rpmspeedway Archives

Olmstead, Watts,and Sproul Sweep Ellis County Fair Races at RPM Speedway

By Sheldon Wickwar HAYS, Kan. (Jul. 12, 2025) — The Ellis County Fair featured two nights of intense IMCA racing at RPM Speedway, and the stars came out to shine as Zach Olmstead, Tyler Watts, and Dakota Sproul all pulled off weekend sweeps in their respective divisions. Saturday’s program was particularly special, featuring a multi-groove track and the emotional season debut of Brooke Russell, who honored her late uncle Danny with a tribute wrap on her car. Olmstead Sweeps the Hobby Stocks Zach Olmstead was simply untouchable in the Hobby Stock ranks. Starting up front in Saturday night’s 20-lap main event, he set the pace and never looked back. Early challenges from Cole Schulte and Randie McRoberts faded as cautions bunched up the field. That only seemed to fuel Olmstead, who kept firing off perfect restarts notching his 14th win in the B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region. Behind him, Mitchell Fischer and James Phelps put on a show of their own, slicing through the field in a caution-filled contest. Watts Wins in SportMods Tyler Watts continued his [Read More]

Olmstead Cashes in at RPM with Hobby Stock Victory

By Sheldon Wickwar HAYS, Kan. (May 10, 2025) — The Sunoco Hobby Stocks closed out the show at RPM Speedway with Zach Olmstead completing a weekend sweep after winning at Colby the previous night. The B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region standout secured his seventh victory of the season in ten starts, taking command late in the 20-lap main event after a bobble by Dylan Bell opened the door. Olmstead charged from deep in the field to grab the lead and never looked back. Bell, who led for a good portion of the race, settled for second but maintained his stellar season streak of top three finishes in all seven of his starts. Mitchell Fischer completed the podium in third. Tathan Burkhart Grabs First Win as a Dad The Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars also ran a 20-lap main event which started with Brett Berry and Tathan Burkhart on the front row. Tathan took an early race lead and started pulling away from the double-duty driver of Berry. Berry made several attempts to close in on Tathan in [Read More]

Burkhart Steals One at The Line at RPM’s Sunflower Classic Finale

By Sheldon Wickwar HAYS, Kan. (Mar. 29, 2025) — The 20-lap Sunoco IMCA Stock Car main was one of the most stellar races on the final night of the 13th Annual Sunflower Classic at RPM Speedway. The feature began with Johnny Yutterman and Kolby Stegman on the front row, but it didn’t take long for Jason Rogers and Troy Burkhart to charge to the front. The veteran duo battled tightly and cleanly throughout the race. In the final corner, Burkhart surged past Rogers in a thrilling drag race to the finish — winning by less than eight hundredths of a second. Burkhart earned his first win of the season in the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region. David Murray Jr. grabbed second, followed by Bobby Eubanks in third, Rogers in fourth, and Yutterman in fifth. Money Brings New Car to RPM Victory Lane The 20-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature started with Greg Gustus and Tim Hamilton led the field to green, with Gustus getting the early jump as Hamilton tried to keep pace. A few laps in, [Read More]

Sproul Fastest in Friday Night Modified Action At RPM

By Sheldon Wickwar HAYS, Kan. (Mar. 28, 2025) — The 20-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature marked the headlining event of the opening night of the 13th Annual Sunflower Classic at RPM Speedway. Dakota Sproul and Cole Czarneski led the field to green, with Sproul jumping out to an early lead and never looking back. Not even lapped traffic slowed the locked-in racer, who claimed his first victory of the season in the Jet Racing Central Region in dominant fashion. Cole Czarneski finished second, followed by Tanner Black in third, Clay Sellard in fourth, and Brett Berry in fifth. Pfeifer Holds Off Wisconsin Star in Stock Car Battle! Austin Carter and Tyler Tipton started on the front row of the 20-lap Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature, but it didn’t take long for Kyle Pfeifer and double duty runner Czarneski to charge to the front. The duo battled closely and cleanly for much of the event. In the end, Pfeifer came out on top, earning his first win of the season in the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern [Read More]

13th Annual Sunflower Classic Returns to RPM Speedway

HAYS, Kansas (Mar. 19, 2025) – The Sunflower Classic is back at RPM Speedway on March 28-29, bringing two nights of action-packed racing. With a draw/redraw format, drivers will battle it out for big payouts, and fans can expect plenty of excitement on the track. IMCA Modifieds will race for $1,000 to win each night, while IMCA Stock Cars have a $750 top prize. IMCA SportMods and IMCA Hobby Stocks each offer $500 to the winner, and IMCA Sport Compacts will race for $200. The weekend kicks off Thursday with a Test & Tune session at 5 p.m. Racing gets underway Friday and Saturday, with gates opening at 3 p.m., hot laps at 5 p.m., and the first green flag at 6 p.m. Entry fees are set at $100 for Modifieds, $75 for Stock Cars, $50 for SportMods and Hobby Stocks, and $35 for Sport Compacts. Pit passes are $25 on Thursday and $30 on race nights. Presented by Nutrien Ag Solutions, the Sunflower Classic is a must-see event, awarding state, regional, national, and track [Read More]

It’s big money for IMCA Modified winner Clay Money at Fall Nationals

HAYS, Kan. (Oct. 5, 2024) – Clay Money put the demons of 2024 behind him Saturday night at Hays. After going winless in 14 sanctioned starts during the IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season, Money motored to a career-best $5,000 payday in topping the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event at RPM Speedway’s Fall Nationals. He passed Jeremy Frenier for the lead midway through the 30-lapper, earning Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility in addition to the big check. “Hays is my home track and we’ve run this event since at least 2012,” said Money, who had started at the back of Saturday night ‘B’ SportMod qualifiers after playing high school football on Friday night early in his career. “We been running a Modified here since 2016 (he was fourth in 2020 after starting 16th) but were just never able to get it done until this year.” Tanner Black, Clay Sellard, Frenier and John Hansen rounded out the top five. “They did track prep right before the feature and that probably helped us,” Money [Read More]

IMCA champions are crowned at RPM

By Sheldon Wickwar HAYS, Kan. (Sept. 15, 2024) – Eighty-two race teams checked into the legendary RPM Speedway for championship night racing on Sunday. Taking home feature wins were Gage Porter in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts and track champions Blaine Walt in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods, Zach Olmstead in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Kyle Pfeifer in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Daniel Gottschalk in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. Rileigh Flohrs was the Sport Compact track champion. The 15-lap feature for the 4-cylinder class started with a front row of Kaishen Brack and Alison Jeske. Brack led early while Kyle Mortensen and Porter fought for second, with Porter grabbing the lead after a few laps. Jake Schwien broke and that would open the championship door for Flohrs. Meanwhile, nobody could catch Porter as he ran away with the feature win. Second was Flohrs and third was Connor Schwien. Hobby Stocks were second on the program. Their 20-lap feature started with a front row of Blake Holmes and Danny Schulte. Holmes [Read More]

Memorial Weekend checkers fly for Rohleder

By Sheldon Wickwar HAYS, Kan. (May 25, 2024) – Friesen Performance IMCA Modified win number one of the season for Kyle Rohleder came Saturday night at RPM Speedway. The 2022 track champion at Hays got the lead on just the second circuit and held off a bevy of challengers before collecting his career 65th checkers in the class. Their 20-lap feature had started with a front row of Trevor Geist and Don Geist. Trevor gained the early advantage but quickly Rohleder settled into second place and took the lead on lap two. By lap four, Dylan Sherfick found third place and a lap later got by Trevor Geist for second. Jeremy Frenier got to third just before a caution came out. Sherfick and Rohleder raced side-by-side for the lead at halfway. Another caution came after Rohleder had again solidified the lead once but he slammed the door shut the last five times around the oval, winning in front of Sherfick and Daniel Gottschalk. Rohleder has now won at least one IMCA Modified feature in 14 consecutive [Read More]

RPM hosts 13th annual Cody Younger Memorial

By Sheldon Wickwar HAYS, Kan. (May 11, 2024) – Seventy-one teams checked into RPM Speedway Saturday for the 13th annual Cody Younger Memorial Race Night. Connor Schwien was the show as Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts started the program with a 15-lap feature. Schwien grabbed the early race lead, led by five car lengths just five laps in and went on to the checkers ahead of Rileigh Flohrs and Jakob Schwien. The 20-lapper for IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks saw brothers Zach and Morgan Olmstead battle before finishing 1-2. Third was Tyler Heath. Another big field of Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods was on hand and Tyler Watts grabbed the early lead while Brianna Maughlin, Ryan Kirchoff and Blaine Walt were moving to the front. Walt got to second and Kirchoff to third after getting by Maughlin on a restart. The field singled out by halfway: Lap 13 saw Tyler Watts enter lapped traffic but the caution came out the next time around. Watts defended slide jobs from Walt and finally started to pull away. He held on [Read More]

RPM Speedway fans give back during Community Giveback Night

HAYS, Kan. (April 13, 2024) – Planning that began last fall came to fruition Saturday night at RPM Speedway. Fans attending the first race of the IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season at the Hays, Kan., track donated enough non-perishable food items to fill five grocery carts and part of a sixth to the Ellis County Community Assistance Center. Those Community Giveback Night donations will be distributed to those in need served by the center, located in Hays. “Almost everybody has been in the position where they needed a little help,” said RPM promoter Chris Sutton. “It was very, very encouraging to be able to give back like this to the community that supports us.” Sutton had helped with similar projects while announcing for Paul Dutton at Hutchinson Raceway Park. A proponent of making every race night “an event,” and came up with Community Giveback Night while penciling out his 2024 schedule. Fans donating four cans of food got in for $5 while those donating eight cans got in at no additional cost. “Our fans really stepped up [Read More]