BEATRICE, Neb. – First he caught his breath, then Jordan Grabouski caught his stride.

The defending champion in both IMCA Modified and IMCA Sunoco Stock Car divisions, Grabouski pared his starts in both classes while racing to a career fifth Jet Racing Central Region crown and finishing sixth in rookie standings for IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars.

“While we missed 10-20 starts and all the early-season specials, it gave us a chance to catch our breath. Never in a million years did I think we’d be able to win the Modified region,” he said. “It was defi­nitely a challenge but I felt like we were able to catch our stride as we got closer to the end of the season.”

Grabouski totaled 11 wins and won track championships at hometown Beatrice Speedway, Eagle Raceway and U.S. 30 Raceway. He swept Salina Speedway’s Mid-America Clash on the final weekend of the point season before winning Oktoberfest at Beatrice.

“We took Sundays off for family (Grabouski and wife Whitney look forward to the arrival of second daughter) during the season,” he said. “We were consistent all year and good at the late-season specials.”

A four-time national Modified champion, Grabouski is third on the all-time list for the division with 247 career wins. He won three times in a Stock Car and had three top five finishes in 15 Sprint Car starts this year.

“I had started racing at 11 in a mini-sprint with Adam Gullion, who asked me to drive for him this year. It was a cool opportunity. Things happen so much quicker in a Sprint Car and it was a lot of fun,” Grabouski said. “Other than starting the season at Spring Nationals, we haven’t decided what we’ll do next year. I’ll be able to tell you in February.”