This week I want to salute some of our local drivers who won state, regional or national championships. First, however, I want to salute all of our local race teams for their hard work, dedication, and for the endless hours they spent making sure whatever race car they were working on was race-ready. Their effort many times goes unrecognized. For every champion and for every other driver, there is a group of people behind the driver making it all possible.
As for the drivers:
• Dylan Smith of Osceola put together a banner year using a division-best 28 wins and three track championships to capture his first National IMCA Modified championship. Smith won track championships at I-80, Boone County and US30 Speedway. “We had a great year. The crew worked hard and as a team,” Smith said. “I didn’t think I would be here. But I’m glad it worked out.”
• Jesse Sobbing of Glenwood, Iowa, was the third straight driver in the IMCA Northern SportMod division to win both the IMCA national championship and rookie of the year in the same year. Sobbing won track championships at I-80, the Iowa State Fairgrounds and Shelby County Speedway.
• Shannon Anderson of Atlantic, Iowa, successfully defended his IMCA Hobby Stock championship by winning a single-division record 43 features. Anderson won track championships at Shelby County, Stuart, and Buena Vista Speedways and the Iowa State Fairgrounds.
• Garrett Rech of Davey, Neb., won the IMCA national championship in the Sport Compact division. He was runner-up in points at Eagle and Butler County.
• Bill Leighton Jr. of Omaha finished fourth in the nation in the NASCAR Whelen Weekly Racing Series. Leighton won track championships at I-80 and the Junction Motor Speedway and his second consecutive NASCAR Nebraska state championship.
• Kyle Berck of Marquette, Neb., added the NCRA Late Model championship to his long list of accomplishments. Berck also won the NCRA championship in 2002. In addition, he has won the WDRL and the TORA championship twice and the Busch All-Star championship. In 1996 he was the IMCA National Late Model champion.
• Mike Wiarda of Aurora, Neb., is the champion of Ed Kosiski’s Super Late Model Series for 2009. This keeps the title in Hamilton County: Al Humphrey of Giltner won the title last year. Travis Dickes of Madison finished second in the series in 2009.
• Jason Danley of Lincoln won both the ASCS Midwest and Northern Plains championship in 360 Sprint Car competition. Chad Humston of Giltner finished second in the ASCS Midwest standings.
• IMCA Nebraska state champions are Dylan Smith in Modifieds, Shane Stout of North Platte in Stock Cars, Jim Buss of Hastings in Hobby Stocks, Jim Hendricks Jr. of Council Bluffs in Northern Sport Mods, Steven Saunders of Bellevue in Crate Late Models and John Sedlachek of Eagle in Sport Compacts.
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444-1201, sports@owh.com
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