Saathoff makes it two straight at Eagle

Hobby Stock, Modified, Northern SportMod, Results, Sprint Car, Stock Car

Johnny Saathoff won a second consecutive Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at Eagle Raceway on Saturday night. (Photo by Joe Orth)

By Greg Soukup

EAGLE, Neb. (July 27, 2024) – Johnny Saathoff went old school and took his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified foes to class Saturday at Eagle Raceway.

Saathoff led from lap two to the checkers, outrunning Clint Homan, Shawn Harker and Dustin Andersen following a caution with seven laps to go, for his second straight Eagle checkers.

The win was also his career 361st in the division.

“I’ve gone old school. I put in an open motor and got away from the crate engine. I’m just having a good time at Eagle Raceway with the track that Roger (Hadan) preps for all of us,” said Saathoff, who counts four crowns at Eagle among his record 26 track titles. “That cushion was nasty tonight and it got so slick in the middle that my crate engine would have been better, but we broke ours and I don’t feel like buying another one this year. I’m on my way out and trying to use up what I have.” 

“I know (I’m only 61) but I keep saying I’m going to retire. I keep thinking that racing is making me young, but after tonight I’m feeling pretty old. I can hardly walk” (due to an old injury to his left ankle).

Dillon Richards raced to his seventh IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stok win of the season at Eagle while Brandon Horton and Adam Vrbka recorded third wins in the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods, respectively.

And Nathan Landauer used a great set of corners in three and four to regain the top spot with two laps to go in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature. 

Tyler Jackson almost pulled ahead of Landauer on the backstretch on the final lap but couldn’t hold on for the win with Landauer going low in the final set of turns for  the win. Jackson came home second, Kevin Betzen was third with Marty Steinbach fourth.

Landauer used to be a regular at Eagle, running a Modified but his visits have been few and far between lately. This was his first victory of the 2024 season and his first-ever in a Stock Car.

“I just kept plugging it on the bottom there, and the 13T (Jackson) was good on the high side but I stuck with it and the lapped traffic there at the end really helped me,” he said. “It was a great race.”

Saturday, Aug. 3 is Conquer the High Banks Night at Eagle Raceway, presented by Stumpy’s Custom Creations and A1 Iron.

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