May 26, 2024 | By Greg Soukup

Snyder, Saathoff triumph at Eagle Raceway

EAGLE, Nebr. — Memorial Day Extravaganza, presented by Pepsi Cola of Lincoln and Celerion at Eagle Raceway Saturday evening saw a large crowd in the stands. The threat of severe weather had Roger Hadan’s usually well-run show run even more efficiently thanks to a slightly early start and very few caution periods by the drivers. The 17 heat races were concluded at 7:30 with a short intermission following them that had go kart racers from Mini E Raceway displaying their prowess. The final checkered flag flew at 9:30, allowing the teams to get loaded and on their way before the rain hit the track.
There were no serious incidents at all during the evening’s competitions.

The A1 Iron IMCA Stock Car A Feature saw Dan Jackson lead lap 1 in the 3 with Gary Laflin’s 9 second, the 29 of John Meyer third with Tyler Jackson fourth in the 13T.Jackson moved up to third on lap 2. Arie Schouten jumped all the way up to third the next lap in his 99RE and moved up to second on lap 4. Jackson again took over the third spot on lap 6. Jackson ended up slamming headlong into the Armco wall in turn 1 the next time around after bicycling and getting up on his right side tires, ending up going to his pit on the hook. That moved the 17TK of Travis Patterson to fourth. Tommy Etherton passed Patterson on the restart to put the 24T into fourth and then got past Laflin for third the following circuit. 9 to go saw Kyle Vanover put the #19 into fourth place and vault up to second place with 6 laps left but Tim Drake looped the 55X in turn 4 for a caution sending Vanover back to fourth. Schouten grabbed the lead with 4 to go. Etherton went very high in turns 3 and 4 the next lap, allowing Vanover to take over third. Schouten held on for the win with Vanover second, Jackson third and Etherton fourth.

This was Arie’s first victory in the Stock Car class after having moved up from the sportmods. He originally started ninth on the starting grid. He said “It feels great!! We’ve been trying for weeks and it just keeps getting better. Finally, everything fell into place. The win makes me feel really good and gives me confidence that we’re moving in the right direction. The stock car is a lot of fun and I’m glad that I switched”. Arie’s sponsors include Drew’s United Roofing and Siding, KS Engineering, The Lovers Collective, B&B Racing Chassis, Turn One and Buxton Photography.

Tyler Deeke led lap 1 of the Avid Realty IMCA Sportmod A in the 15 with Theron Ahlman’s 2A second, the 7F of Aiden Floyd third and Joe Feyen’s 25X rounding out the top 4. Feyen passed Floyd for third on lap 3 with Derek Hall’s 44D following him into the fourth spot. Feyen got around Ahlman on lap 7 to advance to second. Ahlman looped it in turn 4 with 10 to go and the yellow lights were lit in the corners. Hall passed Feyen on the restart to grab second as Matt Andrews put the #22 into fourth. Andrews moved up to third with 8 to go and snagged second with 2 circuits remaining. The final top 4 were Deeke, Andrews, Hall and Feyen.
This marked Deeke’s first victory ever in a race car and it showed on his face. He said “We’ve been working pretty hard and everyone’s been helping me out. I wasn’t even going to race this weekend because I’ve been in Texas all week and couldn’t work on my car, but luckily my Dad got the car ready for me and I can’t thank him enough for doing that for me” Tyler’s sponsors include Sportscasters Bar and Grill, Clive Bannister, Baker Boys Racing, Watts Electric, Jet Racing, Majors Farms, KD Artworks, Certified Transmissions and Cade McKibbon Construction .

The Nebraska Lottery IMCA Modified Feature’s first circuit was led by the 96 of Jaxon Saathoff with Brandon Verbeek’s 4B, the 40 of Shawn Harker and Scott Bivens in the 21H close behind. The action slowed on lap 9 because of debris on the track. Dustin Andersen put the 8A into fourth on the restart and moved up to third the next time around. Harker passed Verbeek for second the next circuit. Bivens moved back to fourth with 8 to go. The yellow flag flew again with 6 laps left when Nate Thompson spun in turns 1 and 2, hit and then parked on top of the implement tire at the bottom of turns 1 & 2. He managed to extricate himself and return to the race. Mike Densberger cracked the top 4 with 5 to go, taking fourth in his #81. Chad Andersen passed Densberger the next time around to put the 8A into fourth. Harker made contact with Saathoff with 2 to go and spun out in turn 4 with 2 laps left. That made the top 4 Saathoff, Verbeek, Chad Andersen and Densberger and set up a green/white/checkered finish. Saathoff held on for the victory, Verbeek came home second, Chad Andersen was third with Densberger coming home fourth.

Jaxon’s first win of the season came from starting on the pole. He said “I’ve been dialing some bugs out of this car since last year. I got one win in it last year but have been fighting with it ever since. Luckily, I got to start on the front row and got ‘er done. This gets the year off to a great start“. Jackson’s sponsors include Lineweber Dirt Works, Jet Racing, Northeast Auto, Clausen and Sons Dirt Works and Penner Insurance.

Next was the finale for the Valentino’s IMCA Hobby Stocks. Dillon Richards took advantage of starting on the outside pole to put the 24R into the lead on lap one with Khrysta Stransky’s 39, the 11 of Eric Chab and the 6-9 of Dan Markham second through fourth. John Martinez put the 00J into fourth the next lap. Markham moved up to second on lap 4. Adam Wasserman looped the #41 in turn 1 the following circuit for a caution. Martinez passed Stransky on the restart for third as Kenny Roberts put the 69 into fourth. Markham went to the infield the following circuit, moving Martinez to second, Roberts to third with Stransky in fourth. Neil Pella took over fourth place the next time around in the 3N. Pella passed Roberts for third place after another lap. Ryan Gilland put the 46 into fourth with 9 circuits remaining. Pella advanced to the second spot with 4 to go. Gilland took over third the next lap. Fletcher Petersen spun the 33 out in turn 4 the next time around for another caution. The top 4 remained unchanged to the checkers with Richards taking the W, Pella second, Gilland third and Martinez finishing in the fourth spot.
This was Dillon’s second win at Eagle this year, having won 3 weeks prior. He related “I don’t like starting on the front row; I’d rather come from the back. But after two DNF’s in a row I guess we’ll take it”. Dillon’s sponsors include Koozer Painting, Extreme Motorsport, Brock Ackerman, Brian Jurgens, Ben Tart Construction, Dad, Johnny Thomas Racing, Nelson Tree Service, S and L Trenching, Jer’s Restoration and Fabrication, Cat’s Fireworks, Freese Farms, Inline Healing, The Rail Rocks, Fester’s Bait and Tackle, In Loving Memory JR Craig-Denise, Troy Cepak, Popeye Engines & Carbs, Landrum Performance Springs, Speedway Shocks, Jet Racing, Backspin Entertainment and Aero Race Wheels.

The Nebraska Septic IMCA Racesaver Sprint Cars rolled onto the track for the final A Feature of the evening. Lap 1 saw the 14T of Tyler Hendrickson out front, the 35 of Trevor Grossenbacher second, third was the 8B of Jake Galusha with Gunnar Pike’s 25 in fourth. Grossenbacher passed Hendrickson for the lead on lap 2. Pike moved up to third the next time around as Galusha moved up to second and Nate

Weiler put the 4W into fourth. Lap 4 saw Pike get past Galusha to take over second place. Mike Boston slowed in turns 3 & 4 the next time around with a blown right rear tire for a caution. Stu Snyder cracked the top 4 on lap 8 in his #5 before moving up to third the next time around. Lap 11 saw Gene Ackland put the 14G into fourth. 2 laps later Snyder passed Pike for second and then got past Grossenbacher for the lead the next time around as Pike also passed Grossenbacher for the second spot. Grossenbacher got back by Pike for second with 8 to go but lost the spot back to him the next circuit. The final change in the top 4 came the following lap when Joey Danley put the 14 into fourth. Snyder would not be challenged and took home the victory. Pike was second, Grossenbacher was third with Danley fourth.

This was win number one on the season for Stu, coming from the 12th starting spot. I told him that he had a real rocket ship under him, to which he replied “Yeah, we did! We’ve been trying some things lately, trying to get back to where we were. We just haven’t been real fast lately. When we were fast we weren’t real consistent. We haven’t been able to win one yet this year. The guys put a hell of a car underneath me and we were able to get up front from 12th and pick up the win. I thought the track was good for what Roger had to work with. I knew that we were rushing with the weather and everything, so he couldn’t prep it like he normally does at intermission. I think that Hoosier needs to take a look at the tires we’re using and so do some of the tracks because we’re taking rubber in a lot of places, and not just in the Racesavers; it’s across the board. Everybody is taking rubber. But, it was an awesome old school Eagle track. Rip the top! I moved down about a half car width about halfway through and started cheating my entry. Then I found the rubber and when I got into the top 5 I was able to keep in it. Then it was just sit back in the seat and ‘Let’s Go’. I got to Trevor about 12 or 13 laps in, then got up to Gunnar and Gunnar moved up into my line and I thought ‘Oh Shoot! Here we go. He’s going to find the rubber and I’m going to run second! I ran down into turn three and split them both. I knew I only had one shot or I was going to finish on the podium but not win. But I got between them, grabbed the lead and were able to win the show. It was just a great night for our team. I think we’ve hit on something here and hopefully we can start picking up some more wins  ”. Stu’s sponsors include KRL Motorsports, Stephenson Truck Repair, Backlund Plumbing, Keizer Wheels, Momentum Racing Suspension, Hozby Power, Mr. Yards and More, KED Trucking, MAC Tools, Smith Repair, Taylored Computers and Simpson Racing Products.

Next Saturday is Schools out for Summer, presented by Hotsy. There will be a Kids Color Run at intermission. Blinky the Clown will be in the courtyard and there will be a Mad Max race following the regular racing.

Front gates open at 5:15 with adult admission being $15, youths 6-12 are just $5 and kids 5 and under are free.
Hot laps start at 5:30 with racing action kicking off at 6:30. All 5 classes will be competing including Nebraska Septic Sprint Cars, Nebraska Lottery Modifieds, Avid Realty SportMods, A1 Iron Stock Cars & Valentino’s Hobby Stocks.
Pit gates open at 3:30 with pit admission being $35.


RESULTS:

Hobby Stock-IMCA A-Feature
1. Dillon Richards Wymore, Ne. 2. Neil Pella Adams, Ne. 3. Ryan Gilland Sterling, Ne. 4. John Martinez Beatrice, Ne. 5. Eric Chab Dewitt, Ne. 6. Tylan Lambertus Grand Island, Ne. 7. Kenny Roberts Lincoln, Ne. 8. Colin Hein Columbus, Ne. 9. David Carter Fremont, Ne. 10. John Cain Homer, Ne. 11. Kyle Gannon Lincoln, Ne. 12. Adam Wasserman Fairbury, Ne. 13. Trenton Dowty Fremont, Ne. 14. Brayden Hurley Grand Island, Ne. 15. Khrysta Stransky Lincoln, Ne. 16. Tanner Jones Grand Island, Ne. 17. Ben Becher Lincoln, Ne. 18. Brad Schreiner Weeping Water, Ne. 19. Fletcher Petersen Lincoln, Ne. 20. Dan Markham Plattsmouth, Ne.

Hobby Stock-IMCA B-Feature
1. Brayden Hurley Grand Island, Ne. 2. Ben Becher Lincoln, Ne. 3. Adam Wasserman Fairbury, Ne. 4. Tanner Jones Grand Island, Ne. 5. Troy Dowty Fremont, Ne. 6. Kirsten Bruce Lincoln, Ne. 7. Ian Roschewski Beatrice, Ne. 8. Tanner Dowty Fremont, Ne. 9. Tyler Ramsey(r) Papillion, Ne. 10. Sam Blanton(r) Bellevue, Ne. 11. Robert Salts(r) Fremont, Ne. 12. Robert Gould Eagle, Ne. DNS. Jason Hansen(r) Glenwood, Ia. DNS. Tyler Phelps Beatrice, Ne. DNS. Mike Steier Bennington, Ne.

Hobby Stock-IMCA Heat 1
1. Neil Pella Adams, Ne. 2. Eric Chab Dewitt, Ne. 3. David Carter Fremont, Ne. 4. John Cain Homer, Ne. 5. Tanner Dowty Fremont, Ne. 6. Troy Dowty Fremont, Ne. 7. Jason Hansen(r) Glenwood, Ia. 8. Robert Gould Eagle, Ne.

Hobby Stock-IMCA Heat 2
1. Dillon Richards Wymore, Ne. 2. Tylan Lambertus Grand Island, Ne. 3. Brad Schreiner Weeping Water, Ne. 4. Trenton Dowty Fremont, Ne. 5. Brayden Hurley Grand Island, Ne. 6. Tanner Jones Grand Island, Ne. 7. Kirsten Bruce Lincoln, Ne. 8. Sam Blanton(r) Bellevue, Ne.

Hobby Stock-IMCA Heat 3
1. Kenny Roberts Lincoln, Ne. 2. Ryan Gilland Sterling, Ne. 3. Kyle Gannon Lincoln, Ne. 4. Colin Hein Columbus, Ne. 5. Robert Salts(r) Fremont, Ne. 6. Ian Roschewski Beatrice, Ne. 7. Tyler Phelps Beatrice, Ne. 8. Tyler Ramsey(r) Papillion, Ne.

Hobby Stock-IMCA Heat 4
1. John Martinez Beatrice, Ne. 2. Khrysta Stransky Lincoln, Ne. 3. Dan Markham Plattsmouth, Ne. 4. Fletcher Petersen Lincoln, Ne. 5. Ben Becher Lincoln, Ne. 6. Adam Wasserman Fairbury, Ne. 7. Mike Steier Bennington, Ne.

Modified-IMCA A-Feature
1. Jaxon Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 2. Brandon Verbeek Lincoln, Ne. 3. Chad Andersen Ft Calhoun, Ne. 4. Mike Densberger Cortland, Ne. 5. Johnny Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 6. Austin Kuehl(r)  7. Scott Bivens Elmwood, Ne. 8. Clint Homan Bellevue, Ne. 9. Terry Richards Denton, Ne. 10. Dan Jackson Ceresco, Ne. 11. Sean Manning Bennington, Ne. 12. James Mesenbrink Lincoln, Ne. 13. Bob Zoubek Dorchester, Ne. 14. Nate Thompson Fremont, Ne. 15. Jared Deterding Lincoln, Ne. 16. Norm Ziegenbein Lincoln, Ne. 17. Shawn Harker Nebraska City, Ne. 18. Cameron Thompson(r) Fremont, Ne. 19. Bob Ruisinger Bennet, Ne. 20. Daniel Miller Bar Nunn, Wy. 21. Dustin Andersen Omaha, Ne.

Modified-IMCA Heat 1
1. Jaxon Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 2. Terry Richards Denton, Ne. 3. Dustin Andersen Omaha, Ne. 4. Mike Densberger Cortland, Ne. 5. Clint Homan Bellevue, Ne. 6. Norm Ziegenbein Lincoln, Ne. 7. Daniel Miller Bar Nunn, Wy.

Modified-IMCA Heat 2
1. Shawn Harker Nebraska City, Ne. 2. Nate Thompson Fremont, Ne. 3. Austin Kuehl(r)  4. Bob Zoubek Dorchester, Ne. 5. James Mesenbrink Lincoln, Ne. 6. Bob Ruisinger Bennet, Ne. 7. Sean Manning Bennington, Ne.

Modified-IMCA Heat 3
1. Chad Andersen Ft Calhoun, Ne. 2. Scott Bivens Elmwood, Ne. 3. Johnny Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 4. Brandon Verbeek Lincoln, Ne. 5. Cameron Thompson(r) Fremont, Ne. 6. Dan Jackson Ceresco, Ne. 7. Jared Deterding Lincoln, Ne.

SportMod-IMCA A-Feature
1. Tyler Deeke Waverly, Ne. 2. Matt Andrews Malcolm, Ne. 3. Derek Hall Lincoln, Ne. 4. Joe Feyen Plattsmouth, Ne. 5. Gary Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 6. Drake Bohlmeyer Beatrice, Ne. 7. Adam Vrbka Eagle, Ne. 8. Trevor Noonan Lincoln, Ne. 9. Cole Wayman Lincoln, Ne. 10. Aiden Floyd(r) Lincoln, Ne. 11. Richard Flock Malcolm, Ne. 12. Mason Richards Denton, Ne. 13. Noah Williams Ashland, Ne. 14. Lee Horky Fairbury, Ne. 15. Jacob Swanson Lincoln, Ne. 16. Robert Draper Valparaiso, Ne. 17. Breanna Pfanstiel Lincoln, Ne. 18. Zane Woodman Seward, Ne. 19. Theron Ahlman(r) Lincoln, Ne. 20. McLain Reed Lincoln, Ne.

SportMod-IMCA B-Feature
1. Cole Wayman Lincoln, Ne. 2. Lee Horky Fairbury, Ne. 3. McLain Reed Lincoln, Ne. 4. Breanna Pfanstiel Lincoln, Ne. 5. Amber Cook Lincoln, Ne. 6. Justin Bell Louisville, Ne. 7. Shawn Hein Beatrice, Ne. 8. Shawn Davis Burr, Ne. 9. Drew Hobaugh Adams, Ne. 10. Ray Harrington Lincoln, Ne. 11. James Hines Bellevue, Ne. 12. Brady Papineau Lincoln, Ne. DNS. Nick Morris Bellevue, Ne. DNS. Josh Pfeifer St. Paul, Ne. DNS. Beau Riffel Fremont, Ne.

SportMod-IMCA Heat 1
1. Jacob Swanson Lincoln, Ne. 2. Adam Vrbka Eagle, Ne. 3. Gary Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 4. Robert Draper Valparaiso, Ne. 5. Justin Bell Louisville, Ne. 6. Drew Hobaugh Adams, Ne. DNS. Josh Pfeifer St. Paul, Ne. DNS. Beau Riffel Fremont, Ne.

SportMod-IMCA Heat 2
1. Zane Woodman Seward, Ne. 2. Theron Ahlman(r) Lincoln, Ne. 3. Matt Andrews Malcolm, Ne. 4. Drake Bohlmeyer Beatrice, Ne. 5. Nick Morris Bellevue, Ne. 6. Shawn Davis Burr, Ne. 7. McLain Reed Lincoln, Ne. 8. Amber Cook Lincoln, Ne.

SportMod-IMCA Heat 3
1. Aiden Floyd(r) Lincoln, Ne. 2. Derek Hall Lincoln, Ne. 3. Trevor Noonan Lincoln, Ne. 4. Mason Richards Denton, Ne. 5. Brady Papineau Lincoln, Ne. 6. Cole Wayman Lincoln, Ne. 7. Breanna Pfanstiel Lincoln, Ne. 8. Ray Harrington Lincoln, Ne.

SportMod-IMCA Heat 4
1. Joe Feyen Plattsmouth, Ne. 2. Tyler Deeke Waverly, Ne. 3. Richard Flock Malcolm, Ne. 4. Noah Williams Ashland, Ne. 5. Lee Horky Fairbury, Ne. 6. Shawn Hein Beatrice, Ne. 7. James Hines Bellevue, Ne.

Sprint-IMCA A-Feature
1. Stuart Snyder Lincoln, Ne. 2. Gunnar Pike South Bend, Ne. 3. Trevor Grossenbacher Panama, Ne. 4. Joey Danley Martell, Ne. 5. Gene Ackland Martell, Ne. 6. Nathan Weiler Omaha, Ne. 7. Jason Danley Lincoln, Ne. 8. Jay Russell Wathena, Ks. 9. Cole Wayman Lincoln, Ne. 10. Josh Riggins Lincoln, Ne. 11. Clint Benson Papillion, Ne. 12. Chad Koch Murdock, Ne. 13. John Klabunde Fort Calhoun, Ne. 14. Bret Klabunde Omaha, Ne. 15. Brandon Horton Waterloo, Ne. 16. Mike Boston Lincoln, Ne. 17. Shayle Bade Raymond, Ne. 18. Tyler Hendrickson(r) Lincoln, Ne. 19. Tim Hilfiker Greenwood, Ne. 20. Jake Galusha Lincoln, Ne.

Sprint-IMCA B-Feature
1. Cole Wayman Lincoln, Ne. 2. Jay Russell Wathena, Ks. 3. Brandon Horton Waterloo, Ne. 4. John Klabunde Fort Calhoun, Ne. 5. Clint Benson Papillion, Ne. 6. Cole Vanderheiden Papillion, Ne. 7. Ty Ledger Omaha, Ne. 8. Bill Garrow Lincoln, Ne. 9. Alex Salzman Lincoln, Ne. 10. Nate Thompson Fremont, Ne. 11. Dylan Waxdahl Hartford, Sd.

Sprint-IMCA Heat 1
1. Trevor Grossenbacher Panama, Ne. 2. Gene Ackland Martell, Ne. 3. Josh Riggins Lincoln, Ne. 4. Joey Danley Martell, Ne. 5. Jason Danley Lincoln, Ne. 6. Cole Wayman Lincoln, Ne. 7. Bill Garrow Lincoln, Ne. 8. Ty Ledger Omaha, Ne. 9. Nate Thompson Fremont, Ne.

Sprint-IMCA Heat 2
1. Tyler Hendrickson(r) Lincoln, Ne. 2. Nathan Weiler Omaha, Ne. 3. Chad Koch Murdock, Ne. 4. Tim Hilfiker Greenwood, Ne. 5. Mike Boston Lincoln, Ne. 6. Jay Russell Wathena, Ks. 7. John Klabunde Fort Calhoun, Ne. 8. Dylan Waxdahl Hartford, Sd. 9. Cole Vanderheiden Papillion, Ne.

Sprint-IMCA Heat 3
1. Jake Galusha Lincoln, Ne. 2. Gunnar Pike South Bend, Ne. 3. Shayle Bade Raymond, Ne. 4. Stuart Snyder Lincoln, Ne. 5. Bret Klabunde Omaha, Ne. 6. Brandon Horton Waterloo, Ne. 7. Clint Benson Papillion, Ne. 8. Alex Salzman Lincoln, Ne.

Stock Car-IMCA A-Feature
1. Arie Schouten(r) Lincoln, Ne. 2. Kyle Vanover Beatrice, Ne. 3. Dan Jackson Ceresco, Ne. 4. Thomas Etherton(r) Eagle, Ne. 5. Gary Laflin Beatrice, Ne. 6. Marty Steinbach Fremont, Ne. 7. Matt Boucher Murdock, Ne. 8. John Meyer Odell, Ne. 9. Mike Scheinost(r) Ceresco, Ne. 10. Travis Patterson Ashland, Ne. 11. Nick Beckman Lincoln, Ne. 12. Nick Steier Bennington, Ne. 13. Jeremy Down Nebraska City, Ne. 14. Jakob Boucher Murdock, Ne. 15. Austin Boucher Murdock, Ne. 16. Dana Deeke(r) Waverly, Ne. 17. Tim Drake Louisville, Ne. 18. Tyler Jackson(r) Lincoln, Ne. DNS. Dylan Haney Fremont, Ne. DNS. Scott Carlson Plattsmouth, Ne.

Stock Car-IMCA B-Feature
1. Scott Carlson Plattsmouth, Ne. 2. Matt Boucher Murdock, Ne. 3. Austin Boucher Murdock, Ne. 4. Dana Deeke(r) Waverly, Ne. 5. Jakob Boucher Murdock, Ne. 6. Riley Ruisinger(r) Bennet, Ne. DNS. Jeff Watts Beatrice, Ne.

Stock Car-IMCA Heat 1
1. Gary Laflin Beatrice, Ne. 2. Tyler Jackson(r) Lincoln, Ne. 3. Mike Scheinost(r) Ceresco, Ne. 4. Arie Schouten(r) Lincoln, Ne. 5. Nick Beckman Lincoln, Ne. 6. Scott Carlson Plattsmouth, Ne. 7. Austin Boucher Murdock, Ne. 8. Jeff Watts Beatrice, Ne.

Stock Car-IMCA Heat 2
1. John Meyer Odell, Ne. 2. Travis Patterson Ashland, Ne. 3. Thomas Etherton(r) Eagle, Ne. 4. Marty Steinbach Fremont, Ne. 5. Tim Drake Louisville, Ne. 6. Matt Boucher Murdock, Ne. 7. Jakob Boucher Murdock, Ne.

Stock Car-IMCA Heat 3
1. Dan Jackson Ceresco, Ne. 2. Kyle Vanover Beatrice, Ne. 3. Nick Steier Bennington, Ne. 4. Dylan Haney Fremont, Ne. 5. Jeremy Down Nebraska City, Ne. 6. Dana Deeke(r) Waverly, Ne. 7. Riley Ruisinger(r) Bennet, Ne.