Bittner Makes History, Stout and Herbert Also Win at Sandhills Shootout

20120722_1405 — Norfolk’s Tammy Bittner celebrates her victory. She’s the first woman ever to take a checkered in an A feature at the Sandhills Shootout.

(July 21, North Platte, NE) Lincoln County Ag Society added a different twist to the 2012 Sandhills Shootout by hosting the URSS
(United Rebel Sprint Series), IMCA Northern SportMods and IMCA Hobby Stocks. Taking home the big money and recognition were Brian Herbert of Dodge City, Kansas, Shane Stout of North Platte, and Tiffany Bittner of Norfolk.

Hometown driver Tom Belsky led the first three laps for the sprint car race until his car flipped off and over corner one. He was uninjured. That opened the door Brian Herbert to take charge of the race. Like other gunslingers from Dodge City, Herbert was the last man standing at this shootout. Teammates Mike Saathoff of North Platte and Tommy Lee Williams of Hershey made the locals proud by finishing second and third. Wheatridge, Colorado driver Mark Walinder took the fourth spot. Former area Mini-Sprint driver John Webster of North Platte rounded out the top five.

Despite drivers from out of the area coming to compete, the battle at the front of the IMCA Northern SportMod A Feature was all too familiar as Shane Stout duked it out with Cozad driver Colton Osborn. Despite the challenge, Stout never backed down and led every lap with consistency en route to his biggest payday. Max Harder of Blue Springs, current point leader at Beatrice Speedway, finished in the third spot. Rookie Dillon Schultz of North Platte took home fourth. Fifth place went to Hays, Kansas driver Trenton Kleweno. Osborn, Stout, and Denny Egge of Kearney were the heat race winners, and Bryan Herrick of Curtis took the pole dash win.

As the first female to ever take an A Feature win at the Sandhills Shootout, Tiffany Bitter made history in the IMCA Hobby Stock A
Feature. Bittner raced hard alongside of Campbell hotshoe and fellow heat race winner Dillon Thompson for much of the race. Accidents slowed the race, including a scary rollover by Anthony Martin of Wilcox, who won the A Feature the night before in McCook. He walked away, but the car will need repairs before it can run again. Despite the battles and cautions, there was no stopping the determination of this gal as she earned every lap in this race. When she took the checkered flag, the crowd was on their feet in appreciation of her performance. Cody Graham of Hays, Kansas finished the night in third spot. Austin Davis of Benkelman was the first regular to finish, taking fourth, just ahead of last week’s winner Brady Weinmann of Arnold. Belvidere driver Robby Marsh was the other Hobby Stock heat race winner for the night. Another point leader from Beatrice Speedway, Adam Armstrong, was the winner of the pole dash.