By Cody Morris
Eagle, Nebraska (4-20-2012) – The Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest Region rolled into Eagle, Nebraska Friday night to jumpstart the famed 1/3 mile’s 2012 season with the two-night Icebreaker Challenge.
Decatur, Illinois’ Kaley Gharst battled past polesitter Mike Boston on the 10th circuit and never looked back, taking his first Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest Region victory of the 2012 season.
Gharst’s winning move came as leader Mike Boston took to a non existent top side while trying to battle past lapped traffic on the 9th round of the twenty-five lapper, Gharst exploited the error and stayed home, pacing the bottom the rest of the way aboard the Jeremy Scadden Construction, Adrenaline Sports Bar & Grill, and CNS Homes sponsored no. 6x J&J Chassis.
Boston quickly dropped back down to the bottom lane, ultimately earning the runner up nod. Lake Havasu City, Arizona’s Logan Forler advanced two spots to claim show position honors at the finish line.
A pair of Cornuskers in Aurora’s Ryan Roberts and Lincoln’s Jordan Boston completed the top five running order.
Mark Pace, Jordan Boston, Eric Lutz, and Mike Boston took heat race victories over the 31 car ASCS Midwest Region field, with Lincoln, Nebraska’s Gene Ackland taking a winning style transfer in the night’s only 12 lap B Feature event.
Canadian Lou Kennedy Jr. and Tige Jensen collided in sight of the opening green flag of the third heat race to produce the only red flag of the evening. Both drivers emerged safely, but with Lou Kennedy done for the night.
To complete a rough outing for the family, Thomas Kennedy tangled with Jeff Osborn while battling for the lead in the 4th heat race. While Osborn returned for B Main action, both Canadian Kennedy’s would fail to return to action.
Two-time (2008, 2011) Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest Region champion Jack Dover suffered a rough outing as well. Mechanical woes in heat race action would create an uphill battle for the Springfield, Nebraska native. Dover would ultimately come up two spots shy of a transfer into the A Feature, reducing the “Gas Man” to 7th in the Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest Region point standings.
The Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest Region returns Saturday night for the 2nd leg of the Eagle Raceway weekend.
Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest Region
April 20th, 2012 / Event 3 of 18
Eagle Raceway / Eagle, Nebraska
A Feature (25 Laps): 1. 6x-Kaley Gharst[3]; 2. 51-Mike Boston[1]; 3. 5h-Logan Forler[5]; 4. 18-Ryan Roberts[7]; 5. 4-Jordan Boston[6]; 6. 14-Jody Rosenboom[10]; 7. 31-Mark Pace[4]; 8. 35-Trevor Grossenbacher[19]; 9. 2A-Randy Hibbs[9]; 10. 14G-Gene Ackland[16]; 11. 23s-Stu Snyder[8]; 12. 4j-Lee Grosz[12]; 13. 82-Jason Danley[18]; 14. 7k-Robby Wolfgang[13]; 15. 17-Gage Dorr[11]; 16. 21-Ryan Kitchen[15]; 17. 32-Adam Gullion[14]; 18. 57-Eric Lutz[2]; 19. 77-John Klabunde[17]; DNS 76-Jay Russell
Lap Leaders: Mike Boston 1-9, Gharst 10-25
B Feature (12 Laps): 1. 14G-Gene Ackland; 2. 77-John Klabunde; 3. 82-Jason Danley; 4. 35-Trevor Grossenbacher; 5. 44-Doug Lovegrove; 6. 53-Jack Dover; 7. 25-Dylan Peterson; 8. 0-Jeff Osborn; 9. 6g-Bryan Gossel; 10. 5-David Glennon; 11. 12-Tyler Drueke; 12. 24-Chad Ely; 13. 71-Tige Jensen; DNS 21k-Lou Kennedy Jr; DNS 20k-Thomas (T.J.) Kennedy
Top 4 advance to A Feature
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 31-Mark Pace; 2. 2A-Randy Hibbs; 3. 6x-Kaley Gharst; 4. 14G-Gene Ackland; 5. 77-John Klabunde; 6. 44-Doug Lovegrove; 7. 25-Dylan Peterson; 8. 53-Jack Dover
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 4-Jordan Boston; 2. 5h-Logan Forler; 3. 14-Jody Rosenboom; 4. 7k-Robby Wolfgang; 5. 35-Trevor Grossenbacher; 6. 82-Jason Danley; 7. 6g-Bryan Gossel; 8. 12-Tyler Drueke
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 57-Eric Lutz; 2. 76-Jay Russell; 3. 17-Gage Dorr; 4. 4j-Lee Grosz; 5. 21-Ryan Kitchen; 6. 5-David Glennon; 7. 21k-Lou Kennedy Jr; 8. 71-Tige Jensen
Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 51-Mike Boston; 2. 18-Ryan Roberts; 3. 23s-Stu Snyder; 4. 32-Adam Gullion; 5. 24-Chad Ely; 6. 0-Jeff Osborn; 7. 20k-Thomas (T.J.) Kennedy