By Greg Soukup
Saturday night was Memorial Day Lucky-Ganza, presented by Great Clips and Pro Rolloffs at Eagle Raceway. It also was Driver Appreciation Night since last week’s action was claimed by Mother Nature. That meant an overflow crowd packed the stands, hungry for some racing action. When you have 163 cars running 15 heats, 4 B Features and 5 A Mains on a track that had been baked by a blazing sun and near 100- degree temperatures you sometimes have conditions that aren’t ideal. But, a little work at intermission had lap times actually lower as the night ended.
In the 4th heat for the ATV Motorsports IMCA Sport Compacts a tire popped on the 32X of Nathan Wahlstrom and the car ended up rolling over a couple times. Then, at the start of the IMCA Racesaver Sprint Car B Feature Ryan King’s 93 ended up flipping in turn 1. Neither driver was seriously injured.
The IMCA Racesaver Sprint Car finale saw Mark Pace the first back to the flag stand in his 40X, Doug Lovegrove’s 1 second, Mike Boston third in the 51 and Gene Ackland’s 14G fourth. Joey Danley passed Ackland on lap 2 in the 14. Boston moved up to second on lap 11 and Danley followed him into third with Toby Chapman putting the #7 into fourth. Trey Gropp looped the 54 in turn 4 on lap 13. Danley and Chapman both passed Boston with 9 to go. Danny Nekolite spun out in turns 3 & 4 with 4 to go, slowing the action for a final time. From there to the checkers Pace extended his lead with the final top 4 being Pace, Danley, Chapman and Boston.
One of the true joys in my position is being able to interview drivers who are over the moon happy after finally getting their first victory at Eagle Raceway, and tonight with Pace was a prime example. Although he spent a number of years in the 360 division at Eagle, he had never managed to snag a victory. He has spent quite a few years away from the sport but proved tonight that he still had the knack. “The last time I was here was 2 years ago for the Racesaver Nationals. I started 25th and got up to ninth, winning the hard charger. That’s the last time I was in a sprinter” he said. I asked what prompted him to come back to racing at Eagle. He stated “These guys (The Bogues) wouldn’t let me not come back. They told me ‘You’re our driver’, so I came back into town just for this. I’m loving life right now; this is unbelievable. It’s been a long time in the making. 2006 is when I started racing 360’s, and I was close so many times. So many seconds, so many thirds and so many wrecked race cars. Now we parked it tonight on the front stretch, finally! I love a dry-slick race track like we had tonight. Whenever a track takes rubber I always smell it first and get right into it. It makes you a driver! I also like a heavy track where it’s elbows up, but this kind of track is more technique. I can’t thank the Bogues enough for giving me the chance to step back into a sprint car, and they gave me a great one for sure”. Pace’s sponsors include Husker Lock and Key, Harris Decals, Penelope’s ‘Lil Café, Vogt Poured Walls, Randy’s Road House, Conklin and Benton Foundations.
Following the regular features Pro Roloffs put on a special match race. The top 2 in points in all 5 of the regular weekly classes of cars raced for a top prize of $1,000. The racing was handicapped by the number of laps they had to run. The ATV Motorsports IMCA Sport Compacts had to run 11 laps, the Valentino’s IMCA Hobby Stocks ran 12 laps, The Purdue University IMCA Sport Modifieds raced 13 laps, the Runner Freight IMCA Modifieds had to make 14 circuits and the IMCA Racesaver Sprints had to complete 15 laps. All the cars competed at the same time, navigating the same traffic. Zach Bohlemeyer’s 24Z Sport Compact took home the big money, showing that the racers at Eagle Raceway are the best there are!!
Next weekend Hormel presents Double Down Duel. Happy D Klown will be there from 5:30 to 7:30. The 50/50 raffle will benefit the JDRF.
Front gates open at 5:15 with hot laps at 5:30 and racing at 6:30. Adult admission is $10, youths 6-12 are just $5 and children 5 and under are free.
As always it will be IMCA racing with the Racesaver Sprint Cars, Runner Freight Modifieds, Purdue University Sport Modifieds, Valentino’s Hobby Stocks and ATV Motorsports Sport Compacts.
Pit gates open at 4 P.M. with pit passes costing $25.
RESULTS:
IMCA Sprint A-Feature 1. Mark Pace Lincoln, Ne. 2. Joey Danley Lincoln, Ne. 3. Toby Chapman Panama, Ne. 4. Mike Boston Lincoln, Ne. 5. Doug Lovegrove Waverly, Ne. 6. Adam Gullion Lincoln, Ne. 7. Jason Danley Lincoln, Ne. 8. Ryan Kitchen(r) Lincoln, Ne. 9. Trevor Grossenbacher Hickman, Ne. 10. Stuart Snyder Lincoln, Ne. 11. Shon Pointer Grand Island, Ne. 12. Lee Bowes Lincoln, Ne. 13. Danny Nekolite O'neill, Ne. 14. Bill Garrow Lincoln, Ne. 15. Tyler Drueke Eagle, Ne. 16. Gene Ackland
Martell, Ne. 17. Josh Riggins(r) Lincoln, Ne. 18. Trey Gropp(r) Lincoln, Ne. 19. Nate Johnson Hastings, Ne. 20. Jimmy Grasso Omaha, Ne.
IMCA Sprint B-Feature 1. Stuart Snyder Lincoln, Ne. 2. Jimmy Grasso Omaha, Ne. 3. Trey Gropp(r) Lincoln, Ne. 4. Josh Riggins(r) Lincoln, Ne. 5. Chase Weiler Lincoln, Ne. 6. Matt Richards Lincoln, Ne. 7. Clint Benson Papillion, Ne. 8. Paul Hendrickson Lincoln, Ne. 9. Neil Nickolite Bellwood, Ne. 10. Dan Satriano Papillion, Ne. 11. Boyd Peterson Ithaca, Ne. 12. Nathan Weiler Lavista, Ne. 13. Brandon Horton Omaha, Ne. 14. Tim Fricke Lincoln, Ne. 15. Tim Hilfiker Greenwood, Ne. 16. Jason Miller Omaha, Ne. 17. Dwight Carter Lincoln, Ne. 18. Ryan King Bennet, Ne.
IMCA Sprint Heat 1 1. Trevor Grossenbacher Hickman, Ne. 2. Doug Lovegrove Waverly, Ne. 3. Toby Chapman Panama, Ne. 4. Lee Bowes Lincoln, Ne. 5. Stuart Snyder Lincoln, Ne. 6. Chase Weiler Lincoln, Ne. 7. Matt Richards Lincoln, Ne. 8. Tim Hilfiker Greenwood, Ne. 9. Dwight Carter Lincoln, Ne.
IMCA Sprint Heat 2 1. Joey Danley Lincoln, Ne. 2. Mike Boston Lincoln, Ne. 3. Bill Garrow Lincoln, Ne. 4. Nate Johnson Hastings, Ne. 5. Jimmy Grasso Omaha, Ne. 6. Paul Hendrickson Lincoln, Ne. 7. Brandon Horton Omaha, Ne. 8. Ryan King Bennet, Ne. 9. Nathan Weiler Lavista, Ne.
IMCA Sprint Heat 3 1. Ryan Kitchen(r) Lincoln, Ne. 2. Adam Gullion Lincoln, Ne. 3. Shon Pointer Grand Island, Ne. 4. Danny Nekolite O'neill, Ne. 5. Trey Gropp(r) Lincoln, Ne. 6. Neil Nickolite Bellwood, Ne. 7. Boyd Peterson Ithaca, Ne. 8. Jason Miller Omaha, Ne.
IMCA Sprint Heat 4 1. Gene Ackland Martell, Ne. 2. Mark Pace Lincoln, Ne. 3. Tyler Drueke Eagle, Ne. 4. Jason Danley Lincoln, Ne. 5. Josh Riggins(r) Lincoln, Ne. 6. Dan Satriano Papillion, Ne. 7. Clint Benson Papillion, Ne. 8. Tim Fricke Lincoln, Ne.