Maier Makes Money in NCRA Sprint Car at Lincoln County Raceway
By Darin Racek

North Platte, NE (Aug. 25, 2006) - The rain went every direction around North Platte on August 25, but very little actually fell in the city or on Lincoln County Raceway. Twenty-three 360 Sprint Cars checked into the pits for the special sanctioned by the National Championship Racing Associaton, and they put on a good show for the fans. At the end of the night, Gary Lee Maier of Cimarron, Kan. was the man with the big trophy and the $2,000 check. Jeremy Herbst of North Platte took home the money in the supporting Mini Sprint class.

A record had to be set at Lincoln County Raceway for fastest 25 lap A Feature ever run on the 3/8 mile track, as the NCRA 360’s went flag-to-flag without a caution. Heat race winner Gary Lee Maier took off with the lead at the start, followed by fellow heat winners J. D. Johnson of Goddard, Kan., and Brian Brown of Higginsville, Mo., nephew of former World of Outlaws champion Danny “The Dude” Lasoski. Fourth starting Toby Chapman of Lincoln tried to stay with him, but his car got out of the groove in corner one and his car began to bounce violently. He dropped back several spots right at the start and had to work to get to eighth at the finish.

J. D. Johnson stayed with Maier until they started to work traffic about five laps in. Maier was making the right moves to get him around cars quickly, and he pulled away. Brown lost sight of Johnson for a while, but eventually caught back up to Johnson, who is currently in second place in the NCRA points. In the waning laps, the two swapped second spot two times in two laps until Brown was able to clear Johnson and traffic on the third lap of the sequence. By then, Maier had lapped his seventh car, and was well on his way to his fourth NCRA A Feature win of the year. Brown remained in second place and Johnson in third. Marc Robe of Wichita, Kan., who has raced at Lincoln County Raceway before in a Modified, used that experience to help him finish in fourth place. Mike Chadd of Lincoln was the top Cornhusker finisher, taking home fifth place. After the race, Maier dedicated the race to the memory of his friend, Steve King of Jetmore, Kan., who was killed in an accident at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway two weeks ago. Brian Brown won the bracket cash dash, first defeating Bryan Gossel of Fort Collins, Col., then defeating Billy Alley. The two are currently in a points battle at the aforementioned Knoxville Raceway.

Jeremy Herbst must have been hiding a broom in his Mini Sprint. He first off won his heat race. He then took the top money in a wild cash dash that paid a combined $300 for the top six finishers. The drivers must have thought it was $300,000, because they wrecked six of the nine starters in one incident during that race. Much of that same hard driving was seen in the A Feature as well

The A Feature was paced most of the way by Toph Harmon of Holbrook. He drove to the front early and had a big lead on the field, but a caution bunched everyone back up to him. A total of four cautions in the first nine laps helped keep everyone close. Had the A Feature been fifteen laps, as it has been some times this summer, Harmon would have taken the win. However, on lap eighteen, Herbst found a way by him. After stoppage of the race when Josh Sabin’s car got on it’s side, Herbst cruised on to his third win in a row. Harmon took the second spot.. Meddie Cote of Cozad survived many battles to take the third spot. Jamey Kennicutt of Gothenburg came from the back after an accident on lap nine to finish in fourth place. Trent Hansen of North Platte started in the last row of the race, and finished in fifth. Troy Douglas of North Platte and Meddie Cote were the other two heat race winners.


Lincoln County Raceway
August 25 Results
NCRA 360 Sprints
Heat 1
98-J. D. Johnson
17-Marc Robe
X-Chuck Swenson

Heat 2
11X-Gary Lee Maier
84-Toby Chapman
4-Mike Chadd

Heat 3
24A-Brian Brown
1M-Billy Alley
81-Jon Freeman

Bracket Dashes
1. 1M-Billy Alley def 84-Toby Chapman
2. 24A-Brian Brown def 6G-Bryan Gossel
3. 24A-Brian Brown def 1M-Billy Alley

B Feature
55L-Dustin Lindquist
1X-Jake Martens
82-Jason Danley
13-Seth Brahmer
97-Brian Herbert
81AU-Gavin Punch
44K-David Kubart
6G-Bryan Gossel
28-Tom Belsky
44-Darren Berry
7-Roger Sundquist Loomis
54G-Tim O'Neill North Platte
18-Kenny McCarty (DNF) North Platte




A Feature
11X-Gary Lee Maier, Cimarron, KS
24A-Brian Brown, Higginsville, MO
98-J. D. Johnson, Goddard, KS
17-Marc Robe, Wichita, KS
4-Mike Chadd, Lincoln
51-Mike Peters, Wichita, KS
1M-Billy Alley, Lincoln
84-Toby Chapman, Lincoln
81-Jon Freeman, Salina, KS
55L-Dustin Lindquist, Floodwood, MN
13-Seth Brahmer, Wisner
X-Chuck Swenson, Watertown, SD
81AU-Gavin Punch, Collinsville, OK
1X-Jake Martens, Fairview, OK
6G-Bryan Gossel, Fort Collins, CO
97-Brian Herbert, Dodge City, KS
82-Jason Danley, Lincoln
44K-David Kubart, Atkinson
28-Tom Belsky, North Platte
44-Darren Berry (DNF), McCook

Mini-Sprints
Heat 1
14-Troy Douglas
92-Josh Most
23S-Josh Sabin

Heat 2
1-Meddie Cote
4-Rick Putnam
42-Arden Myers

Heat 3
20-Jeremy Herbst
15-Jamey Kennicutt
25-Toph Harmon

Cash Dash
20-Jeremy Herbst
15-Jamey Kennicutt
42-Arden Myers
66-Bob DeRouchey
4-Rick Putnam
14-Troy Douglas

A Feature
20-Jeremy Herbst
25-Toph Harmon
1-Meddie Cote
15-Jamey Kennicutt
9-Trent Hansen
22-Bob Swedeen
66-Bob DeRouchey
14-Troy Douglas
23S-Josh Sabin
4-Rick Putnam
28-J. R. Way
92-Josh Most (DNF)
42-Arden Myers (DNF)
E2-Eric Sargent (DNF)
2Z-Nate Zeller (DNS)
20K-Cory Kelley (DNS)