Hutchison, Fegley, Saathoff, Kinnersley and Boston in Victory Lane at Christmas in July

By Greg Soukup

Sunny, warm and humid was the weather that greeted a large crowd as they celebrated Christmas in July under at Eagle Raceway Saturday. Several divisions of the Armed Forces were in attendance to assist in collecting donations for the Toys for Tots campaign.

The preliminary events went with no major occurrences.

The NAPA IMCA Sport Modifieds were the first Main Event on the evening, and Cory Hutchison was the first back to the flag stand in his 96C. Close behind were Don Rinke’s 2R, the3T of Nate Thompson and Kevin Anderson in the 22K. Anderson vaulted past both Thompson and Rinke on lap 2 to take the 2nd spot. Rinke got past Anderson the next lap, only to lose the position back to Anderson the next time around. Rinke dropped to the infield the next time around and Dustin Thayer snagged fourth. Rinke was fortunate however, as a yellow flag was thrown for debris on the track, and he rejoined the field. At that time the top 4 were Hutchison, Anderson, Rinke and Thayer. Thayer moved past Rinke on lap 5, only to have to drop out, moving the 5 of Marty Steinbach and Nathan Kobus’ 15 to third and fourth. Gary Saathoff moved around Kobus on lap 8. The next caution came out on lap 11 as Joey Danley slowed in turn 4. Lap 12 saw Anderson pass Hutchison on lap 12. The next circuit Shelley Andersen’s 5V stop in turn 4 to slow the action yet again. Hutchison regained the lead on the restart and Saathoff moved to third the next lap. One last caution came late in the race as a car spun in turns 3 & 4. Hutchison remained in front, but Saathoff got past Anderson on the last lap to take second. The top 4 were Hutchison, Saathoff, Anderson and Max Harder in the 34.

“This was only my second race here at Eagle, so it was great to get a win this soon. It was good clean racing and a lot of fun tonight” Hutchison said. He continued by stating “It’s good to get experience at a new track, especially when everyone races you clean. Just great fun all night long”. Cory concluded the interview with “I need to thank my pit crew for this win tonight, and also my family and all of the fans for coming. Everyone here is so nice, and there’s such great hospitality”. Hutchison’s sponsors include Tony Leonardo Plumbing, Hild Farms, Ultimate Racing Products, Beaver Lake Marina and MidAmerica Motorplex.

Scott Santee’s 42C led the Valentino’s IMCA Hobby Stock A Main at the end of lap 1 with Justin Busboom’s 62, the 18 of Tim LaPointe and Joe Wollenhaupt’s 4W rounding out the top 4. LaPointe took over first on lap 2 as Busboom fell to third. Chad Fegley moved the 13F into third and RJ Macku grabbed fourth on lap3 with his 1R. Lap 6 saw Macku jump up to second as Fegley held onto third. Roy Armstrong cracked the top 4 the next time around in his 6R. Armstrong advanced to third on lap 11 and Macku took the lead 2 laps later as Fegley moved back up to third. Armstrong and Fegley swapped positions on both of the next 2 circuits. As the field took the white flag Fegley leaped all the way into first and Armstrong passed Macku on the final circuit. At the finish it was Fegley, Armstrong, Macku and Busboom.

Fegley started his interview by relating “I want to thank Keith Dragoo for the chance to race, and more importantly for selling his race car and not mine!”. He continued with “It’s fun racing with RJ. I’ve been wanting to do that all year, so I guess I was a little pumped up”. His closing thoughts were “Please tell all of the ladies out there to get yearly mammograms now. Do NOT wait until you are 40. My wife is still recovering from cancer, and she’s nowhere near 40; so don’t wait. Do it tomorrow”. Chad’s sponsors include The Shop Inc., FRE Racing Engines, Sapp Brothers and National Lock and Safe.

Dustin Andersen’s 8A jumped the start of the Rev Honey IMCA Modified A Feature and was put back to row 2. On the restart Andersen made a bold move going into turn 3, resulting in a huge tangle of race cars that included Bob Zoubek’s 5S, the 11AA of Ed Raines, Shane Hiatt’s 21H, the 3 of Chris Alcorn and Dylan Smith’s 95. This resulted in a complete restart. The first official lap saw Roger “Chevy” Hadan’s #4 in the lead followed by Justin Wulf’s 86, the 96J of Johnny Saathoff and Dan Nelson in the 94. Saathoff passed Wulf on lap 3, but the caution lights were lit as the 92 of Josh Most spun. 1 lap after the restart Saathoff again grabbed second. The yellow flag was again displayed on the next circuit as Clint Homan’s 27 and Smith spun in turns 1 & 2. Saathoff moved past Hadan on lap 6. 2 laps later Chris Ableson, who had got into the A through the B Feature cracked the top 4 and moved up to third a lap later. Shortly after the half way mark Ableson moved into second. With 2 to go Hadan slipped, allowing Wulf to take the third position. In the end it was Saathoff, Ableson, Wulf and Hadan.

This was Saathoff’s 4th win on the season at Eagle. “The KX96 Jet Mod just loves tracks like this! Roger knows how to put on a great show for the fans and the racers too. The whole facility is just great; the best in the country. You couldn’t ask for a better place to win at” he said. “I couldn’t do it without my sponsors though” he related. Saathoff’s sponsors include Northern Auto, Jet Racing, KX96, JR Motorsports, Toobie’s Lumber and Penner Insurance.

The Exhaust Pros IMCA Sport Compact A Main started with a caution when Brian Haller’s B32 and the 60 of Kevin Zeitner tangled in 3 and 4. Lap 1’s leader was Nic Hitz in the 11 with Troy Knoell in the 72T, Barry Kinnersley’s 00 and the 5M of Melissa Cronin rounding out the top 4. Knoell moved up to the top spot on lap 3, but fell back to fourth on lap 5 as both Kinnersley and Hitz advanced to second and third. Kinnersley took the top position the next time around and Knoell moved to second. Cronin’s night came to an end on lap 9 when her cooling system gave up the ghost, bringing out the yellow flag. At that point it was Kinnersley, Knoell, Hitz and the 29 of Matt Moyer. Jesse Osmon passed Moyer on the restart lap, but gave the position back to Moyer on the following circuit. Hitz got past Knoell the next time around, but Knoell returned the favor on the next circuit as Moyer moved up to third when Hitz pulled into the infield allowing Nick Lindblad’s 26 to take fourth. The top 4 in the race were Kinnersley, Knoell, Moyer and Lindblad.

“It was great to get my first win of the year” Kinnersley stated. “I need to thank my sponsors and family for getting me out here and supporting me.” he continued. Barry concluded the interview by relating “I want to send a big thanks out to Matt Moyer, Nick Lindblad and of course my dad Maynard. I wouldn’t be out here without them all. This is 3 wins for the Fords in this class at Eagle this year, and our Kinnersley cars have 2 in a row”. Barry’s sponsor is Kinnersley Grading.

The concluding Feature race was for the Budweiser 360 Sprint Cars.
Mike Boston’s #51 was first back to the flag stand on lap 1 with Gene Ackland’s 14G, Jason Danley’s 82 and Ryan Kitchen in the 21 in hot pursuit. Kitchen and Danley swapped third and fourth on laps 3 and 4, but Trevor Grossenbacher took the spot on lap 6 in his #35. Grossenbacher overtook Danley on the following circuit and moved around Ackland shortly after that. Kitchen again moved into the top four on lap 15 and moved to third on lap 20 followed by Doug Lovegrove’s 44 who snagged fourth. The only caution of the race took place on lap 22 when Mitchell Moore spun the #91 in turn 2. From there to the checkers the top 4 remained unchanged with Boston taking the win, Grossenbacher second, Kitchen third and Lovegrove fourth.

“This was an awesome track tonight. Hats off to Roger and the track prep crew; they always give us a great surface to compete on every week” Boston said. He finished by stating “I have to thank all of my crew guys for the great ride tonight. They give me the car to win each and every night out”. Mike’s sponsors include Eckley Racing Engines, Capital Beach Press and Mook Trucking.

Next weekend at “America’s Home Track” is Fire Prevention Night-A Volunteer Fire & Rescue Tribute, sponsored by General Fire and Jeremiah Weed. There will be free front gate admission to anyone with a current Fire/Rescue photo ID or anyone in Fire/Rescue uniform. There will be a safety awareness event in the courtyard from 5:30 to 6:30. There will be a happy hour from 6-7, featuring the Jeremiah Weed Girls and their Lasso Contest. There will be face painting for the kids from 5:30 to 7:30. Front gates open at 5:30 with hot laps starting at 5:30. Adult admission is $10, youths 6-12 are only $5 and children 5 and under are free. Pit gates open at 4 P.M. and pit admission is $20. As always, our weekly show features the Budweiser 360 Sprinters, the Rev Honey IMCA Modifieds, the Valentino’s IMCA Hobby Stocks, the NAPA Sport Modifieds and the Exhaust Pros IMCA Sport Compacts.

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)