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David Smith Jr
DONIPHAN, Neb. (July 18) - Defending series champion Kelly Boen of Henderson, Colorado picked up where he left off the night before to capture his third career Late Model Nationals championship as he took the lead at the races midway point to win the O'Reilly/NCRA late model Cherokee Casino-Resort feature finale Saturday night at Mid-Nebraska Speedway in Doniphan, Nebraska.
Current series points leader Kyle Berck of Marquette, Nebraska took the lead from his outside front row starting position and quickly jumped out front at the start of the 40 lap Cherokee Casino-Resort feature. Fourth starting Boen wasted little time getting to the front as he passed pole sitter Jerry Warner at the start and set his sights on the leader.
Berck, aboard the Strobel Construction sponsored Lazer chassis opened a ten car length lead but that was cut in half on lap seven as he began to approach lapped traffic allowing Boen to close in. As the front runners began pulling away from the rest of the field and threading their way through lapped traffic, the battle for the third position waged as Warner held off several challenges by Al Humphrey. Humphrey, who started third aboard the Strobel Construction sponsored/Kuntz powered Lazer chassis took over the third position on lap twelve and kept his sights on the leaders.
Back up front Boen and his Roadrunner Fabrication and Powder Coating sponsored Rocket Chassis had now caught the leader Berck in lapped traffic on lap fifteen and tried several attempts to pick off the leader in turns one and two. Finally, on lap nineteen, Boen drove low coming out of turn two and out ran Berck down the backstretch to take the lead.
It appeared the four-time series champion would again lead the field to a caution free Cherokee Casino feature but the caution would wave with nine laps to go when Jason O'Brien spun in turn three.
With the lucky dog in effect sending lapped cars to the back of the field, Boen found Humphrey and Berck behind him on the double file restart but that didn't detour him the final distance as he cruised to a half stretch victory for this third career O'Reilly NCRA Late Model Nationals championship, his fifth in a row at the three-eighths mile facility and sixth feature win in seven series events held there. "I just took my time and let the field get strung out and decided at the half way point to pick up the pace," said the winningest late model driver in series history. "We just come into this place with a basic setup as we do all of the race tracks and it just seems to work here. The track was really good and fast tonight and it was really a fun race."
While Boen was on his way to his fourth feature win of the season, the focus was on the battle for the runner up position during the final laps. Humphrey, who was running third during the races midway point, had caught Berck on the final restart on lap 31and took over the runner up position one lap later and would finish with a very popular second place finish. Berck would hold on to the third position with Bryant Goldsmith coming from his seventh position to finish fourth. Cory Zeitner rounded out the top five.
Thirty-four cars were on hand with Berck, Shawn Harker, Warner and Boen taking home the eight lap heat races. O'Brien and John Kuchar picked up the two, ten lap "B" features.
Official 2009 NCRA late model Series Sponsors: O'Reilly Auto Parts, Hoosier Racing Tires, Sunoco Race Fuels, Cherokee Casino-Resort
2009 NCRA late model contingencies: Brodix Cylinder Heads, Bodees Race Bodies, Schoenfeld Headers, Maxim Chassis, Lazer Chassis, KSE Racing Products, QA1 Motorsports, The Brake Man, Rod End Supply, Outerwears Racing Accessories, Ultra-Shield Race Products, Racing Optics, Design 500, Taylor Cable Products, Vertex Magnetos, Design 500, Keizer Wheels, Arizona Sports Shirts, Winters Racing Products and Just Plugs.
Cherokee Casino-Resort A Feature: 1) Kelly Boen 2) Al Humphrey 3) Kyle Berck 4) Bryant Goldsmith 5) Cory Zeitner 6) Jason Friesen 7) Shawn Harker 8) Delbert Smith 9) Mike Collins 10) Craig Preble 11) Mike Wiarda 12) Travis Dickes 13) Jace Kaser 14) Dean Moore 15) John Kuchar 16) Jason O'Brien 17) Dave Conkwright 18) Jake Neighbors 19) Bo Egge 20) Jerry Warner 21) Greg Larsen 22) Scott Koskovich 23) Scott Daly 24) Ronnie Wallace
1st B Feature: 1) Jason O'Brien 2) Mike Wiarda 3) Delbert Smith 4) Dean Moore 5) Jake Neighbors 6) Scott Koskovich 7) Kelly Dunn 8) Bob Milander 9) Denton Dutton 10) Steve Kempt 11) Ronnie Wallace (DNS)
2nd B Feature: 1) John Kuchar 2) Jace Kaser 3) Scott Daly 4) Dave Conkwright 5) Bo Egge 6) Alex Humphrey 7) Cliff Morrow 8) Wylan Petrie 9) Brad Wagoner 10) Ron Sutton 11) Alan Jordaning
1st Heat: 1) Kyle Berck 2) Mike Collins 3) Travis Dickes 4) Jason O'Brien 5) Jake Neighbors 6) Ronnie Wallace 7) Dean Moore 8) Scott Koskovich 9) Steve Kempt
2nd Heat: 1) Shawn Harker 2) Craig Preble 3) Bryant Goldsmith 4) Jace Kaser 5) Bo Egge 6) Kelly Dunn 7) Alex Humphrey 8) Ron Sutton 9) Alan Jordaning
3rd Heat: 1) Jerry Warner 2) Greg Larsen 3) Cory Zeitner 4) John Kuchar 5) Scott Daly 6) Cliff Morrow 7) Bob Milander 8) Denton Dutton
4th Heat: 1) Kelly Boen 2) Al Humphrey 3) Jason Friesen 4) Delbert Smith 5) Mike Wiarda 6) Dave Conkwright 7) Wylan Petrie 8) Brad Wagoner
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