Brown bests Modifieds at Dodge City

By Lonnie Wheatley

DODGE CITY, Kan. (May 24) – Scott Brown became the fifth different winner in as many IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified features atop the 3/8-mile Dodge City Raceway Park clay oval this season by earning a hard-fought victory in Saturday night’s 20-lap main event.

While Brown led all the way from his pole starting position, he had his hands full much of the distance and survived a pair of late cautions to post the triumph by a narrow margin ahead of Tracy Link and Austin Allen.

“The cautions didn’t worry me much,” he commented. “My car goes good on a tacky track like this so I knew we were okay.”

Front row outside starter Tracy Link actually jumped into the lead on the initial start only to have it negated for a turn four incident. Brown took advantage by racing into the lead on the restart and paced the field with intense battles for position through the pack in his wake.

Brown held the point ahead of Link, Van Gemmill and Nick Link when the race’s first caution flew after five laps for Ryan Heger. By the time the next caution flew after 13 laps, Brown led the father-and-son Link duo of Tracy and Nick with Cole Traugott up to fourth ahead of Mike Lunow.

Lunow dashed by Traugott on the restart with the lead battle becoming a four-way affair as Brown slid high exiting turn four on the 17th lap. Tracy Link made contact with Brown in turns one and two, with Nick Link checking up only to spin after contact from Lunow.

Up to third behind Brown and Tracy Link on the restart with three laps to go, third-runner Traugott rolled to a stop in turn four to precipitate the final caution, setting up a two-lap dash to the stripe.

Up to third in the late stages, defending track champion Austin Allen raced past T. Link for second on the white-flag lap and moved in to challenge Brown for the lead entering turn one in the final corner.

Brown fought off the challenge and then held off T. Link and Allen as the trio raced under the checkered flag under a blanket. Kale Beavers crossed the stripe fourth with Ven Gemmill rounding out the top five.

Jeff Kaup added his second IMCA SportMod feature win of the year, Angel Munoz scored his first IMCA Sunoco Stock Car victory, Sonny O’Hair took Thunder Car honors for the first time of the year and Jarett Lunow rolled on to his fourth consecutive Hornet triumph.

Kaup chased down early leader Brian May by the midway point and led the rest of the way in the 20-lap SportMod feature. Munoz emerged from a race-long three-car battle for the lead that also included Brandon Fisher and Dusty Witthuhn to take his first DCRP win of the season, putting a halt to Perry Misner’s three-race win streak in the process.