MCCOOK, Neb. -- For the opening night of Thunder On The Plains at McCook Speedway June 19, there were many cars making their first appearance this season at the track. David Murray, Jr. of Oberlin, Kan., Colton Osborn of Cozad, Todd Pankonin of Benkelman, Loren Pollmann of Trenton, and Bill Matson of McCook each made an appearance in victory lane that night.

The IMCA Modified A Feature had a caution on lap two of the twenty lap event, then went the rest of the way without incident. David Murray took the lead from fellow heat race winner Don Hagan, Jr. of McCook on lap three, and was never confronted for the win. Although Hagan lost that battle to him and one to second place finisher Jay Schilling of McCook, he did win the battle for third spot with John Huffman of McCook. Brandon Hagan of McCook finished in fifth place. The other heat race was won by Jeff Tubbs of Colby, Kan.

North Platte driver Travis Tilford tried to pull away from the rest of the IMCA Stock Car field during the A Feature, but four caution periods in five laps kept everyone close. Shane Stout of North Platte almost took the lead twice but for the yellows, and by then, Colton Osborn joined the fray. Osborn was making his first appearance of the year in McCook and had to start on the sixth row, but by lap ten, took the lead. Not too long after taking the lead, newcomer Jason Davis of Norton, Kan. Began to hound him for the spot. With one lap to go, Davis overdrove his car, allowing Osborn some breathing room to work his way to the finish line. Tilford took the third place finish, ahead of Larry Pollmann of McCook and Brandon Clough of Wallace. Stout, who faded in the race, was one of the three IMCA Stock Car heat racers earlier in the night, along with Cale Osborn of Cozad and Casey Werkmeister of Maywood.

When the final of two caution periods were over in the IMCA Hobby Stock A Feature, Benkelman drivers Todd Pankonin, Austin Davis, and Leland Stute were at the front of the field. When the green flag came out, Pankonin's car shut off, and he drifted high on the track to get out of the way. At the same time, Davis tried to go by him on the high side and Pankonin's car hard. The resulting impact helped Pankonin's car fire up, and he took off as fast as he could, still with the lead. Despite the hard chargers behind him, Pankonin held them both off for the victory. Davis won the battle for second place. Leland was followed by his son Litton Stute. Jason Stephens of McCook was the fifth place finisher. Pankonin and Davis were also the heat race winners.

After nearly losing the entire field in the heat race, the Classic Modified A Feature had most of the field finish. Loren Pollmann paced the start of the race, but almost immediately had son Max on his tail. Many times, Max took at run at getting by his dad, and many times his car drifted up the track. Loren kept his car straight and earned his second win of the year. Following Max was his brother Alex, making the top three finish a Pollmann family sweep. Nate Berry of McCook, no relation, finished in fourth place, ahead of heat race winner Rick Touslee of Oberlin, Kan.

The SportMod main event got a little wild. Leaders Bill Matson and Bryan Herrick of Curtis tangled after a lap six restart, resulting in Matson spinning and Herrick being put to the back. Despite going there, heat winner Herrick made a charge up to second place, only to be denied his fifth straight win. Matson's win was his first in a SportMod. Duke Ebert of Culbertson got by Josh Bopp of McCook late in the race for third place. Mitch Hamilton of McCook finished in fifth.

RESULTS

June 19 results
IMCA Modified
Heat 1
37-Jeff Tubbs
10-Don Geist
2J-Jim Gronewold

Heat 2
94H-Don Hagan, Jr.
3-John Huffman
121-Brandon Hagan

Heat 3
97M-David Murray, Jr
12J-Jay Steffens
25H-Bryan Hagan


A Feature
97M-David Murray, Jr
07S-Jay Schilling
94H-Don Hagan, Jr.
3-John Huffman
121-Brandon Hagan
12J-Jay Steffens
17J-Jeremy Frenier
737-Nick Tubbs
3RW-Ronnie Wallace
25H-Bryan Hagan
20-Tony Schultz
10T-Todd Hartley
10-Don Geist
2J-Jim Gronewold
37-Jeff Tubbs (DNF)
20K-Kyle Clough (DNS)

IMCA Stock Car
Heat 1
6C-Cale Osborn
32-Lloyd Meeske
8-Travis Tilford

Heat 2
5S-Shane Stout
42W-Kyle Werkmeister
20B-Brandon Clough

Heat 3
24W-Casey Werkmeister
50-Colton Osborn
413-Larry Pollmann


A Feature
50-Colton Osborn
76-Jason Davis
8-Travis Tilford
32-Lloyd Meeske
413-Larry Pollmann
20B-Brandon Clough
24W-Casey Werkmeister
6C-Cale Osborn
70KO-Aaron Koch
42W-Kyle Werkmeister
5S-Shane Stout
9-Bob Rutherford
51B-Bret Gartrell (DNF)
P42-Dave Plowman (DNF)
74KO-Jason Koch (DNS)

IMCA Hobby Stock
Heat 1
16D-Todd Pankonin
3L-Leland Stute
4J-Jason Stephens

Heat 2
22-Austin Davis
8C-Corey Cruzan
10-Litton Stute

A Feature
16D-Todd Pankonin
22-Austin Davis
3L-Leland Stute
10-Litton Stute
4J-Jason Stephens
8C-Corey Cruzan
3D-Dalton Dolan
33-Richard Boon
32E-Jake Eicher
34-Josh Bopp
33X-B. J. Dauer (DNF)
32-Michael Brunswig (DNF)

Classic Modified
Heat
26RT-Rick Touslee
20-Nate Berry

A Feature
P84-Loren Pollmann
P82-Max Pollmann
P83-Max Pollmann
20-Nate Berry
26RT-Rick Touslee
711-Billy Aeby (DNF)
25-Chad Coleman (DNF)

SportMod
Heat
0-Bryan Herrick
1EA-Trevor Gray
0?-Bill Matson

A Feature
0?-Bill Matson
0-Bryan Herrick
56E-Duke Ebert
737-Josh Bopp
77H-Mitch Hamilton
1EA-Trevor Gray (DNF)
93-Mark Kinne (DNF)
22-Austin Davis (DNF)