NCRA officials do not expect two-time defending series champion Kelly Boen to race Memorial Day weekend. That’s when the O’Reilly NCRA Late Model Series, presented by ICM/Ethanol, kicks off its 2007 season with a Nebraska twin bill.
Boen flipped his racecar April 28 at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., and fractured a vertebra. The original diagnosis could have kept the Henderson, Colo., driver out of action for up to five months.
A visit with a specialist in Denver left open the possibility of returning sooner. At this point Boen won’t know anything more until his May 23 medical exam and X-rays.
Regardless of Boen’s status, the NCRA late model season opens May 25 at Mid-Nebraska Speedway in Doniphan, Neb., before heading east May 27 to I-80 Speedway at Nebraska Raceway Park in Greenwood, Neb.
These two shows attracted a huge number of quality drivers last year – 52 at Mid-Nebraska and 79 at I-80. Last year, Steve Kosiski swept the weekend en route to four feature wins and a second-place finish in the standings. However, the veteran from Papillion, Neb., has since retired from driving.
Both tracks expect another large car count this weekend, which makes it difficult to predict who will win. With Boen out of commission, 2002 series champion Kyle Berck emerges as a front-runner. Berck, of Marquette, Neb., plans to run for a second crown this season.
A couple of drivers from the Cornhusker State recorded top five finishes at these shows in each of the past two years. Al Humphrey from Giltner had a second and a third at Mid-Nebraska, while John Hampel of Union had a third and a fourth at I-80. They are just two of many drivers who could contend for the checker at either track.
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