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David Smith Jr.
DONIPHAN, Neb. (July 16) - Four-time series champion Kelly Boen of Henderson, Colorado continued his mastery of Mid-Nebraska Speedway in Doniphan, Nebraska on Friday night as he took home the victory in the opening night of the O'Reilly Auto Parts/National Championship Racing Association late model nationals.
Two-time and defending series champion Kyle Berck of Marquette, Nebraska started on the pole for the thirty lap feature and quickly set the pace on the rest of the field. Berck, aboard the Dorothy Lynch Salad Dressing/Strobel Construction sponsored Lazer chassis, would lead the first five laps but would quickly get a series challenge from Boen.
On lap seven while battling for the lead, both drivers would get together coming out of turn two causing Berck to slow with a flat tire. Berck would make it to the pit area during the caution and restart at the tail of the field.
The restart saw Boen, aboard the Road Runner Fabrication/Peterson Fluid Systems sponsored Rocket chassis throttle away from the rest of the field and would lead the final distance to take his sixth series feature victory of the season and ninth in a row at Mid-Nebraska Speedway. "We were both racing and you get tight racing with some lap cars in there and we're both going for the lead so those are the kind of things that happen," Boen said. "There's really nobody to blame and I'm really sorry he had a flat tire. It would have been nice to see us both keep going and see what happened."
Fifth starting Denny Eckrich of Tiffin, Iowa worked his way up into the third position behind Boen and Berck by lap three and while on Boens rear bumper on the lap seven restart, couldn't make a serious challenge for the lead and would settled for the runner up position. Former series champion Delbert Smith of Wichita, Kansas had a strong run to finish third while eleventh starting Cory Zeitner, who came into the evening second behind Boen in the series points, came home fourth. Berck, a former two-time NCRA late model nationals champion, rebounded from his earlier flat tire to round out the top five.
Leading series rookie contender Jace Kaser of Lincoln, Nebraska, Berck and Smith topped the three heat races while Travis Dickies took home "B" feature honors.
NCRA Late Models
1st Heat: 1) Jace Kaser 2) Dean Moore 3) Ron Tex 4) Alex Humphrey 5) Zeitner
2nd Heat: Kyle Berck 2) Jason O'Brien 3) Gary Gorby 4) Randy Hall 5) Alonzo Grosse
3rd Heat: 1) Smith 2) Denny Eckrich 3) Kelly Boen 4) Dylan Smith 5) Mike Wiarda
B Feature: 1) Travis Dickes 2) Bo Egge 3) Mike Wiarda 4) Jerry Warner 5) David Brack 6) Steve Kempt
A Feature: 1) Kelly Boen 2) Denny Eckrich 3) Delbert Smith 4) Corey Zeitner 5) Kyle Berck 6) Dylan Smith 7) Dean Moore 8) Bo Egge 9) Travis Dickes 10) Jace Kaser 10) Mike Wiarda 11) Al Humphrey 12) Alonzo Grosse 13) Randy Hall 14) Ron Tex 15) Steve Kempt 16) Jerry Kempt 17) Jerry Warner 18) Will Brack 19) Wylan Petrie 20) Cliff Morrow 21) Jason O'Brien 22) Gary Gorby
Peterson Fluid Systems Half Way Leader - Boen
Saldana Racing Products Runner Up - Eckrich
The Joie of Seating Runner up - Eckrich
Rod End Supply 3rd Place - Smith
Real Wheels 5th Place - Berck
Hooker Harness 8th Place Finisher - Egge
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