By Lonnie Wheatley
DODGE CITY, Kan. – After a stellar opening night that attracted a total of 108 racers to Dodge City Raceway Park this past Saturday night, the spotlight shifts to the IMCA Modifieds with Saturday night’s seventh Modified Stampede.
Saturday’s card that will attract the top Modified contenders from throughout the area offers up a $1,000 winner’s share and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot berth.
Ponca City, Okla., native Brendon Gemmill reigns as the defending Stampede champion after making a late move to top last year’s event. It was his second Modified Stampede triumph after capturing his first win in 2014.
Gemmill joined Woodward’s Cole Traugott and multi-time national champion David Murray Jr. as two-time winners of the event. Traugott reeled off back-to-back wins in 2016 and 2017 while Oberlin’s Murray swept both nights of the Inaugural event in 2013 before topping the 2015 edition as well.
Along with the Modified Stampede, Saturday’s card also includes championship chase action in the Precise Racing Products DCRP Sprint Cars, IMCA SportMods, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks with the green flag flying at 7:30 p.m.
Penokee’s Clay Money tuned up for the Stampede by besting a field of 22 in Saturday’s season opener, fending off challenges from past track champion Clay Sellard and reigning track champion Nick Link for his first Modified triumph atop the 3/8-mile clay oval.
Money was one of a handful of drivers to kick off the new season on the right foot with Luke Cranston (Sprint Cars), Dakota Sproul (SportMods), Angel Munoz (Stock Cars) and Tathan Burkhart (Hobby Stocks) each getting an early head start towards a potential 2019 track championship by racing to victory lane.
Tickets to Saturday’s Stampede are $15 for adults while children 11 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Pit passes are $30.