MCCOOL JUNCTION, Nebr. -- Former two-time series champion Kyle Berck of Marquette, Nebraska kicked off the opening night of the ninth annual “King of the Hill Late Model Shootout” presented by Strobel Construction with a hard fought victory as the National Championship Racing Association of Park City, Kansas presented by Precise Racing Products late model division visited Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Nebraska Friday night. The race was a co-sanctioned event with the MLRA.

Jesse Stovall of Republic, Missouri jumped out into the lead at the start of the twenty-five lap feature and quickly set the pace. Current MLRA point leader John Anderson and fifth starting Berck battled for the runner-up position for the good portion of the feature with Berck finally claiming the second spot and setting his sights on the leader.

Stovall, Berck and Anderson waged battle for position before Berck, aboard his familiar #14m Strobel Construction sponsored Swartz Race Car, got passed Anderson with five laps to go to take the lead.

From there Berck never looked back and led the final five laps to claim his third NCRA feature victory of the season and the 25th of his career with the series.

Stovall settled for second while Anderson came home third. Current series point leader Tommy Weder, Jr. crossed the line fourth while Travis Dickes rounded out the top five.

The ten lap heat races for the thirty-two car field were won by Stovall, Weder, Anderson and Justin Gregg while Mike Collins claimed honors in the twelve lap “B” feature.

The NCRA will be back in action at Junction Motor Speedway on Saturday night as the “King of the Hill Late Model Shootout” champion will be crowned after another complete show consisting of heat races, last chance and feature finale.

RESULTS

1st Heat: 1) Jesse Stovall (Republic, MO), 2) Mark Dotson (Cameron, MO), 3) Chase Junghans (Manhattan, KS), 4) Travis Dickes (Madison, NE), 5) Chad Dolan (Gibbon, NE), 6) Bill Koons (Omaha, NE), 7) Andrew Kosiski (Omaha, NE), 8) Dustin Walker (Peculiar, MO)

2nd Heat: 1) Tommy Weder Jr. (Woodward, OK), 2) Kyle Berck (Marquette, NE), 3) Allen Murray (San Antonio, TX), 4) Bill Leighton (Omaha, NE), 5) Mike Collins (Council Bluffs, IA), 6) Junior Coover (Norfolk, NE), 7) Corey Zeitner (Bellevue, NE)

3rd Heat: 1) John Anderson (Omaha, NE), 2) Gary Gorby (Caney, KS), 3) Brian Kenkel (Elkhorn, NE), 4) Robbie Andersen (Blair, NE), 5) Clint Benson (Papillion, NE), 6) Scott Koskovich (Omaha, NE), 7) Jason Bodenhammer (Centerview, MO), 8) Mollee Collins (Bellvue, NE)

4th Heat: 1) Justin Gregg (Hastings, NE), 2) Kevin Sather (Des Moines, IA), 3) Steve Kempt (Shelton, NE), 4) Les Siebert (Henderson, NE), 5) Don Battaglia (Gretna, NE), 6) Cliff Morrow (Enid, OK), 7) Chris Avery (Minden, NE), 8) Brad Wagoner (Colby, KS)

B Feature: 1) Mike Collins (Council Bluffs, IA), 2) Chad Dolan (Gibbon, NE), 3) Clint Benson (Papillion, NE), 4) Bill Koons (Omaha, NE), 5) Scott Koskovich (Omaha, NE), 6) Jason Bodenhammer (Centerview, MO), 7) Andrew Kosiski (Omaha, NE), 8) Junior Coover (Norfolk, NE), 9) Dustin Walker (Peculiar, MO), 10) Don Battaglia (Gretna, NE), 11) Brad Wagoner (Colby, KS), 12) Mollee Collins (Bellvue, NE), 13) Chris Avery (Minden, NE), 14) Corey Zeitner (Bellevue, NE), 15) Cliff Morrow (Enid, OK)

A Feature: 1) Kyle Berck (Marquette, NE), 2) Jesse Stovall (Republic, MO), 3) John Anderson (Omaha, NE), 4) Tommy Weder Jr. (Woodward, OK), 5) Travis Dickes (Madison, NE), 6) Chase Junghans (Manhattan, KS), 7) Kevin Sather (Des Moines, IA), 8) Brian Kenkel (Elkhorn, NE), 9) Gary Gorby (Caney, KS), 10) Chad Dolan (Gibbon, NE), 11) Allen Murray (San Antonio, TX), 12) Robbie Andersen (Blair, NE), 13) Steve Kempt (Shelton, NE), 14) Mike Collins (Council Bluffs, IA), 15) Mark Dotson (Cameron, MO), 16) Jason Bodenhammer (Centerview, MO), 17) Clint Benson (Papillion, NE), 18) Bill Koons (Omaha, NE), 19) Dustin Walker (Peculiar, MO), 20) Don Battaglia (Gretna, NE), 21) Brad Wagoner (Colby, KS), 22) Justin Gregg (Hastings, NE), 23) Bill Leighton (Omaha, NE), 24) Les Siebert (Henderson, NE)