Saturday Night Thunder Returns to Lincoln County Raceway
By Darin Racek

NORTH PLATTE, NE (May 12) - May 12 was opening night at Lincoln County Raceway in North Platte. The pits were full of cars, and the grandstands were full of people ready for the Saturday night thunder made by the cars on the track. David Murray, Jr. of Oberlin, Kan., Todd Chrisman and Jeremy Herbst of North Platte, Derek Thiem of Columbus, and Tony Gregg of Hastings had the lightning to go with the thunder, as they took home the five A Feature wins.

David Murray, Jr. started on the pole of the IMCA Modified A Feature and led all twenty laps for the opening night win. Fellow heat race winner Ronnie Wallace of North Platte took home second place. The battle behind was good all night, first with Don Hagan, Jr. of Culbertson battling with Mike Saathoff of North Platte for third place. After Hagan found his groove, he drove away for third. Saathoff then battled Charley Brown of Maxwell and heat winner Jim Mlady of North Platte, and the three ran in a group for five laps. Near the end of the race, Mlady cleared himself of the other two to earn the fourth spot, and Eddie Edwards of McCook snuck by the other two to take home fifth place. Dave Pedersen of Brady was the B Feature winner, and Andrew Dillenburg of North Platte was the other heat winner.

Todd Chrisman had the broom out, as he swept his heat race, the cash dash, and the IMCA Stock Car A Feature. Heat winner Shane Stout of North Platte had the initial lead, but lost it to fellow hometown driver Zach Schultz. Despite Chrisman getting by him on lap eight, Schultz stayed right him, and challenged him to the end. Lloyd Meeske of Champion, John Huffman of McCook, and Travis Tilford of North Platte rounded out the top five. Kyle Werkmeister of Maywood was declared the B Feature. Mikey Dancer of North Platte and rookie Colton Osborn of Cozad were the other heat race winners.

The IMCA Hobby Stock A Feature went the entire distance without a caution, the only of the IMCA sanctioned features to do so. Derek Thiem took the lead during the first lapped, but was challenged by fellow heat race winner Shane Klockman of Ogallala. Klockman spun in corner two while trying to make a move, and that dropped him out of contention. Michael Brunswig of Benkelman began reeling Thiem in, but the Columbus driver was too big of a fish to reel in on this particular night. A couple of Colorado drivers finished in the top five, as Ron Edge of Amherst and Jim Moore of Longmont took home third and fourth. Greg Lower, driving his son and last year’s Hobby Stock champion Thomas Lower’s car, finished in fifth.

After troubles in the Mini Sprint heat race, Jeremy Herbst had his crew went to work on his car for the A Feature. They fixed it good, and it went the twenty laps in the Mini Sprint A Feature at the front without problems. Heat race winner Arden Myers of McCook finished in second place. Josh Sabin of North Platte made a late run to sneak home in third place. Toph Harmon of Holbrook and Trent Hansen of North Platte rounded out the top five.

The Super Late Models were invited to run May 12, to give them an opportunity to try the track for the June 29 special, and to give the fans a show. They tried to put on the show too hard opening lap in the heat race after former North Platte residents Kenny McCarty, now of Rogers, Ark., and Steve Kempt of Shelton connected on the front stretch. Kempt spun, but kept his foot in it and got it righted. McCarty, unfortunately, hit the wall and was there for a ride as it skidded along the top of the wall on the front stretch. He was not injured. Heat race winner and former NCRA champion Tony Gregg of Hastings repeated his performance in the A Feature, taking the win. Shane Lewis of North Platte took home second place in the feature, after Kempt spun in the waning laps. Kempt was able to get his car righted to finish in third. Ron Lee of Valentine took the fourth spot, and Charley Brown, driving for Gary Long of Valentine, finished in fifth place.

After taking a week off for graduation, Lincoln County Raceway will be back in action on Saturday, May 26, with a Sprint Car Special. The American Sprint Car Association Rocky Mountain 360 Sprint Cars and National Championship Racing Association 360 Sprints will square off, beginning at 7 PM, CDT. The Mini Sprints will be the support class.


May 12 results
IMCA Modified
Heat 1
3RW-Ronnie Wallace
12J-Jay Steffens
4C-Charley Brown

Heat 2
71-Andrew Dillenburg
17J-Jeremy Frenier
94H-Don Hagan, Jr

Heat 3
97M-David Murray, Jr.
7R-Vince Leibert
29S-Mike Saathoff

Heat 4
19J-Jim Mlady
9-R. C. Heil
69-Brad Turner

B Feature
4P-Dave Pedersen
98-Eddie Edwards
31-Dan Carl
15-Jamey Kennicutt
20K-Kyle Clough
14-Jason Gallentine
4KJ-Terry Houchin
0K-Cory Kelley
2-Jeremy Herbst (DNF)
9R-Robby Haines (DNF)
1-Troy Douglas (DNF)

A Feature
97M-David Murray, Jr.
3RW-Ronnie Wallace
94H-Don Hagan, Jr
19J-Jim Mlady
98-Eddie Edwards
4C-Charley Brown
12J-Jay Steffens
69-Brad Turner
17J-Jeremy Frenier
29S-Mike Saathoff
7R-Vince Leibert
9-R. C. Heil
15-Jamey Kennicutt
71-Andrew Dillenburg
20K-Kyle Clough
14-Jason Gallentine
31-Dan Carl (DNF)
4P-Dave Pedersen (DNF)

IMCA Stock Car
Heat 1
11-Todd Chrisman
24KC-Casey Werkmeister
3-John Huffman

Heat 2
45-Mikey Dancer
55Z-Zach Schultz
8-Travis Tilford

Heat 3
50-Colton Osborn
12J-Kerry Jones
7-Jeremy Halouska

Heat 4
5S-Shane Stout
18-Stewart Holmes
32-Lloyd Meeske

Cash Dash
11-Todd Chrisman

B Feature
42KC-Kyle Werkmeister
4K-Kent Lower
6D-Dwight Edson
69-Adam Kackmeister
47-Russ Small
47jr-Russ Small, Jr.
20B-Brandon Clough (DNF)
8J-Jeff Ward (DNF)
75-Dan Eller (DNF)

A Feature
11-Todd Chrisman
55Z-Zach Schultz
32-Lloyd Meeske
3-John Huffman
8-Travis Tilford
24KC-Casey Werkmeister
18-Stewart Holmes
4K-Kent Lower
5S-Shane Stout
50-Colton Osborn
69-Adam Kackmeister
47jr-Russ Small, Jr.
6D-Dwight Edson
42KC-Kyle Werkmeister (DNF)
7-Jeremy Halouska (DNF)
45-Mikey Dancer (DNF)
12J-Kerry Jones (DNF)
47-Russ Small (DNS)

IMCA Hobby Stock
Heat 1
33-Shane Klockman
32M-Michael Brunswig
17X-Miles White

Heat 2
17-Derek Thiem
54-Jim Moore
29R-Ron Edge

A Feature
17-Derek Thiem
32M-Michael Brunswig
29R-Ron Edge
54-Jim Moore
3-Greg Lower
17X-Miles White
22-Austin Davis
33-Shane Klockman
65-Rick Eller
8-Corey Cruzan
93-Joe Thiem (DNS)
X5-Eric Picquet (DNS)

Mini-Sprints
Heat
42-Arden Myers
23S-Josh Sabin
9-Trent Hansen

A Feature
20-Jeremy Herbst
42-Arden Myers
23S-Josh Sabin
25-Toph Harmon
9-Trent Hansen
28-J. R. Way
27-Suzanne Way (DNF)

Late Models
Heat
74W-Tony Gregg
21D-Shane Lewis
31X-Ron Lee

A Feature
74W-Tony Gregg
21D-Shane Lewis
90-Steve Kempt
31X-Ron Lee
3-Charley Brown
2-Kenny McCarty (DNS)
38-Jack Swearingen (DNS)