Story by Kelly Ninas
Getting the season off to a fast start, the competitors took to the oval at Lincoln County
Raceway in heated battles in all classes on opening night in North Platte, Nebraska. Starting
their seasons’off right at Lincoln County Raceway by punching their tickets to the Winners
Circles were: Eddie Belec, Jacob Slough, Mike Nichols, Luke Wassom and Terry Tritt.
Starting on the pole and leading every lap of the Feature, Eddie Belec of Arvada, Colorado
scored the victory in the Maxwell Offroad Center division. Belec was able to hold off all
challengers as many competitors jostled for positions. Taking advantage of his track position in
the early going, heat race winner David Murray Jr. of Oberlin, Kansas was able to challenge for
the lead for many of the laps as he was then forced to fend off the fast charging competitors
close behind him. Murray Jr. was able to hold off the challengers to earn the runner-up finish.
Making his way on to the podium while challenging for a top two finish, Jeremy Frenier of Ft.
Morgan, Colorado was forced to settle with a third place finish from his outside row two
starting position.
Taking advantage of a great opportunity, Jacob Slough of Doniphan got the monkey off his
back in winning the North Platte GMC Buick Northern Sport Modified Feature. Slough was able
to drive with gumption and gain a big lead that held throughout much of the feature, despite
the late challenges to earn his first ever IMCA Northern Sport Modified Feature win. Doing his
best to put heavy pressure on Slough for much of the feature event was Dillon Schultz of North
Platte, as he worked the bottom lane, which was the preferred lane during the feature to earn
runner-up accolades. Crossing the finish lane in third place overall, was Jamey Kennicutt of
Gothenburg who was able to work through traffic with ease it seemed, as he was forced to
come from deep in the field as a result of a less than stellar finish in the heat race. Winning the
heat races to open the event was Schultz and Troy Bayne of Hershey.
Leading the laps that mattered the most, was the Harlan Hustler Mike Nichols of Harlan,
Iowa in winning the Knucklehead Garage IMCA Stock Car Feature. Nichols started the feature
on the inside of the sixth row and needed the help of late caution flags to get within striking
distance of the leader, Casey Woken of Norton, Kansas. Nichols battled side-by-side for at least
seven or eight laps before finally, Nichols was able to gain the lead and never relinquish the
lead all the way past the checkered flag. In the final laps, Kyle Vanover of Beatrice, who had
been running in the lead group with Woken and Nichols was able to find the momentum to slip
past Woken and earn the runner-up accolades. Woken was forced to settle for third place
honors after leading the most laps of the feature event. Starting their night off right with heat
race wins in the IMCA Stock Car division were the trio of Kyle Clough of Wallace, Jeff Whiting of
Gothenburg and Dan Eller of North Platte.
Being able to make the moves when needed, Awesome Luke Wassom of Broken Bow was
able to lead the final two laps of the Herrick Auto & Marine IMCA Hobby Stock Feature to claim
the victory. Wassom started the feature in the fourth row when the green flag was dropped
and was forced to work through traffic for much of the feature. Just two laps away from scoring
his first ever feature win, Brady Henderson of Curtis led the first 13 laps in hopes of scoring the
victory. Despite relinquishing the lead, Henderson was able to stay on top of his game to earn a
runner-up finish. Close behind Henderson in earning a podium finish in third place overall was
Tanner Clough of Wallace. Winning the IMCA Hobby Stock heat races was Wassom and Jacob
Hagan of Kearney.
Putting on a dominating performance was Terry Tritt of York in the D & S Automotive IMCA
Sport Compact Feature to claim the victory. Tritt was able to start on the pole of the feature
event and was able to run away and hide to cruise to the victory with a big cushion over the
other podium finishers. Having to work through traffic, Quincy Eggleston of Gothenburg ran out
of real estate once he got into second place and didn’t have enough laps remaining to dent the
deficit behind the leader. Eggleston was able to earn the second place finish. After a slow start
to the feature event, Darryl Cauffman of North Platte was able to go ‘elbows up’ and drive with
authority to the tune of a third place finish in the feature.
The next regular scheduled night of IMCA racing action at Lincoln County Raceway is this
coming Saturday night, May 4th with the POWRi United Rebel Sprint Series also visiting the
North Platte oval for the Fourth Annual Ron Williams/Dick Snoose Myers Memorial. Racing is
slated to start at 7 p.m.
(Unofficial Results)
–Maxwell Offroad Center IMCA Modified Feature: 1. 3b-Eddie Belec; 2. 97m-David Murray
Jr; 3. 17j-Jeremy Frenier; 4. 7-Justin Gregg; 5. 34jw-Cole Hodges; 6. 11h-Henry Henderson; 7.
XII-Jay Steffens; 8. 0hp-Bryan Herrick; 9. 20b-Brandon Clough.
Heat Race Winners: 97m-Murray Jr.
–North Platte GMC Buick IMCA Northern Sport Modified Feature: 1. 15d-Jacob Slough; 2.
554-Dillon Schultz; 3. 15k-Jamey Kennicutt; 4. 12j-Kerry Jones; 5. 4d-Patrick Donovan; 6. 69-
Adam Kackmeister; 7. 26t-Alex Donovan; 8. 69z-Zane Turner; 9. 34-Matt Caudillo; 10. 25-
Jonathan Jensen.
Heat Race Winners: 63-Troy Bayne; 554-Schultz.
–Knucklehead Garage IMCA Stock Car Feature: 1. 63-Mike Nichols; 2. 19-Kyle Vanover; 3.
35jw-Casey Woken; 4. 71-Andrew Dillenburg; 5. 11k-Kyle Clough; 6. 16w-Jeff Whiting; 7. 24-Bob
Chalupa; 8. 5d-Travis Demilt; 9. 117s-Josh Schweitzer; 10. 15r-Robbie Kosmacek.
Heat Race Winners: 16w-Whiting; 75-Eller; 11k-Clough.
–Herrick Auto & Marine IMCA Hobby Stock Feature: 1. 2w-Luke Wassom; 2. 20b-Brady
Henderson; 3. 1-Tanner Clough; 4. 72b-Jacob Hagan; 5. 12t-Tanner Jones; 6. 5-Chuck Ledbetter;
7. 29-Jeromy Wagner; 8. 45cj-Chad Baney; 9. R89-Nate Refior; 10. 5t-Cody Topinka.
Heat Race Winners: 2w-Wassom; 72b-Hagan.
–D & S Automotive IMCA Sport Compact Feature: 1. 5x-Terry Tritt; 2. 7e-Quincy Eggleston; 3.
00d-Daryl Cauffman; 4. 71c-Christian Destefano; 5. L2-Lonnie Lenser Jr.; 6. 26-Marcus Florom;
7. 84d-Kaden Dady.
Heat Race Winners: 5x-Tritt.
