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Salem Sweeps Sprints at McCook Speedway By Darin Racek McCOOK, NE (June 13) - A super night of racing was set up at McCook Speedway for June 13, as the United Rebel Sprint Series came to town, the IMCA Stock Cars were running a Burger King Challenge 9 for 9 series race, and the IMCA Hobby Stocks were running for extra money, courtesy of the “NAPA Night at The Races.” Cody Salem of St. Joseph, Mo., Nick Tubbs of Colby, Kan., Casey Werkmeister of Maywood, and Jim Buss of Blue Hill felt pretty super at the end of the night, as they won the four A Feature events of the nights. Seventeen of the eighteen URSS 305 Sprint Cars that came to battle on the small 3/8 mile track of McCook Speedway lined up for the twenty-five lap A Feature. WaKeeney, Kan. driver Willie Wynn started on the front row and took off with the early lead. Four caution periods in the first five laps, including a four-car pileup on lap five with a rollover not to far away from that, kept Wynn from spreading out from the field. It also helped heat race winners Smokey Fairbank of Ransom, Kan., and Cody Salem to work their way to the front. During the stoppage of the race for cleanup, Salem’s crew was able to make some adjustments to his car to help it handle better. After the restart, Salem chose to run the high line and blew by Wynn on lap ten. Smokey Fairbank got by Wynn a little later, but by then, Salem had all but checked out. At the finish of the race, Salem was about a straightaway ahead of Fairbank, but the lead would have been further but for lapped cars. Wynn was elated by his best-ever third place finish. Local driver Darren Berry took home fourth place. Heat winner Randy Bantam of Norton, Kan. rounded out the top five finishers. The IMCA Modified drivers put on the battle of the night in their A Main. North Platte driver Jay Steffens was making wholesale passes on his way to the front of the pack. Fort Morgan, Colo. driver Jeremy Frenier and Nick Tubbs also joined the fray up front. Tubbs was running a high line, going for broke, after he decided to take some chances to get the lead. He got by Frenier, then lined up behind Steffens after a caution with seven laps to go. Steffens was trying to move up the track some, but didn’t get high enough to prevent Tubbs from taking the lead on lap sixteen, or the win four laps later. Frenier also got by Steffens before the end of the race. Ronnie Wallace and Brandon Hagan of McCook finished up the top five finishers. Tubbs and Frenier won the Modified heat races. Casey Werkmeister enjoyed his sixth A Feature win of the season in the IMCA Stock Car class. Casey drover by his brother Kyle for the lead on lap eight and never looked back. Shane Stout of North Platte survived the battle for second place. Zach Schultz of North Platte, Lloyd Meeske of Champion, and Mikey Dancer of North Platte rounded out the top five. Jason Koch of Cambridge and Kent Lower of North Platte took the wins in the heat races. Dave Plowman of Gretna won the cash dash. The IMCA Hobby Stock A Feature didn’t get two corners before bedlam ensued. Somehow in the middle of five cars, the car of Austin Davis of Benkelman used the car of Bertrand driver Allen Wissmann as a ramp, forcing Davis to roll a couple of times. He was fortunate to walk away, despite the heavy impact. The lead was enjoyed briefly by Michael Brunswig of Benkelman, only relinquish it to Aaron Koch of Cambridge a few laps later. Koch could smell the extra NAPA money, but, so could Jim Buss, who had quick repairs made to his car after the opening lap melee. Buss was able to get by at the half way point. Koch stayed close and nearly took back the lead, but could not deny “The Bussman” a healthy Hobby payday. Cash dash winner Hans Houfek of Emerson came a long way to race, and finished in the show position. Wissmann finished in fourth place, and Leland Stute of Benkelman was fifth. Stute and Brunswig won the Hobby Stock heat races. Next weekend will be the annual “Thunder on The Plains” at McCook
Speedway. There will be two nights of racing for the classes. On Friday
night, the 20th of June, the races will begin at 8 PM, Central Time. The
Saturday June 21 show will start at 7 PM, Central Time. |