By Greg Soukup
After weather caused the cancellation of Eagle Raceway’s 2024 regular season last week, we finally got going Saturday night as Nebraska Lottery and A1 Iron presented Dirt Track Dreamin’. It was cool, but it was evident that the large crowd and full pits proved that everyone was way past ready for some racing action on the 1/3 mile high banks of America’s Home Track.
Heavy rains overnight presented the crack Eagle Raceway track prep crew with a daunting task that they overcame with flying colors. When several area tracks cancelled numerous cars made the tow to Eagle Raceway. In all, 151 cars signed into the pits. That resulted in 2 D Features, 3 C Features, 4 B Features and 5 A Features; not to mention 19 heats!!! Where else can you get that much entertainment and still leave the venue at 10:30???
There was 1 serious incident in the preliminary action, both in the Nebraska Septic IMCA Racesaver Sprint cars. The first lap of Heat 3 saw Alex Davenport’s 25A slide up into the 35 of Trevor Grossenbacher as they approached the pit entrance in turn 1. Davenport then flipped up and over Grossenbacher. Both cars went to the pits on the hook. Grossenbacher’s car was repaired and he returned to compete in the C Feature but Davenport was done for the night. Neither driver was seriously injured.
Brandon Horton was first back to the flag stand in his 1B to lead lap 1 of the Nebraska Septic IMCA Racesaver Sprint Car A Feature. Jason Danley’s 4X, the 03 of Shayle Bade and Cody Ledger in the 47 rounded out the top 4. Ledger moved up to third on lap 2. 3 laps later Cole Wayman put the 18W into fourth. Josh Riggins flipped the 14J in turns 3 and 4 on lap 6 and the red flag was displayed. Ledger took over second on the restart. Lap 9 saw Adam Gullion put the 91 into the fourth position but lose it back to Wayman the next time around. Dusty Ballenger’s 2D slowed and ended up stopping on the backstretch. Wayman moved up to third on the restart with Gullion again advancing to fourth. Danley and Gullion then started swapping third and fourth over the next 3 laps. First Danley passed Gullion, then Gullion passed Danley, then Danley passed Gullion. Gullion regained the spot for good with 9 to go. No further changes came in the closing laps with Horton winning, Ledger was second, Wayman third and Gullion fourth.
Brandon related “It always helps to get out front early. That makes it a whole lot easier. It’s not Eagle Raceway if it isn’t pretty rough all the way around after the rain. I just tried to find a fast, smooth line to stay in and fight off everybody behind us. That’s what I tried to do and it worked”. Brandon’s sponsors include Lazy Days RV, Slideways Customs Inc., Omaha Barbell, TSG Tax Services, West Omaha Jet Ski and Real Smokey Barbeque.
Hot laps start at 5:30 with racing action kicking off at 6:30. All 5 classes will be competing including Nebraska Septic Sprint Cars, Nebraska Lottery Modifieds, Avid Realty SportMods, A1 Iron Stock Cars & Valentino’s Hobby Stocks.
Pit gates open at 3:30 with pit admission being $35.
RESULTS:
Sprint-IMCA A-Feature
1. Brandon Horton Waterloo, Ne. 2. Cody Ledger Omaha, Ne. 3. Cole Wayman Lincoln, Ne. 4. Adam Gullion Lincoln, Ne. 5. Jason Danley Lincoln, Ne. 6. Jeremy Huish Ness City, Ks. 7. Mike Boston Lincoln, Ne. 8. Gunnar Pike South Bend, Ne. 9. Stuart Snyder Lincoln, Ne. 10. Brandon Bosma Rock Rapids, Ia. 11. John Klabunde Fort Calhoun, Ne. 12. Shayle Bade Raymond, Ne. 13. Cole Vanderheiden Papillion, Ne. 14. Gene Ackland Martell, Ne. 15. Tim Hilfiker Greenwood, Ne. 16. Dillon Bickett 17. Kyle Magnuson Sioux Falls, Sd. 18. Bayley Ballenger Harrisburg, Sd. 19. Dusty Ballenger Harrisburg, Sd. 20. Josh Riggins Lincoln, Ne.
Sprint-IMCA B-Feature
1. Gunnar Pike South Bend, Ne. 2. Cole Vanderheiden Papillion, Ne. 3. Mike Boston Lincoln, Ne. 4. Dillon Bickett 5. Dusty Ballenger Harrisburg, Sd. 6. Chad Koch Murdock, Ne. 7. Jay Russell Wathena, Ks. 8. Jake Galusha Lincoln, Ne. 9. Andrew Sullivan Milford, Ia. 10. John Lambertz Sioux Falls, Sd. 11. Alex Salzman Lincoln, Ne. 12. Ryan Bickett Ramona, Sd. 13. Michalob Voeltz Madison, Sd. DNS. Troy Sanford Lincoln, Ne.
Sprint-IMCA C-Feature
1. Alex Salzman Lincoln, Ne. 2. Andrew Sullivan Milford, Ia. 3. Michalob Voeltz Madison, Sd. 4. Ryan Bickett Ramona, Sd. 5. Bill Garrow Lincoln, Ne. 6. Nate Thompson Fremont, Ne. 7. Tyler Hendrickson 8. Dan Jackson Ceresco, Ne. 9. Trevor Grossenbacher Panama, Ne. 10. Travis Christensen DNS. Koby Werkmeister Armour, Sd. DNS. Alex Davenport Lincoln, Ne. DNS. Andrew Jackson Fremont, Ne. DNS. Ty Ledger Omaha, Ne.
Sprint-IMCA Heat 1
1. Shayle Bade Raymond, Ne. 2. Jeremy Huish Ness City, Ks. 3. Stuart Snyder Lincoln, Ne. 4. Cole Vanderheiden Papillion, Ne. 5. John Lambertz Sioux Falls, Sd. 6. Koby Werkmeister Armour, Sd. 7. Ryan Bickett Ramona, Sd. 8. Andrew Jackson Fremont, Ne.
Sprint-IMCA Heat 2
1. Jason Danley Lincoln, Ne. 2. John Klabunde Fort Calhoun, Ne. 3. Brandon Bosma Rock Rapids, Ia. 4. Gunnar Pike South Bend, Ne. 5. Dusty Ballenger Harrisburg, Sd. 6. Alex Salzman Lincoln, Ne. 7. Andrew Sullivan Milford, Ia. 8. Ty Ledger Omaha, Ne.
Sprint-IMCA Heat 3
1. Josh Riggins Lincoln, Ne. 2. Tim Hilfiker Greenwood, Ne. 3. Kyle Magnuson Sioux Falls, Sd. 4. Dillon Bickett 5. Troy Sanford Lincoln, Ne. 6. Tyler Hendrickson 7. Alex Davenport Lincoln, Ne. 8. Trevor Grossenbacher Panama, Ne.
Sprint-IMCA Heat 4
1. Adam Gullion Lincoln, Ne. 2. Cole Wayman Lincoln, Ne. 3. Gene Ackland Martell, Ne. 4. Mike Boston Lincoln, Ne. 5. Jake Galusha Lincoln, Ne. 6. Nate Thompson Fremont, Ne. 7. Michalob Voeltz Madison, Sd. 8. Travis Christensen
Sprint-IMCA Heat 5
1. Cody Ledger Omaha, Ne. 2. Brandon Horton Waterloo, Ne. 3. Bayley Ballenger Harrisburg, Sd. 4. Chad Koch Murdock, Ne. 5. Jay Russell Wathena, Ks. 6. Bill Garrow Lincoln, Ne. 7. Dan Jackson Ceresco, Ne.