The racing action was better than advertised, as many times the racers were three abreast during green flag racing at Dawson County Raceway in Lexington, Nebraska on Sunday evening. Making their way into the winners circle were: Kyle Rohleder, Cale Osborn, Casey Woken, Josh Leonard and Jacob Olmstead.
Taking the point on the eighth lap and never looking back was Wakeeney, Kansas hotshoe Kyle Rohleder in the IMCA Modified Feature. Rohleder started the contest in the third row and quickly advanced into the lead pack during the green-white-checkered flag feature. Coming from his fourth row starting position to earn a runner-up finish was the Magic Man Mike Densberger of Lincoln. Cozad’s Colton Osborn snared a third place while being among the top three throughout the feature event. Fourth place finisher Cole Hodges of Ogallala led the initial six laps of the feature. Rohleder along with Charley Brown of Maxwell were the heat race victors.
Leading the laps that matter the most in determining a winner, Cale Osborn of Cozad was able to snare the lead on the final two circuits to win the Grand National Late Model Feature event. Osborn started on the outside of the fifth row at the drop of the green flag and was able to dart inside the top five in the first laps. Crossing the finish line second after leading for the first 18 laps of the feature was veteran wheelman Bo Egge of Kearney. Making a late charge during the waning laps, Kevin Safranek of Merna was able to earn a podium finish in third place overall. Safranek was joined by Tyler Andreasen and JJ Rodeman, both of Grand Island as heat race winners in early evening late model action.
In one of the most exciting races of the evening and the 2015 season in Southwest Nebraska, Casey Woken of Norton, Kansas and Mike Nichols of Harlan, Iowa were racing side-by-side for the final three laps of the IMCA Stock Car Feature. At the finish line, Woken held a slight edge of less than a foot to take the checkered flag over second place finisher Mike Nichols. Woken started in the fifth row and Nichols was right behind in the sixth row at the drop of the green flag. Nichols was able to snare the lead on lap eight before the final laps showdown. Crossing the finish line third overall was Casey Werkmeister of Maywood. Leading the way prior to Nichols taking the lead was Kyle Clough of Wallace for a pair of laps after Brendan Eilts of Grand Island had led the way for the first five laps. Nichols, Clough and Werkmeister were the heat race winners in the division.
Making the move for the lead in the final laps was Josh Leonard of Gibbon to earn the IMCA Northern Sport Modified Feature win. Leonard led the final two laps after starting in the fifth row. Finishing in the runner-up position in the feature was Chad Dolan of Gibbon after winning the first two Features of the season at Dawson County Raceway. Leading the way for much of the feature event, Cozad’s Steve Aitken led lap two and was the pace setter until the final two laps. Aitken recovered quite nicely to earn a third place finish. Leonard, Aitken and Toph Harmon of Arapahoe were the heat race victors earlier in the evening.
Winning the second straight IMCA Hobby Stock Feature was second year superstar Jacob Olmstead of Overton. Jacob Olmstead passed his brother Zach to lead the final five laps to earn the win. Zach Olmstead was the runner-up after leading the initial nine laps of the feature. Making a run from deep in the field, Gibbon Gambler Kyle Bond was the show finisher in the feature. Michael Zerr was joined by Bond and Jacob Olmstead as heat race winners in the hobby stock divison.
(Unofficial Results):
–IMCA Modified Feature: 1. 0-Kyle Rohleder; 2. 81-Mike Densberger; 3. 50c-Colton Osborn; 4. 34jw-Cole Hodges; 5. 2-Jeremy Herbst; 6. XII-Jay Steffens; 7. 4c-Charley Brown; 8. 727-Todd Schwarz; 9. 19-Chuck Stryker; 10. 4p-Dave Pedersen. Heat Race Winners: 4c-Brown; 0-Rohleder.
–Grand National Late Model Feature: 1. 6c-Cale Osborn; 2. 1x-Bo Egge; 3. 28-Kevin Safranek; 4. 25-JJ Rodeman; 5. 85-Josh Leonard; 6. 88-Brandon Leonard; 7. 51-Les Seibert; 8. 13t-Tyler Andreasen; 9. 55-Jake Neighbors; 10. 00-Jarred Hackler. Heat Race Winners: 25-Rodeman; 13t-Andreasen; 28-Safranek.
–IMCA Stock Car Feature: 1. 35jw-Casey Woken; 2. 63-Mike Nichols; 3. 24w-Casey Werkmeister; 4. 11k-Kyle Clough; 5. 45-Mikey Dancer; 6. 29e-Brendan Eilts; 7. 72h-Jim Hagan; 8. 16w-Jeff Whiting; 9. 76-Jason Davis; 10. 9c-Robert Rutherfod. Heat Race Winners: 24w-Werkmeister; 11k-Clough; 63-Nichols.
–IMCA Northern Sport Modified Feature: 1. 85-Josh Leonard; 2. 87d-Chad Dolan; 3. 7a-Steve Aitken; 4. 1x-Denny Egge; 5. 25-Toph Harmon; 6. 20-Hunter Cantrall; 7. 1c-Colle Egge; 8. 41g-Justen Gibbens; 9. 21-Billy Oliva; 10. 0hp- Bryan Herrick. Heat Race Winner: 35jw-Woken; 25-Harmon; 7a-Aitken.
–IMCA Hobby Stock Feature: 1. 88j-Jacob Olmstead; 2. 98z-Zach Olmstead; 3. 0-Kyle Bond; 4. 77-Cody Williams; 5. R89-Nate Refior; 6. 53e-Tyler Easterday; 7. 85-Robert Leonard; 8. 26-Ryan Gardine; 9. 2c-Tyson Canas; 10. 89-Michael Zerr. Heat Race Winner: 89-Zerr; 88j-Olmstead; 0-Bond.