by Greg Soukup
Eagle Raceway’s annual Driver Appreciation Night, presented by Great Clips, was held Saturday night. Despite the long morning rains, Eagle’s crack track prep crew worked the track to be sure that the 167 teams on site had a place to race and to give the overflow crowd a fabulous night of racing.
The heats and preliminary features were held without significant happenings.
The finale was the A Feature for the Racesaver IMCA Sprint Cars. Tyler Drueke’s 12 and the 03 of Shayle Bade made contact in turn 3 on the initial lap, sending Drueke flipping into turn 4. As the red lights were lit Matt Richards was slowing to stop the 1R and had a used spindle break. The front end dug in and sent him flipping in turn 1. When a lap was finally in the books the 17 of Dan Satriano, Gene Ackland’s 14G, the 35 of Trevor Grossenbacher and Shon Pointer’s 20P were the top 4. Ackland moved to the lead on lap 2. Lap 4 saw Grossenbacher take over second. Pointer advanced to third on lap 9 as Grossenbacher moved to the lead. The next lap saw Joey Danley put the #14 into fourth. Pointer took over the third spot with 11 laps remaining. The final change in the top 4 came with 8 to go as Danley moved up to second, making the final top 4 Grossenbacher, Danley, Pointer and Ackland.
Grossenbacher said “We’re finally on a roll. The season started out kind of slow for us, but now it’s picking up. Hopefully it will carry over to the Sprint Series of Nebraska show Sunday. We haven’t had the best luck at that track, but maybe we can knock that one off of the list. A lot of people don’t like the track the way it was tonight here, but that’s my favorite kind of track. It was rough and fast, and I like that! You have to just pony up and go. Even with the rain Roger does a great job of giving us a good track every night. Two weeks ago I told him we need to have more tracks like that, and we lucked out, having another one tonight. That fits my driving style, so it worked out good”. Grossenbacher’s sponsors include Lincoln.org, Lincoln Winnelson, Stop and Shop, SkyTop Towers and WC’s South.
Next weekend is Student Burn Out Night, sponsored by Budweiser. Happy D Klown will be there from 5:30 to 7:30 for the kids and Celerion will be in the courtyard. After the regular racing is complete, there will be school bus races! All 5 regular classes will be there competing. The Racesaver IMCA Sprints, Kaplan University IMCA Modifieds, Hoosier Tire IMCA Sport Modifieds, Valentino’s IMCA Hobby Stocks and Mountain Dew IMCA Sport Compacts will be there as usual. Front gates open at 5:15, hot laps kick off at 5:30 and racing will start at 6:30. Adult admission is only $10, youths 6-12 are $5 and children 5 and under are free.
Pit gates open at 4:00 with pit passes being $25.
RESULTS:
IMCA Sprint A-Feature
Driver Nbr
------------------------------ -----
1. Trevor Grossenbacher 35
Hickman, Ne
2. Joey Danley 14
Lincoln, Ne
3. Shon Pointer 20P
Grand Island, Ne
4. Gene Ackland 14G
Martell, Ne
5. Jason Danley 4X
Lincoln, Ne
6. Stu Snyder 23S
Waverly, Ne
7. Adam Gullion 91
Lincoln, Ne
8. Mike Boston 51
Lincoln, Ne
9. Dan Satriano 17
Papillion, Ne
10. Clint Benson 100
Papillion, Ne
11. Austin McLean 83
Loveland, Co
12. Jimmy Grasso 8G
Omaha, Ne
13. Shiveley Drew 03X
14. Ryan King 93
Bennet, Ne
15. Doug Lovegrove 44
Waverly, Ne
16. Chase Weiler 0
Lincoln, Ne
17. Nathan Weiler 4W
Lavista, Ne
18. Matt Richards 1R
Lincoln, Ne
19. Tyler Drueke 12
Eagle, Ne
20. Shayle Bade 03
Lincoln, Ne
IMCA Sprint B-Feature
Driver Nbr
------------------------------ -----
1. Adam Gullion 91
Lincoln, Ne
2. Jimmy Grasso 8G
Omaha, Ne
3. Ryan King 93
Bennet, Ne
4. Nathan Weiler 4W
Lavista, Ne
5. Nick Bryan 52
Lincoln, Ne
6. Brandon Horton 1B
Omaha, Ne
7. Terry Richards 18
Denton, Ne
8. Richard Weers 55
Lincoln, Ne
9. Boyd Peterson 57B
Ithaca, Ne
10. Neil Nickolite 12N
Bellwood, Ne
11. Tim Hilfiker 20
Greenwood, Ne
12. Bill Garrow 3G
Lincoln, Ne
13. Keith Dragoo 77D
Lincoln, Ne
14. Jason Miller 77
Omaha, Ne
15. Paul Hendrickson 19JR
Lincoln, Ne
DNS Tim Fricke 62
Lincoln, Ne
DNS Toby Chapman 7KX
Panama, Ne
IMCA Sprint Heat 1
Driver Nbr
------------------------------ -----
1. Dan Satriano 17
Papillion, Ne
2. Austin McLean 83
Loveland, Co
3. Shayle Bade 03
Lincoln, Ne
4. Shiveley Drew 03X
5. Keith Dragoo 77D
Lincoln, Ne
6. Jason Miller 77
Omaha, Ne
7. Tim Fricke 62
Lincoln, Ne
8. Terry Richards 18
Denton, Ne
DNS Toby Chapman 7KX
Panama, Ne
IMCA Sprint Heat 2
Driver Nbr
------------------------------ -----
1. Clint Benson 100
Papillion, Ne
2. Trevor Grossenbacher 35
Hickman, Ne
3. Stu Snyder 23S
Waverly, Ne
4. Mike Boston 51
Lincoln, Ne
5. Richard Weers 55
Lincoln, Ne
6. Nathan Weiler 4W
Lavista, Ne
7. Boyd Peterson 57B
Ithaca, Ne
8. Tim Hilfiker 20
Greenwood, Ne
IMCA Sprint Heat 3
Driver Nbr
------------------------------ -----
1. Matt Richards 1R
Lincoln, Ne
2. Gene Ackland 14G
Martell, Ne
3. Tyler Drueke 12
Eagle, Ne
4. Chase Weiler 0
Lincoln, Ne
5. Adam Gullion 91
Lincoln, Ne
6. Jimmy Grasso 8G
Omaha, Ne
7. Nick Bryan 52
Lincoln, Ne
8. Paul Hendrickson 19JR
Lincoln, Ne
IMCA Sprint Heat 4
Driver Nbr
------------------------------ -----
1. Shon Pointer 20P
Grand Island, Ne
2. Jason Danley 4X
Lincoln, Ne
3. Joey Danley 14
Lincoln, Ne
4. Doug Lovegrove 44
Waverly, Ne
5. Brandon Horton 1B
Omaha, Ne
6. Ryan King 93
Bennet, Ne
7. Bill Garrow 3G
Lincoln, Ne
8. Neil Nickolite 12N
Bellwood, Ne