Fifth annual IMCA Modified Stampede is Saturday at Dodge City

By Lonnie Wheatley

DODGE CITY, Kan. – With the past weekend’s snow melted away, Dodge City Raceway Park fires back to life this Saturday night, May 6, with the fifth annual IMCA Modified Stampede.

While the IMCA Modifieds battle it out for a $1,200 winner’s share in their Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier, championship chase action continues as well for the Precise Racing Products DCRP Sprint Cars, IMCA SportMods, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks.

Racing action goes green at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the event are $15 for adults with children 11 and under admitted free when accompanied by an adult. A pair of bicycles will also be awarded to two fortunate children.

Woodward, Okla.’s Cole Traugott reigns as the defending Modified Stampede winner. Traugott won the April 15 season opener to extend his run of Dodge City domination to seven wins in his last seven outings atop the 3/8-mile clay oval.

Traugott battled past defending track champion Nick Link in the latter stages of last year’s Stampede to add his name to the list of event winners that includes David Murray (2015 and both nights of the 2013 Stampede) and Brendon Gemmill (2014).

Thirty-two competitors took part in the IMCA Modified portion of the April 15 season opener that included 98 total entries.

While the fifth annual Modified Stampede offers up a $1,200 winner’s share with $150 to start the feature, the entire feature payout is as follows: 1^st, $1,200; 2^nd, $800; 3^rd, $600; 4^th, $550; 5^th, $500; 6^th, $450; 7^th, $400; 8^th, $350; 9^th, $300; 10^th, $275; 11^th, $250; 12^th; $225; 13^th, $200; 14^th, $175; 15-20, $150.