BEATRICE, Neb. – First he caught his breath.
Then Jordan Grabouski caught his stride.
The defending champion in both IMCA Modified and IMCA Sunoco Stock Car divisions, Grabouski pared his starts in both classes while racing to a career fifth Jet Racing Central Region crown and finishing sixth in rookie standings for IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars.
“While we missed 10-20 starts and all the early-season specials, it gave us a chance to catch our breath. Never in a million years did I think we’d be able to win the region,” he said. “It was definitely a challenge but I felt like we were able to catch our stride as we got closer to the end of the season.”
Grabouski totaled 11 wins and won track championships at hometown Beatrice Speedway, Eagle Raceway and U.S. 30 Raceway. He swept Salina Speedway’s Mid-America Clash on the final weekend of the point season before winning Oktoberfest at Beatrice.
“We took Sundays off for family (Grabouski and wife Whitney look forward to the arrival of second daughter) during the season,” he said. “We were consistent all year and good at the late-season specials.”
A four-time national Modified champion, Grabouski is third on the all-time list for the division with 247 career wins. He won three times in a Stock Car and had three top five finishes in 15 Sprint Car starts this year.
“I had started racing at 11 in a mini-sprint with Adam Gullion, who asked me to drive for him this year. It was a cool opportunity. Things happen so much quicker in a Sprint Car and it was a lot of fun,” Grabouski said. “Other than starting the season at Spring Nationals, we haven’t decided what we’ll do next year. I’ll be able to tell you in February.”
Starts-38 Wins-11 Additional Top Fives-19
HIS CREW: Josh Houseman, Bryson Fralin, Eric Ebeling, Steve Durman, Jake Creek and Jackson Weeks.
HIS SPONSORS: Twin Rivers Chrysler Jeep Dodge, Penner Insurance, AJC Wiens Custom Farming, Orange Bowl, J’s Grill and Pub, Wrightway Hay Harvesters and Nelson Tree Service all of Beatrice; Friesen Chevrolet of Sutton; Abbie and Jace Grabouski and Zeck Ford, both of Leavenworth, Kan.; Wojo Painting and Moock Trucking, both of Lincoln; Schmidt’s Inc. of Fairbury; PBS Rentals of Crete; Hergott Farms of Gilead; Sasse Farms of Diller; Side Trek Bar & Grill of Harbine; Novotny Ag and Brynn Novotny Motorsports, both of Jansen; Brinkman Racing and Fabrication of DeWitt; Terry Phillips Racing of Springfield, Mo.; GRT Race Cars of Greenbrier, Ark.; VP Heartland of Manhattan, Kan.; Performance Bodies of Cedar Falls, Iowa; Fast Shafts of Des Moines, Iowa; Sybesma Graphics of Sanborn, Iowa; Jordan Hanisch Photography and BigWorms Racing Videos, both of Williams, Iowa; CPD Racing Shocks of Fort Dodge, Iowa; Real Racing Wheels of Independence, Iowa; Speedwerx Headers of Forest Lake, Minn.; Kevko of Fairmont, Minn.; Strange Oval of Morton Grove, Ill.; Quarter Master of Lake Zurich, Ill.; Simpson of Brownsburg, Ind.; Wehrs Machine and Racing Products of Bangor, Wis.; Keyser Manufacturing of Coopersville, Mich.; Integra Shocks of Coopersville, Mich.; Jones Pulley Systems of Ottsville, Pa.; KSE Racing Products of White House, Tenn.; Bulldog Rear Ends of Lancaster, Pa.; Hooker Harness of Cranbury, N.J.; FK Rod Ends of Southington, Conn.; Ricochet Shock Guards of Brush, Colo.; Icon Pistons of Carson City, Nev.; Wilwood of Camarillo, Calif.; Dirt Defender of Waxahachie, Texas; KS Engineering of Albert Lea, Minn.; and Total Power Batteries of Vista, Calif.