McCook Speedway Fans Learn to Wait for Checkered Flag
By Darin Racek

McCOOK, NE (May 18) - Yogi Berra said, “It ain’t over until it’s over,” and that held true on May 18 at McCook Speedway. Jay Steffens of North Platte, John Huffman of McCook, Aaron Koch of Cambridge, Max Pollmann of Trenton, and Alex Silos of North Platte stayed until the end and earned the A Feature wins for the night.

Jay Steffens took the early lead of the IMCA Modified A Feature and paced the way until heat race winner David Murray, Jr. of Oberlin, Kan. found his way to the front of the field. After a caution on lap eleven, Steffens gave Murray a wake up call, letting him know he was still there. That appeared to help Murray a boost, and the Kansas driver drove out to a huge lead. On the last lap, Murray’s car broke a lower ball joint going through corner three, which sent him up the track. Many of the field went by him, Jay Steffens being the first one by and the first one to the finish line. Brice Riley of Indianola took home second place. Heat winner Don Hagan, Jr. of Culbertson finished in third place, ahead of Fort Morgan, Colo. driver Jeremy Frenier and Andrew Dillenburg of North Platte. Robby Haines of Benkelman was the other IMCA Modified heat race winner.

There was a point in the IMCA Stock Car A Feature where near the front was not the place to be. Dave Plowman of Gretna was at the front setting the pace of the race. Behind him was the action spot. The first caution came out on lap ten after Casey Werkmeister of Maywood and Brandon Clough of Wallace got together in corner three while battling for third, and it sent Clough for a ride. Four laps later, heat winner Zach Schultz of North Platte spun on his own while running for fourth. Not long after that, Ritchie Wickizer of Culbertson began losing air in a tire and almost lost control while dropping from second place to third to Wickizer, then finally looped it with three laps to go. Wickizer disappeared with mechanical issues, and with two laps to go, John Huffman found himself in second place. On the restart, the rookie who started in row four got a good run on the front stretch, snuck under Plowman, and drove on for the victory. Plowman held onto second place, ahead of Kyle Werkmeister of Maywood, heat winner Todd Chrisman of North Platte, Caleb Peters of Oberlin, Kan., and heat winner Jason Davis of Norton, Kan.

It was Napa Night at The Races for the IMCA Hobby Stocks, and they were all gunning for a $250 bonus for winning the A Feature. In his heat race and the cash dash, Jason Koch of Cambridge followed on the “Ain’t over” routine, passing his brother Aaron Koch on the last corner of the heat race and denying Michael Brunswig of Benkelman the $100 for the cash dash win on the last lap. The A Feature was a little tougher for him, as he started in row five and brother Aaron was on the front row. Aaron took off from the field at the green flag and never gave his brother a chance to get the clean sweep. Aaron Koch’s final earnings of $375 was one of the larger IMCA Hobby Stock paydays in the area. Jason Koch got to add runner-up money to his cash dash money. Brunswig finished in third. Shane Klockman of Ogallala and Austin Davis of Benkelman rounded out the top five. The other Hobby Stock heat race was won by Benkelman driver Leland Stute.

When heat race winner Max Pollmann went off of corner four on the first lap of the Classic Modified A Feature, everyone thought it might be over for him. However, the caution came out, and he realigned at the back of the field. On the start, his dad Loren, also of Trenton, took the lead, but lost it when he lost control in corner two, bringing out another caution. Donny Sailors of McCook inherited the lead and tried to use his inheritance well, but Max found his car worked well up high, zoomed by Sailors with a few laps to go, and earned his second win in as many races at McCook Speedway. Sailors was followed at the line by Mike Brenning of Culbertson, Larry Ayers of Oberlin, Kan., and Loren Pollmann.

Alex Silos found out the Mini Truck heat race wasn’t over when he spun his truck in corner four while leading and trying to lap a car. He lost the lead and the win to Royal Fisher of Oberlin, Kan. The points and money are paid in the A Feature, however, and once Silos found his way to the front, he never looked back. Dalton Dolan of Oberlin, Kan. did apply some pressure near the end, but not enough to get out of second place. Jake Sahm of McCook snaked his way to third place. Fisher finished in fourth place despite driving his truck off of corner two hard while running in second place earlier in the race. Robin Runge of Palisade took home fifth place.

The next race in Southwest Nebraska will be at Culbertson Speedway on May 25, starting at 8 PM, CDT. The next race night at McCook Speedway will be on Friday night, June 2. The gates open at 6 PM, and the races will start at 8 PM, CDT.

May 18 results
IMCA Modifieds
Heat 1
9R-Robby Haines
12J-Jay Steffens
71-Andrew Dillenburg

Heat 2
97M-David Murray, Jr.
8EZ-Brice Riley
98-Eddie Edwards

Heat 3
94H-Don Hagan, Jr.
17J-Jeremy Frenier
10-Don Geist

A Feature
12J-Jay Steffens
8EZ-Brice Riley
94H-Don Hagan, Jr.
17J-Jeremy Frenier
71-Andrew Dillenburg
4C-Charley Brown
97M-David Murray, Jr.
42-John Fabrizius
94-Brandon Hagan
98-Eddie Edwards
29X-Dewain Coleman
17B-Clayton Baney
10-Don Geist
0K-Jeremy Herbst
23-Royce Clapp
9R-Robby Haines (DNF)
10T-Todd Hartley (DNF)

IMCA Stock Cars
Heat 1
76-Jason Davis
20B-Brandon Clough
8-Travis Tilford

Heat 2
11-Todd Chrisman
05X-Brandon Anderson
3-John Huffman

Heat 3
55Z-Zach Schultz
42KC-Kyle Werkmeister
24KC-Casey Werkmeister

A Feature
3-John Huffman
P42-Dave Plowman
42KC-Kyle Werkmeister
11-Todd Chrisman
36-Caleb Peters
76-Jason Davis
50-Colton Osborn
24-Bob Chalupa
32-Lloyd Meeske
413-Larry Pollmann
18-Stewart Holmes
20B-Brandon Clough
25W-Ritchie Wickizer
8-Travis Tilford (DNF)
24KC-Casey Werkmeister (DNF)
55Z-Zach Schultz (DNF)
05-Jesse Taylor (DNF)
05X-Brandon Anderson (DNS)
25KO-Brady Koch (DNS)

IMCA Hobby Stocks
Heat 1
3L-Leland Stute
32M-Michael Brunswig
20-Cody DeWester

Heat 2
74KO-Jason Koch
70KO-Aaron Koch
33-Shane Klockman

Cash Dash
74KO-Jason Koch

A Feature
70KO-Aaron Koch
74KO-Jason Koch
32M-Michael Brunswig
33-Shane Klockman
22-Austin Davis
20H-Hunter Cantrall
20-Cody DeWester
3L-Leland Stute
5J-Jim Huffman
X5-Eric Picquet (DNF)
8C-Corey Cruzan (DNF)

Classic Modifieds
Heat
P82-Max Pollmann
1S-Donny Sailors
22-Larry Ayers

A Feature
P82-Max Pollmann
1S-Donny Sailors
29B-Mike Brenning
22-Larry Ayers
P83-Loren Pollmann
56E-Gene Geihsler (DNF)

Mini-Trucks
Heat
14F-Royal Fisher
28-Alex Silos
86-Jake Sahm

A Feature
28-Alex Silos
3D-Dalton Dolan
86-Jake Sahm
14F-Royal Fisher
12J-Robin Runge
69-Delbert Ridenour (DNF)
98-Zach Olmstead (DNS)