Saathoff jets to sixth Spring Nationals crown, Alvarado tops Saturday's scheduled feature

By Dusty Wiegert
BEATRICE, Neb. (March 21) - Johnny Saathoff won his career sixth
Spring Nationals feature before Ricky Alvarado ruled the IMCA
Modifieds at Beatrice Speedway's season-opening special for the first
time.

Hometown hotshoe Saathoff topped the feature postponed following the
late night power outage at the track on Friday, earning $1,000.
Alvarado collected the $1,500 check for Saturday's scheduled event;
both races were qualifiers for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational
ballot.

Saathoff shot out to an early lead with Jay Noteboom close behind,
then pulled out to decent advantage between yellow flags.

With the help of timely cautions, David Murray Jr. moved into the
battle and began putting pressure on Saathoff. Murray briefly took
the lead while yellows slowed the action with five and then three
laps to go.

In the end Saathoff was just too much for Murray, with Alvarado,
Jeremy Mills and Greg Metz rounding out the top five. Saathoff also
owns hardware from the 1997, 2001, 2002, 2006 and 2008 Spring Nationals.

Murray and Alvarado drew front row starts for the scheduled feature
on Saturday. Alvarado got a jump at the drop of the green with Murray
settling in behind.

Several cautions early on were the only holdups as Alvarado pulled
away to a full straightaway lead by halfway point, then dominated to
take his first Spring Nationals title.

Metz got past Murray at the finish for second. Sean Jerovetz and
Noteboom were fourth and fifth, respec tively.

After advancing from 11th to second, Tyler Frye made his move when it
mattered most in the rescheduled Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod main.

Coming out of turn four to take the checkered flag, Frye slipped to
the inside of Jesse Sobbing to take the win in a photo finish.

Sobbing, Benji Legg and defending national champion Luke Wanninger
finished out the top four.

Wanninger won comfortably in Saturday's scheduled event, taking the
checkers despite the best efforts of Legg, Sobbing and Frye

R.J. Macku took the early lead from the front row and proved to be no
match for the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock field.

Ryan Roschewski raced his way to second but count not reel in Macku.
Tony Spunaugle, and Eric Chab followed Roschewski across the stripe.

The 16th annual Spring Nationals concludes Sunday with a $2,000 to
win feature for the IMCA Modifieds. The Hobby Stocks and IMCA Mach-1
Sport Compacts also see action.

Results (postponed from March 20)
Modified feature -
1. Johnny Saathoff, Beatrice;
2. David Murray Jr., Oberlin, Kan.;
3. Ricky Alvarado, Delta, Colo.;
4. Jeremy Mills, Garner, Iowa;
5. Greg Metz, Washington, Kan.;
6. Dave Trauernicht, Beatrice;
7. Dylan Smith, Osceola;
8. Will Brack, Mead, Colo.;
9. Jay Noteboom, Hinton, Iowa;
10. Jeff Ignaszewski, Wells, Minn.;
11. Bob Zoubek, Dorchester;
12. Mark Elliott, Webster City, Iowa;
13. Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.;
14. Chris Burk, Friend;
15. Jon Snyder, Ames, Iowa;
16. Ben Seidler, Underwood, N.D.;
17. Dan Nelson, Beatrice;
18. Josh Carpenter, Diller;
19. Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.;
20. Randy Brown, Chowchilla, Calif.;
21. Adam Larson, Ames, Iowa;
22. Jake Durbin, Perry, Iowa;
23. Jordan Grabouski, Beatrice;
24. Chris Alcorn, Lincoln.

Northern SportMod feature -
1. Tyler Frye, Belleville, Kan.;
2. Jesse Sobbing, Glenwood, Iowa;
3. Benji Legg, Beatrice;
4. Luke Wanninger, Jefferson, Iowa;
5. Max Harder, Beatrice;
6. Scott Davis, Madrid, Iowa;
7. Gary Saathoff, Beatrice;
8. Brett Meyer, Lytton, Iowa;
9. Brady Schoen, Downs, Kan.;
10. Troy Jerovetz, Green Bay, Wis.;
11. Austin Lucas, Story City, Iowa;
12. Jim Hendricks, Council Bluffs, Iowa;
13. Nick DeLeeuw, Orange City, Iowa;
14. Geoff Olson, Ames, Iowa;
15. Nick Lakes, Sergeant Bluff, Iowa;
16. Brian Kosiski, Papillion;
17. Danny Vavra, Platteville, Colo.;
18. Chad Borgman, Beatrice;
19. Dan McKeighan, Carter Lake, Iowa;
20. Dustin Schmidt, Fairbury;
21. Mark Saathoff, Beatrice;
22. Jason Nelssen, Beloit, Kan.;
23. Fred Leytham, Garwin, Iowa;
24. Rick Rohr, Pickrell.

March 21 Results
Modifieds
1st heat (top four) - 1. Dominic Ursetta, Arvada, Colo.; 2. Clint
Homan, Bellevue; 3. Larry Goertz, Omaha; 4. Rick Stephan, South Sioux
City.
2nd heat - 1. Alvarado; 2. Reese Coffee, Hinton, Iowa; 3.
Trauernicht; 4. Rich Hesse, Hinton, Iowa.
3rd heat - 1. Murray; 2. Nate Caruth, Ames, Iowa; 3. Cory Lagroon,
Salina, Kan.; 4. Nick Deal, Walnut, Iowa.
4th heat - 1. Metz; 2. Smith; 3. Lance Borgman, Beatrice; 4. Jordy
Nelson, Beatrice.
5th heat - 1. Will Brack; 2. Matt Brack, Mead, Colo.; 3. Allen Kent,
Minot, N.D.; 4. Ken Maloney, Kingsburg, Colo.
6th heat - 1. Noteboom; 2. Troy Cordes, Raymond, Iowa; 3. Brandon
Hagan, McCook; 4. Randy Havlik, Waukee, Iowa.
7th heat - 1. Dan Nelson; 2. Benji LaCrosse, DePere, Wis.; 3. Kyle
Vanover, Beatrice; 4. Joey Schafer, Water loo, Iowa.
8th heat - 1. Sean Jerovetz, Sobieski, Wis.; 2. Robert Brinkman,
DeWitt; 3. Snyder; 4. Jacob Anson, Albion.
9th heat - 1. Chase Junghans; 2. Saathoff; 3. Eddie Belec, Lakewood,
Colo.; 4. Clayton Christensen, Spencer, Iowa.
10th heat - 1. Elliott; 2. Grabouski; 3. Mike Hansen, Alton, Iowa; 4.
Seidler.
11th heat - 1. Josh Gilman, Earlham, Iowa; 2. Jeff Jones, Council
Bluffs, Iowa; 3. Carpenter; 4. Joren Boyce, Minot, N.D.
12th heat - 1. Dave Hardesty, Minneapolis, Kan.; 2. Zoubek; 3. Allen
Kent, Minot, N.D.; 4. Ignaszewski.
1st "B" feature (top four) - 1. Caruth; 2. Homan; 3. Jeremy Mills; 4.
Brad Moriarity, Des Moines, Iowa.
2nd "B" - 1. Trauernicht; 2. Smith; 3. Borgman; 4. Brown.
3rd "B" - 1. LaCrosse; 2. Coffee; 3. Ignaszewski; 4. Kent.
4th "B" - 1. Cordes; 2. Snyder; 3. Grabouski; 4. Bubba Alvarado,
Kersey, Colo.
5th "B" - 1. Saathoff; 2. Jones; 3. Darren Shaw, Kearney, Mo.; 4.
Stacey Mills, Webb, Iowa.
6th "B" - 1. Zoubek; 2. Seidler; 3. Hansen; 4. Justen Yeager, Green
River, Wyo.

Feature -
1. Alvarado;
2. Metz;
3. Murray;
4. Jerovetz;
5. Noteboom;
6. Seidler;
7. Elliott;
8. Saathoff;
9. Chase Junghans;
10. Will Brack;
11. Zoubek;
12. Gilman;
13. Coffee;
14. Jones;
15. LaCrosse;
16. Smith;
17. Caruth;
18. Homan;
19. Snyder;
20. Dan Nelson;
21. Ursetta;
22. Trauernicht;
23. Cordes;
24. Hardesty.

Northern SportMods
1st heat (top four) - 1. Wanninger; 2. Gary Saathoff; 3. Harder; 4.
Ron Karpisek, Wilber.
2nd heat - 1. Robert Tippery, Council Bluffs, Iowa; 2. McKeighan; 3.
Shay Woods, Humeston, Iowa; 4. Joel Bushore, Boone, Iowa.
3rd heat - 1. Tyler Frye, Belleville, Kan.; 2. Davis; 3. Schmidt; 4.
Josh Blumer, Marysville, Kan.
4th heat - 1. Damon Murty, Chelsea, Iowa; 2. Craig Evers, Beatrice;
3. Jeremie Gibbs, Sioux City, Iowa; 4. Lakes.
5th heat - 1. Legg; 2. Jerovetz; 3. Cody Graham, Chillicothe, Mo.; 4.
Denny Berghahn Jr., Plattsmouth.
6th heat - 1. Schoen; 2. Rohr; 3. Kosiski; 4. Chris Nolan, Spencer.
1st "B" feature (top four) - 1. Lakes; 2. Karpisek; 3. DeLeeuw; 4.
Olson.
2nd "B" feature- 1. Huey Jacobs, Stewartsville, Mo.; 2. Clint Baker,
Meadville, Mo.; 3. Berghahn; 4. Ronnie Jacobs, Stewartsville, Mo.
3rd "B" feature - 1. Brian Langdale, Beatrice; 2. Blumer; 3. Nolan;
4. Vavra.

Feature -
1. Wanninger;
2. Legg;
3. Murty;
4. Tyler Frye;
5. Rohr;
6. Davis;
7. McKeighan;
8. Schoen;
9. Evers;
10. Jerovetz;
11. Langdale;
12. Gary Saathoff;
13. Jacobs;
14. Graham;
15. Harder;
16. Gibbs;
17. Blumer;
18. Tippery;
19. Karpisek;
20. Baker;
21. Kosiski;
22. Schmidt;
23. Lakes;
24. Borgman.

Hobby Stocks
1st heat (top four) - 1. Roy Armstrong, Beatrice; 2. Ashton Lee,
Salix, Iowa; 3. Matthew Smith, Blue Rap ids, Kan.; 4. Tony Spunaugle,
Blue Rapids, Kan.
2nd heat - 1. Daniel Hilsabeck, Waukee, Iowa; 2. Adam Armstrong,
Beatrice; 3. Jason Stringer, Marshalltown, Iowa; 4. Travis Burger,
Tecumseh.
3rd heat - 1. Jeremy Hoskinson, Norfolk; 2. R.J. Macku, Lincoln; 3.
Ryan Roschewski, Beatrice; 4. Michael Murphy, Jefferson, Iowa.
4th heat - 1. Robby Marsh, Hebron; 2. Wade Wagenblast, Deshler; 3.
Nick Topil, Rising City; 4. Dan Pitt man, Grand Island.
"B" feature (top four) - 1. Jim Buss, Blue Hill; 2. Eric Chab,
DeWitt; 3. Aaron Pearson, Lincoln; 4. Nelson Vollbrecht, Stanton.

Feature -
1. Macku;
2. Roschewski;
3. Spunaugle;
4. Chab;
5. Topil;
6. Buss;
7. Stringer;
8. Armstrong;
9. Ricky Runnion, Phillipsburg, Kan.;
10. Armstrong;
11. Marsh;
12. Pittman;
13. Vollbrecht;
14. Jake Creek, Beatrice;
15. Hoskinson;
16. Brent Schoen, Cawker City, Kan.;
17. Hilsabeck;
18. Smith;
19. Burger;
20. Andy Gregg, Lincoln;
21. Pearson;
22. Murphy;
23. Wagenblast;
24. Lee.