Martin returns to RPM to top Wheatshocker finale

By Sheldon Wickwar HAYS, Kan. (March 29, 2024) – Nine years after winning his first Sunflower Classic main event, Daniel Gottschalk celebrated after winning his second. The Ellis charger got the best of Eddie Belec in the Friday night feature for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds at RPM Speedway, earning $1,000 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility for his efforts. “It’s hard to find victory lane here. The competition is just so tough,” said Gottschalk, a Northern SportMod winner at the Sunflower Classic in 2015 and a three-time Modified track champion at RPM since. “I rolled under Eddie, then tried high and once I got to the front it was smooth sailing.” Gottschalk and Belec had raced side-by-side early on, with Gottschalk gaining the lead seven laps in. The 20-lapper ran green to checkered with Belec, Brett Berry, Greg Gustus and Dakota Sproul completing the top five. Mike Nichols’ IMCA Sunoco Stock Car career 628th win was also his Sunflower Classic career 10th while Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod win number 97 for Blaine Walt doubled as the [Read More]

HAYS, Kan. (April 1, 2023) – Jeremy Mills had good finishes to show for his previous handful of visits to RPM Speedway. Now he’s a Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature winner at the Hays speed plant. Mills topped Saturday’s Mike Hughes Sunflower Classic main event, earning $1,000 for his first checkers of the season and career 121st in the division.  “They reworked the track before the Modified feature and it was very racy,” said Mills, the 2022 Iowa State champion and thus already Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible. “There was lapped traffic and some cautions that we had to deal with.” After starting third and falling back a couple spots, he raced his way back toward the front and took the lead by taking advantage of one of those yellows.”  “We had an early restart and I decided it was go time,” Mills said. “I went to the top and took the lead from there.” Clay Money started 13th and finished second and 11th starting Dakota Sproul was third. Tathan Burkhart, already B & B Racing Chassis [Read More]

HAYS, Kan. (Oct. 5) – After finding a little line, Daniel Gottschalk took the big check at RPM Speedway’s Fall Nationals. A caution late in the 40-lapper helped open the door as Gottschalk topped the $5,000 Saturday night main event. “I didn’t know if I had a chance midway through but I found a little line and made it work,” said Gottschalk, who passed Tanner Black and Cody Laney for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying victory. “I don’t get real emotional but that was probably the most excited I’ve ever been after taking the checkered flag.” Once in front, he pulled away on the white flag circuit and took the win half a se­cond ahead of Black, who’d raced his way up from 14th starting. Laney, Jeff Taylor and defending race winner Jordan Grabouski completed the top five. “We broke last year at Fall Nationals and DNF’d,” said Gottschalk, who started seventh this time around and wheeled a Slider Chassis. “This year we found some extra speed. This was our last race of the [Read More]