Darren Berry Bedazzles URSS at Dawson County
Raceway
By Darin Racek
(Lexington, Nebraska--August 14) The track turned out spectacular for the drivers Sunday night, and they responded by putting on a good show for the people in attendance in the grandstands. Darren Berry of McCook, Jay Steffens of North Platte, Mike Nichols of Harlan, Iowa, Tyler Frye of Belleville, Kansas, and Jason Wilkinson of
Neligh sped to the front of the field in their divisions to take the A Feature wins for the evening.
Fifteen of the Seventeen United Rebel Sprint Series cars hit the track for their twenty-five lap feature. Heat winner John Webster of North Platte jumped to the lead and maintained a large lead on the field until the first of two caution periods on lap thirteen for the disabled car of Blake Smith, Jr. of Fredrick, Colorado. Keefe Hemel of Dodge City, Kansas started on his rear bumper on the restart, but could not keep up with him. Darren Berry, another heat winner, started a few spots behind him on the restart, but had a strong run when the race went green and began to apply pressure on Hemel. He made the pass during lap twenty-three, but had to slow on the front straight as Tommy Lee Williams of North Platte headed to the pits. Also on that lap, Judd Shaeffer of Gypsum, Colorado blew an engine, and that brought out the caution, setting up the shootout. On the restart, Berry went to the top to pass Hemel, stayed on it, passed Webster out of corner four, and held on for one more lap for his second URSS feature win of the weekend and third overall. Webster still had his best ever URSS finish with the second place. Hemel, Josh Fairbank of Goddard, Kansas, and National points leader
Brian Herbert rounded out the to five. Heat winner Barry Crane of Hugoton, Kansas finished in sixth place.
Josh Sabin of North Platte blasted by fellow heat race winner Zach Schultz of North Platte for the lead on the opening lap of the IMCA Modified A Feature. Wade Cross of Phillips, a winner the night before at Doniphan, gained great strides on the bottom of the track to catch Sabin, but just as he got there on lap four, his car broke, and he limped it to the infield. Jay Steffens would use the low line to work his way through the field and battle Sabin. On the thirteenth lap, Steffens was able to take the lead, and once he cleared Sabin, went to the high line and pulled away for the win. Brent Bohmont of McCook came on strong late in the race to pass Jim Mlady of North Platte and take third spot. Schultz survived an accident late in the race and not of his doing to finish in fifth place.
The IMCA Stock Cars had only one caution during their twenty lap event, and all fourteen starters finished the race. Heat race winner Jeff Whiting of Gothenburg started on the pole and quickly moved to the high line to take the lead. Dan Walker of Eddyville went with him and pressured him for several laps. Although he was unable to make the pass down low, heat winner Mike Nichols of Harlan, Iowa used it to pick them both off and lead on lap seven. Further back in the field, four cars went four wide coming out of corner four to complete lap nine. Sal Hernandez of Columbus was one of the middle cars and was turned sideways, but kept out of the other three and made the save, keeping the race going. The race slowed with five laps to go for a one-car caution, but in the end, Nichols would not be denied the win. Whiting continued to keep Walker at bay for second place. Cash Dash winner Casey Werkmeister of Maywood finished in fourth place, while Cale Osborn of Cozad beat Casey Woken of Ogallala to the line for fifth place by a nosepiece.
Denny Egge of Kearney won his IMCA Northern SportMod heat race and passed fellow heat winner Craig Howard of Lexington for the lead in the A Feature on lap two. Three cautions during the next couple of laps kept everyone close, and aided Colton Osborn of Cozad to move to the front. As he and Egge came to complete lap eight, Osborn made a slide that worked and put him into the lead. Also during this long stretch of green, Tyler Frye was working his way to the front. On the fourteenth lap, Frye caught Osborn and prepared for a hard battle for the lead, but at that moment, something broke on the #50 car, ending Osborn’s night and giving Frye a less stressful six laps on his way to the win. Bryan Herrick of Curtis finished in second spot. Egge took the third spot. Ben Hobbs of Red Cloud went to the pits after the first caution, came back in time to restart in the back, and drove forward to the fourth spot at the finish. Jamey Kennicutt of Gothenburg did pretty much the same things Hobbs did, only he finished one spot back.
Jason Wilkinson flattened a tire on the opening lap of the IMCA Hobby Stock A Feature and brought out a caution. He restarted in the seventh row. Up front, Tyler Andreasen of Grand Island passed Zach Canas of Cozad for the lead on lap three with hopes of gaining his second win of the year. Wilkinson was passing cars wholesale, and by lap nine convinced Andresen to move low on the track so he could fly by on the high side. That was the winning move for Wilkinson, who took his fifth track win of the year, but first since June 12. Andreasen was able to hold off Tiffany Bittner of Norfolk for second place. Anthony Martin of Wilcox and Kevin Hagan of Eddyville ended good nights with fourth and fifth place finishes. Bittner and Andreasen were also the IMCA Hobby Stock heat race winners.
The final night of racing will prove to be a huge night at Dawson County Raceway. It will be the final night of points, and some point battles will come to a head. The championship race for the Burger King Challenge for the IMCA Northern SportMod will be run. There will also be an auction of racing memorabilia during intermission to aid John Ford with his medical bills after being hit by a race car on July 24. The gates will open for the Sunday, August 21 show at 5 p.m., and the racing will start at 6:30 p.m.
URSS Sprints
Heat 1
30C-Barry Crane
29S-Mike Saathoff
7B-Dan Brummet
All photos are courtesy of Tamie Thurn
Photo 1 is of #52 Jason Wilkinson of Neligh driving his IMCA Hobby Stock around corner four on his way to the feature win.
Photo 2 is of #55 Tyle Frye of Belleville, Kansas as he heads toward victory in the IMCA Northern SportMod A Feature.
Photo 3 is of #63 Mike Nichols of Harlan, Iowa on the way to another win in the IMCA Stock Car A Feature.
Photo 4 is of #XII Jay Steffens of North Platte working the low line to pass #23S Josh Sabin of North Platte to take the lead and eventual win in the IMCA Modified A Feature.