Track champions crowned at RPM Speedway

By Mike Hughes

HAYS, Kan. (Sept. 21) – It was championship night at RPM Speedway with three of the five track titles still up for grabs when the evening started.

In the S & W Supply IMCA Modifieds, it was a two-car race for the championship as four points separated Corey Lagroon and Dylan Sherfick. Scott Brown took the lead at the start of the 20-lap feature with Tim Watts and Ronnie Hill in tow. Hill took over the top spot on the following lap.

Hill led the field back to green following a lap eight caution, only to be passed by Travis Sherfick on lap nine. The red flag flew on the following lap when Teel flipped on the back straightaway. Teel was okay, but done for the night.

Travis led the remaining distance to claim his third win of the year at Hays. Younger brother Dylan finished second. Lagroon’s third place finish was good enough to claim the track title. Watts and Hill completed the top five.

In the Golden Plains Trucking IMCA Northern SportMod point standings, Tyler Frye entered the night with a seven point lead over Clay Money. Cody Pancake took the lead at the drop of the green and held onto the top spot through a couple of caution periods to lead at the halfway mark of the 15-lap A-main.

Defending track champion Jake Krone took over the top spot on lap nine, but had to retire to the pits two laps later, handing the lead over to Frye. Frye held off the field to claim his sixth feature win and the track championship. Pancake finished in the runner-up spot followed by Kurtis Pihl, Dustin Daniels and Clay Sellard.

The closest point race was in the Rebel Tank Service IMCA Hobby Stock division as G.W. Fuller held a slim two point advantage over Garrett Hager. Ron Wehling led the first two laps of the 15-lap feature before the first caution waved on lap three.

When the green flag reappeared, Fuller shot to the lead. The caution flag waved several more times throughout the race, but Fuller was up to the task and was first to the checkers to get his first win at Hays this season, along with the track championship. Hager finished second with Aaron Gray, Kent Tammen and Leon Pfannenstiel rounding out the top five.

At the start of the night, Jeff Tubbs already had the track championship wrapped up in the Advantage Glass Plus IMCA Stock Car division. Tubbs took over the race lead on lap eight when Geoff Jermark got high coming out of turn two and fell back to fourth.

Tubbs went on to make his second appearance in victory lane at RPM Speedway this season. Nick Tubbs, Josh Hudson, Nolan Remus, and Jim Powell rounded out the top five.

All Michael Smith had to do was take the green flag in the D K Ranch IMCA Sport Compact division to claim the track title. He did just that as he chased Monte Honas most of the feature.

Honas held on to win his 10th feature of the year at Hays. Smith finished second followed by Dallas Dunn, Kirk Pfannenstiel and Tanner Chapin. Honas missed the first point night at Hays in April and finished 17 points behind Smith.

Darren Unrein won the school bus feature.

The evening’s race sponsor was Discovery Drilling.

There was a special 50/50 raffle with the track’s proceeds going to the Chloe Medina medical fund. Chloe is 18 months old, was recently diagnosed with pre-leukemia and will have to travel for treatments. The winner donated his portion back to the fund, so at the end of the evening over $1,000 was raised.

The season finale will be the annual Fall Nationals on October 10-12. The Sport Compacts will run a full show on Thursday night with $300 to the winner. The remaining four classes will compete on Friday and Saturday nights. The Modified feature winner will collect $5,000 and qualify for the 2014 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. The Stock Cars will race for a $3,000 winner’s share, the SportMods $2,000 and Hobby Stocks $1,000. Race time on Thursday & Friday will be 7 p.m. and 6 on Saturday.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply