Eagle Raceway 6/13/2020

By Greg Soukup


The ‘Red, White and Blue Bonanza’ presented by Accelerated Graphx at Eagle Raceway Saturday night saw another large car count in the pits and the maximum number of fans in the stands. It was, once again, a warm windy day; perfect for racing. With 35 races being run over the evening, everyone had a full night and nobody left disappointed.


There were no serious incidents in the preliminary events.


Derek Hall was first back to the flag stand on lap 1 of the Coors Light IMCA Sportmod Feature in his #44D with Tyler Nerud’s 5TN, the 11H of Nick Morris and Matt Andrews’ 22 rounding out the top 4. Andrews moved up to third on lap 3. Lap 6 saw Noah Williams loop the 27W in turns 1 & 2. Ahnna Schouten’s 0NA spun out 3 laps after the restart for another caution. 1 circuit after the restart Trevor Baker put the 25! Into fourth. Hall made contact with another car with 6 to go and went hard into the back stretch wall. He ended up limping back to the pits. That moved Shawn Harker’s 40 into fourth. Harker took just 2 laps to jump all the way up to second. Williams again spun out with 2 to go in turns 3 & 4, setting up a green/white/checker finish. Cole Wayman moved his #18 up to fourth  on the restart making the final four Nerud, Harker, Andrews and Wayman.


Ryan Roschewski in the 77S, Jeff Watts’ 66, the 6R of Roy Armstrong and Nick Beckman’s 22 were the top 4 after the first circuit of the Valentino’s IMCA Hobby Stock A. Watts passed Roschewski on lap 2. Don Hall Jr. spun the 92 in turn four the next time around and the caution lights were lit. Armstrong moved up 1 spot each of the next 2 laps, grabbing the lead. Roschewski got back to second after 2 more circuits and Beckman took over third the next lap. The action slowed the next time around for a debris caution. Ryan Gilland put the 46 into fourth with 7 to go but lost the spot to Brooke Fluckiger 4 laps later. Both Fluckiger and Gilland moved up 1 spot the next lap to make the final top 4 Armstrong, Roschewski, Fluckiger and Gilland.

The Nebraska Lottery IMCA Modified A Feature’s first lap show Trey Duensing’s 3D, the 5S of Bob Zoubek, Chad Andersen’s 8C the top 3. Anthony Roth put the 60IV into fourth on lap 2.  Andersen and Roth both passed Zoubek on lap 3. 2 laps later Mike Densberger grabbed fourth in the 81. Jesse Sobbing got past Densberger the next lap, putting the 99 into fourth as Roth advanced to second. Densberger got back past Sobbing the next lap but gave up the fourth spot to Jordan Grabouski’s 30 with 10 to go. Roth took the lead for good with 3 circuits remaining. The final top 4 were Roth, Duensing, Andersen and Grabouski.


Ramsey Meyer put the 21R out front of the ATV Motorsports IMCA Sport Compact finale’s first circuit with the 19X of Noah Boller, Dan Markham’s 6 and the 16W of Bryce Walker close behind. Boller passed Meyer on lap 2 as Drake Bohlmeyer put the 24 into fourth. Jeremy Bohlen’s 10J slammed hard into the front stretch wall on lap 3 for a caution. Jacob Schwab put the 19J into fourth on the restart. RJ Maas passed Schwab  2 laps later, putting the 88K into fourth. Dillon Richards moved the #19 into fourth after 2 more circuits and advanced to third with 2 to go. Richards got up to second on the final lap making the top 4 Meyer, Richards, Bohlmeyer and Boller.


Gunnar Pike’s 25, the 03 of Shayle Helget, Josh Riggins’ 14J and Mark Vanderheiden’s 15V were the top 4 after 1 circuit of the Duros Dent Works Racesaver IMCA Sprint Car A Feature. Mike Boston got past Vanderheiden on lap 2, putting the 51 into fourth. Lap 5 saw Helget take over the lead from Pike but Jason Danley’s 4X and Vanderheiden came to a halt in turns 1 & 2 for a caution. Boston advanced to third on the restart and Helget again took the lead the next lap. Adam Gullion put the 91 into fourth with 7 laps left. The top 4 remained unchanged to the finish with Helget, Pike, Boston and Gullion out front.


Duros Dent Works and the Nebraska Lottery present America Strong next Saturday, June 20^th. Front gates open at 5:15, hot laps begin at 5:30 and racing kicks off at 6:30. All 5 classes will be competing, including Duros Dent Works Sprint Cars, Nebraska Lottery Modifieds, Coors Light SportMods, Valentino’s Hobby Stocks & ATV Motor Sports Sport Compacts.


Pit gates open at 4 P.M.


RESULTS:

IMCA Hobby Stock A-Feature 1. Roy Armstrong Beatrice, Ne. 2. Ryan Roschewski Beatrice, Ne. 3. Brooke Fluckiger Columbus, Ne. 4. Ryan Gilland Sterling, Ne. 5. Nick Beckman Lincoln, Ne. 6. Albert Kiihne Lincoln, Ne. 7. Ben Becher Lincoln, Ne. 8. John Cain Homer, Ne. 9. Brett Saathoff Lincoln, Ne. 10. Jeff Ware Columbus, Ne. 11. Ryan Sutter Rock Port, Mo. 12. Michael Hansen Weeping Water, Ne. 13. David Carter Fremont, Ne. 14. Jeff Watts Beatrice, Ne. 15. Brint Lemke Lincoln, Ne. 16. Charlie Bartels Lincoln, Ne. 17. Brad Schreiner Weeping Water, Ne. 18. Don Hall Jr Lincoln, Ne. 19. Joe Copeland Jr. La Vista, Ne. 20. Jamie Bruce Lincoln, Ne.


IMCA Hobby Stock B-Feature 1. Joe Copeland Jr. La Vista, Ne. 2. Charlie Bartels Lincoln, Ne. 3. Don Hall Jr Lincoln, Ne. 4. Brad Schreiner Weeping Water, Ne. 5. Chantel Bade Lincoln, Ne. 6. Tim Lapointe Lincoln, Ne. 7. Cole Krichau Lincoln, Ne. 8. Jared Jackson Lincoln, Ne. 9. Tyler Jackson Lincoln, Ne. 10. Kyle Schamp(r) Lincoln, Ne. DNS. Khrysta Stransky Lincoln, Ne. DNS. Neil Pella Adams, Ne.


IMCA Hobby Stock C-Feature 1. Tim Lapointe Lincoln, Ne. 2. Cole Krichau Lincoln, Ne. 3. Tyler Jackson Lincoln, Ne. 4. Neil Pella Adams, Ne. 5. Jeff Oehm(r) Eagle, Ne. 6. Christopher Lierz Baileyville, Ks. DNS. Kenny Roberts Lincoln, Ne. DNS. Levi Henery(r) Hoyt, Ks. DNS. Colby Kaspar Columbus, Ne.


IMCA Hobby Stock Heat 1 1. Brooke Fluckiger Columbus, Ne. 2. Ben Becher Lincoln, Ne. 3. Brett Saathoff Lincoln, Ne. 4. Jamie Bruce Lincoln, Ne. 5. Jared Jackson Lincoln, Ne. 6. Khrysta Stransky Lincoln, Ne. 7. Kenny Roberts Lincoln, Ne. 8. Tyler Jackson Lincoln, Ne. 9. Colby Kaspar Columbus, Ne.


IMCA Hobby Stock Heat 2 1. Ryan Roschewski Beatrice, Ne. 2. Michael Hansen Weeping Water, Ne. 3. David Carter Fremont, Ne. 4. Brint Lemke Lincoln, Ne. 5. Kyle Schamp(r) Lincoln, Ne. 6. Chantel Bade Lincoln, Ne. 7. Christopher Lierz Baileyville, Ks. 8. Cole Krichau Lincoln, Ne.


IMCA Hobby Stock Heat 3 1. Roy Armstrong Beatrice, Ne. 2. Ryan Gilland Sterling, Ne. 3. Jeff Watts Beatrice, Ne. 4. Albert Kiihne Lincoln, Ne. 5. Joe Copeland Jr. La Vista, Ne. 6. Don Hall Jr Lincoln, Ne. 7. Neil Pella Adams, Ne. 8. Jeff Oehm(r) Eagle, Ne.


IMCA Hobby Stock Heat 4 1. Nick Beckman Lincoln, Ne. 2. Jeff Ware Columbus, Ne. 3. Ryan Sutter Rock Port, Mo. 4. John Cain Homer, Ne. 5. Charlie Bartels Lincoln, Ne. 6. Brad Schreiner Weeping Water, Ne. 7. Tim Lapointe Lincoln, Ne. 8. Levi Henery(r) Hoyt, Ks.


IMCA Modified A-Feature 1. Anthony Roth Columbus, Ne. 2. Trey Duensing(r) Byron, Ne. 3. Chad Andersen Ft Calhoun, Ne. 4. Jordan Grabouski(r) Beatrice, Ne. 5. Jesse Sobbing Malvern, Ia. 6. Mike Densberger Lincoln, Ne. 7. Shane Hiatt Rising City, Ne. 8. Jaxon Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 9. Johnny Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 10. Brandon Spanjer Crete, Ne. 11. Terry Hurt Ft. Calhoun, Ne. 12. Rik Gropp Lincoln, Ne. 13. Austin Svoboda David City, Ne. 14. Bob Zoubek Dorchester, Ne. 15. Mike Lineberry Omaha, Ne. 16. Nate Thompson Fremont, Ne. 17. Justin Wulf Arlington, Ne. 18. Josh Kennell Hickman, Ne. 19. Jeff Schroyer(r) Elkhorn, Ne. DNS. Dustin Andersen Omaha, Ne.


IMCA Modified B-Feature 1. Austin Svoboda David City, Ne. 2. Johnny Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 3. Rik Gropp Lincoln, Ne. 4. Brandon Spanjer Crete, Ne. 5. Dylan Sillman(r) 6. Scott Smith Davenport, Ne. 7. Bob Ruisinger Bennet, Ne. 8. Aaron Pella Lincoln, Ne. 9. Andrew Bowman Lincoln, Ne. 10. Brandon Verbeek Hickman, Ne. 11. Scott Bivens Ceresco, Ne. DNS. Kale Smith Davenport, Ne.


IMCA Modified C-Feature 1. Dylan Sillman(r) 2. Aaron Pella Lincoln, Ne. 3. Scott Bivens Ceresco, Ne. 4. Bob Ruisinger Bennet, Ne. 5. Travis Patterson(r) Lincoln, Ne. 6. Ryan Sample(r) Lincoln, Ne. 7. Nick Snyder(r) Beatrice, Ne. 8. Norm Ziegenbein Lincoln, Ne. DNS. Clint Homan Bellevue, Ne. DNS. Jared Deterding Lincoln, Ne.


IMCA Modified Heat 1 1. Anthony Roth Columbus, Ne. 2. Chad Andersen Ft Calhoun, Ne. 3. Jeff Schroyer(r) Elkhorn, Ne. 4. Justin Wulf Arlington, Ne. 5. Austin Svoboda David City, Ne. 6. Scott Smith Davenport, Ne. 7. Nick Snyder(r) Beatrice, Ne. 8. Aaron Pella Lincoln, Ne. 9. Ryan Sample(r) Lincoln, Ne.


IMCA Modified Heat 2 1. Jordan Grabouski(r) Beatrice, Ne. 2. Terry Hurt Ft. Calhoun, Ne. 3. Jaxon Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 4. Dustin Andersen Omaha, Ne. 5. Johnny Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 6. Kale Smith Davenport, Ne. 7. Travis Patterson(r) Lincoln, Ne. 8. Bob Ruisinger Bennet, Ne. DNS. Norm Ziegenbein Lincoln, Ne.


IMCA Modified Heat 3 1. Mike Densberger Lincoln, Ne. 2. Nate Thompson Fremont, Ne. 3. Bob Zoubek Dorchester, Ne. 4. Josh Kennell Hickman, Ne. 5. Andrew Bowman Lincoln, Ne. 6. Brandon Verbeek Hickman, Ne. 7. Clint Homan Bellevue, Ne. 8. Dylan Sillman(r)


IMCA Modified Heat 4 1. Trey Duensing(r) Byron, Ne. 2. Jesse Sobbing Malvern, Ia. 3. Shane Hiatt Rising City, Ne. 4. Mike Lineberry Omaha, Ne. 5. Rik Gropp Lincoln, Ne. 6. Brandon Spanjer Crete, Ne. 7. Scott Bivens Ceresco, Ne. 8. Jared Deterding Lincoln, Ne.


IMCA Sport Compact A-Feature 1. Ramsey Meyer Pierce, Ne. 2. Dillon Richards Beatrice, Ne. 3. Drake Bohlmeyer Beatrice, Ne. 4. Noah Boller Beatrice, Ne. 5. Rj Maas Wilber, Ne. 6. Nick Lindblad Beatrice, Ne. 7. Dan Markham Plattsmouth, Ne. 8. Devin Bruce Bennet, Ne. 9. Jacob Schwab Cordova, Ne. 10. Brian Cronin Lincoln, Ne. 11. Josh Young Beatrice, Ne. 12. Tyler Masek Raymond, Ne. 13. Brad Gallagher Louisville, Ne. 14. Michelle Nicholson Ashland, Ne. 15. Ray Harrington Lincoln, Ne. 16. Jeff Zimmerman York, Ne. 17. Tim Horsham Raymond, Ne. 18. Bryce Walker Omaha, Ne. 19. Leah Penney(r) Hickman, Ne. 20. Jeremy Bohlen Percival, Ia.


IMCA Sport Compact B-Feature 1. Brad Gallagher Louisville, Ne. 2. Michelle Nicholson Ashland, Ne. 3. Jeremy Bohlen Percival, Ia. 4. Josh Young Beatrice, Ne. 5. Ray Harrington Lincoln, Ne. 6. Tim Horsham Raymond, Ne. 7. Steve Phillips(r) Lincoln, Ne. 8. Ayden Hager(r) York, Ne. 9. Kasha Hall Lincoln, Ne.


IMCA Sport Compact Heat 1 1. Ramsey Meyer Pierce, Ne. 2. Drake Bohlmeyer Beatrice, Ne. 3. Nick Lindblad Beatrice, Ne. 4. Tyler Masek Raymond, Ne. 5. Brian Cronin Lincoln, Ne. 6. Michelle Nicholson Ashland, Ne. 7. Kasha Hall Lincoln, Ne. 8. Jeremy Bohlen Percival, Ia.


IMCA Sport Compact Heat 2 1. Dillon Richards Beatrice, Ne. 2. Dan Markham Plattsmouth, Ne. 3. Jacob Schwab Cordova, Ne. 4. Bryce Walker Omaha, Ne. 5. Leah Penney(r) Hickman, Ne. 6. Josh Young Beatrice, Ne. 7. Ray Harrington Lincoln, Ne. 8. Brad Gallagher Louisville, Ne.


IMCA Sport Compact Heat 3 1. Rj Maas Wilber, Ne. 2. Devin Bruce Bennet, Ne. 3. Noah Boller Beatrice, Ne. 4. Jeff Zimmerman York, Ne. 5. Tim Horsham Raymond, Ne. 6. Steve Phillips(r) Lincoln, Ne. 7. Ayden Hager(r) York, Ne.


IMCA SportMod A-Feature 1. Tyler Nerud Dorchester, Ne. 2. Shawn Harker Nebraska City, Ne. 3. Matthew Andrews Malcolm, Ne. 4. Cole Wayman Lincoln, Ne. 5. Lee Horky Fairbury, Ne. 6. Mary Lenz Lincoln, Ne. 7. Dion Kovar Rising City, Ne. 8. Steffen Oaks(r) Lincoln, Ne. 9. Joe Schidler Omaha, Ne. 10. Nick Morris Bellevue, Ne. 11. Sean Manning Bennington, Ne. 12. Gary Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 13. Adam Vrbka Eagle, Ne. 14. Jeremy Baker Nebraska City, Ne. 15. Ahnna Schouten Omaha, Ne. 16. Noah Williams(r) Ashland, Ne. 17. Derek Hall Lincoln, Ne. 18. Trevor Baker Crete, Ne. 19. Melissa Latture Omaha, Ne. 20. Trevor Noonan Dorchester, Ne.


IMCA SportMod B-Feature 1. Dion Kovar Rising City, Ne. 2. Mary Lenz Lincoln, Ne. 3. Trevor Noonan Dorchester, Ne. 4. Gary Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 5. Sean Manning Bennington, Ne. 6. Amber Cook Lincoln, Ne. 7. Mike Scheinost Ceresco, Ne. 8. Tracy Babcock 9. McLain Reed(r) Lincoln, Ne. 10. Daniel Morris Bellevue, Ne. DNS. Jeremy Down Nebraska City, Ne. DNS. Arie Schouten Omaha, Ne.


IMCA SportMod C-Feature 1. Sean Manning Bennington, Ne. 2. Arie Schouten Omaha, Ne. 3. Rich Flock Malcolm, Ne. 4. Braydon Latture Omaha, Ne. 5. Shawn Hein(r) Beatrice, Ne. 6. Shawn Davis Burr, Ne. 7. Michael Sherwood Beatrice, Ne. 8. Bobby Draper Valparaiso, Ne. 9. James Hines Bellevue, Ne. 10. Roger Sluka Lincoln, Ne. 11. Hunter Weber Council Bluffs, Ne. DNS. Dan Wayman(r) Lincoln, Ne.


IMCA SportMod D-Feature 1. Roger Sluka Lincoln, Ne. 2. Hunter Weber Council Bluffs, Ne. 3. Shawn Pospisil(r) Lincoln, Ne. 4. Dane Martindale(r) Lincoln, Ne. 5. David Sherwood Beatrice, Ne. 6. John Allensworth(r) Omaha, Ne. 7. Lane Cornwell Newman Brave, Ne. DNS. Dylan Mueller DNS. Breanna Pfanstiel Lincoln, Ne.


IMCA SportMod Heat 1 1. Derek Hall Lincoln, Ne. 2. Lee Horky Fairbury, Ne. 3. Joe Schidler Omaha, Ne. 4. Trevor Noonan Dorchester, Ne. 5. Gary Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 6. Shawn Hein(r) Beatrice, Ne. 7. Dan Wayman(r) Lincoln, Ne. 8. David Sherwood Beatrice, Ne. 9. Hunter Weber Council Bluffs, Ne.


IMCA SportMod Heat 2 1. Ahnna Schouten Omaha, Ne. 2. Noah Williams(r) Ashland, Ne. 3. Trevor Baker Crete, Ne. 4. Amber Cook Lincoln, Ne. 5. Dion Kovar Rising City, Ne. 6. Sean Manning Bennington, Ne. 7. Shawn Davis Burr, Ne. 8. Lane Cornwell Newman Brave, Ne. 9. Dylan Mueller


IMCA SportMod Heat 3 1. Matthew Andrews Malcolm, Ne. 2. Jeremy Baker Nebraska City, Ne. 3. Melissa Latture Omaha, Ne. 4. McLain Reed(r) Lincoln, Ne. 5. Jeremy Down Nebraska City, Ne. 6. James Hines Bellevue, Ne. 7. Arie Schouten Omaha, Ne. 8. Roger Sluka Lincoln, Ne. DQ. Dane Martindale(r) Lincoln, Ne.


IMCA SportMod Heat 4 1. Nick Morris Bellevue, Ne. 2. Shawn Harker Nebraska City, Ne. 3. Cole Wayman Lincoln, Ne. 4. Mary Lenz Lincoln, Ne. 5. Mike Scheinost Ceresco, Ne. 6. Bobby Draper Valparaiso, Ne. 7. Rich Flock Malcolm, Ne. 8. John Allensworth(r) Omaha, Ne. 9. Shawn Pospisil(r) Lincoln, Ne.


IMCA SportMod Heat 5 1. Tyler Nerud Dorchester, Ne. 2. Adam Vrbka Eagle, Ne. 3. Steffen Oaks(r) Lincoln, Ne. 4. Tracy Babcock 5. Daniel Morris Bellevue, Ne. 6. Michael Sherwood Beatrice, Ne. 7. Braydon Latture Omaha, Ne. DNS. Breanna Pfanstiel Lincoln, Ne.


IMCA Sprint A-Feature 1. Shayle Helget Lincoln, Ne. 2. Gunnar Pike(r) South Bend, Ne. 3. Mike Boston Lincoln, Ne. 4. Adam Gullion Lincoln, Ne. 5. Stuart Snyder Lincoln, Ne. 6. Trevor Grossenbacher Panama, Ne. 7. Tyler Drueke Eagle, Ne. 8. Nathan Weiler Lavista, Ne. 9. Cody Ledger Omaha, Ne. 10. Jason Danley Lincoln, Ne. 11. Josh Riggins(r) Lincoln, Ne. 12. Clint Benson Papillion, Ne. 13. Gene Ackland Martell, Ne. 14. Chase Weiler Lincoln, Ne. 15. Neil Nickolite Bellwood, Ne. 16. Brandon Horton Waterloo, Ne. 17. Mark Vanderheiden Papillion, Ne. 18. Jay Russell Elmwood, Ks. 19. Jordan Grabouski(r) Beatrice, Ne. 20. Rich Cerveny(r) Omaha, Ne.


IMCA Sprint B-Feature 1. Clint Benson Papillion, Ne. 2. Cody Ledger Omaha, Ne. 3. Trevor Grossenbacher Panama, Ne. 4. Gene Ackland Martell, Ne. 5. Toby Chapman Panama, Ne. 6. Doug Lovegrove Waverly, Ne. 7. Ryan King Bennet, Ne. 8. Troy Sanford(r) Lincoln, Ne. 9. Tim Hilfiker Greenwood, Ne. 10. Boyd Peterson Ithaca, Ne. 11. Alex Salzman Lincoln, Ne. 12. Andrew Jackson Fremont, Ne.


IMCA Sprint C-Feature 1. Ryan King Bennet, Ne. 2. Troy Sanford(r) Lincoln, Ne. 3. Andrew Jackson Fremont, Ne. 4. Alex Salzman Lincoln, Ne. 5. Richard Weers Lincoln, Ne. 6. Jason Miller Omaha, Ne. DNS. Tim Fricke Lincoln, Ne. DNS. Bobby Becker Denton, Ne.


IMCA Sprint Heat 1 1. Gunnar Pike(r) South Bend, Ne. 2. Stuart Snyder Lincoln, Ne. 3. Shayle Helget Lincoln, Ne. 4. Chase Weiler Lincoln, Ne. 5. Clint Benson Papillion, Ne. 6. Doug Lovegrove Waverly, Ne. 7. Ryan King Bennet, Ne. 8. Troy Sanford(r) Lincoln, Ne.


IMCA Sprint Heat 2 1. Mike Boston Lincoln, Ne. 2. Jordan Grabouski(r) Beatrice, Ne. 3. Jason Danley Lincoln, Ne. 4. Rich Cerveny(r) Omaha, Ne. 5. Boyd Peterson Ithaca, Ne. 6. Cody Ledger Omaha, Ne. 7. Andrew Jackson Fremont, Ne. 8. Alex Salzman Lincoln, Ne.


IMCA Sprint Heat 3 1. Josh Riggins(r) Lincoln, Ne. 2. Adam Gullion Lincoln, Ne. 3. Nathan Weiler Lavista, Ne. 4. Brandon Horton Waterloo, Ne. 5. Gene Ackland Martell, Ne. 6. Tim Hilfiker Greenwood, Ne. 7. Jason Miller Omaha, Ne. DNS. Bobby Becker Denton, Ne.


IMCA Sprint Heat 4 1. Jay Russell Elmwood, Ks. 2. Mark Vanderheiden Papillion, Ne. 3. Tyler Drueke Eagle, Ne. 4. Neil Nickolite Bellwood, Ne. 5. Trevor Grossenbacher Panama, Ne. 6. Toby Chapman Panama, Ne. 7. Richard Weers Lincoln, Ne. DNF. Tim Fricke Lincoln, Ne.

Eagle Raceway 6/6/2020

The theme for Saturday night’s racing at Eagle Raceway was ‘FINALLY! The Season Opener’ and meant that after a too long off season made even longer by the COVID-19 pandemic, competition was once again happening on the high banks.


Due to county health restrictions the total attendance was limited, but those who were fortunate enough to obtain tickets finally got their racing fix in. Temperatures in the 90’s matched the heated action on track as a total of 180 teams towed in to compete, and they put on a whale of a show.


The only significant incident in the preliminary action came in the 2^nd heat for the Valentino’s IMCA Hobby Stocks. Jamie Bruce’s 4K made contact with another vehicle coming to the flag stand and ended up barrel rolling down the front stretch before coming to a stop atop the wall going into turn 1. He was not significantly hurt.


The first A Feature was for the Coors Light IMCA Sportmods and saw Shawn Harker jump to the lead quickly in his #40 and never look back. Though a couple of yellow flags slowed the action Harker was a man on a mission and held the top spot to the checkered flag. The top 4 were Harker, the 99RE of Arie Schouten, Adam Armstrong’s 6A and Trevor Baker in the 25!.


The Valentino’s IMCA Hobby Stock A Main’s first lap saw Albert Kiihne put the 85 out front followed by the 83 of Jeff Ware, Don Hall Jr.’s 92 and the 67 of Jamie Richards. The yellow flag was shown on lap 3 when the 12 of Michael Wade came to a stop. Ware used the restart to pass Kiihne for the lead. Hall slipped back on lap 6 moving Richards to third and the 94 of Mike Hansen into fourth. Hansen got past Richards with 8 to go. The top 4 remained unchanged to the finish with Ware, Kiihne, Hansen and Richards the top 4.


Mike Densberger’s 81, the 21H of Shane Hiatt, Anthony Roth’s 60IV and the 15H of Jared Hoefelman were the top 4 after lap 1 of the Nebraska Lottery A. Aaron Pella looped the 3A on lap 4 for a caution. Jordan Grabouski jumped his #30 up to second on the restart and took the lead from Densberger the next time around. Hiatt also got past Densberger the next time around for second. Densberger regained the second spot 3 laps later and Roth also passed Hiatt after 3 more circuits. 2 laps later Terry Hurt looped the 24T in turns 1 & 2. Hiatt vaulted up to second 2 laps after the restart. Jaxon Saathoff put the 96 into fourth but Roth jumped all the way to third shortly after. Bob Zoubek’s 5Z came to a stop with 3 to go. The final top 4 Grabouski, Roth, Hiatt and Densberger.


RJ Maas in the 88K led lap 1 of the ATV Motorsports IMCA Sport Compact Feature with Brad Gallagher’s 26X and the 21R of Ramsey Meyer close behind. Meyer moved to second on lap 2 with Dillon Richards taking the 19 to third. Drake Bohlmeyer took third the next time around in the 24. Meyer spun to the infield coming out of turn 4 the next lap making the top 4 Maas, Bohlmeyer, Richards and Gallagher. Richards took over the second spot from Bohlmeyer with 2 to go and grabbed the lead 2 laps later. During a caution for a car that spun Bohlmeyer was moved back 2 spots for rough driving but got back to fourth with 3 to go. Nick Lindblad took over the fourth spot with 3 to go and jumped up to second on the final lap making the top 4 Richards, Lindblad, Maas and Bohlmeyer who had gotten back to fourth.


The Duros Dent Works IMCA Racesaver Sprint Car finale saw Jason Danley lead the first circuit in his 4X with Trevor Grossenbacher’s 95, the 5 of Stu Snyder and Ryan King’s 93 close behind. Grossenbacher passed Danley on lap 2 but Danley edged him at the flag stand. Lap 3 saw Grossenbacher take the lead as Shon Pointer put the 20P into fourth. Snyder used the middle groove to advance to second with 15 to go. There were 6 laps left when Adam Gullion put his 91 into fourth. Snyder grabbed the lead the next time around and began to pull away. Gullion advanced to third in the closing laps. The top 4 remained unchanged to the finish with Snyder winning, Grossenbacher second, Gullion third and Danley fourth.


Next weekend Accelerated Graphix presents Red, White and Blue Bonanza. All 5 classes will be in action. The Coors Light ICA Sportmods, Valentino’s IMCA  Hobby Stocks, Nebraska Lottery IMCA Modifieds, ATV Motorsports IMCA Sport Compacts and Duros Dent Works IMCA Racesaver Sprints will all be there.


Front gates open at 5:15 with hot laps beginning at 5:30 and racing at 6:30. Pit gates open at 4 PM.


RESULTS:



IMCA Hobby Stock A-Feature 1. Jeff Ware Columbus, Ne. 2. Albert Kiihne Lincoln, Ne. 3. Michael Hansen Weeping Water, Ne. 4. Lee Kracht Scribner, Ne. 5. Jamie Richards(r) Rising City, Ne. 6. Brendon Stigge Fairbury, Ne. 7. Brooke Fluckiger Columbus, Ne. 8. John Cain Homer, Ne. 9. Don Hall Jr Lincoln, Ne. 10. Brint Lemke Lincoln, Ne. 11. Colby Kaspar Columbus, Ne. 12. Ryan Sutter Rock Port, Mo. 13. Adam Wasserman Fairbury, Ne. 14. Ryan Gilland Sterling, Ne. 15. David Carter Fremont, Ne. 16. Ben Becher Lincoln, Ne. 17. Tim Lapointe Lincoln, Ne. 18. Roy Armstrong Beatrice, Ne. 19. Michael Wade Dorchester, Ne. DNS. Ryan Roschewski Beatrice, Ne.

IMCA Hobby Stock B-Feature 1. Roy Armstrong Beatrice, Ne. 2. John Cain Homer, Ne. 3. Adam Wasserman Fairbury, Ne. 4. Ben Becher Lincoln, Ne. 5. Tyler Jackson Lincoln, Ne. 6. Nick Beckman Lincoln, Ne. 7. Brian Lemke Geneva, Ne. 8. Neil Pella Adams, Ne. 9. Kile Casteel Roca, Ne. 10. Charlie Bartels Lincoln, Ne.

IMCA Hobby Stock C-Feature 1. Tyler Jackson Lincoln, Ne. 2. Neil Pella Adams, Ne. 3. Khrysta Stransky Lincoln, Ne. 4. Matt Beckner Lincoln, Ne. 5. Kyle Schamp(r) Lincoln, Ne. 6. Brad Schreiner Weeping Water, Ne. 7. Jared Jackson Lincoln, Ne. 8. Cole Krichau Lincoln, Ne. 9. Jeff Oehm(r) Eagle, Ne. 10. Chantel Bade Lincoln, Ne. 11. Jamie Bruce Lincoln, Ne. DNS. Jeff Watts Beatrice, Ne.

IMCA Hobby Stock Heat 1 1. Albert Kiihne Lincoln, Ne. 2. Jamie Richards(r) Rising City, Ne. 3. Brint Lemke Lincoln, Ne. 4. David Carter Fremont, Ne. 5. Roy Armstrong Beatrice, Ne. 6. John Cain Homer, Ne. 7. Jared Jackson Lincoln, Ne. 8. Jeff Watts Beatrice, Ne. 9. Khrysta Stransky Lincoln, Ne.

IMCA Hobby Stock Heat 2 1. Michael Wade Dorchester, Ne. 2. Jeff Ware Columbus, Ne. 3. Lee Kracht Scribner, Ne. 4. Brooke Fluckiger Columbus, Ne. 5. Adam Wasserman Fairbury, Ne. 6. Kile Casteel Roca, Ne. 7. Brad Schreiner Weeping Water, Ne. 8. Jeff Oehm(r) Eagle, Ne. 9. Jamie Bruce Lincoln, Ne.

IMCA Hobby Stock Heat 3 1. Don Hall Jr Lincoln, Ne. 2. Tim Lapointe Lincoln, Ne. 3. Ryan Roschewski Beatrice, Ne. 4. Colby Kaspar Columbus, Ne. 5. Ben Becher Lincoln, Ne. 6. Nick Beckman Lincoln, Ne. 7. Tyler Jackson Lincoln, Ne. 8. Neil Pella Adams, Ne. 9. Cole Krichau Lincoln, Ne.

IMCA Hobby Stock Heat 4 1. Brendon Stigge Fairbury, Ne. 2. Michael Hansen Weeping Water, Ne. 3. Ryan Gilland Sterling, Ne. 4. Ryan Sutter Rock Port, Mo. 5. Brian Lemke Geneva, Ne. 6. Charlie Bartels Lincoln, Ne. 7. Matt Beckner Lincoln, Ne. 8. Chantel Bade Lincoln, Ne. 9. Kyle Schamp(r) Lincoln, Ne.

IMCA Modified A-Feature 1. Jordan Grabouski(r) Beatrice, Ne. 2. Anthony Roth Columbus, Ne. 3. Shane Hiatt Rising City, Ne. 4. Mike Densberger Lincoln, Ne. 5. Jaxon Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 6. Chad Andersen Ft Calhoun, Ne. 7. Jared Hoefelman Humphrey, Ne. 8. Brandon Spanjer Crete, Ne. 9. Clint Homan Bellevue, Ne. 10. Johnny Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 11. Scott Smith Davenport, Ne. 12. Rik Gropp Lincoln, Ne. 13. Nate Thompson Fremont, Ne. 14. Terry Hurt Ft. Calhoun, Ne. 15. Aaron Pella Lincoln, Ne. 16. Scott Bivens Ceresco, Ne. 17. Bob Zoubek Dorchester, Ne. 18. Kale Smith Davenport, Ne. 19. Justin Wulf Arlington, Ne. 20. Josh Blumer Marysville, Ne.

IMCA Modified B-Feature 1. Rik Gropp Lincoln, Ne. 2. Nate Thompson Fremont, Ne. 3. Kale Smith Davenport, Ne. 4. Scott Bivens Ceresco, Ne. 5. Mike Lineberry Omaha, Ne. 6. Josh Kennell 7. Norm Ziegenbein Lincoln, Ne. 8. Jeff Schroyer(r) Elkhorn, Ne. 9. Trey Duensing(r) Byron, Ne. 10. Bob Ruisinger Bennet, Ne.

IMCA Modified C-Feature 1. Mike Lineberry Omaha, Ne. 2. Norm Ziegenbein Lincoln, Ne. 3. Andrew Bowman Lincoln, Ne. 4. Brandon Verbeek Hickman, Ne. 5. Kyle Owen(r) Nebraska City, Ne. 6. Ryan Sample(r) Lincoln, Ne. 7. Travis Patterson(r) Lincoln, Ne. 8. Nick Snyder(r) Beatrice, Ne. 9. Jared Deterding Lincoln, Ne. 10. Nick Frey(r) Fremont, Ne.

IMCA Modified Heat 1 1. Mike Densberger Lincoln, Ne. 2. Josh Blumer Marysville, Ne. 3. Jaxon Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 4. Brandon Spanjer Crete, Ne. 5. Scott Bivens Ceresco, Ne. 6. Jeff Schroyer(r) Elkhorn, Ne. 7. Mike Lineberry Omaha, Ne. 8. Brandon Verbeek Hickman, Ne. 9. Nick Frey(r) Fremont, Ne.

IMCA Modified Heat 2 1. Shane Hiatt Rising City, Ne. 2. Justin Wulf Arlington, Ne. 3. Aaron Pella Lincoln, Ne. 4. Terry Hurt Ft. Calhoun, Ne. 5. Kale Smith Davenport, Ne. 6. Bob Ruisinger Bennet, Ne. 7. Nick Snyder(r) Beatrice, Ne. DNS. Jared Deterding Lincoln, Ne. DNS. Kyle Owen(r) Nebraska City, Ne.

IMCA Modified Heat 3 1. Jared Hoefelman Humphrey, Ne. 2. Jordan Grabouski(r) Beatrice, Ne. 3. Scott Smith Davenport, Ne. 4. Bob Zoubek Dorchester, Ne. 5. Nate Thompson Fremont, Ne. 6. Trey Duensing(r) Byron, Ne. 7. Travis Patterson(r) Lincoln, Ne. 8. Norm Ziegenbein Lincoln, Ne.

IMCA Modified Heat 4 1. Anthony Roth Columbus, Ne. 2. Chad Andersen Ft Calhoun, Ne. 3. Clint Homan Bellevue, Ne. 4. Johnny Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 5. Rik Gropp Lincoln, Ne. 6. Josh Kennell 7. Ryan Sample(r) Lincoln, Ne. 8. Andrew Bowman Lincoln, Ne.

IMCA Sport Compact A-Feature 1. Dillon Richards Beatrice, Ne. 2. Nick Lindblad Beatrice, Ne. 3. Rj Maas Wilber, Ne. 4. Brad Gallagher Louisville, Ne. 5. Drake Bohlmeyer Beatrice, Ne. 6. Devin Bruce Bennet, Ne. 7. Jacob Schwab Cordova, Ne. 8. Tyler Masek Raymond, Ne. 9. Tim Horsham Raymond, Ne. 10. Dan Markham Plattsmouth, Ne. 11. Jeremy Bohlen Percival, Ia. 12. Noah Boller Beatrice, Ne. 13. Justin Brown Beatrice, Ne. 14. Bryce Walker Omaha, Ne. 15. Michelle Nicholson Ashland, Ne. 16. Steve Phillips(r) Lincoln, Ne. 17. Josh Young Beatrice, Ne. 18. Ryan Schwab Cordova, Ne. 19. Ramsey Meyer Pierce, Ne. DNS. Thomas Powell Hickman, Ne.

IMCA Sport Compact B-Feature 1. Justin Brown Beatrice, Ne. 2. Michelle Nicholson Ashland, Ne. 3. Jeremy Bohlen Percival, Ia. 4. Ryan Schwab Cordova, Ne. 5. Bryce Walker Omaha, Ne. 6. Jeff Zimmerman York, Ne. 7. Brayden Weller 8. Ray Harrington Lincoln, Ne. 9. Matthew Kempkes Omaha, Ne. 10. Kasha Hall Lincoln, Ne. 11. Devin Masek(r) Raymond, Ne. DNS. Adam Reifler Lincoln, Ne. DNS. Leah Penney(r) Hickman, Ne.

IMCA Sport Compact Heat 1 1. Rj Maas Wilber, Ne. 2. Tim Horsham Raymond, Ne. 3. Jacob Schwab Cordova, Ne. 4. Drake Bohlmeyer Beatrice, Ne. 5. Steve Phillips(r) Lincoln, Ne. 6. Adam Reifler Lincoln, Ne. 7. Ryan Schwab Cordova, Ne. 8. Leah Penney(r) Hickman, Ne. 9. Brayden Weller 10. Bryce Walker Omaha, Ne.

IMCA Sport Compact Heat 2 1. Brad Gallagher Louisville, Ne. 2. Devin Bruce Bennet, Ne. 3. Dillon Richards Beatrice, Ne. 4. Thomas Powell Hickman, Ne. 5. Dan Markham Plattsmouth, Ne. 6. Jeff Zimmerman York, Ne. 7. Michelle Nicholson Ashland, Ne. 8. Kasha Hall Lincoln, Ne. 9. Devin Masek(r) Raymond, Ne.

IMCA Sport Compact Heat 3 1. Nick Lindblad Beatrice, Ne. 2. Ramsey Meyer Pierce, Ne. 3. Josh Young Beatrice, Ne. 4. Tyler Masek Raymond, Ne. 5. Noah Boller Beatrice, Ne. 6. Justin Brown Beatrice, Ne. 7. Matthew Kempkes Omaha, Ne. 8. Ray Harrington Lincoln, Ne. 9. Jeremy Bohlen Percival, Ia.

IMCA SportMod A-Feature 1. Shawn Harker Nebraska City, Ne. 2. Arie Schouten Omaha, Ne. 3. Adam Armstong Pickrell, Ne. 4. Trevor Baker Crete, Ne. 5. Lee Horky Fairbury, Ne. 6. Devyn Peterson Milford, Ne. 7. Adam Vrbka Eagle, Ne. 8. Cole Wayman Lincoln, Ne. 9. Matthew Andrews Malcolm, Ne. 10. Joe Feyen Plattsmouth, Ne. 11. Ahnna Schouten Omaha, Ne. 12. Trevor Noonan Dorchester, Ne. 13. Tyler Nerud Dorchester, Ne. 14. Mary Lenz Lincoln, Ne. 15. Jeremy Baker Nebraska City, Ne. 16. Dion Kovar Rising City, Ne. 17. Hunter Weber Council Bluffs, Ne. 18. Braydon Latture Omaha, Ne. 19. Rich Flock Malcolm, Ne. 20. Roger Sluka Lincoln, Ne.

IMCA SportMod B-Feature 1. Mary Lenz Lincoln, Ne. 2. Matthew Andrews Malcolm, Ne. 3. Hunter Weber Council Bluffs, Ne. 4. Trevor Noonan Dorchester, Ne. 5. Braydon Latture Omaha, Ne. 6. Lane Cornwell Newman Brave, Ne. 7. Gary Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 8. Michael Sherwood Beatrice, Ne. 9. Mike Scheinost Ceresco, Ne. 10. Cory McGann Ellis, Ks. 11. Randy Fox Lincoln, Ne. 12. Noah Williams(r) Ashland, Ne.

IMCA SportMod C-Feature 1. Randy Fox Lincoln, Ne. 2. Gary Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 3. Ryan Arbogast Goeher, Ne. 4. Sean Manning Bennington, Ne. 5. Mark Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 6. Breanna Pfanstiel Lincoln, Ne. 7. Dane Martindale(r) Lincoln, Ne. 8. Bobby Draper Valparaiso, Ne. 9. Derek Hall Lincoln, Ne. 10. Amber Cook Lincoln, Ne. 11. James Hines Bellevue, Ne. DNS. Jeremy Down Nebraska City, Ne.

IMCA SportMod D-Feature 1. Mark Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 2. Derek Hall Lincoln, Ne. 3. Nick Morris Bellevue, Ne. 4. McLain Reed(r) Lincoln, Ne. 5. Shawn Davis Burr, Ne. 6. Daniel Morris Bellevue, Ne. 7. Michael Towle(r) Douglas, Ne. 8. Joe Schidler Omaha, Ne. 9. Shawn Hein(r) Beatrice, Ne. 10. Shawn Pospisil(r) Lincoln, Ne. 11. Steffen Oaks(r) Lincoln, Ne. 12. Terry Callender Lincoln, Ne. DNS. David Sherwood Beatrice, Ne. DNS. Melissa Knecht Omaha, Ne.

IMCA SportMod Heat 1 1. Devyn Peterson Milford, Ne. 2. Lee Horky Fairbury, Ne. 3. Adam Armstong Pickrell, Ne. 4. Michael Sherwood Beatrice, Ne. 5. Lane Cornwell Newman Brave, Ne. 6. Jeremy Down Nebraska City, Ne. 7. Dane Martindale(r) Lincoln, Ne. 8. David Sherwood Beatrice, Ne. 9. Daniel Morris Bellevue, Ne. 10. Joe Schidler Omaha, Ne.

IMCA SportMod Heat 2 1. Roger Sluka Lincoln, Ne. 2. Cole Wayman Lincoln, Ne. 3. Ahnna Schouten Omaha, Ne. 4. Mary Lenz Lincoln, Ne. 5. Braydon Latture Omaha, Ne. 6. Randy Fox Lincoln, Ne. 7. Bobby Draper Valparaiso, Ne. 8. Mark Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 9. Shawn Hein(r) Beatrice, Ne. 10. Terry Callender Lincoln, Ne.

IMCA SportMod Heat 3 1. Shawn Harker Nebraska City, Ne. 2. Joe Feyen Plattsmouth, Ne. 3. Rich Flock Malcolm, Ne. 4. Mike Scheinost Ceresco, Ne. 5. Noah Williams(r) Ashland, Ne. 6. Gary Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 7. Breanna Pfanstiel Lincoln, Ne. 8. Shawn Pospisil(r) Lincoln, Ne. 9. Steffen Oaks(r) Lincoln, Ne. 10. McLain Reed(r) Lincoln, Ne.

IMCA SportMod Heat 4 1. Arie Schouten Omaha, Ne. 2. Jeremy Baker Nebraska City, Ne. 3. Adam Vrbka Eagle, Ne. 4. Hunter Weber Council Bluffs, Ne. 5. Cory McGann Ellis, Ks. 6. Sean Manning Bennington, Ne. 7. James Hines Bellevue, Ne. 8. Michael Towle(r) Douglas, Ne. 9. Melissa Knecht Omaha, Ne. 10. Derek Hall Lincoln, Ne.

IMCA SportMod Heat 5 1. Dion Kovar Rising City, Ne. 2. Trevor Baker Crete, Ne. 3. Tyler Nerud Dorchester, Ne. 4. Matthew Andrews Malcolm, Ne. 5. Trevor Noonan Dorchester, Ne. 6. Ryan Arbogast Goeher, Ne. 7. Amber Cook Lincoln, Ne. 8. Shawn Davis Burr, Ne. 9. Nick Morris Bellevue, Ne.

IMCA Sprint A-Feature 1. Stuart Snyder Lincoln, Ne. 2. Trevor Grossenbacher Panama, Ne. 3. Adam Gullion Lincoln, Ne. 4. Jason Danley Lincoln, Ne. 5. Joey Danley Lincoln, Ne. 6. Ryan King Bennet, Ne. 7. Zach Blurton Quinter, Ks. 8. Shon Pointer Grand Island, Ne. 9. Tyler Drueke Eagle, Ne. 10. Trey Gropp Lincoln, Ne. 11. Nathan Weiler Lavista, Ne. 12. Jordan Grabouski(r) Beatrice, Ne. 13. Doug Lovegrove Waverly, Ne. 14. Toby Chapman Panama, Ne. 15. Gene Ackland Martell, Ne. 16. Mike Boston Lincoln, Ne. 17. Clint Benson Papillion, Ne. 18. Jay Russell Elmwood, Ks. 19. Josh Riggins(r) Lincoln, Ne. 20. Boyd Peterson Ithaca, Ne.

IMCA Sprint B-Feature 1. Toby Chapman Panama, Ne. 2. Mike Boston Lincoln, Ne. 3. Clint Benson Papillion, Ne. 4. Josh Riggins(r) Lincoln, Ne. 5. Shayle Bade Lincoln, Ne. 6. Neil Nickolite Bellwood, Ne. 7. Tim Hilfiker Greenwood, Ne. 8. Rich Cerveny(r) Omaha, Ne. 9. Troy Sanford(r) Lincoln, Ne. 10. Mark Vanderheiden Papillion, Ne.

IMCA Sprint C-Feature 1. Shayle Bade Lincoln, Ne. 2. Mike Boston Lincoln, Ne. 3. Chase Weiler Lincoln, Ne. 4. Gunnar Pike(r) South Bend, Ne. 5. Alex Salzman Lincoln, Ne. 6. Tim Fricke Lincoln, Ne. 7. Brandon Horton Waterloo, Ne. 8. Jason Miller Omaha, Ne. DNS. Andrew Jackson Fremont, Ne.

IMCA Sprint Heat 1 1. Trevor Grossenbacher Panama, Ne. 2. Nathan Weiler Lavista, Ne. 3. Trey Gropp Lincoln, Ne. 4. Gene Ackland Martell, Ne. 5. Toby Chapman Panama, Ne. 6. Neil Nickolite Bellwood, Ne. 7. Shayle Bade Lincoln, Ne. 8. Gunnar Pike(r) South Bend, Ne. 9. Brandon Horton Waterloo, Ne.

IMCA Sprint Heat 2 1. Jason Danley Lincoln, Ne. 2. Jordan Grabouski(r) Beatrice, Ne. 3. Jay Russell Elmwood, Ks. 4. Doug Lovegrove Waverly, Ne. 5. Rich Cerveny(r) Omaha, Ne. 6. Troy Sanford(r) Lincoln, Ne. 7. Andrew Jackson Fremont, Ne. 8. Alex Salzman Lincoln, Ne.

IMCA Sprint Heat 3 1. Ryan King Bennet, Ne. 2. Shon Pointer Grand Island, Ne. 3. Zach Blurton Quinter, Ks. 4. Boyd Peterson Ithaca, Ne. 5. Clint Benson Papillion, Ne. 6. Tim Hilfiker Greenwood, Ne. 7. Mike Boston Lincoln, Ne. 8. Jason Miller Omaha, Ne.

IMCA Sprint Heat 4 1. Stuart Snyder Lincoln, Ne. 2. Joey Danley Lincoln, Ne. 3. Adam Gullion Lincoln, Ne. 4. Tyler Drueke Eagle, Ne. 5. Josh Riggins(r) Lincoln, Ne. 6. Mark Vanderheiden Papillion, Ne. 7. Chase Weiler Lincoln, Ne. 8. Tim Fricke Lincoln, Ne.

Darren Knudson

I wanted to share the complete article that I wrote for Dirt Monthly Magazine about a friend of mine, Darren Knudson. When I originally approached Darren he agreed to be interviewed, but he told me that he didn't think that he had anything to say that anyone would want to hear.

Well, after a little over a half hour on the phone, I wrote the article that you see below.

I truly enjoy letting people know about those in my racing family who never get the spotlight put on them. People like World of Outlaws drivers, the big name Late Model drivers, etc. all get plenty of publicity. But you never read about the low-budget racers, the people who work on the cars or the behind the scenes people in general. I try to remedy that oversight.

I hope you enjoy this latest offering of mine.


Are sprint car people born, or do they learn to love the sport as they grow up? In the case of 53-year old Darren Knudson from Lincoln Nebraska, I would have to guess that he was born to the sport. In fact, he was at the races before he was born and made his first actual appearance at a very early age.


“My parents took me to Eagle Raceway when I was just 6 days old on September 18^th, 1965. I grew up at the racetrack. My mom was a big race fan and Dad worked on lots of cars throughout the time I was growing up. We always had somebody’s race car at my house. Mom and Dad took me to all kinds of races. The way that I learned my numbers and colors was from the race cars. Somebody would ask me what somebody’s car number was, or what color it was when I was a kid. And that kind of thing was how I leaned numbers and colors. I was always around different drivers, different car owners, guys who did chassis set-ups. I learned a little bit here and a little bit there. Eventually I learned enough to start going out on my own and setting up a car at 21”.


His racing education grew quickly. “My father was working on the #23 car owned by Roger Abbott that George Odvody was driving. I believe that it was a CAE sprint car and was one of, if not the first sprint car that ran around here. At that time, they were running what they called supermodifieds, which were just Model A’s and ’32 Fords modified to race. At 79 he’s still working on the 360 car that Tadd Holliman drives. During the Racesaver IMCA Nationals he helps out Jeremy Schultz from Minnesota and off and on he works with Bill Garrow on his Racesaver sprint. In the past he’s worked on cars driven by Regan Kitchen, JJ Riggins, Lloyd Beckman, Don Maxwell. In fact, the #7 410 sprinter owned by Jim Gessford was the first car that I ever worked on with him. I started working with Dad back in ’77 or ’78 when I was 11 or 12 years old. By the time that I was old enough that they could sneak me into the pits I was all about doing that. I kind of helped out a little bit; rolling tires around and things like that”.


As you can see, Darren got his love of sprint cars naturally from his parents and has never lost it, no matter what happened. “When I was helping with the #7, we ran all over, even with the World of Outlaws. I think it was 1980 and Gessford had bought a new Stanton chassis. Mike Schaeffer was driving it at Knoxville. He got into turn 1 too high and completely destroyed the car its first night out. So, Jim bought one of the very last cars built by Don Maxwell. He put Roger Rager in the car to drive it at Peoria, Illinois on Friday night and at Knoxville on Saturday and follow that with a daytime Outlaw show at Sunset Speedway on Sunday. We got to Des Moines and it had been raining for quite a while, so we decided to stay there. The Peoria show eventually rained out. Saturday, we had mechanical issues and never got to finish a race at Knoxville. Then Sunday Don Maxwell showed up at Sunset and gave us some advice because the track was really, really dry-slick. It had rained, so they bladed off the top layer of mud. There was a 4 to 5-inch-tall cushion up top in 1 and 2 and it was super heavy up there, but the rest of the track was bone dry. We came out of the B Feature and started dead last in the A. At the drop of the green flag everybody dove for the bottom of the track and wherever you were in that line was where you were stuck. Everybody except for Rager that is, because he was CRAZY!! He was running the outside of the race track the whole way and nobody else dared to go out there. I don’t know how he did it, other than he was a great driver. He would come out of 2, and there was no wall back there; just a dirt bank. If you went over that bank it was a 20-foot drop! He was going down the back stretch with 2 tires off the track and all we could see from the infield was the top wing. He was passing cars down the back stretch like that and all the color drained out of Gessford’s face because he was thinking “My second brand new race car is going to be destroyed the second time it’s on the track!!”. Rager ended up going from last to fourth and he probably would have won that feature if he had a couple more laps. One other time there was a bounty on Doug Wolfgang up at Knoxville and we dug out an old 1969 Grant King car that had won the Nationals. Gessford called up Lloyd Beckman and asked if he would be willing to drive it. Lloyd hadn’t driven a sprinter in over a year and hadn’t been to Knoxville in quite a while, but he said “Sure! Let’s go get that bounty”. So, Jim called my Dad and I, picked us up and we ended up taking home the $500 bounty using a 10-year-old car!!”.


His first solo job working on a sprint came when Ron Towle, a local who raced at Eagle Raceway, called him and asked for help setting up his  #351 that had just a stock 351 Ford motor in it. Now, he works on several different cars; both a 360 and two Racesaver sprints. “I really enjoy working on both kinds of cars. I can’t say I like one more than the other. Right now, we’re having motor issues with the 360 that Tadd Holliman runs. We’re getting out-motored really badly! That’s just a money deal to a certain extent. But I’ve gone racing with Tadd for so many years that I always have a good time racing. I enjoy being around Terry and Dan so much. Tadd and I are buddies, and it seems like we’ve been racing together for decades, but it’s only 12 or 15 years. Whether it’s racing the 360 or going to the Chili Bowl and working on his midget; I’m a big Tadd Holliman fan and it’s just lots of fun. With the Racesavers I’m doing the set-ups and everything and just having a great time. With Jeremy Schultz, he’s not very experienced yet. It’s fun to work with him and watch him get better. Since he’s up in Minnesota I only get to actually work with him in person 3 or 4 times a year at the Racesaver IMCA Nationals. To see how he’s progressed is a great time. Working with Bill and Rick Garrow has been fun too. They own the car and Bill drives it. I went to high school with Rick actually, so I’ve known him forever. To show you what good people they are, they let us borrow their whole race car one night when the 360’s were still running weekly at Eagle Raceway. Terry Holliman was in the points battle and we had trouble with his car one week. They let Terry drive their car in the A Feature so that he could save as many points as possible. They never asked anyone for help with set-ups or anything; they were just learning as they went along. It was almost like they didn’t want to bother anybody by asking questions. So, since we weren’t running the 360 weekly, I got bored. I would watch them run and then tell them “Hey! I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes or anything, but your car is doing such and such and you might want to try this. They knew that I’d been around racing a long time, and had some success in the business, even running second in the Racesaver IMCA Nationals with Tadd driving. They took some of my suggestions and kept progressing. Bill never really had a consistent race car, so even if he was supposed to start on the pole he wouldn’t because he wasn’t sure what the car would do. But now, he’s gotten used to having a good car and he’s gotten good enough that he will run up on the cushion with the best of them. I think I may have created a monster, but it’s sure been fun watching him get better. I could probably have worked on a car that was faster, but letting Bill figure out how good a driver he can be is lots more satisfying”.


When I asked what his greatest thrill was out of his entire career was, he said “There are probably two that are all really close to being the biggest. The first feature that Tadd won was the first feature that I’d won setting up the car by myself. We were leading the feature with Tadd running the bottom of the track. This was the first time that Tadd was leading that late in the race and I think he just overdrove the car in the corners 2 laps in a row on a night when you had to be patient and hug the bottom. Four cars got by us on the outside. Tadd got back to fourth and then two laps later going into turn three the top three cars crashed each other out. They had an open red flag so they could check on the drivers and clear the track. I went down and talked to Tadd a little bit, and I told him that what he had been doing was going to win the race if he kept it up. I also told him that I tightened the car up a little bit to make it drive better for him. All I really did was walk to the back of the car and stand there for a few minutes. That gave him the time to settle down and have the confidence that he was going to be fine. I went back and told him that I changed the set-up and that he was going to be good from there on. Basically, I just adjusted the nut behind the wheel instead of actually doing anything to the race car. The other best night was the first time that Tadd ran the Racesaver IMCA Nationals. Friday night was the first qualifying night and we went out and won our heat race. We led every lap of the A Feature and just annihilated the field that night. We ran several laps just off the track record and there was only one other car that ran even one lap close to that. We ended up winning by over a straightaway against the best Racesaver drivers in the country on a really heavy track! Then on Sunday we ended up running second to Jack Dover on a dry-slick track. It was so nice to show what we could do two different nights on two completely different types of tracks”.


Darren’s plans for next year are to keep doing what he enjoys so much. “I’ll be helping Tadd run his 360. Hopefully we’ve got a little motor upgrade coming so that we can be a little more competitive. I’ll be assisting Jeremy as much as possible. Most of what I do with him is over the phone until the Racesaver Nationals which is a weird way to set-up a race car. I have gone up to Minnesota to some of the tracks that he runs so I’m a little bit familiar with them. I’m familiar enough with Jeremy and what he does and doesn’t like that I can give him advice on shocks and stuff once he tells me what the track is like. Then I’ll help him out at the Nationals of course. Plus, I’ll be working with the Garrows as much as possible. Depending on what night Tadd qualifies at the Chili Bowl I might run down to Tulsa and work on his midget. I will be plenty busy but loving every minute of it!!”.

Tige Jensen

The common way to get into sprint car racing today is to start out in go-karts, move up to micro or mini-sprints and after a few years to jump into a full-sized sprinter. Well, that’s not how 35-year-old Tige Jensen from Lincoln, Nebraska got into our favorite sport.

"I believe that I was 21 when I first started racing. I jumped right into a 360 sprint car; although looking back, knowing that I wanted to race I probably would have gone down the road of go-karts, then mini-sprints and that whole deal". 

Tige's racing roots go back a LONG time, as his father Lonnie was a fixture on lots of racetracks around the area. The midwest’s own "Black Bandit" not only ran all over but won wherever he went. "I think that Dad raced for 41 or 42 years altogether. I think that they called them super-modifieds back when he started”. Lonnie’s career included championships in the BCRA twice and NMRA three times as well as track points wins at Beatrice Speedway, Midwest Speedway (2), Eagle Raceway (4) and Knoxville Raceway (3). Victories at the 1/3 Mile Nationals, the Nebraska Triple Crown and the Modified Sprint National Championship also were captured by him.

It would seem to be a no-brainer as to where Tige got the racing bug. ”Ever since I was born the weekends were spent at the race track. Dad raced full time from 1960 to1976. Then again from 1981 thru 2000. Even racing in as late as 2008 in the Knoxville Raceway Masters Classic in my car. Driving never really crossed my mind until the 2002 season when Toby Chapman approached me asking if I wanted to split driving duties with him”. That all came about because of a wrecked race car. "In the winter of 2001 Toby Chapman approached me because he had used one of my Dad's cars back in the late 90's and that car ended up getting bent up pretty good. So, he felt like he owed my Dad a car. He approached me at the time and said 'Hey! Do you want to drive at Eagle Raceway and I'll run the car at the shows away from Eagle?'. That first year Toby and I split the driving duties. I believe I ran 12 shows at Eagle and he ran another 12 shows out on the road. Same car and everything. And, that’s how I got my start in sprint car racing. After the 2002 season he gave me the car and my full-time racing began. With the help of Gary and Adam Grossenbacher and Brian Bailey we were able to put together a decent operation to run regional races (Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, Kansas and Missouri). Gary and Adam were supplying the engines and Brian and myself were getting the cars ready to go".

Unfortunately, in August of 2004, tragedy struck Jensen. While racing at Junction Motor Speedway he made very hard contact with the opening in the back-stretch wall that led to the pits. “That crash at McCool junction almost took my life. During the accident it cut the car in half. My feet were hanging out of the motor plate. The Engine flew about 30 yards down the track. I broke both legs, crushed my left ankle, and broke my right arm. I was in the hospital for 4 weeks and did physical therapy for over 2 years on my ankle.   I don’t remember much about the crash. The last thing I remember was buckling up for the heat race that night. Next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital in Lincoln”.

When he finally recovered he hopped right back into the race car. He remained a fixture at 'America's Home Track' for quite a while. "I was pretty loyal to Eagle Raceway until they switched over to the Racesaver sprints. We had to make a decision whether to sell the 360's or keep what we had and travel a little bit more. We ended up keeping the 360 stuff and travelling. We continued this arrangement until 2011 when Gary passed away. We did run a couple more seasons but ended up selling off our components after the 2013 season. After the season the 3 of us sat down and discussed future plans. The time sacrificed away from our families was a big part of our decision to get out of it”.

But, being a racer at heart, he couldn’t resist the temptation to compete again. When I asked why, after 4 years, he decided to start racing a sprinter again, he said "It was kind of opportunity, I guess. I had always told my wife that I would like to drive again. I didn't want to have to spend as much time working on the car, have the expense involved of putting cars together and things like that. Getting back involved with racing just kind of happened with Ivan Tracy. I had heard he had put a new car together and was possibly looking at selling it. After a couple exchanged phone calls between him and I we came to an agreement that I would drive his car for the IMCA Racesaver series in 2018. It will be a lot less time commitment with driving for someone else. Ivan has had some successful drivers in the past. I'm hoping we can keep the winning tradition that his team and my team will bring to the table. Brian Bailey has agreed to help during the season, which puts my mind at ease. He has helped me from day one and I trust him with everything. I'm sure Ivan and I will get to a point like that, but in the meantime I'm excited to race for him and learn his tendencies with set ups”.

Ivan Tracy from Waco, Nebraska has been around the sport of auto racing for quite a while now. "I raced for a couple of years in high school. I raced a '55 Ford Hobby Stock. Back in those days the gear heads always hung together. I went to school in Sutton, and Delmar Friesen was racing, and it just kind of happened that I started too". After a short stint racing himself, he decided to be a car owner. “I found out at an early age that I wasn't cut out to be a driver. I was a good driver, but I just felt like I was on the interstate and every time somebody bumped me I felt like 'OH! I gotta get that guy!!!'. So, I just kind of got out of driving”. Over the years Tracy fielded cars for several local legends including Joe Wade, Regan Kitchen and Ray Lee Goodwin Jr. “I more or less put everything away and stayed away from everything until last year. I put an Eagle together with a Racesaver engine that I built”.

“While I was in Arizona last winter I got to thinking about Tige, or he must have been thinking about me. So, I called him and asked if he'd ever thought about driving a sprint again and he said, 'I'd love to, if I had good equipment'. I said, 'What about driving my black 12?', to which he replied 'Well, YEAH! That would be great'. When I got back to Nebraska we got together, got his seat put in and got the cockpit all set up for him”.

His expectations for the year after having sat out for a few years? "Actually, we're not even going to race a full season. If my son has something going on a Saturday night, or if Ivan's grandkids have something, we just won't race. We're not chasing points or anything, so it's a laid-back schedule. In fact, we don't even have all of the dates written down yet. As far as goals wise, I know I'll be rusty getting back into it. Realistically, if I make the feature on the second night in, I'll be happy”. He's been making sure that people know about his return though. "We've put it out there on Facebook and everything. We've had a lot of support with people who have helped me out in the past reaching out to us again. It will be great getting back out there; seeing our old friends again. It will be fun taking my son out there. Hopefully he'll be into it. I've never really completely gotten away from racing; we've gone out there probably half of the season to watch the races at Eagle. I'm still a fan!". Now he's a fan and a racer again. 

Here's wishing this new team-up a fun and successful year! I for one will be looking forward to seeing this second-generation Jensen flying around the high banks of Eagle Raceway in a black sprinter, much like his father did all those years ago. 

2018 Racesaver Champion

They say that a champion is defined by their competition. In both Major League Baseball and the NBA you have to overcome 29 other teams, the NFL has 32 other entities that you must beat and in the NHL you must be better than 30 other groups of players. In the RaceSaver sprint cars for 2018, you had to beat out a total of 700 drivers who competed in 344 races at 61 different tracks and ran in 9 different Racesaver series in 17 states!!

Now; although sprint car racers are a part of a team, the final and deciding factor in winning in the sport is the driver. When you strap into the cockpit there aren’t 4, 5, or 10 others to pick up your slack. There are no backups sitting on the bench ready to take over for you if need be. There is just one driver in that cockpit, and at the end of the season only one of those drivers can claim the title of champion. The Racesaver IMCA Sprint Car champion for 2018 was Kevin Ramey from Kennedale, Texas.

The first driver to win both the National points and RaceSaver Nationals titles, Ramey scored 18 feature wins this year. He also topped the point standings at Devil’s Bowl Speedway and RPM Speedway and snagged his first Texas State championship.

Ramey is a bit of a throw-back to the way sprint car racers used to be. He runs hard, parties hard, races clean and wins wherever he races. A better champion and representative of the Racesaver IMCA Sprint Cars could not be found!!!

Ramey, 49, originally started out in an economy late model class in 1985 before switching to a sprint car in 1993. He won the NCRA championship in 1994; just his second year in a sprinter. He switched to the Racesaver class in 2013 and has been running the class ever since. “We didn’t really want to travel a long way or spend a lot of time on the road looking for places to race the 360. I’d had a lot of fun, but it was time to scale back. I promoted a little bit at Kennedale Speedway Park. I’d like to get into the promoting side again because I really enjoy that. Eventually I think that’s where I want to end up when I’m done racing, to see if I can give back to the sport that way. I ended up selling all of my 360 equipment and we run the Racesaver stuff exclusively”.

Ramey’s season was a busy one, running at numerous tracks. “We raced at RPM Speedway, at Devils Bowl and Mesquite weekly. We went up to Meeker and over to Ardmore a couple of times. We ran the race at Belleville, went to Thayer County right before Belleville and of course we were at the Racesaver Nationals at Eagle Raceway”.

I asked if they had intended to run for the championship and he said “No, not really. When we started out the season we were just going to do some hit and miss stuff. I had built a stock car for my son and another guy and I was just going to see how it worked out. If we were high enough in the points at that point we would do the points, but we ended up getting rained out so much early in the season that we didn’t really get to race a whole lot. Once we finally got started we were having a lot of success, so it just took off from there”. To say that they had success is an understatement as his 18 wins came in just 31 starts!

I then inquired about his plans for the future. “Just to get to this banquet (The IMCA Championship banquet on November 23^rd) first and get that done. We’ve got a couple of cars that we’re dragging to the Chili Bowl and putting a couple of good little drivers in those. We haven’t even discussed next year yet to be honest, but as soon as we get this year over with, we’ll go from there. I’m sure we’ll still race. I don’t know if we’ll chase the points or not. I will need to talk with both car owners and see what they want to do. We’ve got some stuff going on at the local tracks down there in Texas; there’s talk about them selling RPM Speedway, so I don’t know where our sprint car division stands there. But, as of right now, we’ll be back running the Racesavers”.

Your 2018 Racesaver IMCA Sprint Car Rookie of the Year was 17-year old Casey Burkham from Crandall, Texas. “I like running the Racesaver series a lot! I started out in a mini-sprint and ran those for a little bit and then we ran a 360 sprint for a guy in a couple of races. Then I jumped into the Racesaver”. He got his first taste of the Racesaver sprints in 6 races last year and liked it so much that he went full-time in 2018.

He competed at several tracks this past season including RPM Speedway, Devils Bowl, Greenville and of course the Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals. “It’s been a lot of fun. We had a few ups and downs, but it’s been a good year, with 1 victory. The Racesaver Nationals was definitely the favorite race I’ve ever been in by far though”.

Next year’s plans include running a Racesaver Sprint car with the Sprint Bandit series. “We’ll run with them a little bit to see how that goes”.

The State and Series Champions for the 2018 Racesaver season were as follows:

Brandon Allen         Minnesota State and Arlington Raceway Champion

Elliot Amdahl           South Dakota State Champion

Ethan Barrow          Indiana Racesaver Sprint Series and Indiana State Champion

Zach Blurton            United Rebel Sprint Series Champion

Tyler Drueke            Eagle Raceway and Nebraska State Champion

Grant Duinkerken  Western Racesaver Sprint Series and California State Champion

Jeff Emerson            Texas Sprint Series Champion

Anthony Harris       Virginia Sprint Series and Virginia State Champion

Mike Houseman     Iowa State Champion

Tommy Johnson     Sabine Motor Speedway and Louisiana State Champion

Jake Martens           Kansas State Champion

Zach Newlin             Pennsylvania Sprint Series and Pennsylvania State Champion

Coby Pearce             Colorado State Champion

Craig Pellegrini Jr.  North Carolina State Champion

Matt Richards         US 36 Raceway and Missouri State Champion

Trey Schmidt           Southern United Sprint Champion

Steven Shebester   Lawton Speedway and Oklahoma State Champion

Andy Shouse            Sprint Series of Oklahoma

Stephen Surniak     Carolina Sprint Tour and South Carolina State Champion

Tim S. Tanner Jr.     Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series and New Jersey State Champion

Cancer blog 12/21/2018

Well, I finally finished my radiation treatments for my prostate cancer! Yesterday was my 44^th and final one.

I have to be honest here and say that when I first found out that I had stage 3 prostate cancer I was scared! I was scared for myself of course, but I think that I was more scared for Linda. We’ve always been there for each other; through thick and thin, in sickness and in health, in the good times and the bad times. Just like the marriage vows say, we were there. All of a sudden, the thought crept into my mind that I might not be there when she needed me.

Also, I was afraid that I might not be able to see my granddaughters grow up. It was possible that I wouldn’t have the opportunity to spend time with my 2 sons and my daughter-in-laws from time to time.

Hell; I didn’t know what I was scared of, but I WAS scared.

My final visit with the oncologist was heartening, thankfully. He said that he considered me in remission and that all I would have to do is keep getting the shots to kill my testosterone every 3 months and get my PSA checked at the same time just so that they could be sure that the cancer didn’t come back.

My final visit was a relief, but at the same time kind of sad. I grew to know all the technicians, the woman who checked me in and several of the other patients. Now I wouldn’t be seeing them anymore. I gave the technicians a card to pass around to everyone there; thanking them for everything they did for me. And, in return they gave me a diploma that they all signed with well wishes. So, all in all, it was a great but sad day,

Also, this week, we got another 4-figure bill for treatments. I do believe that we will be able to meet our insurance deductible!! The bad part is that it’s a week and a half from year end. Oh well; such is life.

I am hoping against hope that now that the treatments are over that I can get back to whatever passes as normal for this old man. I’m struggling to stay awake as I write this in fact. I still am feeling rather weak also. Another bout of the runs the past few days hasn’t helped my attitude either.

I just want to be able to start making some money to help pay the bills!!! I have every hope that at least by the end of the year, or the beginning of next year that can happen.

As always, I thank all of you who are reading this for your well wishes and for keeping both Linda and I in your thoughts and prayers!!

Cancer update 12/11/18

Those of you who are my friends on Facebook may have noticed that I’ve been doing a countdown on there. Well, no countdown today because I got bad news from my radiologist. I had thought that I was down to 4 more treatments to go, but he informed me that I was going to have to go through 44 treatments, not 40!

Originally, he had said I would be having 25 treatments, then a few weeks in he switched it to 40 because I was a ‘Big Guy’ and the treatment he had originally intended to use wasn’t feasible. Now, he informed me that it was going to take 44, not 40. I am upset to say the least, a little disheartened and slightly confused. How can a doctor not keep their patient fully informed?? I just don’t understand it.

Anyway, I feel okay. Still very tired, somewhat weak and am concerned because my blood sugar has been running high. I spoke to the radiologist about the blood sugars, and he said it shouldn’t be due to the radiation treatments. He did say that it may be due to the injection that they give me to kill my testosterone. I have a call into my regular doctor and am waiting on an answer.

Tomorrow I will update my countdown to reflect the correct amount of treatments left. Until then, hold a good thought for me please. And, thank all of you for your good wishes!