McCook drivers finally get a dry track

After three consecutive Friday nights of rainouts, McCook Speedway was dry enough to get in its show Friday.

The action was anything but dry, however, as there were several crunches and rollovers, despite the relatively smooth track.

Don Hagan, Jr. of Culbertson also wetted the appetite of fans by bringing out his two-seat Modified, of which rides will be auctioned and sold throughout the season.

David Murray of Oberlin, Shawn Bigham of Imperial, Richie Wickizer of Culbertson, Larry Pollmann of McCook, David Wimer of Trenton, and Greg Billings of Frederick, Colo,. were also not dry, as they quenched any thirst with A Feature victories.

Just to put an exclamation point on the craziness of the night, the IMCA Modified A Feature went 20 laps without a caution, and the seventeen finishers of the race all finished on the lead lap.

The lead was swapped on the first three laps between Tyson Garrison of Oberlin, Jarod Hilker of McCook and John Hansen of Brush, Colo.

By the time Hansen thought he had it figured out, David Murray had found his way from the fourth row to challenge Hansen for the lead.

He was able to cleanly get by and get a safe distance between himself and the action. Hansen held heat Kenny McCarty of North Platte off for second place.

They were followed by Chuck Stryker of Eddyville and Doug Holzmeister of Colby, Kan.

Murray, McCarty, Troy Bayne of North Platte and Don Hagan, Jr. were the heat race winners, while Ronnie Wallace of North Platte won the B Main.

The IMCA Stock Car A Feature was marred by two rollovers, the most horrifying by Bill Dover of Valentine.

Dover hit the guardrail in corner four and continued hitting it on the front stretch. Something under the car broke when he got to corner one, and the car flipped three times and caught fire under the hood.

Fortunately, he was able to walk away.

Brady Kock of Cambridge suffered baring the underside of his car after Dustin Small of North Platte and he were sideways in corner three after a restart.

Jason Schoenberger of Russell, Kan. ran into Koch's car, sending it on its side. Shawn Bigham had moved to the lead before most of the wildness began, and it was safe enough for he to get his first win of the year.

Rookie Todd Chrisman of North Platte stayed out of trouble throughout the race and improved nine spots from his starting spot to earn a runner-up spot.

Shawn Berry of Webber, Kan., Bill Matson of McCook, and Bryan Hagan of Culbertson rounded out the top five.

Bigham and Randy Clydesdale of Edmond, Kan., were the heat winner for the IMCA Stock Cars.

Attrition was more of a factor in the IMCA Hobby Stock A Feature.

Heat winner Chris Cuellar of Indianola paced the early part of the race, but was soon joined by heat winner Keith Miner of McCook.

Keith looked poised to take the lead until his motor blew. Richie Wickizer, the other heat winner, was a little slower in working to the front, but was able to catch Cuellar and pass him with less than a handfull of laps to go and take the win.

Colby Claflin of McCook, Austin Davis of Benkleman and Zach Schilz of McCook finished the race and finished out the top five spots.

Larry Pollman's car had mechanical problems in the heat race that put it on the trailer. His son Darren let him use his car for the twelve car A Feature.

Larry drove it like it was his own, passed rookie Matt Fletcher of North Platte late in the race for the lead, and held on for the win.

A wreck on the last lap shuffled the field and sent Mitchell Sis's car off the track upside down (he was not hurt,) and that allowed Greg Reiners of McCook to get by many cars and earn a second place spot.

Dave Werner or Palisade jumped to third place, Erick Farmer of Yuma, Colo., held at fourth place and Loren Pollmann of Trenton fell to fifth place.

The Mini-Sprints, especially Nate Moerke of NP, had early lap woes, as Moerke's car ended up on its side and three cars were piled up.

The pieces were picked up and the races resumed.

Greg Billings started on the front row and thought he had a good lead, but was soon joined up front by McCook drivers Bill Berry, Arden Myers and Rob Henry. Berry was the one who was able to take a shot at taking the lead and win from his fellow heat race winner, but Billings was able to get by a lapped car in time to earn the win. Billings was followed by McCook drivers Berry, Myers, Henry and Larry Davis, in that order.

A lucky thirteen Mini-Trucks started their main event, and all but one finished.

Bruce Hagan, Sr., of Culbertson took the lead at the second start of the race (the first start had a tailgate party that resulted in the restart.)

David Wimer drove from row five to catch Hagan, and then get by for his third consecutive win.

Hagan finished his best ever second, followed by A. C. Werner of Palisade and the heat winners, Dean Kerbs of Wray, Colo., and 70-year-old Bud Wasson of Lebanon.

The next night of racing at McCook Speedway will be Friday night. The races will start at 8 p.m. Results:

IMCA Modified

Heat 1

2-Troy Bayne Heat 2

97M-David Murray, Jr. Heat 3

94H-Don Hagan, Jr. Heat 4

1-Kenny McCarty B Feature

3RW-Ronnie Wallace

07S-Jay Schilling

41-Bill Lundock

2B-Bob Aspenleiter A Feature

97M-David Murray, Jr.

8H-John Hansen

1-Kenny McCarty

19-Chuck Stryker

34H-Doug Holzmeister

2-Troy Bayne

24M-Jeremy Mentzer

20-Gary Herbst

33G-Tyson Garrison

71-Andrew Dillenburg

12J-Jay Steffens

41-Bill Lundock

94H-Don Hagan, Jr.

22R-Barry Richards

2B-Bob Aspenleiter

41J-Dave Jeffres

81-Jarod Hilker

07S-Jay Schilling

31-Jim Arnold

3RW-Ronnie Wallace IMCA Stock Cars

Heat 1

19-Randy Clydesdale Heat 2

72-Shawn Bigham A Feature

72-Shawn Bigham

11-Todd Chrisman

4-Shawn Berry

2M-Bill Matson

25H-Bryan Hagan

4C-Charley Brown

24S-Dustin Small

2-Jesse Hoffmann

24-Bob Chalupa

25KO-Brady Koch

6-Jason Schoenberger

19-Randy Clydesdale

21R-Bill Dover IMCA Hobby Stocks

Heat 1

8-Keith Miner Heat 2

25W-Richie Wickizer Heat 3

01-Chris Cuellar A Feature

25W-Richie Wickizer

01-Chris Cuellar

28-Colby Claflin

22-Austin Davis

00-Zach Schilz

67-Josh Schilz

74KO-Jason Koch

8-Keith Miner

7-Rusty Park

8R-Brent Riley

2-Jason Stephens Classic Modifieds

Heat 1

18-Erick Farmer Heat 2

20-John Berry A Feature

413-Larry Pollmann

10-Greg Reiners

54-Dave Werner

18-Erick Farmer

D22-Loren Pollmann

56E-Duke Ebert

44-Matt Fletcher

D515-Mitchell Sis

20-John Berry

37P-Randon Peters

K2-Karl Wickizer

66-Gerald Halouska, Jr Mini-Trucks

Heat 1

18-Dean Kerbs Heat 2

70-Bud Wasson A Feature

66-Dave Wimer

25-Bruce Hagan, Sr.

59-A.C. Werner

18-Dean Kerbs

70-Bud Wasson

33-Leelan Bieker

65-Bryan Smotherman

34-Josh Bopp

69-Delbert Ridenour

63-Shawn Terwilliger

21-Jake Sahm

10JR-Loren Roberts

36-Brett Hagan Mini-Sprints

Heat 1

11-Bill Berry Heat 2

66-Greg Billings A Feature

66-Greg Billings

11-Bill Berry

42-Arden Myers

81-Rob Henry

8-Larry Davis

23P-Matt Fuehrer

23-Kevin Ruppert

12-Darren Berry

26-Chris Harmon

54-Jim Hoatson

39-Nate Moerke