In the end, it was NCRA point leader Steve Kosiski holding off the last-lap charge of defending series champion Kelly Boen to capture his third race in four shows this season.

The final scenario was put in motion during a lap 17 caution. Race officials sent Boen, who took over the lead from Kosiski on lap five, to the rear of the 24-car field for rough driving just prior to the caution. That put Kosiski back in front, closely followed on the restart by Craig Preble, Brett LaFollette, Jeep Berry, and pole sitter Dean Moore to round out the top five.

From there Kosiski pulled away to a comfortable lead, unaware that Boen was rapidly moving through the field. As Steve said afterwards, Kelly became a “man on a mission” from the back of the pack.

Boen’s obvious mission was to move to the front as quickly as he could. By the 23rd lap of the 40-lap feature Boen had roared into 10th place. He gained another spot the next lap when LaFollette, running second at the time, pulled off with a blown engine. That also moved Preble into second and Delbert Smith, who started 15th, up to third, with Moore in fourth and Mike Wiarda fifth.

While Bone continued to move through the top 10, Kosiski began to check out on the others. Berry was suddenly locked in a battle for second, trying to hold off Preble and Smith. The next group behind them was Moore, Wiarda, and Boen fighting for fifth.

On lap 31 Boen got by Wiarda for sixth at the flag stand but the laps were rapidly winding down. With eight laps remaining, Boen picked up another spot as he passed Moore for fifth, but the next driver was still half a straightaway in front.

Just what Boen needed occurred on the penultimate lap as a caution – the first of three straight – came out. The top five at this point was Kosiski, Beery, Preble, Smith, and Boen. On the restart, Boen got around Smith for fourth, and moved into third when Berry quickly went backwards in order with a flat right rear.

With Boen closing on Preble for second, Kelly took the position exiting turn two on the final lap. But it was for naught as another caution came out. Going back to the last completed lap, and allowing for two racing laps at the finish, Boen restarted back in fourth as both Preble and Smith were given their positions back.

On the second restart, Kosiski kept his lead as he took the white flag. Behind him, Boen, Preble, and Smith were running three wide as they crossed start finish. There was some banging and Preble spun around and stopped on the front straight. Gary Gorby, running back in the pack, couldn’t avoid Preble, hitting him and then the turn one wall. Both drivers were OK but their cars were done for the night.

On the third and final attempt to run the last two laps, Kosiski again led Smith and Boen to the white flag.

“I felt somebody get into me in the left rear corner going into one after the white flag,” Kosiski said, “but I didn’t know who it was.”

“They probably had enough speed to make a run on the outside of me but I wasn’t giving up the bottom.”

 Kelly took to his familiar high side to pass Delbert for second in turn two. Boen moved up behind Kosiski and appeared to have a good run at him entering turn three. But Steve checked up a bit, causing Kelly to let off and move out of line to keep from hitting Kosiski.

“He lifted a little just trying to protect the bottom - I would have done the same thing,” he said.
“I just rolled it outside of him because there was nothing else I could do since I entered the corner too fast.”

That was just enough to allow Kosiski to hold off Boen for the victory. Smith finished third, while Billy Murphy nipped Wiarda at the checker for fifth.

“I couldn’t believe things fell in our favor tonight,” Kosiski said. “We were in the right position at the right time when the checkered flag flew.”

Kosiski is having a good season with a lot of success.

“We’re running up front – the top two or three spots right now – it’s really been good,” he said. “Fortunately, luck has put us in the position to be in the winner’s circle a couple of times.”

Forty-seven drivers representing six different sanctioning bodies were on hand for this event, the Best of the West Late Model Shootout. Besides the NCRA, other sanctioning bodies participating were the Colorado Late Model Association (CLMA), the Topless Outlaw Racing Association (TORA), the Western Dirt Racing Association (WDRA), the Western Dirt Late Model Tour (WDLT), and the Rio Grande Super Late Models (RGSL).

O'Reilly/NCRA Finish Line
Heat #1:
1. (52) Steve Kosiski, Papillion, Neb. (NCRA); 2. (93) Terry Boushee, Aurora, Colo. (CLMA); 3. (22) Craig Preble, Yutan, Neb. (TORA); 4. (T1T) Earl Kinderknicht, Salina, Kan. (NCRA); 5. (7) Rod Bencken, Oakley, Kan. (NCRA); 6. (93x) Rusty Miller, Norcatur, Kan. (NCRA); 7. (16b) Jason Schobinger, Wiggins, Colo. (CLMA); 8. (72) Shawn DeForest, Hayward, Calif. (WDLT); 9. (k92) Lonnie Smith, Wichita, Kan. (TORA).

Heat #2:
1. (14m) Dean Moore, Grand Junction, Colo. (WDRA); 3. (22c) Dave Conkwright, Manhattan, Kan. (NCRA); 3. (50b) Larry McDaniels, Valley Center, Kan. (TORA); 4. (10b) Gary Billings, Prairie Village, Kan. (NCRA); 5. (86) Sten Johnson, Arvada, Colo. (CLMA); 6. (21) Steve Foster, Abilene, Kan. (TORA); 7. (m15) Mike Martin, Dodge City, Kan. (NCRA); 8. (16) Chris Persichette, Lakewood, Colo. (CLMA); 9. (66) Mike Danburg, Council Bluffs, Iowa (NCRA).

Heat #3:
1. (90) Steve Kempt, Shelton, Neb. (NCRA); 2. (20) Jim Beaman, Littleton, Colo. (CLMA); 3. (15w) Mike Wiarda, Aurora, Neb. (NCRA); 4. (24L) Rick Lieser, Greeley, Colo. (CLMA); 5. (02) John Kuchar, Henderson, Colo. (CLMA); 6. (15) Ryan Rairden, Brookville, Kan. (TORA); 7. (05) Gary Dechant, Northglenn, Colo. (CLMA); 8. (64) Greg Larson, Plattsmouth, Neb. (NCRA); 9. (6) Chad Whipple, North Platte, Neb. (none).

Heat #4:
1. (07) Kelly Boen, Henderson, Colo. (NCRA); 2. (75b) Jeep Berry, Grand Junction, Colo. (CLMA); 3. (92) Delbert Smith, Wichita, Kan. (TORA); 4. (9m) Billy Murphy, Kearney, Neb. (NCRA); 5. (86) Dan Shepherd, Greeley, Colo. (CLMA); 6. (94) Dimond Mundy, Wichita, Kan. (TORA); 7. (5b) Butch Reid, Albuqurque, N.M. (RGSL); 8. (1jr) Justin Kinderknicht, Salina, Kan. (NCRA); 9. (20b) Andrew Blakemore, Erie, Colo. (CLMA).

Heat #5:
1. (1c) Jim Clifton, Fort Morgan, Colo. (CLMA); 2. (23) Brett LaFollette, Kansas City, Kan. (NCRA); 3. (7c) Ted Martin, Bennington, Kan. (NCRA); 4. (99) Gary Gorby, Caney, Kan. (none); 5. (4) Dave Garmann, Milliken, Colo. (CLMA); 6. (21d) Shane Lewis, North Platte, Neb. (none); 7. (86m) Eric Main, Hutchinson, Kan.; 8. (25) Scott Cimfl, Commerce City, Colo (CLMA); 9. (R24 )Craig Baukema, Elizabeth, Colo. (CLMA); 10. (115) Brad Wagner, Colby, Kan. (none).

B Feature #1:
1. Delbert Smith (TORA); 2. Rick Lieser (CLMA); 3. Earl Kinderknicht (NCRA); 4. Gary Billings (NCRA); 5. Dan Shepherd (CLMA); 6. Eric Main (NCRA); 7. Greg Larson (NCRA); 8. Steve Foster (NCRA); 9. Dimond Mundy (TORA); 10. Justin Kinderknicht (NCRA); 11. Mike Martin (NCRA); 12. Gary Dechant (CLMA); 13. Chap Whipple (CLMA); 14. Craig Baukema (CLMA); 15. Lonnie Smith (TORA); 16. Shane Lewis (CLMA).

B Feature #2:
1. Billy Murphy(NCRA) ; 2. John Kuchar (CLMA); 3. Ryan Rairden (TORA); 4. Ted Martin (NCRA); 5. Dave Garman (CLMA); 6. Rod Bencken (NCRA); 7. Eric Main (NCRA); 8. Mike Danburg (NCRA); 9. Rusty Miller (NCRA); 10. Brad Wagner (none); 11. Butch Reid (RGSL); 12. Scott Cimfl (CLMA); 13. Shawn DeForest (WDLT); 14. Jason Schobinger (CLMA); 15. Andrew Blakemore (CLMA); 16. Chris Persichette (CLMA).

A Feature:
1. Steve Kosiski (NCRA); 2. Kelly Boen (NCRA); 3. Delbert Smith (TORA); 4. Billy Murphy (NCRA); 5. Mike Wiarda (NCRA); 6. Dean Moore (WDRA); 7. Jim Clifton (CLMA); 8. Steve Kempt (NCRA); 9. Jeep Berry (CLMA); 10. John Kuchar (CLMA); 11. Earl Kinderknicht (NCRA); 12. Dave Conkwright (NCRA); 13. Dave Garmann (CLMA); 14. Craig Preble (CLMA); 15. Gary Gorby (none); 16. Terry Boushee (CLMA); 17. Ryan Rairden (TORA); 18. Dan Shepherd (CLMA); 19. Gary Billings (NCRA); 20. Larry McDaniels (TORA); 21. Brett LaFollette (NCRA); 22. Ted Martin (NCRA); 23. Jim Beaman (CLMA).