eagleraceway Archives

Saathoff scores opener at Eagle

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (April 23, 2022) – After last week’s Icebreaker Challenge was canceled, this week’s Start Your Engines presented by A1 Iron and Empire Fence program at Eagle Raceway could have been branded the Windbreaker Challenge. The strong southerly winds didn’t seem to keep many fans from showing up, however. Those who came saw 180 cars filling the pits and providing some really great racing all night. Johnny Saathoff won his career 356th Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature after taking over the front spot on an early restart. “It turned out to be a pretty good night. I started on the front row of the heat and won it, started second row in the feature and took the lead shortly after the start,” said the four-time Eagle track champion. “When we were sitting there under red, I heard that the 30 car (Jordan Grabouski) was in third and I figured I had better change my line to see if I could pick it up and I pulled out the win. “I couldn’t believe it. You know, [Read More]

Ice Breaker Challenge KO’d by cold weather

EAGLE, Neb. (April 14, 2022) – With forecasts calling for weather more appropriate for sled dog racing than race cars, Eagle Raceway has canceled the Ice Breaker Challenge scheduled April 15 and 16. Opening night at America’s Home Track is April 23, with Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods on the evening’s program. Pit gates open at 3:30 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5:15 p[.m. Hot laps are at 5:30 p.m. with racing at 6:30 p.m. Spectator admission is $15 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-12 and free for five and under. Pit Passes are $30. A1 Iron & Empire Fence sponsors the 2022 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing lidlifter. Weekly race programs at Eagle will be broadcast on IMCA.TV produced by Advantage Racing.

IMCA Modifieds headline Eagle Raceway Ice Breaker Challenge

EAGLE, Neb. (April 11, 2022) – IMCA Modifieds headline both race night cards as six IMCA divisions see action at Eagle Raceway’s April 15-16 Ice Breaker Challenge. Modifieds run for $1,000 to win and a minimum of $150 to start on opening night and $2,000 to win and a minimum of $250 to start on night two. Winners both nights become eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars chase a $1,000 top prize and B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational eligibility, while IMCA Sunoco Late Models and IMCA Northern SportMods run for $500 to win on Friday. Top checks on Saturday are $1,000 for the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars, $500 for the SportMods and $400 for the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. Modified and SportMod drivers who can win both their respective features earn a $1,000 Twice As Nice bonus, too. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Jet Racing Central, EQ Cylinder Heads Northern and Big Daddy Race Cars Northern regional, and KMJ Performance State points will be awarded each night. [Read More]

Drivers from across the country, up the road heading to Eagle for IMCA RaceSaver Nationals

EAGLE, Neb. – IMCA Sprint Car teams from across the country and from up the road are already arriving at Eagle Raceway for the Sept. 2-5 RaceSaver Nationals powered by Sunbelt Rentals. “We’ve got all sorts of stuff going on,” Promoter Roger Hadan said this morning. “We’ve already got cars here from North Carolina and Virginia, and we’ve got a car rolling through tech now that’s from a mile up the road. We’ve got cars from a mile away and we’ve got cars from more than a thousand miles away.” More than 100 drivers from 16 states coast to coast and border to border are pre-entered for the ninth annual Sprint Car spectacular, to be broadcast by IMCA.TV. Precise Racing Products, sponsor of the Race of Champions, gives a fuel jug to the first 80 drivers through tech. Hadan also promised there’d be “plenty of tires and plenty of fuel” available throughout the event. Qualifying starts on Friday with the winner main event winner on Sunday taking home $3,000 plus a $1,500 bonus from IMCA [Read More]

New bleachers, water balloons, Sprint Cars all part of IMCA RaceSaver Nationals

EAGLE, Neb. – New bleachers and water balloons lead up to the ninth annual IMCA RaceSaver Nationals. One hundred and eight drivers from 16 states have already signed on to compete at the Sept. 2-5 Sprint Car spectacular at Eagle Raceway, to be broadcast by IMCA.TV. Twenty-seven cars will start the Sunday, Sept. 5 main event, with the winner earning $3,000 plus a $1,500 bonus from IMCA if they have made at least one sanctioned start coming into the weekend. The finale pays a minimum of $1,500 to start. New bleacher seating, designated as ‘The Party Section’, for another 2,500 fans will be in place at the top of turn four. That timely addition boosts capacity at America’s Home Track to 9,000. “It’s something we’ve wanted to do for a while and decided to get done a couple months ago,” explained promoter Roger Hadan. “That was a good decision given the number of pre-event ticket sales so far.” “We have a good combination now of pre-registered drivers who have been regulars at RaceSaver Nationals and first-timers,” he [Read More]

Densberger scores Eagle IMCA Modified win

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (July 24) – Although the heat index cleared 100 Saturday night, a good-sized crowd showed up to brave the temperatures at Eagle Raceway as Modern Real Estate and Empire Fencing and Netting presented Fan With A Can night. Double features were run since the previous week’s were interrupted by rain. A restart with two laps left opened the door for Mike Densberger in the scheduled IMCA Modified main event. “It’s been too long coming. The final race of 2019 was my last win out here,” said Densberger, the winner ahead of Bob Zoubek and Chad Andersen. “We had a lot of seconds and thirds, top fours but we just couldn’t seem to pick up the win until tonight.” “I think I got to fourth with about 10 laps to go and then got up to second with six to go. I knew that I had a pretty good car and it was going to be a great race with Shane (Hiatt),” he continued. “We were running two different lines so [Read More]

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]