Opening night honors at Beatrice belong to Grabouski

BEATRICE, Neb. (March 21) – A familiar face was back in victory lane following the headline event on opening night of Spring Nationals at Beatrice Speedway.

Jordan Grabouski earned $2,000 for the Friday night IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified checkers. The victory was his career fifth at Spring Nationals and IMCA 96th.

“I found the middle to the top of the track, kept the car straight and kept my momentum up,” said Grabouski,” who had started sixth and passed David Murray Jr. for the lead on the eighth of 30 laps. “This is a new car and I was fortunate to have a really fast ride right out of the box.

Frontrunners were mixed up with lapped traffic before a caution with nine to go. Grabouski stayed in the fastest line from that point, racing across the stripe comfortably ahead of Murray, Jesse Sobbing, Dylan Smith and Brian Foote.

Sobbing had started 11th. Grabouski was already on the ballot for the 2014 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational and will add his opening night hardware to a collection that also includes single trophies from 2012 and 2008 and a pair from 2011.

Brandon Czarapata also raced to his IMCA career 96th win in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main event while Greg Metz bested the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods after qualifying from his “B” and benefitting from a last-lap tangle.

Both those features paid $500 to win.

Chasing Czarapata to the finish were Michael Jaennette, Derek Green, Lance Borgman and the 12th starting Nick Tubbs.

Kyle Prauner, Tyler Frye, Nic Hanes and Eddie Schwope Jr. rounded out the Northern SportMod top five. Metz and Frye both advanced 13 positions while Hanes passed seven cars.

Adam Armstrong was the $500 IMA Sunoco Hobby Stock winner, in front of Lee Horky, R.J. Macku, Eric Stanton and Brent Schlake in a feature with its share of passing and then some: Armstrong and Horky both moved up 10 spots from their original starting position while Schlake was a plus 13.

Two hundred and twenty-seven cars from a dozen states and Canada saw action on opening night of the 21st annual special. Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods and Hobby Stocks will be joined by Mach-1 Sport Compacts on the Saturday card at Beatrice.

Feature Results

Modifieds – 1. Jordan Grabouski, Beatrice; 2. David Murray Jr., Oberlin, Kan.; 3. Jesse Sobbing, Glenwood, Iowa; 4. Dylan Smith, Osceola; 5. Brian Foote, Essex, Iowa; 6. Jeremy Frenier, Fort Morgan, Colo.; 7. Johnny Saathoff, Beatrice; 8. Andy Wilkinson, York; 9. Ronn Lauritzen, Jesup, Iowa; 10. Travis Hatcher, Honey Creek, Iowa; 11. Jason Schoenberger, Russell, Kan.; 12. Josh Gilman, Earlham, Iowa; 13. Clayton Christensen, Spencer, Iowa; 14. Justen Yeager, Green River, Wyo.; 15. Travis Dickes, Madison; 16. Jeff Hunter, Henderson, Colo.; 17. Jay Noteboom, Hinton, Iowa; 18. Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa, Iowa; 19. Jake Adler, Holyoke, Colo.; 20. Jesse Dennis, Prescott, Iowa; 21. Scott Drake, Joplin, Mo.; 22. Cory Wray Jamesport, Mo.; 23. Tad Reutzel, Burt, Iowa; 24. Nick Nevins, Lisbon, Iowa.

1st heat (top two) – 1. Saathoff; 2. Dennis. 2nd heat – 1. Smith; 2. Lauritzen. 3rd heat – 1. Grabouski; 2. Foote. 4th heat – 1. Murray; 2. Sobbing. 5th heat – 1. Gilman; 2. Nevins. 6th heat – 1. Wilkinson; 2. Wray.

1st “B” feature (top four) – 1. Reutzel; 2. Hatcher; 3. Hunter; 4. Carter. 2nd “B” feature – 1. Frenier; 2. Schoenberger; 3. Christensen; 4. Adler. 3rd “B” feature – 1. Drake; 2. Yeager; 3. Noteboom; 4. Dickes.

Stock Cars – 1. Brandon Czarapata, Appleton, Wis.; 2. Michael Jaennette, Newton, Iowa; 3. Derek Green, Granada, Wis.; 4. Lance Borgman, Beatrice; 5. Nick Tubbs, Colby, Kan.; 6. Mike Nichols, Harlan, Iowa; 7. Andy Gage, Whiting, Iowa; 8. Jason Rogers, Selden, Kan.; 9. Elijah Zevenbergen, Ocheyeden, Iowa; 10. Perry Misner, Garden City, Kan.; 11. Kyle Vanover, Beatrice; 12. Jay Schmidt, Tama, Iowa; 13. Chris Ullrich, Kiron, Iowa; 14. Angel Munoz, Lamar, Colo.; 15. Todd Reitzler, Grinnell, Iowa; 16. Brad Derry, Bedford, Iowa; 17. Damon Murty, Chelsea, Iowa; 18. Jim Larson, Rushmore, Minn.; 19. Randy Killen, Des Moines, Iowa; 20. Stefan Klym, Weyburn, Sask.; 21. Chad Borgman, Beatrice; 22. Brian Blessington, Breda, Iowa; 23. Justin Temeyer, Independence, Iowa; 24. Cory Dumpert, York.

1st heat (top two) – 1. Gage; 2. Borgman. 2nd heat – 1. Munoz; 2. Nichols. 3rd heat – 1. Czarapata;  2. Green. 4th heat – 1. Reitzler; 2. Tubbs. 5th heat – 1. Vanover;  2. Temeyer. 6th heat – 1. Jaennette; 2. Dumpert.

1st “B” feature (top four) – 1. Ullrich; 2. Blessington; 3. Larson; 4. Klym. 2nd “B” feature – 1. Schmidt; 2. Rogers; 3. Borgman; 4. Killen. 3rd “B” feature – 1. Zevenbergen; 2. Murty; 3. Misner; 4. Derry.

Northern SportMods – 1. Greg Metz, Washington, Kan.; 2. Kyle Prauner, Norfolk; 3. Tyler Frye, Belleville, Kan.; 4. Nic Hanes, Trenton, Mo.; 5. Eddie Schwope Jr., St. Joseph, Mo.; 6. Ben Schultze, Algona, Iowa; 7. Todd Boulware, Jefferson, S.D.; 8. Kyle Olberding, Seneca, Kan.; 9. Clint Luellen, Minburn, Iowa; 10. Brandon Clough, Wallace; 11. Max Harder, FIlley; 12. Darren Medler, Minot, N.D.; 13. Colby Heishman, Brooklyn, Iowa; 14. Austin Carter, Beloit, Kan.; 15. Jared VanDeest, Holland, Iowa; 16. Shawn Harker, Nebraska City; 17. Ty Luellen, Minburn, Iowa; 18. Benjamin Chukuske, Sherburn, Minn.; 19. Benji Legg, Beatrice; 20. James Kleinheksel, Columbus; 21. Keagan Scott, Odebolt, Iowa; 22. Darin Roepke, LeMars, Iowa; 23. Karl Brewer, Vermillion, S.D.; 24. Daniel Gottschalk, Ellis.

1st heat (top two) – 1. Boulware; 2. Hanes. 2nd heat – 1. Brewer; 2. Scott. 3rd heat – 1. Medler; 2. Carter. 4th heat – 1. Clint Luellen; 2. Schwope. 5th heat – 1. Kleinheksel; 2. VanDeest. 6th heat – 1. Prauner; 2. Schultze.

1st “B” feature (top four) – 1. Harder; 2. Frye; 3. Gottschalk; 4. Ty Luellen. 2nd “B” feature – 1. Metz; 2. Legg; 3. Olberding; 4. Harker. 3rd “B” feature – 1. Heishman; 2. Roepke; 3. Chukuske; 4. Clough.

Hobby  Stocks – 1. Adam Armstrong, Beatrice; 2. Lee Horky, Fairbury; 3. R.J. Macku, Lincoln; 4. Eric Stanton, Carlisle, Iowa; 5. Brent Schlake, Blue Springs; 6. Michael Pruitt, Redfield; 7. Cory Adams, Des Moines, Iowa; 8. Jason See, Albia, Iowa; 9. Roy Armstrong, Beatrice; 10. Jeremy Purdy, Bedford, Iowa; 11. Justin Rezabek, Wilber; 12. Ryan Gilland, Beatrice; 13. Colby Langenberg, Norfolk; 14. Jeremy Brandt, Wilber; 15. Neil Forsberg, Slayton, Minn.; 16. Brock Beeter, Minot, N.D.; 17. Tyson Overton, Carlisle, Iowa; 18. Michael Leffler, Ankeny, Iowa; 19. Tiffany Bittner, Norfolk; 20. Tejay Mielke, Norfolk; 21. Benji Irvine, Stanley, Iowa; 22. Austin Luellen, Minburn, Iowa; 23. Jesse VanLaningham, Beatrice; 24. Brendon Stigge, Fairbury.

1st heat (top two) – 1. Adams;  2. Brandt. 2nd heat – 1. Macku;  2. Horky. 3rd heat – 1. Roy Armstrong; 2. See. 4th heat – 1. Irvine; 2. Adam Armstrong. 5th heat – 1. Stanton;  2. Pruitt. 6th heat – 1. VanLaningham; 2. Mielke.

1st “B” feature (top four) – 1. Beeter; 2. Rezabek; 3. Langenberg;  4. Leffler. 2nd “B” feature – 1. Gilland; 2. Stigge; 3. Overton; 4. Bittner. 3rd “B” feature –  1. Luellen; 2. Schlake; 3. Purdy; 4. Forsberg.

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