dawsoncountyraceway Archives

Wassom is awesome at Dawson County

By Kelly Ninas LEXINGTON, Neb. (June 2) – Leading the laps that mattered the most Sunday at Dawson County Raceway was Luke Wassom, in the Overton Sand and Gravel IMCA Hobby Stock feature. Wassom had started outside the fourth row and later overcame being involved in an accident near the midway point to lead the final two laps to win the main event. Battling until the bitter end, Zach Olmstead pressured Wassom in the waning laps. Jordan Grabouski won both the Holbein Lawn Service/K Lawn IMCA Modified and Levander Body Shop IMCA Stock Car features. Wasting no time in snaring the lead and never looking back, Jacob Olmstead was the victor in the Platte Valley Auto Mart IMCA Northern SportMod feature. And putting on a dominating performance, Terry Tritt was the victor in the Plum Creek Motors IMCA Sport Compact feature.

Full house on hand for Dawson County opener

By Kelly Ninas LEXINGTON, Neb. (May 19) – Racing action was hot and heavy on opening night Sunday at Dawson County Raceway, in front of a jam-packed house. Looking to start the season off on the right foot at Lexington were a large contingent of competitors hoping to drive their way to Coca Cola Victory Lane. The foursome of Jordan Grabouski, David Johnson, Braxton Berry and Ramsey Meyer were victors. Grabouski led much of the way and finished strong in the Holbein Lawn Service/K Lawn IMCA Modified feature. The defending national champion worked his magic on the top groove to get into the lead on the 12th lap and never looked back. In one of the most heated and action-packed features of the night, it was Grabouski of Beatrice earning the Levanders Body Shop IMCA Stock Car victory. Grabouski started 14th and got the lead on lap 13, then held off all challenges to garner top honors. Riding the cushion and keeping his momentum at a high level throughout the feature was the formula for success [Read More]

Former track champion Dolan takes promoter’s post at Dawson County

LEXINGTON, Neb. – Back when he was winning IMCA track championships at Dawson County Raceway, Chad Dolan didn’t give a thought to promoting. Now that he’s in charge of the 3/8-mile dirt oval at Lexington, he’s looking for ways to give fans and drivers their money’s worth and then some. “My vision is to give people the wow factor. If we can do that on opening night May 19, we won’t have anything to worry about,” he said. “I’m excited to give people in Central Nebraska something they haven’t seen at Dawson County Raceway before. There’s a real sense of excitement here.” Sanctioned since 1994, Dawson County has eight Sunday dates scheduled for IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts. All five divisions will also run at the Sept. 15 Connie Jewett Memorial. “These are the divisions we have to have to make it work in this area. Everything will work if this track is promoted and prepared well,” Dolan said. “I’ve met with [Read More]

Nichols keeps clicking, collects career 500th IMCA Stock Car win

HARLAN, Iowa – Mike Nichols started racing 20-some years ago with aspirations that didn’t go much further than simply winning a heat race. On Sunday, the overachiever raced to his career 500th IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature victory during Dawson County Raceway’s Connie Jewett Memorial. “Somewhere in early, mid-July, things were clicking pretty good for us and I started thinking that we might be able to get to 500 wins this year,” Nichols said. “I didn’t want to get close and then have it lingering over us all winter.” The Aug. 26 win at the Lexington, Neb., oval was his 39th of the season and came in a stellar field that included David Murray Jr., IMCA’s all-time single division leader with 550 career Modified checkers. Just the second driver in IMCA history to reach the 500 win mark, Nichols used a word of his own making – ironical – to describe having to pass Murray to accomplish the feat. “After my 99th, 199th, 299th and 399th wins, we won the next night out,” he said. “After [Read More]

Roth tops Dawson County Modifieds

By Kelly Ninas LEXINGTON, Neb. (Aug. 5) – Grabbing an early lead and never looking back, Anthony Roth scored another IMCA Modified feature victory Sunday at Dawson County Raceway. Roth had started from the inside of the third row. Working the bugs out of a new ride, David Murray Jr. found the groove that worked best during the second half of the feature event to earn a podium finish in second place overall. Recovering from an early incident, Chuck Stryker was third. Knocking on the door of 500 career wins in the class, Mike Nichols paced the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main while Luke Wassom’s fast start ultimately put him in victory lane at the conclusion of the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature. Working his magic during the final laps, Jacob Olmstead drove to the winner’s circle after winning the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod headliner.

Blurton wires URSS field at Dawson County

LEXINGTON, Neb. (July 8) – Zach Blurton took the lead at the start and never looked back to claim his second United Rebel Sprint Series victory of the season Sunday at Dawson County Raceway. Tim Fricke and Brian Herbert started on the front row for the 20-lap IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Ca feature but it was the third-starting Blurton who took the lead as the green flag fell. Tyler Drueke passed Herbert for the runner-up position on lap two but could only chase Blurton the rest of the way as the defending tour champion went on to become the first repeat series feature winner on the season. Eleventh starting Shon Pointer worked his way up to a third-place finish while Herbert and 10-starting Stu Snyder rounded out the top five. The Keizer Aluminum Wheels hard charger award went to Coby Pearce as he worked his way up from his 17th starting position to finish eighth. Feature results – 1. Zach Blurton; 2. Tyler Drueke; 3. Shon Pointer; 4. Brian Herbert; 5. Stuart Snyder; 6. Neil Nickolite; [Read More]

Clough delivers at Dawson County

LEXINGTON, Neb. (June 24) – Lining up on the outside of the front row was the launching pad Brandon Clough used to run away and hide from the rest of the IMCA Modified field Sunday at Dawson County Raceway. Clough rode the cushion and built up a comfortable lead during the non-stop action. Anthony Roth was second and David Murray Jr. third. Mike Nichols scored another IMCA Sunoco Stock Car victory and Jacob Olmstead collected his third straight feature win in the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod division. Luke Wassom raced from fourth row starting to finish first in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock headliner.

Tough Clough tops Dawson County Modifieds

By Kelly Ninas LEXINGTON, Neb. (June 10) – Running away and hiding from the field in the Sunday IMCA Modified feature at Dawson County Raceway was Brandon Clough. Clough started on the outside of the front row and wasted no time in rolling to a big lead and convincing victory. Coming from the rear of the field was runner-up Cale Osborn while Jay Steffens took third. Mike Nichols was the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car winner, Luke Wassom topped the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Jacob Olmstead collected the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod checkers.

Roth is awesome at Dawson County

By Kelly Ninas LEXINGTON, Neb. (June 3) – Anthony Roth led the lap that mattered most in winning Sunday’s IMCA Modified feature at Dawson County Raceway. Roth started in the fourth row and got shuffled off the backstretch during the early laps of the feature. Finishing strong would be an understatement as Roth rocketed back to pass Jay Steffens for the lead and eventual victory. Mike Nichols started 10th and rode the high side to another IMCA Sunoco Stock Car win while Jacob Olmstead dominated from the start of the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod main. Caleb Hetrick raced from third to first on the final circuit in winning the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature.

Roth wins third straight at Dawson County

By Kelly Ninas LEXINGTON, Neb. (May 27) – Anthony Roth, Tony Schultz, Mike Nichols and Zach Olmstead earned trips to the winner’s circle on Sunday evening at Dawson County Raceway. Wasting no time to get to the front, Roth got the lead on the second lap and never looked back to capture his third straight IMCA Modified victory at Lexington. Veteran wheelman Schultz regained the lead following a lap 11 restart in winning the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod main. No stranger to victory lane, Nichols won his third straight IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature from the ninth starting spot. The battle for the lead was heavy and heated in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature with Olmstead leading the final eight laps to claim the victory.