eagleraceway Archives

Richards rules IMCA Stock Cars at Eagle

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (June 19) – Damon Richards’ last Eagle Raceway feature win came in 2016 in an IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock. His latest came Saturday in an IMCA Sunoco Stock Car. The outside third row starter outran Shane Stutzman, Kyle Vanover and Nick Beckman to the checkers on the night before Father’s Day show. “I think I got to the lead with 15 to go. Then we had a caution that set everything up really well for me. That track was a blast tonight!” he said. “We always second guess Roger (promoter Hadan) when he goes out there even though it was beautiful after the heat races. Then he goes out there ripping it up, but I trust him. Whatever he’s got figured out it seems crazy, but it works.” Shane Hiatt was the IMCA Modified winner and Stu Snyder was fast from the get-go in collecting the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car checkers. Jeff Ware topped the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Tyler Nerud ruled the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods. This coming [Read More]

Bigger purse announced for RaceSaver Nationals championship field

EAGLE, Neb. – The biggest event of the season for IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars will have a bigger purse. Winner of the Sunday, Sept. 5 RaceSaver National powered by Sunbelt Rentals at Eagle Raceway takes home $3,000, with a minimum of $1,500 paid to start the ninth annual event. “This is a class that continues to grow and the RaceSaver philosophy is to increase purses throughout the field, not just at the top,” said Eagle promoter Roger Hadan. “We’re already hosting the biggest event for Sprint Cars in the nation. Car count numbers and the quality of competition every year at RaceSaver Nationals warrant the increased purse throughout the Sunday night championship field.” Complete $53,525 purse for Sunday’s Championship event is: 1st, $3,000; 2nd, $2,600; 3rd, $2,450; 4th, $2,425; 5th, $2,400; 6th, $2,350; 7th, $2,300; 8th, $2,250; 9th, $2,200; 10th, $2,150; 11th, $2,100; 12th, $2,050; 13th, $2,000; 14th, $1,950; 15th, $1,900; 16th, $1,850; 17th, $1,800; 18th, $1,750; 19th, $1,700; 20th, $1,650; 21st, $1,600; 22nd, $1,550; and 23rd through 27th, $1,500 each. Twenty-car qualifying features Friday, Sept. [Read More]

Career 100th IMCA Stock Car feature win also Vanover’s Eagle Raceway first

BEATRICE, Neb. – Kyle Vanover raced to two firsts and a 100th Saturday night. His first-ever victory at Eagle Raceway on May 22 made Vanover, from Beatrice, the first driver from Nebraska to win 100 career IMCA Sunoco Stock Car features. “This was probably the biggest goal for me,” he said following the milestone checkers. “It’s something we’ve been able to get done racing basically one night a week, plus some specials, since about 2013.” “There are a lot of places I’ve won at to put this together and that’s another thing that’s cool,” added Vanover, who also has W’s from weekly and special events in Iowa and Kansas on his resume. “We like to travel when we can and see how our stuff matches up racing against drivers at different tracks.” His stuff has matched up pretty well over 10-plus seasons: Wheeling the first Stock Car built by Brandon Johnson (Bigg Johnson Racecars), Vanover collected 13 feature wins in his rookie 2011 campaign and followed with a career-best 18 wins the next year. He’s collected [Read More]

Eagle checkers are RaceSaver career first for Weiler

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (May 1) – What Nate Weiler didn’t think would be possible became reality Saturday night at Eagle Raceway. Weiler made a huge move to the front on lap eight for his IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car-first career feature win at America’s Home Track. “I’m speechless really. This is something that I never thought would be possible for me,” he said post-race. “I’ve spent many years as a pit crew member but I had never driven any kind of dirt track car in my life before the RaceSaver class came to Eagle. Racing with some of the best people in the sport and in this class, plus the fact that I just beat all of them tonight feels amazing!” Shon Pointer regained the second spot with seven laps to go, Neil Nickolite was third and Trevor Grossenbacher drove the number 35 car to fourth. “Everybody keeps telling me I was pulling away but I don’t have a mirror in the car and I wasn’t going to try and look behind me,” Weiler said. [Read More]

Richards rules IMCA Stock Car feature at Eagle

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (April 24) – Wheel-to-wheel action the whole night was part of the story on opening night Saturday at Eagle Raceway. Cade Richards won the first weekly IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature at Eagle. The victory by the two-division star followed up his first-ever victory at Eagle which came in a Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod and came ahead of Kyle Vanover and Jordan Grabouski. “We’ve got the car working really well on these high banked tracks. We’re really improving and getting it closer to where we want it, so hopefully we can keep building off my two wins this week and keep it going,” said Richards, also the Friday winner at Salina. “The Stock Car is better right now because we have it so close, but they’re both really close right now. The SportMod needs a little adjusting and the Stock Car needs just a touch more drive. We’ll have them both figured out by next week.” Three-time and defending track champion Grabouski was the IMCA Modified feature winner while Joey Danley’s late [Read More]

Eagle cancels Ice Breaker Challenge

EAGLE, Neb. – Eagle Raceway’s Ice Breaker Challenge scheduled this Friday, April 16 and Saturday, April 17th has been canceled due to predictions of rain and cold weather this weekend. Track officials wanted to make a decision early on whether to continue with racing plans, move the event, or cancel since they have fans and teams that plan on making the trek to Eagle Raceway and so everyone can make other plans. Eagle kick the season off right with the Start Your Engines season opener presented by Nebraska Lottery and A1 Iron on Saturday, April 24.

IMCA Stock Cars new to Saturday programs at Eagle

EAGLE, Neb. – Fans who have enjoyed watching IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars run as part of the season-opening Ice Breaker Challenge special at Eagle Raceway will get to see The Class Too Tough To Tame every week at the Nebraska speedplant beginning in 2021. “This is a class we’re adding while looking to the future,” said Promoter Roger Hadan. “There are a number of drivers in the area I know who are building Stock Cars now to race on Saturdays with us.” Stock Cars run on opening night of the Ice Breaker Challenge on April 16 and see their first IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing action on April 24. The division is on every Saturday card through season championship night on Aug. 21 with the final action of the season at Eagle during the RaceSaver Nationals Weekend Sept. 5. “We’ve gotten a lot of positive response from a lot of different people since announcing the sanction,” noted Hadan. “It’s going to be a very good addition to our weekly IMCA program.” The flagship track for [Read More]

Eagle wraps up season with championship night show

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (Aug. 29) – Five drivers won feature events and five others put the finishing touches on track championship campaigns Saturday at Eagle Raceway. Trevor Noonan took advantage of a restart with five laps left in getting the lead and then the win in the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod feature. Cole Wayman was fourth in taking the track crown. Don Hall Jr. led the last nine times around the track in topping the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature. Despite having a transmission failure during the race that lead to a 17th place finish, Jeff Ware repeated as the points champion. Shane Hiatt scored another IMCA Modified victory, taking the checkers ahead of runner-up and repeat track champion Jordan Grabouski. Cole Krichau raced to the Mach-1 Sport Compact victory. R.J. Maas wrapped up the track title with his third-place run. And Tyler Drueke prevailed in the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car finale. Despite missing a transfer spot from the ‘B’ feature by inches, Adam Gullion racked up enough points to finally claim his very [Read More]

Guaranteed to be the biggest and best: All roads lead to Eagle for 8th annual RaceSaver Nationals

EAGLE, Neb. – What’s guaranteed to be the biggest and the best Sprint Car event of the season plays out Sept. 3-6 at Eagle Raceway. One hundred-plus IMCA drivers from 15 states are already entered in the eighth annual RaceSaver Nationals, each of them making the trip with the goals of making the 27-car field and ultimately taking the $2,500 checkers. “The quality of the competition speaks for itself. Winning the RaceSaver Nationals title has quickly become an accomplishment that every driver wants on their resume,” said promoter Roger Hadan. “RaceSaver Nationals is also an event that’s just fun to be part of, whether you’re a driver or a fan, and I think that’s what really makes it special.” Qualifying heats for the $1,000 to win Jake Ita Memorial Race of Champions follow pre-tech and practice on opening night on Thursday. Nine cars advance from $700 to win qualifying features on Friday and Saturday. Last-chance races complete the Sunday, Sept. 6 main event grid. Stuntman Dr. Danger, also known as The American Daredevil, performs during intermissions [Read More]

Thompson tops IMCA Modified main at Eagle

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (Aug. 15) – Nate Thompson made his first trip to victory lane at Eagle Raceway following the Saturday night IMCA Modified main event. In front of a crowd believed to be the largest of the season, Thompson led Justin Wulf, Aaron Pella and Bob Ruisinger early, with Johnny Saathoff racing into fourth on lap three, then swapping the spot with Chad Andersen after a restart on the next lap. Jordan Grabouski jumped up to third but action slowed with eight to go for debris. Anthony Roth moved to fourth on the restart. Andersen spun with two to go for another caution. Shane Hiatt vaulted up to third on the restart with Roth clinging to fourth. That made the top four Thompson, Grabouski, Hiatt and Roth. With three laps to go in the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod headliner, Arie Schouten passed Trevor Baker for the lead, but Baker got back past to take the win with Schouten second and Matthew Andrews third. Tyler Drueke used the high line on a restart with [Read More]