Smith Uses Lapped Traffic To Earn Win at Lincoln County Raceway
By Darin Racek

NORTH PLATTE, NE (June 29) - The Colorado Late Model Association and the National Championship Racing Association Late Models brought a total of 39 Late Models to do battle with each other June 29 at Lincoln County Raceway in North Platte. “Elvis” was on hand as well to entertain the crowd at intermission and drive the pace car. At the end of the night, Delbert Smith of Wichita, Kansas was the king, as he took the Late Model Feature win and the $2,500 check. North Platte drivers Ronnie Wallace and Josh Sabin were the winners of the support class features.

Five heat races were run, and only the top twelve in passing points qualified for the A Feature. Everyone else lined up in the 2 B Features to work their way into the main event. Jim Beaman of Littleton, Colorado got by Elkhorn, Nebraska driver Scott Daily to take the opening heat race win. Delbert Smith was credited with the second heat win after the car that finished that race in first failed post race inspection. Henderson, Colorado driver Kelly Boen showed the way in heat three, while Corey Zeitner of Bellevue did the same in the fourth heat. Last year’s Lincoln County Raceway Late Model special winner Kyle Berck of Marquette stayed ahead of Omaha, Nebraska’s John Anderson in the final heat. One of Nebraska’s most celebrated Late Model drivers Joe Kosiski of Omaha found himself uncharacteristically in a B Feature, but was able to win it. Mike Wiarda of Aurora, Nebraska got by defending CLMA points champion John Kuchar of Henderson, Colorado on lap seven of the second B Feature to take that win. After 3 provisional starters were added to the lineup, 23 cars started the 30 lap feature.

Two-time and defending NCRA champion Kelly Boen jumped out to the lead at the start of the main event, closely followed by Delbert Smith. Smith made a move for the lead on lap five, but Boen was able to hold him off and then pull away. They were catching slower traffic on lap eleven when Ron Sutton of Genoa, Nebraska spun in corner four, bringing out the caution. When the race resumed, a crash that involved Bill Koons of Omaha, Nebraska and Bo Egge of Kearney, Nebraska resulted in another caution and those drivers were unable to continue. After that mess was clean ed up, the Late Models went the remaining 19 laps without stoppage. In the middle of the field, drivers from the B Features were working their ways forward. Both Kosiski and Wiarda improved three positions from the time the race started to the end. However, it was Mike Stadel of Rapid City, South Dakota, who gained eight spots from beginning to end and finished in eighth place.

At the front, Smith was content to follow Boen, and admitted after the race he thought his only chance for a win would involve slower traffic. With two laps to go, leader Boen was trying to pass a slower car when those two made contact. That got Boen out of his line in corner three, and that was all “The Iceman” needed to slide underneath and ice the win. Boen settled for second place. John Anderson got by Corey Zeitner after the lap eleven restarts to move into third place. Jim Beaman was the top CLMA regular, as he finished in fifth place. Al Purkey of Coffeyville, Kansas advanced four spots from the start to take sixth place. He was followed by Kyle Berck, Stadel, Ryan Rairden of Brookeville, Kansas, and Kosiski.

Ronnie Wallace rocked the Modified A Feature, as he took the lead from Brandon Hagan of Culbertson on lap seven and never looked back. Hagan remained in second place. Andrew Dillenburg of North Platte kept ahead of fellow hometown driver Dan Carl for third place. Fort Morgan, Colorado driver Brad Kembel rounded out the top five. The three heats were won by Dillenburg and fellow North Platte racers Jay Steffens and Mike Saathoff, who passed Wallace on the last corner of the last lap to win that one. Wallace had some engine woes at the end of that race, but none in the main event. That race was slowed early by two quick caution periods.

Bob DeRouchey of Fort Collins, Colorado paced the early part of the Mini Sprint A Feature. At about lap five, his car drifted up the track and he shot it off of corner one. He made it back on the track and finished the race. When he went up, Josh Sabin went low and took command at that point. Josh stayed well out in front of heat winner J. R. Way of Lexington on the way to the feature win. John Webster of North Platte finished in third, while Arden Myers of McCook raced to fourth place. Jeremy Herbst of North Platte took fifth place.

Lincoln County Raceway will be back in action on Saturday night, July 7. The gates will open at 5 PM, and the races will start at 7 PM, Central Time. The four regular classes will be together for the first time in nearly four weeks.

June 29 results
NCRA/CLMA Late Model
Heat 1
20-Jim Beaman
U2-Scott Daly
15W-Mike Wiarda

Heat 2
92-Delbert Smith
02-John Kuchar
15-Ryan Rairden

Heat 3
07-Kelly Boen
0K-Bill Koons
24L-Rick Lieser

Heat 4
26JR-Corey Zeitner
33X-Brian Kenkel
29-Ron Sutton

Heat 5
14-Kyle Berck
2J-John Anderson
33-Al Purkey

B Feature 1
53-Joe Kosiski
33X-Brian Kenkel
3C-Mike Collins
1C-Jim Clifton
64-Greg Larson--Plattsmouth NE
14M-Dean Moore--Grand Junction CO
21D-Shane Lewis--North Platte NE
3S-Jimmy Segraves--Valley Center KS
1X-Bo Egge
16B-Jason Schobinger--Wiggins CO
31X-Ron Lee--Valentine NE
93X-Rusty Miller--Norton KS
27DIZ-Michael Dizmang (DNF)--Scotts Bluff NE
5X-Mike Marushak (DNF)--David City NE

B Feature 2
15W-Mike Wiarda
7S-Mike Stadel
02-John Kuchar
17B-Scott Rhodes
22-Craig Preble--Yutan NE
R24-Craig Baukema--Elizabeth CO
90-Steve Kempt--Shelton NE
3B-Charley Brown--Maxwell NE
6-Chad Whipple--North Platte NE
2K-Kenny McCarty--Rogers AR
25-Scott Cimfl
1-Chad Humston
38-Jack Swearingen (DNF)--Maxwell NE

A Feature
92-Delbert Smith--Wichita KS
07-Kelly Boen--Henderson CO
2J-John Anderson--Omaha NE
26JR-Corey Zeitner--Bellevue NE
20-Jim Beaman--Littleton CO
33-Al Purkey--Coffeyville KS
14-Kyle Berck--Marquette NE
7S-Mike Stadel--Rapid City SD
15-Ryan Rairden--Brookville KS
53-Joe Kosiski--Omaha NE
15W-Mike Wiarda--Aurora NE
02-John Kuchar--Henderson CO
3C-Mike Collins--Council Bluffs IA
1-Chad Humston--Giltner NE
1C-Jim Clifton--Ft. Morgan CO
24L-Rick Lieser--Greeley CO
29-Ron Sutton--Genoa NE
U2-Scott Daly--Elkhorn NE
33X-Brian Kenkel--Elkhorn NE
25-Scott Cimfl--Commerce City CO
17B-Scott Rhodes (DNF)--Westminster CO
0K-Bill Koons (DNF)--Omaha NE
1X-Bo Egge (DNF)--Kearney NE

Modified
Heat 1
12J-Jay Steffens
31-Dan Carl
38M-Mike Mount

Heat 2
29S-Mike Saathoff
3RW-Ronnie Wallace
9-R. C. Heil

Heat 3
71-Andrew Dillenburg
21H-Brandon Hagan
6K-Brad Kembel

A Feature
3RW-Ronnie Wallace
21H-Brandon Hagan
71-Andrew Dillenburg
31-Dan Carl
6K-Brad Kembel
12J-Jay Steffens
8H-John Hansen
19J-Jim Mlady
9-R. C. Heil
4P-Dave Pedersen
38M-Mike Mount
2-Jeremy Herbst
29S-Mike Saathoff
11F-Luke Frosh
11-Bob Ruppel
20K-Kyle Clough
19-Chuck Stryker
4KJ-Tery Houchin
25-Toph Harmon
2X-Mark Grubbs (DNF)
14-Jason Gallentine (DNF)
4C-Charley Brown (DNF)

Mini-Sprints
Heat
28-J.R. Way
23S-Josh Sabin
20-Jeremy Herbst

A Feature
23S-Josh Sabin
28-J.R. Way
9-John Webster
42-Arden Myers
20-Jeremy Herbst
25-Bob DeRouchey
10X-Garret Park (DNF)