Haines Wins Close One at Lincoln County Raceway
By Darin Racek

NORTH PLATTE (July 15, 2006) - A hot day in North Platte contributed to a dry slick Lincoln County Raceway, but it still had two grooves, and the drivers used both of them. Robby Haines of Benkelman, Todd Chrisman of North Platte, John Huffman of McCook, and Jamey Kennicutt of Gothenburg were the hot drivers that took the A Feature wins. During intermission, helmets were passed and sheet metal was auctioned off to raise money for the family of IMCA Modified driver David Murray, Jr. of Oberlin, Kan., who were involved in an accident last week. The total was not known at press time.

Twenty-two cars started the twenty lap IMCA Modified A Feature. Heat winners Jeremy Eatherton of Gibbon and Dave Pedersen of Brady went one and two at the front of field, with Eatherton showing the way. Several cautions during the first five laps kept the field close, and it gave time for North Platte drivers Jay Steffens and Ronnie Wallace find the high line to their liking. They eventually got by the other two and appeared early to be the ones that were going to decide it. That was before heat winner Robby Haines found the low groove to his liking, and slowly made his way from the sixth row to towards the front. He snuck by Wallace, then took the lead from Steffens on lap eleven by inches. A caution on the next lap found him with the lead, but the last eight laps were anything but easy. Steffens was able to get by Haines several times through corners one and two, but Haines would get back out front in corners three and four. With one lap to go, the two were virtually tied at the start/finish line, but Haines powered out of corner two to pull enough way to secure the win. Wallace finished in a distant third place, ahead of Dan Carl of North Platte and Eatherton. Charley Brown of Maxwell was the other heat race winner.

The IMCA Stock Car A Feature was a good show at the front of the field for the first part of the race. Stew Holmes of North Platte took the lead from Dan Eller of North Platte on lap two and was holding off the field. Todd Chrisman was running behind North Platte drivers Kenny McCarty and Shane Stout about lap five when he decided it was time to go. The three went three wide coming out of corner two, with Chrisman going in between to move up to second place. Once he got by Holmes a couple of laps later, he checked out. Several cautions during the last part of the race shuffled the field greatly. McCarty survived one incident to stay near the front, then got by Stout on the last corner of the last lap to take second place. Zach Schultz of North Platte and Stew Holmes went to the back after they tangled battling for fifth, but they both came back through the field to finish in fourth and fifth places, respectively. Chrisman, McCarty, and Bryan Hagan of Culbertson took the heat race wins in the class.

The IMCA Hobby Stocks ran only an A Feature, and it got off to a crazy start when it looked as though the entire field would wreck on the opening lap. After they regrouped and tried again, rookie Bruce Hagan, Sr. of Culbertson took the lead. Hagan, who is sixth in the nation in IMCA Hobby Stock rookie points would get passed by third place in rookie points John Huffman, who was back in his regular car. He had been borrowing his dad Jim’s car while they worked on getting an engine together for his car, and it must have been a good one, as he stayed out in the front spot for the win. Jason Koch of Cambridge kept Huffman within eyesight, but remained in second place. Thomas Lower of North Platte got by Hagan late in the race for third place. Eric Picquet of North Platte finished in fifth place.

The Mini Sprint A Feature had a considerable amount of passing in it. Heat race and cash dash winner Toph Harmon of Holbrook paced the first three laps of the race in hopes of sweeping the night. Trent Hansen of North Platte, also a heat winner, had other plans as he powered by on lap four to obtain the lead. He would soon be joined up front by Jeremy Herbst of North Platte. Before the completion of lap twelve, Hansen lost power, handing Herbst the lead. Herbst didn’t get to enjoy it long, as Jamey Kennicutt found his way from row five to the head of the pack on lap thirteen. Despite two cautions late in the race, no one else was able to get to the front to challenge Kennicutt for the win. Herbst did hold onto second place, and Harmon stayed in third. Arden Myers of McCook finished in fourth place, while Josh Sabin of North Platte rounded out the top five.

Lincoln County Raceway will be back in action Saturday night, July 22 at 7 PM CDT. The regular four classes will be joined that night by the United Rebel Sprint Series 305 Sprint Cars, headquartered in Oberlin, Kan.


July 15 Results
IMCA Modified
Heat 1
4P-Dave Pedersen
19J-Jim Mlady
3RW-Ronnie Wallace

Heat 2
1GE-Jeremy Eatherton
12J-Jay Steffens
71-Andrew Dillenburg

Heat 3
4C-Charley Brown
9-R. C. Heil
29S-Mike Saathoff

Heat 4
9R-Robby Haines
94H-Don Hagan, Jr.
21H-Brandon Hagan

A Feature
9R-Robby Haines
12J-Jay Steffens
3RW-Ronnie Wallace
31-Dan Carl
1GE-Jeremy Eatherton
9-R. C. Heil
19J-Jim Mlady
4C-Charley Brown
71-Andrew Dillenburg
29S-Mike Saathoff
20K-Kyle Clough
69-Brad Turner
14-Jason Gallentine
94H-Don Hagan, Jr
A19-Art Porter
83C-Chris Stevens
17-Dallas Tobey (DNF)
4P-Dave Pedersen (DNF)
02X-Adam Cote (DNF)
4KJ-Terry Houchin (DNF)
2-Jeremy Herbst (DNF)
21H-Brandon Hagan (DNF)

IMCA Stock Car
Heat 1
11-Todd Chrisman
18-Stewart Holmes
5S-Shane Stout

Heat 2
64-Kenny McCarty
8-Jeff Ward
45-Mikey Dancer

Heat 3
25H-Bryan Hagan
55Z-Zach Schultz
25KO-Brady Koch

A Feature
11-Todd Chrisman
64-Kenny McCarty
5S-Shane Stout
55Z-Zach Schultz
18-Stewart Holmes
4K-Kent Lower
12J-Kerry Jones
25H-Bryan Hagan
8-Jeff Ward
69-Adam Kackmeister
47jr-Russ Small, Jr.
45-Mikey Dancer
5B-Buddy Brown (DNF)
75-Dan Eller (DNF)
25KO-Brady Koch (DNF)

IMCA Hobby Stock
A Feature
3-John Huffman
74KO-Jason Koch
3T-Thomas Lower
23H-Bruce Hagan, Sr.
X5-Eric Picquet
33-Shane Klockman (DNF)
93-Joe Thiem (DNS)

Mini-Sprints
Heat 1
9-Trent Hansen
15-Jamey Kennicutt
20-Jeremy Herbst

Heat 2
25-Toph Harmon
4-Rick Putnam
28-J. R. Way

Cash Dash
25-Toph Harmon

A Feature
15-Jamey Kennicutt
20-Jeremy Herbst
25-Toph Harmon
42-Arden Myers
23S-Josh Sabin
28-J. R. Way
1-Meddie Cote
14-Troy Douglas
3H-Bobby Houser
2X-John Webster (DNF)
9-Trent Hansen (DNF)
7-Tom Koster (DNF)
4-Rick Putnam (DNF)