Hitting the door running on all cylinders were the competitors that took to the dirt at Lincoln County Raceway during the 2020 season opener on Saturday evening in North Platte, Nebraska in front of a packed house of racing fans that were beyond excited to get the season started.
Hard earned trips to the Winners Circle were earned by Colton Osborn, Jamey Kennicutt, Jesse Taylor, Allyn Myers and Brad Bayne.
Leading the laps that mattered the most was Colton Osborn of Cozad during the IMCA Modified Feature. Osborn started in the back row of the starting grid when the green flag dropped. The Cozad wheelman was able to work his way through traffic to be in position to battle for the lead near the midway point of the feature event and was able to make the final pass for the lead as the white flag was waved. Osborn was able to garner the lead and hold the position to earn the victory.
For North Platte’s Andrew Dillenburg, who was ‘en fuego’ during his night returning to open wheel racing with a heat race win and then getting to start on the pole of the feature. Dillenburg took advantage of his starting position in the feature and led for much of the feature, as he took the lead on the third lap and was the leader until relinquishing the point to Osborn in the waning laps. Dillenburg continued to stay the course and earn a runner-up finish for his efforts.
Biding his time and being around for the finish was the formula for success for Ayden Steffens to shine in his first official feature at Lincoln County Raceway. Steffens of North Platte was able to race his way to the third place finish to start off his rookie season with a podium finish after starting in the back of the field when the green flag dropped.
Being in the right position at the right time, Jamey Kennicutt of Gothenburg took advantage of the opportunity to start his season off right with an IMCA Northern Sport Modified Feature victory. Kennicutt started on the inside of the fourth row and was able to weave through traffic in the early going to be among the leaders for much of the feature. Kennicutt was able to make the pass for the lead on the 12th lap and never look back to earn the cherished trip to the winners circle.
Stalking Kennicutt for the final three laps was early leader Jacob Slough of Grand Island, who garnered the lead with a powerful slide job at the midway point of the feature after driving his way to the front from his third row starting spot. Slough was able to earn a runner-up finish for his efforts.
Early leader Paul Donovan of McCook got the feature started off fast, as he hoped to run away and hide from the field as he started on the pole and led the first seven laps. Donovan was able to keep his ‘elbows up’ and stay among the lead pack and be rewarded for his efforts with a third place finish.
It seems that Lincoln County Raceway has become the end of the rainbow for wheelman Jesse Taylor of Fort Morgan, Colorado, as he has had stellar results of his visits to the North Platte oval recently. Saturday evening was more of the same for Taylor as he was the victor in the IMCA Stock Car feature event. Taylor had an advantage of starting on the pole of the tricky track that gave the racers a variety of conditions throughout their 20 lap feature. Taylor was able to lead the initial six laps before he moved back to second place as the Norton Nightmare Casey Woken would take over the lead from his fourth row starting position.
Woken of Norton, Kansas would hold onto the lead and started working through lap traffic before pulling into the infield on the 13th lap relinquishing the lead back to Taylor who had been running in second place. Taylor was able to hold off the challenges for the remaining laps and claim the victory. Coming on at the end of the race was fan favorite Mikey Dancer of North Platte as he waltzed through the field of competitors from his eighth row starting spot. Dancer crossed the finish line in second place overall to unofficially earn the hard charger award.
Veteran wheelman Colton Osborn of Cozad made his return to the stock car class at Lincoln County Raceway with rave reviews. Osborn started on the outside of the front row and was able to bide his time and be among the leaders when it mattered most. Osborn was able to race his way onto the podium with a great second half of the race that resulted in a third place finish.
Starting up front, staying up front and being the first to the finish line was the name of the game for Allyn Myers to start his season off right with an IMCA Hobby Stock Feature victory. Myers of Broken Bow was able to work his magic around the bottom groove at Lincoln County Raceway to claim the win despite the hard charging competitors that were looking to take away the lead.
Benefitting greatly from a late caution that bunched up the field, Awesome Luke Wassom of Broken Bow was able to put the pressure on Myers for many of the final laps as they raced bumper to bumper to the finish. Wassom was forced to settle with runner-up accolades. Starting off on the right foot with a stellar finish that was a result of his consistency throughout the feature was Brady Henderson of Curtis is third place overall. Henderson was among the leaders for much of the feature event.
No stranger to the winners circle at Lincoln County Raceway is Brad Bayne of Greeley, Colorado as he piloted his hotrod to the Rocky Mountain Dwarf Car Racing Association (RMDCRA) Feature victory. Bayne started up front and set a blistering pace as he rocketed through traffic to cruise to the victory.
Doing his best to run down the leader in the waning laps, was heat race winner Jared Maas of Loveland, Colorado. Maas was gaining ground on Bayne but it was too little, too late and Maas had to settle with runner-up honors. John Pipe of Greeley, Colorado was able to use his consistency to his advantage by earning a third place finish for his efforts.
The Lincoln County Raceway will return to the famed oval in North Platte for a two-day Red, White and Boom Racing program that is slated for Friday, July 3rd and Saturday July 4th. A fireworks displayed is planned following the races on Saturday evening.
(Unofficial Results)
–IMCA Modified Feature: 1. 50c-Colton Osborn; 2. 71-Andrew Dillenburg; 3. 12a-Ayden Steffen; 4. 20b-Brandon Clough; 5. 4p-Dave Pedersen; 6. 0hp-Bryan Herrick.
Heat Race: 71-Dillenburg.
–IMCA Northern Sport Modified Feature: 1. 15k-Jamey Kennicutt; 2. 15d-Jacob Slough; 3. 1-Paul Donovan; 4. 69z-Zane Turner; 5. 12j-Kerry Jones; 6. 17-Norman Weigel; 7. 18c-Ryan Mosier; 8. 2-Troy Bayne; 9. 69-Adam Kackmeister.
–Heat Race: 15d-Slough
–IMCA Stock Car Feature: 1. 05-Jesse Taylor; 2. 45-Mikey Dancer; 3. 50c-Colton Osborn; 4. 711-Billy Aeby; 5. 17r-Dana Rasmussen; 6. 5d-Travis Demilt; 7. 9j-Jason Anderson; 8. 4-Mike Earll; 9. 12az-Rick Maier; 10. 75-Dan Eller.
–IMCA Hobby Stock Feature: 1. 99m-Allyn Myers; 2. 2w-Luke Wassom; 3. 20b-Brady Henderson; 4. 7h-Jeromy Wagner; 5. 20-Tanner Clough; 6. 5t-Cody Topinka; 7. 83s-Paxton Stubbs.
–RMDCRA Feature: 1. 3r-Brad Bayne; 2. 7r-Jared Maas; 3. 05-John Pipe; 4. 22r-Leroy Dilka; 5. 11-Kenny Johnson; 6. Christina Jagodzinski; 7. 54-Jesse Taylor; 8. 16r-Jerry Hunter.
