LINCOLN, Neb. – Friesen Performance made even bigger winners of three rookie of the year award recipients during the IMCA national banquet.
Modified rookie of the year Clint Luellen received a 604 crate engine. Hobby Stock rookie of the year Lance Mielke and Northern SportMod rookie of the year Jacob Olmstead both earned 602 crates for their efforts in 2017.
“This is the second year for this program, which is obviously a great benefit to the rookies of the year in these three divisions,” noted IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. “We appreciate Friesen’s title sponsorship of the national rookie program in all three divisions and look forward to continuing this program well into the future.”
In addition to completing IMCA rookie of the year requirements, drivers must have displayed a Friesen logo on their race car to be eligible for the crate engine award.
Also the top first-year driver in the Side Biter Chassis North Central Region, Luellen won nine features and was ninth in the national points race. He earned three track championships and the Allstar Performance Iowa State crown.
Mielke also paced Big Daddy Race Cars Northern Region standings. He was a five-time feature winner.
Olmstead collected 10 checkers during the season and won the Lexington Raceway track championship.