HAYS, Kan. – A race fan forever, Chris Sutton takes a new job at a long-time IMCA Kansas race track this season.
The veteran tech inspector and jack of all trades at tracks across the state steps up as promoter at RPM Speedway. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts all return to Saturday shows at Hays.
“I want to see this track continue to be a success. It’s a very big piece of the IMCA racing puzzle in the state and consistently has had one of the biggest car counts in Kansas,” said Sutton. “There’s not a lot of maintenance that needs to be done before opening night. The biggest change is that we had to forego the Sunflower Classic this spring but that will be back on the 2022 schedule.”
The IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season runs from April 3 to Sept. 19. The final checkers fly during the Oct. 1-2 Fall Nationals.
Sutton’s race career was brief before becoming a tech inspector at Hutchinson Raceway Park, Salina Speedway and Dodge City Raceway Park. His other have included competition director, track prep and announcing.
Weekly IMCA racing at Hays thrived under the stewardship of long-time promoter Rod Bencken and Sutton looks forward to continuing that tradition as well.
RPM has sanctioned the Modifieds, Stocks and Hobbies since 2006 and Northern SportMods since 2010. Sport Compacts are sanctioned for a 12th consecutive season, and 13th overall, this year.
“The biggest thing about IMCA is that their rules have bite. You’re backed by a national sanctioning body that takes care of its tracks and takes care of its drivers,” Sutton said. “And when you sanction with IMCA, you give your drivers the opportunity to pretty much travel anywhere in the country and race.”
“If your wife says you have to go to Missouri or South Dakota on your vacation,” he continued, “you can take your race car along and know you can race at any IMCA track because the rules are going to be the same.”
