Struckhoff, Murray, Bond, and Gregg Turn the Lights Out at Dawson County Raceway
By Darin Racek

LEXINGTON, NE (May 20) - The racing was literally “lights out” May 20 at Dawson County Raceway in Lexington, as the lights and power in the grandstand went out twice. Once the problem was remedied, Cory Struckhoff of Kensington, Kan., David Murray of Oberlin, Kan., Kyle Bond of Kearney, and Tony Gregg of Hastings turned out the light on their competition, winning the four A Features.

The first ten laps of the IMCA Stock Car A Feature was a caution-free event, with drivers racing two and three wide throughout the field. Despite the race slowing down three times in the last ten laps for cautions, the action remained close at the front. Heat winner Brady Koch of Cambridge worked to take the lead from Jim Hagan of Lexington , bringing Shane Stout of North Platte with him. They were running a high line around the track. Cory Struckhoff was one of the few drivers using the bottom, and he used it to eventually sneak under Stout and catch Koch. The two put on a side-by-side battle, swapping the lead until Struckhoff nosed to the front on lap sixteen. A caution with three laps to go made the drivers go single file, but they again went to their respective lines to battle. Struckhoff was able to hold on for the win, with Koch and Stout finishing nose to tail for second and third places. Jason Smidt of Minden finished in fourth, while heat winner John Huffman of McCook made a move on the last lap to sneak into fifth. The other heat race was won by Colton Osborn of Cozad.

The IMCA Modified field was loaded with talent throughout the field. Wade Cross of Phillips was at the front of the field at the green flag, soon to be joined by North Platte racers Jay Steffens and Ronnie Wallace. Wallace took the lead from fellow heat race winner Cross on lap three using the low line around the track, while Steffens went to the high side. Wallace and Steffens would race side-by-side for the spot. Steffens was able to take the top spot on lap seven. By this time, heat winner David Murray of Oberlin, Kan. found his was to join the battle with the North Platte duo. Murray managed to clear the two by lap nine and drove away for the win. Wallace got back around Steffens and ran away from him for second place. Chad Dolan of Gibbon found his way around Jay in the waning laps, taking the third spot. Chuck Stryker of Eddyville rounded out the top five. A cash dash was run for the IMCA Modified as well, and that was taken by Lonnie Schriner of Red Cloud.

The IMCA Hobby Stock A Feature had two stoppages during their A Feature, and during one of those was the second power failure in the stands. That drug out a race that went pretty well. Gary Kneher of Kearney was having a good run at the front of the field until Kyle Bond got by him on a restart on lap five. Aaron Koch and Jason Koch of Cambridge also moved into the top three and tried to track down Bond. Aaron almost caught Bond when he took the car off the back stretch of the track. He was able to regroup without losing a spot, but lost enough ground to allow Bond sneak away with the victory. Aaron and Jason were second and third. Kneher respectfully finished in fourth place, while Frank Mladek had a good first night out to take fifth place. Bond and Kevin Hagan of Eddyville were the two Hobby Stock heat race winners.

It was the first of four visits this year for the Super Late Models. Tony Gregg showed the car he was driving was the most super of the night, leading all of the laps in the heat race and A Feature. Shane Lewis of North Platte gave him a good run early in the A Feature and had a chance to get alongside of Gregg when a caution put him back in second place and gave Gregg time to regroup and reload. When the race resumed, Gregg was gone. Lewis was followed at the finish by Alan Jordening of Blue Hill, who had to hold off Jonathan Rehnberg of Holdrege for the spot. Bo Egge of Kearney played catch up the entire last half of the race after he went to the pits, but he did salvage a fifth place finish.

The next race at Dawson County Raceway will be on Sunday, May 27. The gates open at 5 PM, with hot laps at 6 PM, and the races starting at 7 PM. Joining the Modifieds, Stock Cars, and Hobby Stock that night will be the Mini Sprints.


May 20 results
IMCA Modified
Heat 1
3RW-Ronnie Wallace
7A-Steve Aitken
7-James Libra

Heat 2
21-Wade Cross
87D-Chad Dolan
4Jr-David Jewett, Jr.

Heat 3
97M-David Murray, Jr.
4-Lonnie Schriner
12J-Jay Steffens

Cash Dash
4-Lonnie Schriner

A Feature
97M-David Murray, Jr.
3RW-Ronnie Wallace
87D-Chad Dolan
12J-Jay Steffens
19-Chuck Stryker
29S-Mike Saathoff
4-Lonnie Schriner
7R-Vince Leibert
4C-Charley Brown
81M-Travis Mack
7-James Libra
21-Wade Cross
7A-Steve Aitken (DNF)
0K-Cory Kelley (DNF)
4Jr-David Jewett, Jr. (DNF)
22-Chris Avery (DNF)
15-Jamey Kennicutt (DNF)
4DJ-D. J. Pedersen (DNF)
95-Meddie Cote (DNF)

IMCA Stock Car
Heat 1
50-Colton Osborn
32-Cory Struckhoff
4K-Kent Lower

Heat 2
25KO-Brady Koch
64-Shawn Alberts
72H-Jim Hagan

Heat 3
3-John Huffman
18-Jason Smidt
42KC-Kyle Werkmeister

A Feature
32-Cory Struckhoff
25KO-Brady Koch
5S-Shane Stout
18-Jason Smidt
3-John Huffman
24KC-Casey Werkmeister
50-Colton Osborn
4K-Kent Lower
72H-Jim Hagan
27-Hanny Arram
24-Dan Walker
47-Russ Small
42KC-Kyle Werkmeister (DNF)
64-Shawn Alberts (DNF)
16-Jeff Whiting (DNF)
6D-Dwight Edson (DNS)
28-Alex Silos (DNF)

IMCA Hobby Stock
Heat 1
0-Kyle Bond
040-Gary Kneher
70KO-Aaron Koch

Heat 2
72H-Kevin Hagan
74KO-Jason Koch
27H-Sean Hagan

A Feature
0-Kyle Bond
70KO-Aaron Koch
74KO-Jason Koch
040-Gary Kneher
4M-Frank Mladek
13-Ethan Johnson
72H-Kevin Hagan
H2O-Cory Allen
27H-Sean Hagan
9-Robert Donaly (DNF)
53-Tyler Easterday (DNF)
20-Hunter Cantrall (DNF)
0H-Bret Hagan (DNS)
7S-Scott Gibson (DNS)

Late Models
Heat
74W-Tony Gregg
21D-Shane Lewis
93-Alan Jordening

A Feature
74W-Tony Gregg
21D-Shane Lewis
93-Alan Jordening
30-Jonathan Rehnberg
1X-Bo Egge
93X-Rusty Miller (DNF)
55-David Easterday (DNF)
90-Steve Kempt (DNS)