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David Smith Jr.
MCCOOL JUNCTION, Neb. (August 7) - Kelly Boen is on a bit of a hot streak. The four time and defending series champion came into the nights "King of the Hill Late Model Nationals" first of two night opener having won the won five of six Hard Rock Hotel-Casino features. On Friday night Boen added yet another feature victory to this season as he held off a late race charge by Al Purkey to win the O'Reilly/NCRA late model Hard Rock Hotel-Casino feature at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Nebraska in a co-sanctioned affair with the Missouri based O'Reilly/MLRA presented by Lucas Oil Products.
The twenty-five lap feature got off to a shaky start as the red flag haulted racing action as eleven cars got into a tangled mess down the backstretch with six cars done for the night before feature action even got started.
The attempted complete restart wasn't much better as four drivers got together in turns one and two to bring out the caution.
Third time was a charm with pole sitter and current O'Reilly/NCRA late model points leader Kyle Berck taking the lead as the green flag finally waved. Third starting Boen, aboard the Road Runner Fabrication/Peterson Fluid Systems Rocket chassis quickly moved into the runner up position with Purkey, Californias Mike Johnson and Mike Wiarda in tow.
The caution would slow the pace on lap two for Bryant Goldsmith, who came to a stop with a flat left rear on the front stretch
With Berck and Boen running down low around the big three-eighths mile oval when racing resumed, Purkey found the top to his liking and on lap four swept passed both drivers to take the lead going down the backstretch. Boen would take over the runner up position from Berck on lap five then set his sights on the leader. Boen wasted little time challenging for the lead as one lap later, shot underneath the former series champion coming out of turn four.
Boen would set sail from the rest of the field and by lap ten and opened up a half stretch lead. But lapped traffic would come into play near the races midway point, allowing both Purkey and Berck, who were battling side by side for several laps for the runner up position, to close the distance.
At the races midway point it was Boen, followed by Purkey, Berck, Mike Wiarda and Jake Neighbors as the front runner continued to work lapped traffic. Berck would get underneath Purkey to overtake the runner up position on lap seventeen with both drivers continuing to wage battle for position.
A caution for debree in turn three would look to change the complextion of the race as the "Lucky Dog" rule was in affect, putting lapped cars back on the lead lap and at the tail of the field on the restart. This allowed Berck to restart on Boen rear bumper but it was Purkey, who restarted the "Texas Restart" on the outside of Boen, to over take the runner up position and set his sights on the leader.
Purkey could get to no more than three car lengths of the leader as Boen would continue to keep out front. The final caution of the night fell with four laps to go when Bo Egge came to a stop at the top of turn four.
On the final restart, Purkey made an attempt to get around Boen in turns one and two but the Henderson, Colorado veteran was up to the challenge and held on at the end to take the five car length victory, his sixth of the season thus far.
"I don't think I would have moved up to the top of the track where he (Purkey) was," said Boen in victory lane when asked if he thought about changing his line. " We were working good where we were and there was no need to change."
Berck would hold on to take the third position while Denny Woodworrth and Joe Kosiski, both who took provisionals and started 25th and 24th respectively, rounded out the top five.
The ten lap heat races for the forty-seven car field were won by Berck, Goldsmith, Boen, Jason Friesen and Mike Johnson.
The two, twelve lap "B" features were won by Ronnie Wallace and David Turner
Hard Rock Hotel-Casino A Feature:1. Kelly Boen (Henderson, CO), 2. Al Purkey (Coffeyville, KS), 3. Kyle Berck (Marquette, NE), 4. Denny Woodworth (Mendon, IL), 5. Joe Kosiski (Omaha, NE), 6. John Anderson (Omaha, NE), 7. Mike Wiarda (Aurora, NE), 8. Jake Neighbors (Lincoln, NE), 9. Dean Moore (Grand Junction, CO), 10. Mike Johnson (Lompoc, CA), 11. Jason O'Brien (Atlantic, IA), 12. Craig Preble (Yutan, NE), 13. Bryant Goldsmith (Corning, IA), 14. Corey Zeitner (Bellevue, NE), 15. Jason Friesen (Sutton, NE), 16. Travis Dickes (Madison, NE), 17. Mike Collins (Council Bluffs, IA), 18. John Kuchar (Brighton, CO), 19. Bo Egge (Kearney, NE), 20. Jason Bodenhamer (Centerview, MO), 21. Matt Johnson (Archie, MO), 22. Chris Smyser (Lancaster, MO), 23. Al Humphrey (Giltner, NE), 24. Greg Larson (Plattsmouth, NE), 25. David Turner (Adrian, MO), 26. Ronnie Wallace (McCook, NE),
B Feature 1:1. Johnny Malcolm (Bakersville, CA), 2. Jason Bodenhamer (Centerview, MO), 3. Dean Moore (Grand Junction, CO), 4. Joe Kosiski (Omaha, NE), 5. Jeremy Kelley (Walnut Grove, MO), 6. Bill Koons (Omaha, NE), 7. Brett Wood (Warrensburg, MO), 8. Jason O'Brien (Atlantic, IA), 9. Delbert Smith (Wichita, KS), 10. Robbie Andersen (Blair, NE), 11. Craig Preble (Yutan, NE), 12. Ronnie Wallace (McCook, NE), 13. Zack Forster (Bakerville, CA), 14. Ronnie Warman (Witchita, KS), 15. Ted Marten (Minneapois, KS), 16. Shawn Harker (Nebraska City, NE),
B Feature 2:1. David Turner (Adrian, MO), 2. Matt Johnson (Archie, MO), 3. Travis Dickes (Madison, NE), 4. Jeep Berry (Grand Junction, CO), 5. Jerry Warner (La Vista, NE), 6. Steve Kempt (Shelton, NE), 7. Brian Kenkel (Elkhorn, NE), 8. Todd Doty (Newton, KS), 9. Denny Woodworth (Mendon, IL), 10. Todd Bell (Omaha, NE), 11. Dave Conkwright (Manhatten, KS), 12. Wylan Petrie (Solmon, KS), 13. Troy Daly (Omaha, NE), 14. Alan Mondus (Lakeville, MN), 15. Cliff Morrow (Enid, OK),
Heat 1:1. Kyle Berck (Marquette, NE), 2. Mike Collins (Council Bluffs, IA), 3. Mike Wiarda (Aurora, NE), 4. David Turner (Adrian, MO), 5. Travis Dickes (Madison, NE), 6. Matt Johnson (Archie, MO), 7. Ronnie Wallace (McCook, NE), 8. Jason O'Brien (Atlantic, IA), 9. Ted Marten (Minneapois, KS), 10. Todd Bell (Omaha, NE),
Heat 2:1. Bryant Goldsmith (Corning, IA), 2. Greg Larson (Plattsmouth, NE), 3. John Kuchar (Brighton, CO), 4. Ronnie Warman (Witchita, KS), 5. Bill Koons (Omaha, NE), 6. Jerry Warner (La Vista, NE), 7. Joe Kosiski (Omaha, NE), 8. Steve Kempt (Shelton, NE), 9. Cliff Morrow (Enid, OK), 10. Shawn Harker (Nebraska City, NE),
Heat 3:1. Kelly Boen (Henderson, CO), 2. Corey Zeitner (Bellevue, NE), 3. Al Humphrey (Giltner, NE), 4. Jeremy Kelley (Walnut Grove, MO), 5. Dave Conkwright (Manhatten, KS), 6. Brett Wood (Warrensburg, MO), 7. Troy Daly (Omaha, NE), 8. Alan Mondus (Lakeville, MN), 9. Delbert Smith (Wichita, KS),
Heat 4:1. Jason Friesen (Sutton, NE), 2. Al Purkey (Coffeyville, KS), 3. John Anderson (Omaha, NE), 4. Denny Woodworth (Mendon, IL), 5. Dean Moore (Grand Junction, CO), 6. Jason Bodenhamer (Centerview, MO), 7. Jeep Berry (Grand Junction, CO), 8. Zack Forster (Bakerville, CA), 9. Wylan Petrie (Solmon, KS),
Heat 5:1. Mike Johnson (Lompoc, CA), 2. Jake Neighbors (Lincoln, NE), 3. Chris Smyser (Lancaster, MO), 4. Bo Egge (Kearney, NE), 5. Johnny Malcolm (Bakersville, CA), 6. Brian Kenkel (Elkhorn, NE), 7. Craig Preble (Yutan, NE), 8. Todd Doty (Newton, KS), 9. Robbie Andersen (Blair, NE),
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