Full Moon Fever At Culbertson Speedway
by: Darin Racek

CULBERTSON, Ne. (April 14, 2006) - You could tell it was a full moon over Culbertson Speedway April 14 when a Modified driver won the Stock Car Feature, a Stock Car driver won the Modified Feature, and Hobby Stocks roll after the caution light goes on. Charley Brown of Maxwell, Nick Tubbs of Colby, Kan., Aaron Koch of Cambridge, Duke Ebert of Culbertson, and Dave Wimer of Trenton ended a full night of racing with the A Feature victories.

The IMCA Modified A Feature had a little trouble completing the second lap. Three caution periods on lap two had the crowd wondering if the race would make the whole twenty laps. Charley Brown had the lead at the start of the race, and kept it during the caution periods, closely followed by Brice Riley of Indianola. When racing finally got underway, Brown was able to keep out front. The race then slowed down on lap nine, after two multi-car pileups. No driver was injured, but the wrecks did fill a large did not finish list. Brown, who has raced in the IMCA Stock Car division for the past four years, looked poised to get his first IMCA Modified win when David Murray, Jr. of Oberlin, Kan. Began sneaking up on him. Brown was undaunted, and did garner the win. Riley held onto third place, followed by Jeff Tubbs of Colby, Kan., and heat race winner Ronnie Wallace of North Platte. Robby Haines of Benkelman took the other heat victory.

The Clean Sweep Challenge was offered to the IMCA Stock Car class, where if a driver won his heat race, the trophy dash, and the main event, that driver would get a bonus $250 dollars. Todd Chrisman of North Platte was one of the drivers eligible, and came into the A Feature with his heat race win as well as new owner of a trophy. Caleb Peters of Oberlin, Kan. was set to be the spoiler when his car looped around while he was out front. That handed the front row starting spot to Chrisman, who took off with a shot. He was closely followed by Brady Koch of Cambridge and heat winner Tony Schultz of North Platte. Koch and Schultz were soon joined by Nick Tubbs and were putting on a battle for second place when the three got together. Koch was sent to the back of the field, Schultz went to the pits to change a tire, and Tubbs rejoined the field in second place. After one more caution, Tubbs mounted a charge, waited for Chrisman to move up the track, and drove the borrowed IMCA Stock Car under Chrisman’s car to take the lead with one lap to go and held on for his first IMCA Stock Car win. Caleb Peters also snuck by Chrisman to take the runner-up spot. Schultz came back to finish the race in fourth place.

When seventeen of the twenty IMCA Hobby Stocks in the pits lined up on the track for the A Feature, many people thought it would be a wild ride. They actually made five laps before the first caution came out. The restart lasted a lap after Derrik Bundy of Benkelman spun. Somewhere along the line, Michael Brunswig of Benkelman, who had a top five run, ended upside down after the cars slowed for the caution. The realignment didn’t help much, as the field made ¾ of a lap, then piled five cars up in corner three. Les Janousek of Trenton ended the ride in a car setting on its side when the last car was stopped. The race was then cut from 20 to fifteen laps, which must have calmed the drivers, since the last nine laps went caution-free. Aaron Koch had the lead on lap two and stayed out front the rest of the way. It was his second win of the night, as he won his heat race as well. Heat winner Justin Wagner of Culbertson started in row six, but eventually found second place at the end of the race. He was followed by newcomer Jim Huffman of McCook, Todd Pankonin, and heat winner Austin Davis, both whom hail from Benkelman.

Duke Ebert was king in the Classic Modified A Feature. Ebert had the lead, then briefly lost it to Max Pollmann of Trenton, who looped his car after making a hard charge to the front. After Ebert had the top spot back, he would be unstoppable. Devin Allen of Culbertson made a good late charge to finish in second place, out dueling heat winner Larry Pollmann of McCook. Loren Pollmann of Trenton finished in fourth, while Karl Wickizer of Palisade dropped to fifth place at the finish line.

The Murray sister from Oberlin, Kan., had their way for most of the early part of the night for the Mini-Trucks. Sara Murray got by Cindy late to garner the heat race win. Cindy took the lead immediately of the twelve lap A Feature. She was soon joined near the front by Dave Wimer, Josh Bopp of Trenton, and Sara. Wimer was driving hard down low, and with a lap to go, was finally able to get his truck underneath Cindy Murray and held the lead to the finish line. Sara Murray also got by for second place. Bopp finished fourth place, while Zach Olmstead of Overton finished in fifth place.

Culbertson Speedway’s next race is Friday, May 5. The next race in Southwest Nebraska is at McCook Speedway on Friday, April 21. The races at both tracks start at 8 PM Central Time.

April 14 results
IMCA Modifieds
Heat 1
9R-Robby Haines
8EZ-Brice Riley
37-Jeff Tubbs

Heat 2
3RW-Ronnie Wallace
73-Nick Tubbs
21H-Brandon Hagan

A Feature
4C-Charley Brown
97M-David Murray, Jr.
8EZ-Brice Riley
37-Jeff Tubbs
3RW-Ronnie Wallace
73-Nick Tubbs
12J-Jay Steffens
21H-Brandon Hagan
94H-Don Hagan, Jr.
15W-Brad Wagoner
20-Kyle Clough
83C-Chris Stevens
23-Royce Clapp
29S-Mike Saathoff (DNF)
07S-Jay Schilling (DNF)
9R-Robby Haines (DNF)
10T-Todd Hartley (DNF)

IMCA Stock Cars
Heat 1
55-Tony Schultz
2M-Bill Matson
25KO-Brady Koch

Heat 2
11-Todd Chrisman
9T-Nick Tubbs
36-Caleb Peters

Trophy Dash
11-Todd Chrisman

A Feature
9T-Nick Tubbs
36-Caleb Peters
11-Todd Chrisman
55-Tony Schultz
2M-Bill Matson
45-Mikey Dancer
25KO-Brady Koch (DNF)
67-Terry Fletcher (DNF)
42-Kyle Werkmeister (DNF)
24-Bob Chalupa (DNF)
7-Jeremy Halouska (DNF)
32-Lloyd Meeske (DNF)

IMCA Hobby Stocks
Heat 1
70KO-Aaron Koch
74KO-Jason Koch
3T-Jebb Tally

Heat 2
22-Austin Davis
32M-Michael Brunswig
20J-John Groshans

Heat 3
2-Justin Wagner
16D-Todd Pankonin
3-John Huffmann

A Feature
70KO-Aaron Koch
2-Justin Wagner
5-Jim Huffmann
16D-Todd Pankonin
22-Austin Davis
74KO-Jason Koch
20J-John Groshans
20-Cody DeWester
X5-Eric Picquet
3-John Huffmann
38-Michael Woodhead
7-Derrik Bundy
3T-Jebb Tally (DNF)
00-Chad Brenning (DNF)
14-Les Janousek (DNF)
32M-Michael Brunswig (DNF)
55-Brady Brush (DNF)
3L-Leland Stute (DNS)
85-Bryan Smotherman (DNS)
23H-Bruce Hagan, Sr. (DNS)

Classic Modifieds
Heat
413-Larry Pollmann
56E-Duke Ebert
41A-Devin Allen

A Feature
56E-Duke Ebert
41A-Devin Allen
413-Larry Pollmann
P83-Loren Pollmann
K2-Karl Wickizer
29B-Mike Brenning
P82-Max Pollmann (DNF)
05-Brandon Anderson (DNF)

Mini-Trucks
Heat
97S-Sara Murray
97-Cindy Murray
34W-Dave Wimer

A Feature
34W-Dave Wimer
97S-Sara Murray
97-Cindy Murray
34B-Josh Bopp
98-Zach Olmstead
69-Delbert Ridenour
14F-Royal Fisher (DNF)
88-Josh Olmstead (DNF)
73-Bud Wasson (DNF)