September 3, 2023 | By Greg Soukup

Owen Dimm stars on night 3 of Eagle Nationals

Eagle, NE —  Day 3 of the IMCA Racesaver Sprint Car Nationals presented by Twin Rivers Jeep, Dodge, Ram and Twin Rivers Ford was pretty much a repeat of day 2 weatherwise, except for higher temperatures. Luckily, it also saw a southerly breeze that helped to make the heat bearable.
There were 3 major incidents in the preliminary action. In the 7th heat for the sprints, Chase Brewer’s #25 made contact with the 22D of Daniel Nekolite in turns 3 and 4 and flipped. In the F Feature, Bret Klabunde slid the 77 up into the 18N of Alex Nalon in turn 2 sending them both flipping. Nalon’s mount nearly ended up hanging on the catch fence but came to a rest on all fours. Then, in the sprint car C Main, Chad Wilson’s 20 went for a ride after Mike Moore’s 69 slid up into him. Brandon Bosma spun to avoid the incident in the 23. None of the drivers were seriously injured.

Track prep was done after the sprint car heats and also preceding the sprint car B Feature to ensure great racing for the fans and drivers.

The IMCA Racesaver Sprint Car A Main was to set rows 4 through 6 for Sunday’s Big Dance. The first lap saw Owen Dimm put the 17x out front, followed by the 14N of Nick Barger, Mike Boston in the 93.7 and Mike Houseman Jr.’s 4L. Boston passed Barger on lap 8 for second. Houseman spun to the front stretch infield with 11 laps to go, moving Tyler Harris up to fourth in the 24. Just 9 circuits remained when Harris got past Barger to move up to third place but the pass was called back when the 07 of Owen Carlson came to a halt at the top of turn 3. Joey Danley made a big move on the restart, taking his #14 from fifth to third as Chris Graf also advanced, settling the 24G into fourth. From there to the checkered flag Dimm pulled away for the win with Boston second, Danley third and Graf fourth.

This was not only Owen’s first trip to the IMCA Racesaver Sprint Car Nationals, but his first ever win in a sprint car! It locked him into the inside position for the start of Sunday’s 3-wide start. Owen stated “I felt really good tonight. My crew had the car really good all night. It feels great to lock in my spot and I’m excited for the chance. It’s going to be a lot of fun. Definitely better than last night. We bent the car up last night when a car stopped in front of me and I couldn’t get out of the way. My crew and I worked really hard today and got it put back together. So, it was fast enough tonight for the win. I think that we have as good a shot as anybody tomorrow night. The car has been on rails tonight and was really good. It was actually easy to drive. This track is a great track. You don’t find tracks like this very often. It’s got some serious banking which makes for some really fun racing. I love ripping the lip, so I had a lot of fun running up on the fence”. Owen’s sponsors include Ramsey’s Car Wash, GSD Racing, Bell-Vue Inn, Gene Latia Ford, Fisher’s Heating A/C and Electrical, Mike Kleck Paving, Journey Health and Lifestyle, Dollansky Trucking and 7 Star Speedway.

The next race was the A Feature for the Avid Realty IMCA Sportmods. Mary Hahn led lap 1 in the #17 with Shawn Pospisil second in the 6SJ, Matt Andrews’ 22 third and the 7V of Adam Vrbka fourth. Andrews got around Pospisil for second on lap 3. Benji Legg took over the fourth spot on lap 5 in the 6B. With 5 circuits remaining, Jacob Swanson looped the 31S in turns 3 and 4 for a caution. The final top 4 were Hahn, Andrews, Pospisil and Legg.
This was Mary’s first ever victory at Eagle Raceway after years of competing there. She said “I didn’t think I was going to get the win because Matt Andrews was right behind me. I’m happy and surprised. Also relieved because I finally won here at Eagle! It only took me years, but we got it done tonight. We got the luck of the draw this weekend. I think I pretty much used up all of my luck because I started on the pole in the heat race and the feature, so I’m not sure if I have any luck left. The track was smooth and tacky coming out, which benefited us. It was pretty dry slick going in but once you got to the moisture you could just hammer down and go. That worked for us because from what I could tell, and from what everybody is telling me, we pulled out of the corners pretty good. I have to thank my Dad and my husband for all they do”. Mary’s sponsors include Noonan Industries, 6 To 6 Auto, Thad Bornemeier Trucking, and Burrows Real Estate.

Lastly the Race Jugs Race of Champions came onto the track. The 88J of
Jeremy Huish led the first circuit with Tyler Drueke’s 12 second, the 17 of Lee Goos Jr third and Joey Danley putting the #14 into fourth. Drueke grabbed the lead when Huish’s slide job in turn 4 slowed him down. Claude Estes passed Danley on lap 4 to put the 74E into fourth position. Danley grabbed the fourth position back on lap 7. Lapped traffic came into play a few laps later, but Drueke got through it cleanly and began to pull away from Huish at times and ended up winning by just under 1 second. Huish held onto second, Goos Jr. was third and Danley came home fourth.

Tyler told me “That was a good race. It was good to see how we match up with the other fast cars this weekend. I’m happy to know that we have good enough speed to win. The track was really good. It had a top and a bottom groove so that we could move around quite a bit. We need to just not get complacent and be sure we get it right for Sunday”. Tyler starts inside row 2 for the 3-wide start of the finale. I asked if he was happy with his starting spot, to which he replied with a laugh “I don’t really have any choice. So, it’ll do. You can’t win it until you’re in it. We’ll make the most of it, try to get through the first few laps, settle in, and if we have a fast enough car, it’s a long enough race that we’ve got a good enough place to start. Obviously the car count will be lots higher for Sunday, so you’ll have to use all of the lanes to pick your way through because the race will be won and lost in lapped traffic. It should be really exciting!”.

The top 6 rows are now set for Sunday’s Big Dance. They are as follows:
Jason Danley Jeremy Huish Stu Snyder
Tyler Drueke Jay Russell Zach Blurton
Ethan Barrow Shayle Bade Bill Johnson
Owen Dimm Mike Boston Joey Danley
Chris Graf Tyler Harris Colby Stubblefield
Clint Benson Dustin Clark Nick Barger

There is still one last chance for the sprint car teams to make it in. Tonight, the final 3 rows will be set by running through preliminary features with the top 9 in the B rounding out the field.

Pits open at 3:00 with pit admission being $35.

Front gates swing open at 4:30. Adult admission is $25 for adults, $20 for youths 6-10 with children 5 and under free.

Hot laps begin at 5:30 and racing will start at 6:30. The A1 IMCA Iron Stock Cars will be the support class for the evening.

RESULTS:

RaceSaver Nationals Sprint A-Feature

1. Owen Dimm Mifflintown, Pa. 2. Mike Boston Lincoln, Ne. 3. Joey Danley Martell, Ne. 4. Chris Graf Glencoe, Mn. 5. Tyler Harris Vidor, Tx. 6. Colby Stubblefield Seagoville, Tx. 7. Clint Benson Papillion, Ne. 8. Dustin Clark Washington, In. 9. Nick Barger Madison, Sd. 10. Jeb Sessums Cleburne, Tx. 11. Kade Higday Pleasant Hill, Ia. 12. Ryan Kitchen Seward, Ne. 13. Trevor Serbus Olivia, Mn. 14. Jacob Dye Albany, Mo. 15. Jake Galusha Lincoln, Ne. 16. Owen Carlson Somerset, Wi. 17. Daniel Nekolite O`neill, Ne. 18. Mike Houseman Jr Des Moines, Ia. 19. Claud Estes Godley, Tx. 20. Cole Vanderheiden Papillion, Ne.

RaceSaver Nationals Sprint B-Feature

1. Jacob Dye Albany, Mo. 2. Chris Graf Glencoe, Mn. 3. Jeb Sessums Cleburne, Tx. 4. Kade Higday Pleasant Hill, Ia. 5. Clint Benson Papillion, Ne. 6. Daniel Nekolite O`neill, Ne. 7. Trevor Serbus Olivia, Mn. 8. Claud Estes Godley, Tx. 9. Jake Galusha Lincoln, Ne. 10. Cole Vanderheiden Papillion, Ne. 11. Jacob Harris Vidor, Tx. 12. Daniel Estes Jr. Burleson, Tx. 13. Colby Estes Mansfield, Tx. 14. Gene Ackland Martell, Ne. 15. Kevin Rutherford Flowermound, Tx. 16. Kayla Martin Brownsburg, In.

RaceSaver Nationals Sprint C-Feature

1. Kevin Rutherford Flowermound, Tx. 2. Claud Estes Godley, Tx. 3. Trevor Serbus Olivia, Mn. 4. Daniel Estes Jr. Burleson, Tx. 5. Colby Estes Mansfield, Tx. 6. Gene Ackland Martell, Ne. 7. Brandon Bosma Rock Rapids, Ia. 8. Mike Moore Des Moines, Ia. 9. Breckton Crouch Lubbock, Tx. 10. Conner Thomas Post, Tx. 11. Matt Johnson Saint Peter, Mn. 12. Chad Wilson North Richland Hills, Tx. 13. Cole Wayman(r) Lincoln, Ne. 14. Aj Hopkins Avon, In.

RaceSaver Nationals Sprint D-Feature

1. Mike Moore Des Moines, Ia. 2. Gene Ackland Martell, Ne. 3. Conner Thomas Post, Tx. 4. Brandon Bosma Rock Rapids, Ia. 5. Gunnar Pike South Bend, Ne. 6. Koby Werkmeister Armour, Sd. 7. Trevor Grossenbacher Panama, Ne. 8. Brandon Horton Waterloo, Ne. 9. Ryder Laplante Calera, Ok. 10. Adam Gullion Lincoln, Ne. 11. John Paynter Jr Bloomington, In. 12. Brandon Allen St Peter, Mn. 13. Dylan Waxdahl Hartford, Sd. 14. Chase Weiler Lincoln, Ne.

RaceSaver Nationals Sprint E-Feature

1. Trevor Grossenbacher Panama, Ne. 2. Adam Gullion Lincoln, Ne. 3. Chase Weiler Lincoln, Ne. 4. Gunnar Pike South Bend, Ne. 5. Toby Chapman Panama, Ne. 6. Jeremy Schultz Stewart, Mn. 7. Dusty Ballenger Harrisburg, Sd. 8. Nathan Weiler Omaha, Ne. 9. Alex Davenport Lincoln, Ne. 10. Heath Nestrick Caddo Mills, Tx. 11. Michael Oliver San Antonio, Tx. 12. Alex Salzman Lincoln, Ne. 13. Justin Bolte Fremont, Ne. 14. Jack Hall Yukon, Ok.

RaceSaver Nationals Sprint F-Feature

1. Heath Nestrick Caddo Mills, Tx. 2. Nathan Weiler Omaha, Ne. 3. Dusty Ballenger Harrisburg, Sd. 4. Alex Davenport Lincoln, Ne. 5. Jacob Gomola Guy Mills, Pa. 6. Lee Goos Jr Hartford, Sd. 7. Corby Scherb Decatur, Tx. 8. Landon Thompson Haslet, Tx. 9. Junior Jenkins Greenville, Tx. 10. Ken Duke Jr Selinsgrove, Pa. 11. Chase Brewer Waxahachie, Tx. 12. Alex Nalon Pittsboro, In. 13. Bret Klabunde Omaha, Ne. 14. Bruce Allen Mankato, Mn.

RaceSaver Nationals Sprint G-Feature

1. Lee Goos Jr Hartford, Sd. 2. Chase Brewer Waxahachie, Tx. 3. Landon Thompson Haslet, Tx. 4. Ken Duke Jr Selinsgrove, Pa. 5. Andrew Sullivan Milford, Ia. 6. Daren Bolac Moyock, Nc. 7. Jordan Rupe Crossroads, Tx. 8. Michalob Voeltz Madison, Sd. 9. Rick Hansen Omaha, Ne. 10. Andrew Jackson Fremont, Ne. 11. Bill Garrow Lincoln, Ne. 12. Austin Fox Spencer, Ia. 13. Glenn Worrell Powhatan, Va. DNS. Josh Riggins Lincoln, Ne.

RaceSaver Nationals Sprint Heat 1

1. Owen Dimm Mifflintown, Pa. 2. Cole Vanderheiden Papillion, Ne. 3. Colby Estes Mansfield, Tx. 4. Koby Werkmeister Armour, Sd. 5. Jeremy Schultz Stewart, Mn. 6. Bret Klabunde Omaha, Ne. 7. Lee Goos Jr Hartford, Sd. 8. Jordan Rupe Crossroads, Tx.

RaceSaver Nationals Sprint Heat 10

1. Colby Stubblefield Seagoville, Tx. 2. Jeb Sessums Cleburne, Tx. 3. Aj Hopkins Avon, In. 4. Brandon Bosma Rock Rapids, Ia. 5. Adam Gullion Lincoln, Ne. 6. Dusty Ballenger Harrisburg, Sd. 7. Andrew Jackson Fremont, Ne.

RaceSaver Nationals Sprint Heat 2

1. Mike Houseman Jr Des Moines, Ia. 2. Jacob Harris Vidor, Tx. 3. Daniel Estes Jr. Burleson, Tx. 4. Brandon Horton Waterloo, Ne. 5. Chase Weiler Lincoln, Ne. 6. Jacob Gomola Guy Mills, Pa. 7. Josh Riggins Lincoln, Ne. 8. Austin Fox Spencer, Ia.

RaceSaver Nationals Sprint Heat 3

1. Dustin Clark Washington, In. 2. Chris Graf Glencoe, Mn. 3. Cole Wayman(r) Lincoln, Ne. 4. John Paynter Jr Bloomington, In. 5. Trevor Grossenbacher Panama, Ne. 6. Nathan Weiler Omaha, Ne. 7. Landon Thompson Haslet, Tx. 8. Bill Garrow Lincoln, Ne.

RaceSaver Nationals Sprint Heat 4

1. Mike Boston Lincoln, Ne. 2. Kayla Martin Brownsburg, In. 3. Claud Estes Godley, Tx. 4. Ryder Laplante Calera, Ok. 5. Gunnar Pike South Bend, Ne. 6. Junior Jenkins Greenville, Tx. 7. Daren Bolac Moyock, Nc. 8. Glenn Worrell Powhatan, Va.

RaceSaver Nationals Sprint Heat 5

1. Ryan Kitchen Seward, Ne. 2. Kade Higday Pleasant Hill, Ia. 3. Chad Wilson North Richland Hills, Tx. 4. Brandon Allen St Peter, Mn. 5. Toby Chapman Panama, Ne. 6. Heath Nestrick Caddo Mills, Tx. 7. Ken Duke Jr Selinsgrove, Pa.

RaceSaver Nationals Sprint Heat 6

1. Tyler Harris Vidor, Tx. 2. Jacob Dye Albany, Mo. 3. Matt Johnson Saint Peter, Mn. 4. Mike Moore Des Moines, Ia. 5. Justin Bolte Fremont, Ne. 6. Alex Davenport Lincoln, Ne. 7. Michalob Voeltz Madison, Sd.

RaceSaver Nationals Sprint Heat 7

1. Nick Barger Madison, Sd. 2. Daniel Nekolite O`neill, Ne. 3. Kevin Rutherford Flowermound, Tx. 4. Dylan Waxdahl Hartford, Sd. 5. Michael Oliver San Antonio, Tx. 6. Bruce Allen Mankato, Mn. 7. Chase Brewer Waxahachie, Tx.

RaceSaver Nationals Sprint Heat 8

1. Owen Carlson Somerset, Wi. 2. Clint Benson Papillion, Ne. 3. Trevor Serbus Olivia, Mn. 4. Gene Ackland Martell, Ne. 5. Alex Salzman Lincoln, Ne. 6. Alex Nalon Pittsboro, In. 7. Andrew Sullivan Milford, Ia.

RaceSaver Nationals Sprint Heat 9

1. Joey Danley Martell, Ne. 2. Jake Galusha Lincoln, Ne. 3. Breckton Crouch Lubbock, Tx. 4. Conner Thomas Post, Tx. 5. Jack Hall Yukon, Ok. 6. Corby Scherb Decatur, Tx. 7. Rick Hansen Omaha, Ne.

SportMod-IMCA A-Feature

1. Mary Hahn Lincoln, Ne. 2. Matt Andrews Malcolm, Ne. 3. Shawn Pospisil Lincoln, Ne. 4. Benji Legg Beatrice, Ne. 5. Noah Williams Ashland, Ne. 6. Adam Vrbka Eagle, Ne. 7. Mason Richards Denton, Ne. 8. Gary Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 9. Austin Jochum(r) Roca, Ne. 10. Aiden Floyd Lincoln, Ne. 11. Jacob Swanson Lincoln, Ne. 12. Dana Deeke Waverly, Ne. 13. Trevor Kropp Dewitt, Ne. 14. Richard Flock Malcolm, Ne. 15. Dave Cook(r) Lincoln, Ne. 16. Breanna Pfanstiel Lincoln, Ne. 17. Brandi Bosier 18. Brady Papineau(r) Lincoln, Ne. 19. Theron Ahlman(r) Lincoln, Ne. 20. Tommy Etherton Lincoln, Ne.

SportMod-IMCA B-Feature

1. Gary Saathoff Beatrice, Ne. 2. Dana Deeke Waverly, Ne. 3. Theron Ahlman(r) Lincoln, Ne. 4. Brady Papineau(r) Lincoln, Ne. 5. Daniel Latture Omaha, Ne. 6. John Schwindt Council Bluffs, Ia. 7. Melissa Latture Omaha, Ne. 8. Zane Woodman Seward, Ne. 9. Bryce Walker Omaha, Ne. 10. Lauren Cook Lincoln, Ne. 11. Terry Richards Denton, Ne. 12. Shawn Hein Beatrice, Ne. DNS. Ron Towle Waverly, Ne. DNS. Shawn Davis Burr, Ne.

SportMod-IMCA Heat 1

1. Benji Legg Beatrice, Ne. 2. Adam Vrbka Eagle, Ne. 3. Dave Cook(r) Lincoln, Ne. 4. Trevor Kropp Dewitt, Ne. 5. Daniel Latture Omaha, Ne. 6. Ron Towle Waverly, Ne. 7. Lauren Cook Lincoln, Ne. 8. Brady Papineau(r) Lincoln, Ne.

SportMod-IMCA Heat 2

1. Mary Hahn Lincoln, Ne. 2. Mason Richards Denton, Ne. 3. Jacob Swanson Lincoln, Ne. 4. Austin Jochum(r) Roca, Ne. 5. Dana Deeke Waverly, Ne. 6. Zane Woodman Seward, Ne. 7. Bryce Walker Omaha, Ne. 8. Theron Ahlman(r) Lincoln, Ne.

SportMod-IMCA Heat 3

1. Noah Williams Ashland, Ne. 2. Matt Andrews Malcolm, Ne. 3. Tommy Etherton Lincoln, Ne. 4. Richard Flock Malcolm, Ne. 5. John Schwindt Council Bluffs, Ia. 6. Shawn Davis Burr, Ne. 7. Melissa Latture Omaha, Ne.

SportMod-IMCA Heat 4

1. Shawn Pospisil Lincoln, Ne. 2. Brandi Bosier 3. Aiden Floyd Lincoln, Ne. 4. Breanna Pfanstiel Lincoln, Ne. 5. Shawn Hein Beatrice, Ne. 6. Terry Richards Denton, Ne. 7. Gary Saathoff Beatrice, Ne.

ROC Sprint A-Feature

1. Tyler Drueke Eagle, Ne. 2. Jeremy Huish Ness City, Ks. 3. Lee Goos Jr Hartford, Sd. 4. Joey Danley Martell, Ne. 5. Adam Gullion Lincoln, Ne. 6. Chase Brewer Waxahachie, Tx. 7. Brandon Bosma Rock Rapids, Ia. 8. Zach Blurton Quinter, Ks. 9. Claud Estes Godley, Tx. 10. Jason Danley Lincoln, Ne. 11. Corby Scherb Decatur, Tx. 12. Daniel Nekolite O`neill, Ne. 13. Bill Johnson St. Peter, Mn. 14. Koby Werkmeister Armour, Sd. 16. Cole Vanderheiden Papillion, Ne. 17. Jeb Sessums Cleburne, Tx. 18. Chad Wilson North Richland Hills, Tx. DNS. Colby Stubblefield Seagoville, Tx. DNS. Stuart Snyder Lincoln, Ne. DNS. Mike Moore Des Moines, Ia.