Making the trip into the winners circle and earning the bragging rights of being the 2015 Wild West Challenge champion was achieved by Eddie Belec, Shawn Harker, Jason Rogers, Jacob Olmstead and Ramsey Meyer during a special event that featured some of IMCA’s best at Lincoln County Raceway in North Platte, Nebraska during the Nebraskaland Days celebration on Monday evening.
The Arvada (CO) Assassin Eddie Belec started on the pole and was among the frontrunners throughout the IMCA Modified Feature and it was during the final lap that Belec slide underneath leader Jay Steffens of North Platte out of the final corner to earn the victory. Steffens was close behind in earning the runner-up accolades after holding onto the lead for the first 19 laps while rocking and rolling on the cushion. John Hansen of Brush, Colorado was up on the wheel with authority to earn the podium finish in third place overall. Jeremy Frenier of Ft. Morgan (CO) and Columbus hotshoe Anthony Roth finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Hansen, Cole Hodges of Ogallala and Tom Svoboda of David City were the heat race victors in early action in the division.
Leading from the drop of the green flag until the checkered flag flew, Shawn the Shark Harker of Nebraska City was a force to be reckoned with in winning the feature in the IMCA Northern Sport Modified division. Harker started on the outside of the first row and never looked back in claiming top honors. Clay Money of Penokee (KS) started in the third row and was able to drive around the top side of the North Platte oval to put the pressure on Harker, only to be forced to settle for runner-up accolades. Gibbon Chad Dolan knows the fast way around Lincoln County Raceway and on Monday evening, that veteran experience paid off with a third place finish. Dolan and Money were joined by Dustin Daniels of Colby (KS), Gothenburg’s Jamey Kennicutt and Terry Dressel of North Platte in starting their nights off right with heat race wins.
The Selden speedster Jason Rogers was heavy on the loud pedal to earn the IMCA Stock Car Feature victory as a result of unofficial winner Casey Woken of Norton (KS) having a problem in the post-race tech inspections. Rogers started in the second row and was able to avoid all incidents on his way to the checkered flag. Trading paint and in the mix for the top position throughout the waning laps of the feature was Lloyd Meeske of Champion (NE). Meeske came from the third row into the podium position. Right behind Meeske to earn third and fourth place honors were Kyle and Casey Werkmeister, both drivers call Maywood home. Casey Woken along with Rogers were the heat race winners in the division.
Snaring the lead in the final laps, Overton’s Jacob Olsleben ken was the winner in the IMCA Hobby Stock Feature. Olmstead started in the fourth row on the starting grid. The efforts of veteran hotshoe Kyle Bond did not go un-noticed, as he made moves through the feature in hopes of moving into the lead. Bond settled for runner-up honors. Bringing home a bronze medal finish was Brady Weinman of Arnold. Benkelman Bullet Austin Davis and Overton’s Zach Olmstead rounded out the top five in the division.
Reaching the milestone of 70 feature wins was Pierce (NE) hotshoe Ramsey Meyer as he won the Wild West Challenge by leading from lap seven through the drop of the checkered flag. The effort behind the wheel of their hot rods was rewarded with fast-pacing racing action the included Ricky Crow of Grand Island and David Dembowski, also of Grand Island in second and third place overall.
(Unofficial Results):
–IMCA Modified Feature: 1. 3b-Eddie Belec; 2. XII-Jay Steffens; 3. 8h-John Hansen; 4. 17j-Jeremy Frenier; 5. 60iv-Anthony Roth; 6. 81-Mike Densberger; 7. 3rw-Ronnie Wallace; 8. 11s-Garrett Sporhase; 9. 34jw-Cole Hodges; 10. 4c-Charley Brown.
Heat Race Winners: 8h-Hansen; 34jw-Hodges; 16-Tom Svoboda.
–IMCA Northern Sport Modified Feature: 1. 40-Shawn Harker; 2. 7-Clay Money; 3. 87d-Chad Dolan; 4. 85-Josh Leonard; 5. 11-Terry Dressel; 6. 8x-Ron Tex Jr.; 7. 848-Troy Douglas; 8. 55-Tony Schultz; 9. 15r-Robbie Kosmacek; 10. 41g-Justin Gibbens.
Heat Race Winners: 33-Dustin Daniels; 87d-Dolan; 15k-Jamey Kennicutt; 7-Money; 11-Dressel.
–IMCA Stock Car Feature: 1. 37-Jason Rogers; 2. 32-Lloyd Meeske; 3. 42w-Kyle Werkmeister; 4. 24w-Casey Werkmeister; 5. 11k-Kyle Clough; 6. 93-Doug Adamy; 7. 24-Bob Chalupa; 8. 561-Kurt Trusty; 9. 09h-Bob Hoing; 10. 47-Russ Small Jr.
Heat Race Winners: 35jw-Woken; 37-Rogers.
–IMCA Hobby Stock Feature: 1. 88j-Jacob Olmstead; 2. 0-Kyle Bond; 3. 22w-Brady Weinman; 4. 22-Austin Davis; 5. 98z-Zach Olmstead; 6. 95b-Tiffany Bittner; 7. 51-Colt Gibbs; 8. 7s-Scott Gibson; 9. 5-Chuck Ledbetter; 10. 1-Tanner Clough.
Heat Race Winners: 01-Jacob Wolsleben; 0-Kyle Bond; 88j-Jacob Olmstead.
–IMCA Sport Compact Feature: 1. 21r-Ramsey Meyer; 2. 69x-Ricky Crow; 3. 52-David Dembowski; 4. 3j-Jeremy Baker; 5. 15-Randy Murphy; 6. 44u-Andrew Baumgardner; 7. 7-Erik Nelson; 8. 28d-Devin Bjorklund; 9. h0t-Hunter Hoatson; 10. 19b-Jordan Biere.
Heat Race Winners: 3j-Baker; 21r-Meyer.