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Saathoff scores second Spring Nationals win of weekend
By Dusty Wiegert
BEATRICE, Neb. (March 22) – Johnny Saathoff went an entire
year between winning his career fifth and sixth IMCA Modified Spring
Nationals features.
The wait between wins six and seven was just one day.
Saathoff followed his Saturday night checkers with the $2,000 Sunday victory
at Beatrice Speedway, while Andy Gregg paced the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks
and Alex Fink was first in the IMCA Mach-1 Sport Com pact feature.
After drawing the pole for the 30-lap Spring Nationals finale, Saathoff
jumped in front of outside row one starter Greg Metz, literally took off
past the halfway point and proved uncatchable at his hometown track de spite
late race lapped traffic.
Metz held off a hard charging Jay Noteboom for second, with Dominic Ursetta
and night one winner Ricky Alvarado rounding out the top five.
It appeared the Hobby Stock win would go to R.J. Macku for the second night
in a row as he started on the pole and quickly took charge.
Exiting turn four a handful of laps into the race, however, he got too high
and allowed Gregg and Travis Burger to slip by.
Macku later spun in the other set of turns. Gregg held off Burger to take
his second career Spring Nation als win, his first coming in 2007. Jim Buss
and Adam Armstrong followed.
Fink scored the Sport Compact win after taking the lead from the front row.
Numerous yellows slowed the action early before Fink coasted to the win
after slicing his way through traffic.
The more interesting battle was for second between Pete Fink Jr. and Alex
Loveless. Both drivers used lapped traffic to make moves with Fink Jr.
finishing second, Loveless third, and Taylor Griffin fourth.
Results
Modifieds
1st heat (top four) – 1. Ronnie Wallace, McCook; 2. Matt Brack, Mead, Colo.;
3. Rich Lewerke, Garner, Iowa; 4. Brian Calhoon, Beloit, Kan.
2nd heat – 1. Reese Coffee, Hinton, Iowa; 2. Jason Schoenberger, Gorham,
Kan.; 3. Aaron Pella, Lincoln; 4. Dylan Smith, Osceola.
3rd heat – 1. Kyle Vanover, Beatrice; 2. Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.; 3.
Jimmy Hale, Crystal, Mich.; 4. Rodger Peck, Minneapolis, Kan.
4th heat – 1. Ricky Alvarado, Delta, Colo.; 2. Jeremy Mills, Garner, Iowa;
3. Jon Snyder, Ames, Iowa; 4. Josh Gilman, Earlham, Iowa.
5th heat – 1. Dominic Ursetta, Arvada, Colo.; 2. Randy Brown, Chowchilla,
Calif.; 3. Clayton Christensen, Spencer, Iowa; 4. Ken Maloney, Kingsburg,
Colo.
6th heat – 1. Nate Caruth, Ames, Iowa; 2. Jordy Nelson, Marysville, Kan.; 3.
Josh Carpenter, Diller; 4. Adam Larson, Ames, Iowa.
7th heat – 1. Jeff Jones, Council Bluffs, Iowa; 2. Jordan Grabouski,
Beatrice; 3. Chase Junghans, Manhat tan, Kan.; 4. Eddie Belec, Lakewood,
Colo.
8th heat – 1. Mark Elliott, Webster City, Iowa; 2. Ricky Stephan, South
Sioux City; 3. Darren Shaw, Kearney, Mo.; 4. Dan Nelson, Beatrice.
9th heat – 1. Jay Noteboom, Hinton, Iowa; 2. Mike Albertsen, Audubon, Iowa;
3. David Murray Jr., Oberlin, Kan.; 4. Bob Zoubek, Dorchester.
10th heat – 1. Greg Metz, Washington, Kan.; 2. Jeremy Frenier, Fort Morgan,
Colo.; 3. Chris Abelson, Sioux City, Iowa; 4. Dusty Leonard, Marysville,
Kan.
11th heat – 1. Benji LaCrosse, DePere, Wis.; 2. Allen Kent, Minot, N.D.; 3.
Eric McMillan, Home, Kan.; 4. Mike Tanner, Kansas City, Mo.
12th heat – 1. Johnny Saathoff, Beatrice; 2. Chris Burk, Friend; 3. Randy
Havlik, Waukee, Iowa; 4. Jeff Meeker, Northglenn, Colo.
1st “B” feature (top four) – 1. Matt Brack; 2. Lewerke; 3
Grant Junghans; 4. Calhoon.
2nd “B” feature — 1. Jeremy Mills; 2. Schoenberger; 3. Gilman; 4. Pella.
3rd “B” feature – 1. Grabouski; 2. Corey Lagroon, Salina, Kan.; 3. Chad
Wernette, Sheridan, Mich.; 4. Sta cey Wilhelm, Martelle.
4th “B” feature – 1. Stephan; 2. Carpenter; 3. Larson; 4. Matt Bonine,
Onawa, Iowa.
5th “B” feature – 1. Kent; 2. Albertsen; 3. Zoubek; 4. Troy Cordes, Raymond,
Iowa.
6th “B” feature – 1. Burk; 2. Frenier; 3. Meeker; 4. Rich Hesse, Hinton,
Iowa.
Feature –
1. Saathoff;
2. Metz;
3. Noteboom;
4. Ursetta;
5. Alvarado;
6. Elliott;
7. LaCrosse;
8. Coffee;
9. Jones;
10. Stephan;
11. Frenier;
12. Lagroon;
13. Vanover;
14. Matt Brack;
15. Albertsen;
16. Schoenberger;
17. Caruth;
18. Jeremy Mills;
19. Kent;
20. Carpenter;
21. Burk;
22. Wallace;
23. Lewerke;
24. Grabouski.
Hobby Stocks
1st heat (top four) – 1. Eric Chab, DeWitt; 2. Jim Buss, Blue Hill; 3. Matt
Smith, Blue Rapids, Kan.; 4. Keith Dragoo, Lincoln.
2nd heat – 1. Ryan Roschewski, Beatrice; 2. Kyle Ames, Beatrice; 3. Mike
Goldfuss, Dwight; 4. Tony Spunaugle, Blue Rapids, Kan.
3rd heat – 1. Adam Armstrong, Beatrice; 2. R.J. Macku, Beatrice; 3. Andy
Gregg, Lincoln; 4. Brent Schoen, Cawker City, Kan.
4th heat – 1. Travis Burger, Tecumseh; 2. Rick Runnion, Phillipsburg, Kan.;
3. Daniel Hilsabeck, Waukee, Iowa; 4. Jason Stringer, Marshalltown, Iowa.
“B” feature (top four) – 1. Wade Wagenblast, Deshler; 2.
Nick Topil, Rising City; 3. Robby Marsh, Hebron; 4. Ryan Gilland, Beatrice.
Feature –
1. Gregg;
2. Burger;
3. Buss;
4. Adam Armstrong;
5. Chab;
6. Schoen;
7. Ames;
8. Roschewski;
9. Wagenblast;
10. Nelson Vollbrecht, Stanton;
11. Marsh;
12. Stringer;
13. Topil;
14. Roy Armstrong, Beatrice;
15. Macku;
16. Smith;
17. Mike Murphy, Jefferson, Iowa;
18. Gilliland;
19. Goldfuss;
20. Dragoo;
21. Dan Pittman, Grand Island;
22. Spunaugle;
23. Hilsabeck;
24. Runnion.
Sport Compacts
1st heat (top four) – 1. Pete Fink Jr., Omaha; 2. Alex Fink, Omaha; 3. Alex
Loveless, Lincoln; 4. Nick Lind blad, Beatrice.
2nd heat – 1. Brock McDougell, DeWitt; 2. Jamie Price, Minneapolis, Kan.; 3.
Ryan Ayers, Salina, Kan.; 4. Taylor Griffin, Portsmouth, Iowa.
3rd heat – 1. Jack Prall, Union; 2. Joel Wilgers, Beatrice; 3. Tyler
Saathoff, Lincoln; 4. Mike Simpson, Ash land.
Feature –
1. Alex Fink;
2. Pete Fink Jr.;
3. Loveless;
4. Griffin;
5. Joey Danley, Lincoln;
6. Levi Stoakes, Rising City;
7. Lindblad;
8. Price;
9. Jeff Creek, Beatrice;
10. Brandon Thornton, Nebraska City;
11. Kennin Colestock, Plattsmouth;
12. Prall;
13. Jeff Davis, Lincoln;
14. John Sedlachek, Eagle;
15. Neal Reynolds, Whiting, Iowa;
16. Simpson;
17. Jeff Dodd, Lincoln;
18. Ricky Harris, Omaha;
19. Nathan Scribner, Crete;
20. Saathoff;
21. Travis Bednar, Beatrice;
22. Justin Theasmeyer, Beatrice;
23. Ayers;
24. McDougell;
25. Wilgers;
26. Daniel Steelman, Beatrice;
27. Garrett Rech, Davey;
28. Kaylee Dickman, Blue Springs, Kan.;
29. Al Rice, Minneapolis, Kan.
30. Nick Hitz, Lincoln.
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