The racing season continues to wind down at Dawson County Raceway as Sunday had some of the best racing of the year.
Sunday was a special weekly show for a couple of reasons. The night was a tribute to a former racer Eric Steinmark. Steinmark drove the Wayne Cross tribute pace car during many nights this season until his passing last Monday.
The racing community came out in full force donating all kinds of items for a silent auction and for a raffle with all of the proceeds going to Steinmark’s family.
All five classes were back in action at the Dawson County Fairgrounds. Sunday’s Durrence Layne late model feature saw defending track champion Josh Leonard get his second win of the year. Leonard led flag to flag becoming the first repeat winner in the late model division.
1. Josh Leonard 2. Denton Duncan 3. Jake Kubicka.
In the modified feature, defending track champion Jay Steffans led the opening lap before point leader Anthony Roth took command.
Colton Osborn ran second for a majority of the race before losing power while in second with five laps to go.
Roth would go on to get his eighth win of the season at Dawson County Raceway and his 17th overall win in his modified.
1. Anthony Roth 2. Jay Steffans 3. Brandon Clough 4. Bryan Herrick 5. Charles Stryker 6. Colton Osborn.
The sport mod feature saw the return of former late model driver Bo Egge. The Kearney native drove his son Cole’s car with the number 00 on the sides in memory of Steinmark.
Jamey Kennicutt led the majority of the race while fending off heavy pressure from point leader Jacob Olmstead and Egge who came from the back of the pack.
Kennicutt’s went from great to done on a restart with five laps to go. On a restart following a caution, Kennicutt and Olmstead went side by side for the lead. Kennicutt ended up spinning out in turn four and then got ran into by Tyler Rajdl. Kennicutt and Rajdl were not injured in the wreck, but both of their races were done.
Kennicutt’s misfortune gave the lead to Egge who narrowly beat Olmstead to the line before the yellow came out. On the restart, Egge led, but Olmstead caught and passed him for the lead with only two laps remaining.
Olmstead would go on to add to his point lead adding his fifth win on the year. Egge took second while Jacob Wolsleben came back from an early yellow to finish third. Craig Howard and Kennicutt rounded out the top five.
In the stock car main event, Bob Chalupa was up in front of the field for the first two circuits before defending track and national champion Mike Nichols took command of the lead and walked away with the show.
Mikey Dancer and Jeff Whiting, who were second and third in the point standings, put on an excellent battle for second in the closing laps. The two swapped second and third back and forth.
Up front, Nichols would remain undefeated at Dawson County Raceway. The victory marked his 31st of the 2018 season and the 494th of his career. Whiting narrowly edged out Dancer for second while Bob Chalupa got fourth, his best finish of the season. James Sheldon, who like Bo Egge, ran the 00 on the side of his car, rounded out the top five.
The hobby stocks had their best feature event of the year. Allyn Myers led the way while Zach Olmstead, Jacob Hagan, and Luke Wassom were all taking shots at him for the lead lap after lap. Olmstead especially applied tons of pressure, but Myers kept finding a way to stay ahead.
Hagan was involved in a late race incident with five to go, but he would continue on to battle back into the top five.
The race came right down to the line, and by a photo finish, Myers picked up his second consecutive win at Dawson County Raceway. Zach Olmstead took second while Luke Wassom came in third. Jacob Hagan and Brooke Russell rounded out the top five.