Getting the season started off right were the foursome of Bryan Herrick, Mikey Dancer, Kyle Bond and Tanner Jones along earning trips to the winners circle in IMCA competition along with Rocky Mountain Lightning Sprint Association (RMLSA) hotshoe Troy Ullery during opening night at Lincoln County Raceway in North Platte, Nebraska on Saturday evening.

Earning the hardcharger award should have been Bryan Herrick of Curtis, Nebraska; as he led the final five laps of the Feature race in the IMCA Northern Sport Mod division to finish where he left off this past season after starting in the fifth row. Herrick is the reigning champion in the division. North Platte’s Dillon Schultz snared the led at the end of lap six from his brother Zach Schultz, who retired from the feature with mechanical issues after leading the initial six laps of the event. Dillon Schultz held on to earn runner-up honors. Earning a place on the podium with a third place finish was heat race winner Terry Dressel of North Platte.

Storming to the front and then being consistent on each and every lap, Mikey Dancer of North Platte claimed the checkers in the IMCA Stock Car division on opening night. Dancer started in the third row and drove around the top on the opening circuits to get the lead on the third lap. Dancer never looked back and won the feature in fine fashion. One step away from getting the top honors, Wallace, Nebraska driver Kyle Clough was heavy on the loud pedal in charging into contention during the waning laps to earn runner-up honors. Heat race winner Casey Werkmeister of Maywood, Nebraska finished third overall, using the cushion to his advantage to overcome his fifth row starting position. Kyle Werkmeister of Maywood and North Platte’s Dan Eller won opening night heat races as well.

Running away and hiding from the field throughout the feature was Gibbon’s Kyle Bond in winning the IMCA Hobby Stock Feature in dominant fashion. Bond started in the third row and was able to drive to the lead on the seventh lap and never look back to earn the victory. Making the long haul from the fourth row into the runner-up finishing position was the Benkelman Bullet Austin Davis. Davis didn’t get into second place until there were just two laps remaining, so his chances to run down Bond dwindled as the final laps were completed. Hobby Stock rookie Jacob Olmstead of Overton, Nebraska had a stellar opening night at North Platte, with a third place finish after leading the five six laps of the event. Bond and Davis won the heat races in the Hobby Stock division.

Starting on the pole and staying up front was the winning formula for North Platte’s Tanner Jones to win the IMCA Sport Compact Feature. Jones extinguished all challengers to lead every lap of the feature. Cozad, Nebraska’s Devin Bjorklund started in the second row and was able to advance into the runner-up position near the halfway point and hold onto the place position. North Platte’s Andrew Baumgardner slipped back on the opening circuits, only to charge back into contention with gumption to finish third overall after winning the heat race earlier in the evening.

During the first of two visits this season, Troy Ullery of Lakewood, Colorado won the Feature for the RMLSA. Ullery would complete the pass on the highside to win after leading only the final three circuits. In the mix to win throughout the whole feature was Jeff Gieg of Johnstown, Colorado. Gieg finished the night in second place in his winged sprinter. Driving a new car didn’t diminish the hopes of Steve Becker of Lakewood, as he earned third place honors. Scott Wilson of Thornton, Colorado led the first 17 laps of the feature before having mechanical issues.

Racing action returns to the fast-paced dirt oval on the Lincoln County Fairgrounds in North Platte, Nebraska this coming Saturday night, May 24th with the drop of the green flag at 7 p.m.

 

Unoffical Results:

–Northern Sport Modified Feature: 1. 0-Bryan Herrick; 2. 55d-Dillon Schultz; 3. 13-Terry Dressel; 4. 848-Troy Douglas; 5. 1-Paul Donovan; 6. 22w-Brady Weinman; 7. 20b-Brandon Clough; 8. 3-Gary Long; 9. 69-Adam Kackmeister.

Heat Race 1: 1. 55z-Zach Schultz; 2. 55d-Dillon Schultz; 3. 11h-Henry Henderson.

Heat Race 2: 1. 13-Terry Dressel; 2. 20b-Brandon Clough; 3. 11-Tim Cooper.

Heat Race 3: 1. 0-Bryan Herrick; 2. 848-Troy Douglas; 3. 79s-James Stewart.

–Stock Car Feature: 1. 45-Mikey Dancer; 2. 11k-Kyle Clough; 3. 24w-Casey Werkmeister; 4. 50c-Colton Osborn; 5. 42w-Kyle Werkmeister; 6. 6c-Cale Osborn; 7. 24-Bob Chalupa; 8. 09h-Bob Hoing; 9. 75-Dan Eller; 10. 99k-Dave Easterday.

Heat 1: 1. 75-Dan Eller; 2. 09h-Bob Hoing; 3. 00-Sara Klein.

Heat 2: 1. 42w-Kyle Werkmeister; 2. 50c-Colton Osborn; 3. 72-Robert Walker.

Heat 3: 1. 24w-Casey Werkmeister; 2. 11k-Kyle Clough; 3. 45-Mikey Dancer.

–Hobby Stock Feature: 1. 0-Kyle Bond; 2. 22-Austin Davis; 3. 88j-Jacob Olmstead; 4. 2c-Tyson Canas; 5. 72h-Kevin Hagan; 6. 7s-Scott Gibson; 7. 1-Tanner Clough; 8. 72b-Jacob Hagan.

Heat 1: 1. 0-Kyle Bond; 2. 72h-Kevin Hagan; 3. 5-Chuck Ledbetter.

Heat 2: 1. 22-Austin Davis; 2. 2c-Tyson Canas; 3. 7s-Scott Gibson.

–Sport Compact Feature: 1. 12t-Tanner Jones; 2. 28d-Devin Bjorklund; 3. 44u-Andrew Baumgardner; 4. 22b-Charlie Blowers; 5. 33-Andrew McClellen.

Heat 1: 1. 44u-Andrew Baumgardner; 2. 28d-Devin Bjorklund; 3. 22b-Charlie Blowers.

–RMLSA Feature: 1. 1t-Troy Ullery; 2. 18-Jeff Gieg; 3. 31-Steve Becker; 4. 56-Troy Simpson; 5. 11-Glenn Waterland; 6. 96-Shane Stanley; 7. 7-Scott Wilson; 8. 69-Paul Babich.

Heat 1: 1. 11-Glenn Waterland; 2. 1t-Troy Ullery; 3. 18-Jeff Gieg.