By Greg Soukup
Sunday’s huge crowd filed into Eagle Raceway filled with excitement at the opportunity to see who would be crowned the champion of the ninth annual IMCA Racesaver Sprint Nationals. The old saying “You buy the whole seat but will only need the edge’ surely applied as the competitors ran through seven preliminary Feature races hoping that they could be one of the nine who would transfer into the final three rows of the Big Dance.
Those who did make it out of the B were Clint Benson, Chase Brewer, Gene Ackland, Toby Chapman, John Ricketts, Brandon Bosma, Zach Blurton, Nate Weiler and Kyle Rasmussen. They headed to the pits to prepare their mounts along with those who had qualified on Friday and Saturday.
Thirteen sprints performed the missing man formation, held to honor the 13 fallen soldiers who gave their lives in Afghanistan, touching each and everyone’s hearts.
The traditional driver introduction added even more tension as the 27 top IMCA Racesaver drivers on the weekend stood front and center of the grandstands and took a brief moment in the spotlight before climbing back into their cars to strap in and prepare to get elbows up for the Big Dance.
Everybody was rooting for their favorite driver, knowing that in just minutes all 27 of them would hurtle into turn 1, three wide and pedal to the metal! Lap 1 saw Jason Martin snag the lead in the 5X from his pole position starting spot, Tyler Drueke second in the 12, Luke Cranston third in the 20C and Jason Danley’s 4X rounding out the top 4. John Ricketts slowed to a stop on the back stretch in the 5R for a caution. He and Mark Pace in the 57 both headed to the pits. The restart saw John Carney II pass Danley for fourth before taking over the third spot a lap later. Drueke passed Martin for the lead the next time around. Danley regained fourth on lap 5. The red flag flew on lap 8 when both Trevor Grossenbacher’s 35 and the 25 of Chase Brewer went flipping in turns 3 & 4. Both were towed to the pits. Carney advanced to second on lap 11. He got past Drueke on lap 19 but the pass was negated when Danny Wood’s 55W slowed, brining out the caution flag. Carney made the pass stick on the restart setting up the best finish to a sprint car race that I’ve ever witnessed!! Cranston clawed his way back into the fourth spot the next time around. There were just 3 circuits remaining when Toby Chapman’s 11C stopped at the top of turn 4 and the yellow lights again were lit in the corners. The battle intensified as Drueke tried everything he could to catch and pass Carney. 2 laps were left when Dusty Ballenger rolled the 2D in turns 3 and 4. Diving under Carney at both ends of the track Drueke could catch and pull even with Carney but just couldn’t quite make it stick. A lap after the restart Cranston moved to third. That set up what can only be called the finish for the ages. Drueke pulled even with Carney in turns three & 4 on the final circuit and they banged wheels. They banged into each other very hard coming to the checkers with Drueke eking out the win by just .27 seconds and the crowd erupted; seeing a local driver capture the biggest race in the IMCA Racesaver series at the biggest sprint car race in the world!!! The final top 4 were Drueke, Carney II, Martin and Danley.
I spoke to Carney after the race, and he related “I got a good start there at the beginning because the cars just kind of moved out of my way and I got up to fifth really quick. I picked off a couple more cars and we were sitting right where we wanted to be early in the race. The fans got their money’s worth this weekend, that’s for sure! On that one restart we made one lap and I could see Drueke under me and then we had that caution, so we still had 3 to go. He had a fast race car; we had a fast race car. We went back and forth a couple times. I had a run on him around the top coming to the checkers and he squeezed me into the wall because he wasn’t going to let me have it. It was close, and I would never do the same thing. Even when I passed him earlier, he ran me down into the infield. I didn’t really expect that from him; I’ve never seen him do that. I understand that he wants to win the race too, so it’s all good”.
Once the final fan had congratulated Tyler, I got the chance to speak with him. I must say that I may have seen bigger smiles and more joy on a face sometime, but I don’t remember when. “That’s the big one! We’ve been hunting this one for a long time. Martin and Cranston squeezed me out at the start, so I did my best to be sure I came out of it in second. Jason was setting a really good pace on the bottom, but these cars are so equal that I knew I had to just stay close and capitalize when they make a mistake. I got better as the race went along and finally was able to pass Jason. I was really good in the middle part of the race and passed Jason down in three and four. I must have stuck it pretty good because I never saw him again. As the race went on it kind of went away and John was better at the end than we were. We raced really hard, and he got by me down in 3 & 4 and pulled away six or eight car lengths. I told myself that we needed lapped traffic and that it wasn’t over yet; so just stay with it and try to keep pace. I needed to stay close so that when a mistake happened or lapped traffic got in his way, we could capitalize on it. The restart before the final one his motor took off better than ours and he got the jump on me. I was able to use my experience here at Eagle to get to his inside. I had the run down the back stretch when the red came out. I thought it was all over after that. Luckily, I don’t know if he didn’t see me or what, but he changed it up a little bit. I was able to kind of snooker him, so we started trading spots and racing really hard. We ended up getting a little physical down the back stretch. He missed the bottom off of turn 2 and he squeezed me down the back stretch. That was a ‘Win it or wear it’ moment, so I sailed it in there. I knew that if I slid across the exit of four that he could cross over and beat me back to the line, so I did my best to hold the bottom and middle and stick it. I got off of the corner pretty good, but he had the banking and the run down the front stretch. He was going back by me coming to the line, so about 150 feet before the checkered I probably just squeezed him a little bit and tried to break his momentum. It was the old ‘Cole Trickle in Days of Thunder’ deal and it worked out. I wasn’t even sure that we had won it until I came back around and saw 12 on top of the leader board. I was pretty excited!!! You never want to squeeze anybody or rough anybody up, but John and I race really hard, and we race really tight. I figured coming to the checkered it was fair game, with such a big win on the line that we wait all year long for. We’ve been working on this car all season, changing things around all just trying to put us into position to win this deal. It sure feels good that all that hard work all year finally paid off”. Tyler’s sponsors include Vahlco Wheels, Drueke Trucking and Ranch, Zoz Farms, Jeffres Trucking, Picadilly Ranch, Angel Energy Service, Johnson Farms, 402 Massage, King’s Auto Supply, TD Signs and Graphics, Agri Builders, True Trucking, Sardeson Racing, J&J Auto Racing, CSI Shocks, Speedway Racing Engines, Double Z Express and Gordon Electric.
That wraps up the 2021 season at America’s Home Track, Eagle Raceway. We want to thank each and every driver, team member, fan and employee who helped make it a very special year.
We hope that we see you all back next year to help make 2022 an even bigger and better season!!
RaceSaver Nationals Sprint A-Feature
1. Tyler Drueke Eagle, Ne. 2. John Carney Lubbock, Tx. 3. Jason Martin Crete, Ne. 4. Jason Danley Lincoln, Ne. 5. Luke Cranston Holcomb, Ks. 6. Dustin Stroup Fremont, Oh. 7. Kevin Ramey Fort Worth, Tx. 8. Shon Pointer Grand Island, Ne. 9. Chad Wilson North Richland Hills, Tx. 10. Stuart Snyder Lincoln, Ne. 11. Tyler Harris Vidor, Tx. 12. Zach Blurton Quinter, Ks. 13. Claud Estes Godley, Tx. 14. Gene Ackland Martell, Ne. 15. Kyle Rasmussen Clovis, Ca. 16. Ryan Hall Midlothian, Tx. 17. Toby Chapman Panama, Ne. 18. Dusty Ballenger Harrisburg, Sd. 19. Clint Benson Papillion, Ne. 20. Danny Wood Norman, Ok. 21. Nathan Weiler Omaha, Ne. 22. Joey Danley Martell, Ne. 23. Chase Brewer Waxahachie, Tx. 24. Trevor Grossenbacher Panama, Ne. 25. John Ricketts Burleson, Tx. 26. Mark Pace Lincoln, Ne. 27. Brandon Bosma Rock Rapids, Ia.
RaceSaver Nationals Sprint B-Feature
1. Clint Benson Papillion, Ne. 2. Chase Brewer Waxahachie, Tx. 3. Gene Ackland Martell, Ne. 4. Toby Chapman Panama, Ne. 5. John Ricketts Burleson, Tx. 6. Brandon Bosma Rock Rapids, Ia. 7. Zach Blurton Quinter, Ks. 8. Nathan Weiler Omaha, Ne. 9. Kyle Rasmussen Clovis, Ca. 10. Jeff Emerson Millsap, Tx. 11. Mike Houseman Jr Des Moines, Ia. 12. John Paynter Jr Bloomington, In. 13. Brett Becker Odessa, Tx. 14. Jake Galusha(r) Lincoln, Ne. 15. Ethan Barrow Bloomington, In. 16. Dj Estes Ft Worth, Tx. 17. Jeff Wimmenauer Greenwood, In. 18. Shayle Bade Lincoln, Ne. 19. Trevor Serbus Olivia, Mn. 20. Casey Burkham Seagoville, Tx.
RaceSaver Nationals Sprint C-Feature
1. Zach Blurton Quinter, Ks. 2. Casey Burkham Seagoville, Tx. 3. Jeff Wimmenauer Greenwood, In. 4. Ethan Barrow Bloomington, In. 5. Jake Galusha(r) Lincoln, Ne. 6. Dj Estes Ft Worth, Tx. 7. Jay Russell Wathena, Ks. 8. Justin Melton Justin, Tx. 9. Doug Lovegrove Waverly, Ne. 10. Dan Nekolite O'neill, Ne. 11. Bill Johnson St. Peter, Mn. 12. Taylor Courtney Fort Worth, Tx. 13. Junior Jenkins Greenville, Tx. 14. Adam Gullion Lincoln, Ne.
RaceSaver Nationals Sprint D-Feature
1. Zach Blurton Quinter, Ks. 2. Dan Nekolite O'neill, Ne. 3. Ethan Barrow Bloomington, In. 4. Dj Estes Ft Worth, Tx. 5. Kyler Johnson Quinter, Ks. 6. Mike Boston Lincoln, Ne. 7. Jacob Harris Vidor, Tx. 8. Willy Reed Anderson, Tx. 9. Monty Ferriera Lincoln, Ne. 10. Jacob Gomola Guy Mills, Pa. 11. John Webster North Platte, Ne. 12. Chris Douglas Amarillo, Tx. 13. Nate Johnson Hastings, Ne. DNS. Gunnar Pike South Bend, Ne.
RaceSaver Nationals Sprint E-Feature
1. Dj Estes Ft Worth, Tx. 2. Kyler Johnson Quinter, Ks. 3. Ethan Barrow Bloomington, In. 4. Mike Boston Lincoln, Ne. 5. Josh Riggins Lincoln, Ne. 6. Alex Nalon Pittsboro, In. 7. Mike Moore Des Moines, Ia. 8. Christopher Townsend Cleveland, Tx. 9. Jesse (chip) Graham Lewisville, Tx. 10. Casey Merrell Springtown, Tx. 11. Colby Estes Mansfield, Tx. 12. Andrew Jackson Fremont, Ne. 13. Chase Weiler Lincoln, Ne. 14. Rod Craddock Alvin, Tx.
RaceSaver Nationals Sprint F-Feature
1. Mike Moore Des Moines, Ia. 2. Christopher Townsend Cleveland, Tx. 3. Jesse (chip) Graham Lewisville, Tx. 4. Colby Estes Mansfield, Tx. 5. Nick Bryan Lincoln, Ne. 6. Dennis Engelhaupt Page, Ne. 7. Justin Clark Hamersville, Oh. 8. Jeff Reiman Ft. Worth, Tx. 9. Daren Bolac Moyock, Nc. 10. Michael Oliver San Antonio, Tx. 11. Jeremy Schultz Stewart, Mn. 12. Brandon Allen St Peter, Mn. 13. Michael Stien Ceylon, Mn. 14. Bruce Allen Mankato, Mn.
RaceSaver Nationals Sprint G-Feature
1. Jeff Reiman Ft. Worth, Tx. 2. Justin Clark Hamersville, Oh. 3. Michael Oliver San Antonio, Tx. 4. Bruce Allen Mankato, Mn. 5. Kevin Champoux Indianapolis, In. 6. Brandon Sampson Mesa, Az. 7. Bill Garrow Lincoln, Ne. 8. Rick Hansen Omaha, Ne. 9. Mark Zoeller Palmer, Tx. 10. Dwight Carter Lincoln, Ne. 11. Aaron Guillaume Sioux City, Ia. 12. Orry Stevens Spring Creek, Nv. 13. Jerrad Warhurst Joshua, Tx. DNS. Sean Quinn Clovis, Ca.
RaceSaver Nationals Sprint H-Feature
1. Brandon Sampson Mesa, Az. 2. Aaron Guillaume Sioux City, Ia. 3. Jerrad Warhurst Joshua, Tx. 4. Sean Quinn Clovis, Ca. 5. Logan Hershey Gillette, Wy. DNS. Steve Cousins Eldred, Pa. DNS. Alex Davenport Lincoln, Ne.
RaceSaver Nationals Sprint Qualifying 1
1. Joey Danley Martell, Ne. 2. John Carney Lubbock, Tx. 3. Jason Martin Crete, Ne. 4. Tyler Drueke Eagle, Ne. 5. Claud Estes Godley, Tx. 6. Luke Cranston Holcomb, Ks. 7. Trevor Grossenbacher Panama, Ne. 8. Ryan Hall Midlothian, Tx. 9. Tyler Harris Vidor, Tx. 10. Jason Danley Lincoln, Ne. 11. Kevin Ramey Fort Worth, Tx. 12. Shon Pointer Grand Island, Ne. 13. Danny Wood Norman, Ok. 14. Dustin Stroup Fremont, Oh. 15. Stuart Snyder Lincoln, Ne. 16. Mark Pace Lincoln, Ne. 17. Chad Wilson North Richland Hills, Tx. 18. Dusty Ballenger Harrisburg, Sd. 19. Chase Brewer Waxahachie, Tx. 20. Brandon Bosma Rock Rapids, Ia. 21. Clint Benson Papillion, Ne. 22. Gene Ackland Martell, Ne. 23. John Paynter Jr Bloomington, In. 24. Toby Chapman Panama, Ne. 25. Shayle Bade Lincoln, Ne. 26. Mike Houseman Jr Des Moines, Ia. 27. John Ricketts Burleson, Tx. 28. Brett Becker Odessa, Tx. 29. Nathan Weiler Omaha, Ne. 30. Trevor Serbus Olivia, Mn. 31. Kyle Rasmussen Clovis, Ca. 32. Jeff Emerson Millsap, Tx. 33. Adam Gullion Lincoln, Ne. 34. Jeff Wimmenauer Greenwood, In. 35. Jake Galusha(r) Lincoln, Ne. 36. Casey Burkham Seagoville, Tx. 37. Jay Russell Wathena, Ks. 38. Taylor Courtney Fort Worth, Tx. 39. Bill Johnson St. Peter, Mn. 40. Doug Lovegrove Waverly, Ne. 41. Junior Jenkins Greenville, Tx. 42. Justin Melton Justin, Tx. 43. Zach Blurton Quinter, Ks. 44. Willy Reed Anderson, Tx. 45. Chris Douglas Amarillo, Tx. 46. Gunnar Pike South Bend, Ne. 47. Jacob Harris Vidor, Tx. 48. John Webster North Platte, Ne. 49. Dan Nekolite O'neill, Ne. 50. Nate Johnson Hastings, Ne. 51. Monty Ferriera Lincoln, Ne. 52. Jacob Gomola Guy Mills, Pa. 53. Dj Estes Ft Worth, Tx. 54. Kyler Johnson Quinter, Ks. 55. Alex Nalon Pittsboro, In. 56. Josh Riggins Lincoln, Ne. 57. Mike Boston Lincoln, Ne. 58. Ethan Barrow Bloomington, In. 59. Casey Merrell Springtown, Tx. 60. Rod Craddock Alvin, Tx. 61. Andrew Jackson Fremont, Ne. 62. Chase Weiler Lincoln, Ne. 63. Colby Estes Mansfield, Tx. 64. Christopher Townsend Cleveland, Tx. 65. Mike Moore Des Moines, Ia. 66. Brandon Allen St Peter, Mn. 67. Jesse (chip) Graham Lewisville, Tx. 68. Jeremy Schultz Stewart, Mn. 69. Nick Bryan Lincoln, Ne. 70. Dennis Engelhaupt Page, Ne. 71. Daren Bolac Moyock, Nc. 72. Michael Stien Ceylon, Mn. 73. Jeff Reiman Ft. Worth, Tx. 74. Bruce Allen Mankato, Mn. 75. Kevin Champoux Indianapolis, In. 76. Bill Garrow Lincoln, Ne. 77. Rick Hansen Omaha, Ne. 78. Michael Oliver San Antonio, Tx. 79. Dwight Carter Lincoln, Ne. 80. Mark Zoeller Palmer, Tx. 81. Orry Stevens Spring Creek, Nv. 82. Justin Clark Hamersville, Oh. 83. Logan Hershey Gillette, Wy. 84. Jerrad Warhurst Joshua, Tx. 85. Sean Quinn Clovis, Ca. 86. Aaron Guillaume Sioux City, Ia. 87. Brandon Sampson Mesa, Az. DNF. Steve Cousins Eldred, Pa. DNS. Alex Davenport Lincoln, Ne.