By Greg Soukup
EAGLE, Neb. (May 2, 2026) — After a bout of liquid sunshine forced the cancellation of what was to be the season opener at Eagle Raceway last Saturday, this Saturday greeted teams and fans with a beautiful spring day—and the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks made sure the wait was worth it, delivering the wildest race of the night that remained unpredictable to the very end.
The initial start attempt saw a five-car pile-up in turns three and four that eliminated several contenders before a lap could even be completed. After another caution on the restart, a lap was finally made official with Dan Markham leading, followed by Neil Pella, Trenton Dowty, and Jason Hansen. From there, the race began to take shape as drivers worked through changing track conditions and traffic.
Pella, from Adams, who started fourth, took over the top spot on lap four and never relinquished it, navigating the chaos to score his first win of the year in the B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region. Brayden Hurley made an impressive charge from 19th to finish second, while Markham held on for third. Eric Chab, who started 11th, climbed into fourth late, and Dowty rounded out the top five.
Andersen Edges Ahead in Side-by-Side Stock Car Showdown
The Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars delivered a clean but highly competitive feature, highlighted by a long, hard-fought battle at the front of the field.
Nate Thompson and Chad Andersen ran door-to-door for several laps before Andersen, of Ft. Calhoun, capitalized on a mistake exiting turn four to take control. From there, he held steady despite pressure behind him to secure his first win of the season in the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region after starting sixth.
Kyle Vanover finished second, followed by Thompson in third. Mason Richards held on for fourth, while Dillon Richards completed the top five. The race went caution-free, and all drivers were rewarded with a free pit pass for the following week.
Snyder Soars to Second Straight Sprint Car Triumph
The RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Cars saw Stu Snyder continue his early-season momentum with another strong performance.
Snyder led from the drop of the green and controlled the pace throughout, but the race tightened following a restart that shuffled positions behind him. Trevor Grossenbacher made a strong move into contention, while Brandon Horton remained in the mix as the laps wound down.
In the end, Snyder held on for his second straight win, followed by Horton, Grossenbacher, Adam Gullion, and Jack Thomas.
Wasserman Breaks Through for First Modified Victory
The Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds featured a dominant showing at the front, but plenty of movement behind the leader kept things interesting.
Adam Wasserman led early and steadily built a sizeable advantage, while Jordan Grabouski worked his way forward from eighth, eventually climbing into second. Jaxon Saathoff and Josh Most traded positions before settling into the top five, with Chad Andersen also advancing late.
Wasserman went on to earn his first win of the season in the Jet Racing Central Region, marking his first Modified victory after moving up from the Hobby Stock ranks last year. Grabouski finished second, followed by Saathoff, Andersen, and Most.
Williams Wires the Field for SportMod Score
The Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods closed out the action with a smooth, fast-paced feature that stayed green to the checkered flag.
Noah Williams, of Ashland, led from the outset and never looked back, executing a clean and consistent run to earn his first win of the season. Cole Wayman settled into second, while McLain Reed and Aiden Floyd worked their way into the top four.
With no cautions slowing the pace, the field stayed tightly grouped but saw little change at the front as Williams secured the victory. Wayman finished second, followed by Reed, Floyd, and Derek Hall.
The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV affiliate Advantage TV. Catch every lap again with the IMCA TV Replay Subscription, available for just $25.99/month. And don’t miss Season 2 of the Boone Docuseries, now streaming exclusively on IMCA TV.
