NORFOLK, Neb. – IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock national and Big Daddy Race Cars Northern Region rookie of the year awards were the ultimate goals this season for Lance Mielke.
The five feature wins he collected during the season in addition to those rookie honors were a bonus.
Mielke, from Norfolk, Neb., followed in the tire tracks of older brother TeJay in earning national and regional rookie of the year awards (in 2014) and even did so in the same Big Daddy car.
“We first thought about it at the end of last season,” said Mielke, who had totaled 16 feature wins in three Mach-1 Sport Compact campaigns. “It came back to mind at the beginning of this season and we dedicated everything to running for rookie of the year.”
He got his first feature win in the class on May 25 at U.S. 30 Speedway, where he went on to finish second in the point race.
“Going into the year, I thought I might get one or two wins. I never thought I’d get five, especially with the competition we have in our area,” Mielke said. “The first one was special but so were all the rest.
Mielke was third in the standings at Off Road Speedway and seventh at Boone County Raceway.
“The handling and the speed were the biggest differences between a Sport Compact and the Hobby Stock,” he noted. “We were able to finish in the top five pretty consistently. To be able to run with guys who have been in this class for 5-10 years was unreal.”
Starts-52
Wins-5
Additional Top Fives-20
HIS CREW: Parent Kelly and Trista, brother TeJay, girlfriend Jule Haller and friends Tanner Uehling, Jordan Uehling and Wyatt Lehman.
HIS SPONSORS: Red Bull Auto Sales, Outback Motorsports, Subway, Westown Custom Vinyl and Kuchar Chiropractic, all of Norfolk.