McCOOL JUNCTION, Neb. (March 18-19) – Once the green flag flew, Justin Gregg knew he had the car to beat in Sunday’s Mike Chapin Memorial Spring Thaw main event at Junction Motor Speedway.
When the checkers came out, he had the $1,000 check to prove it.
Gregg led all 25 circuits in the Fast Shafts All-Star ballot qualifier. Jacob Anson repeated his second-place showing from the Saturday feature and Jordy Nelson, Dylan Smith and Anthony Roth rounded out the top five.
“I got lucky and started on the pole and knew on the first lap that we were going to be tough to beat,” said Gregg. “We were going through the corners really well.”
The only caution came with four laps left and no one had anything for the leader after that.
Travis Hatcher won the Saturday feature. Gregg was seventh in that race in a self-built Red Rocket, changing a couple springs and, after a call to Kyle Vanover, a shock before returning to McCool Junction the next day.
Jarred Hackler was a double winner in a Red Rocket of his own, topping both Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod features.
“Saturday, the track was nice and slick the way I like it and I was able to pull away from the rest of the guys,” he said. “I started on the pole both nights and was kind of shocked to do it. Usually I’m at the other end of the field. Sunday I got a good start of a nice, smooth track. That’s where my team excels.”
Six-time and defending national champion Mike Nichols won both IMCA Sunoco Stock Car features, career checkers number 429 and 430 in the class, and Roy Armstrong swept IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock events.
Denny Berghahn won Sunday’s Mach-1 Sport Compact main.
March 18 Feature Results
Modifieds – 1. Travis Hatcher; 2. Jacob Anson; 3. Anthony Roth; 4. Tyler Frye; 5. Dan Menk; 6. Josh Blumer; 7. Justin Gregg; 8. Sean Barragan; 9. Adam Armstrong; 10. Cale Carder; 11. Scott Smith; 12. Andy Wilkinson; 13. Dave Pedersen; 14. Philip Loseke; 15. Mike Lineberry; 16. Jim Mathieson; 17. Melvin Densberger; 18. Brandon Spanjer; 19. Jordy Nelson; 20. Tyler Iverson; 21. Steve Swarthout; 22. Micah Veleba; 23. Jeff James.
Stock Cars – 1. Mike Nichols; 2. Jim Powell; 3. Shane Stutzman; 4. Casey Woken; 5. Mike Dancer; 6. Jim Hagan; 7. Kyle Wilkinson; 8. Kyle Dumpert; 9. Chad Bruns; 10. Tyler Phelps; 11. Nick Woodard; 12. Jason Wilkinson; 13. John Meyer; 14. Robert Hoing; 15. Cody Clark.
Northern SportMods – 1. Jarred Hackler; 2. Matt Andrews; 3. James Kleinheksel; 4. Justin Svoboda; 5. Wade Gunnink; 6. Jacob Wolsleben; 7. Tyler Mark; 8. Derick Noonan; 9. Cole Wayman; 10. Herb Slough; 11. Lee Horky; 12. Austin Svoboda; 13. Edd Huxoll; 14. Bill Leighton; 15. Paul Donovan; 16. Jacob Olmstead; 17. Bruce Lang; 18. Kirk Beatty.
Hobby Stocks – 1. Roy Armstrong; 2. Luke Wassom; 3. Zach Olmstead; 4. Nathan Refior; 5. Pete Beaumont; 6. Tanner Jones; 7. Kenny Roberts; 8. Brent Jochum; 9. Cameron Wilkinson; 10. Brandon Wergin; 11. Jacob Hagan; 12. Terry Tritt; 13. Hunter Wergin; 14. Wade Wagenblast; 15. Tadd Newill; 16. Brady Larkins; 17. Steve Shepard.
March 19 Feature Results
Modifieds – 1. Gregg; 2. Anson; 3. Nelson; 4. Dylan Smith; 5. Roth; 6. Hatcher; 7. Frye; 8. James; 9. Barragan; 10. Colton Osborne; 11. Lineberry; 12. Spanjer; 13. Wilkinson; 14. Iverson; 15. Menk; 16. Scott Smith; 17. Carder; 18. Veleba; 19. Armstrong; 20. Mathieson.
Stock Cars – 1. Nichols; 2. Woken; 3. Powell; 4. Hagan; 5. Bruns; 6. Phelps; 7. Dumpert; 8. Tanner Pettitt; 9. Woodard; 10. Jed Williams; 11. Dancer; 12. Hoing; 13. Stutzman; 14. Clark.
Northern SportMods – 1. Hackler; 2. Brian Barber; 3. Austin Svoboda; 4. Horky; 5. Huxoll; 6. Mark; 7. Andrews; 8. Scott Styskal; 9. Kleinheksel; 10. Wolsleben; 11. Rocky Zimmerman; 12. Leighton; 13. Gunnar Pike; 14. Noonan; 15. Donovan; 16. Travis Patterson; 17. Gunnink; 18. Slough; 19. Justin Svoboda; 20. Kevin Kloke.
Hobby Stocks – 1. Armstrong; 2. Wassom; 3. Brandon Wergin; 4. Olmstead; 5. Larkins; 6. Refior; 7. Tritt; 8. Jones; 9. Beaumont; 10. Kyle Hein; 11. Roberts; 12. Wagenblast; 13. Hagan; 14. Hunter Wergin; 15. Newill.
Sport Compacts – 1. Denny Berghahn; 2. Tyler Thompson; 3. Jake Newson; 4. Dillon Richards; 5. Kyle Owen; 6. Drake Bohlmeyer; 7. Travis Thelander; 8. Brooke Fluckiger; 9. Bryan Vannausdle; 10. David Norquest; 11. Jim Buss; 12. Justin Brown; 13. Shawn Hein; 14. Jeffery Scott; 15. Justin Schmidt; 16. Dustin Brethauwer; 17. Noah Boller.