the transponder system said otherwise. Dover has since stated that his raceiver wasn't working, but the officials showed him several times that he should move back to second. After repeatedly ignoring the officials directions, the flagman showed him the black flag and put him in fourth. Jack managed to get back up to second, but Forler held on for the win.

From what I could hear, it sounded like the fans were divided over who they thought was in the right. The devoted Doverites booed, the others cheered, and in the end it didn't really matter. You can't cheat the transponders, and no matter how much chest-thumping you do on the internet, the win stays with Forler. Jack and Roger both were a part of an internet radio show Monday evening, and it sounds like the big hoorah is in the past and we can move ahead and move on. Let's hope so. Jack is a tremendous talent, and a great young man. He's proven that he can run with the best, and he not only does that, he WINS against the best!

After interviewing Logan, I can see why he is a successful part of the ASCS National tour. Intelligent, well-spoken, and very dedicated to his craft. I failed to ask, but I think he was getting a little practice in at "America's Home Track" in preparation for the Eagle Nationals coming up June 10th & 11th.

Hope that all of you can be on hand either Friday or Saturday (or both would be even better). I know that we'll have people from all over the country visiting; I know one of my racing friends and his wife are coming up for the show. I'm not sure if his new bride has ever visited the high banks, but I know this will be a first for him. He's picked a good one for his initial visit for sure.

The weekly show is a can't miss, so get your hiney in gear and get out there. You won't be disappointed.

To read my write-up of Saturday night's action, you can do so here:
Eagle Raceway write-up 5/22/11