MESQUITE, Texas – While Mother Nature had the upper hand, drivers following the Sniper Speed IMCA Lone Star Stock Car Tour still went home winners.
Tour officials and promoters at Grayson County Speedway and Kennedale Speedway Park went above and beyond to make the last three scheduled events happen but rain and forecasts for continued inclement weather forced them to call the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car tour official.
Night two winner Jason Rogers of Selden, Kan., was crowned champion, earning a $5,000 share of the $15,100 point fund, which was paid in its entirety.
“I know Jon and Jill (Courchaine of Sniper Speed) did not have to pay the full point fund,” Rogers said during the Wednesday night banquet held at the Mesquite Convention Center. “The Lone Star Tour has helped strengthen the division in Texas and I wish we would have been able to race the tour until the end.”
Rogers, who earned a starting berth in the B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational at the upcoming IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s with the title, added his thanks to girlfriend/crew chief Gretchen Jennings and his friends and sponsors in addition to the Courchaines and Texas track officials.
Lance Hanson Jr. won the drawing for the $4,000 Midstate Machine perfect attendance award. Elijah Zevenbergen received the inaugural Kirk Martin Memorial Sportsmanship award and $750; Zevenbergen had been nominated by three race teams for that award, given in memory of the long-time Stock Car driver and 2017 Southern Region champion.
Nominations from three race teams secured the inaugural Kirk Martin Memorial Sportsmanship award for Elijah Zevenbergen of Ocheyedan, Iowa. He is pictured with Jill Courchaine of Sniper Speed. (Photo by Jerry Vansickel)
Rounding out the top 10 in points were Shelby Williams of Bonham, $2,500; Dan Mackenthun of Hamburg, Minn., $2,000; Jordan Zillmer of Cleveland, N.D., $1,500; Dallon Murty of Chelsea, Iowa, $1,000; Taylor Carver of Lockesburg, Ark., $850; Blake Clark of Joshua, $750; and Jeffrey Abbey of Comanche, opening night winner Mitch Meier of Chilton, Wis., and Hanson, of Palmer, each $500.
The last of nightly and tour awards were presented to drivers Wednesday night.
Contingency award sponsors included Abilene Race Rads, Bulletproof Tees, CRS Suspension and Fabrication, Gorsuch Performance Solutions, Kevin Nouse Designs, Landrum Springs, Lemirande Motorsports, Lit Sticks by Twenty-Nine Enterprises, Lone Star Super Gas, MultiFire Wires by Money, QuickCar, Schoenfeld Headers, Shell Valley Fiberglass, Speed Secrets, Sybesma Graphics and UltraShield Race Products.
