Borgman claims Mod feature

For Beatrice driver Lance Borgman it’d been a while since he’d experienced the “thrill of victory” at the end of a feature race.

Saturday night at the Beatrice Speedway, Borgman drove his No. 76 Modified to a win in the 20-lap A Feature.

The win was the first for Borgman in a Modified. His last feature victory came two years ago in the IMCA Stock Car division.

“It’s been a long time,” Borgman said, smiling.

Borgman got off to a good start in the feature race and led comfortably for most of the first 10 laps before a caution flag resulted in a restart.

“The track has been good on the top the last few weeks and this car’s been running good on the top,” Borgman said. “It’s real fast there.”

On the restart, Borgman was able to hold the lead and continued to maintain a slight advantage over Marysville, Kan., driver Jordy Nelson, who was running in the second position.

“It was kind of a follow-the-leader deal,” Borgman said with Nelson and much of the rest of the field taking the same high line around the track which he was taking.

Borgman said he knew he just needed to “hang on” to what he’d been doing.

“I knew the rest of them were back there coming and the laps weren’t ticking off fast enough for me,” Borgman said.

Borgman said on the restart he kept hoping other drivers wouldn’t find a “new line” around the track and be able to get past him.

With two laps left in the race, however, the pace of the race was halted by an accident in turn one that resulted in a red flag.

After the three cars damaged in the accident were towed off the track, Borgman led the field to the start/finish line for another restart.

Another accident, however, on the first lap of the restart resulted in a second red flag and, eventually, another restart.

“It didn’t feel like the race would ever get over,” Borgman said. “It was the longest race of my life.”

Other A Feature winners Saturday included Ryan Roschewski, Beatrice, IMCA Hobby Stocks; Benji Legg, Beatrice, IMCA Sport Mods; Dustin Schmidt, Fairbury, Factory Stocks; and Scott Parde, Beatrice, IMCA Sport Compacts.

This weekend marked the final week of regular-season racing at the Beatrice track.

Next action at the Beatrice Speedway will be the two-day Octoberfest for Modifieds, Sport Mods and Hobby Stocks, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 3-4.

“The Day After Races” for Factory Stocks, IMCA Sport Compacts, Cruisers and Outlaw Vintage Lites will be held Sunday, Oct. 5.