rpmspeedway Archives

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]

Too tight but Sproul makes things right with Sunflower checkers

HAYS, Kan. (March 30, 2024) – He didn’t get any points for guessing right but Dakota Sproul did get $1,000 for his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature win on night two of RPM Speedway’s Sunflower Classic. Despite missing on his Saturday night setup, Sproul took the lead from Jace Whitt just after midway in the 20-lapper and outran Jeremy Frenier & Co. the rest of the way. “We tightened the car for the feature and it seemed like I was fighting it the whole way,” said Sproul, nonetheless able to take advantage of a bobble by Whitt on a restart for the lead. “I was struggling before I passed Jace and Jeremy was right behind me. I didn’t know if I was going to be good enough to win but fortunately no one gave me trouble after I got to the lead.” Dylan Sherfick, Eddie Belec and Clay Sellard completed the top five. Sproul was already eligible to qualify for the upcoming Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. “Every time we hit the track it was different. [Read More]

Gottschalk tops IMCA Modified main on night one of RPM’s Sunflower Classic

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]

Five IMCA divisions head to RPM for March 29, 30 Sunflower Classic

HAYS, Kan. (March 12, 2024) – The 12th annual Sunflower Classic brings five IMCA divisions to the traditional season opener at RPM Speedway. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds race for $1,000 to win and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars for $750 to win and B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility both Friday, March 29 and Saturday, March 30. Also on both Sunflower Classic cards are IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods in $500 to win features and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts in $200 to win features. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional and Kansas State points will be awarded. Entry fees for the weekend are $100 for Modifieds, $75 for Stock Cars, $50 for Hobby Stocks and SportMods and $35 for Sport Compacts. Pit gates open at 5 p.m. and pit passes are $25 for the Thursday, March 28 test ‘n tune at Hayes. Gates open at 3 p.m., hot laps are at 5 p.m. and racing is at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, [Read More]

Champions crowned at RPM Speedway

By Sheldon Wickwar HAYS, Kan. (Sept. 16, 2023) – Track champions were crowned in five IMCA divisions Saturday evening at RPM Speedway. Tim Watts was scooting away with the lead while a four-wide battle broke out early for second in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main. Brett Smith took charge after a restart but Clay Sellard quickly found his way to the front. Point leader Dylan Sherfick was part of a three-car tangle and went to the pits for the rest of the night before Sellard brought the field to a restart with 12 laps to go. Dakota Sproul found some speed on the top side off the restart and started to close the gap behind the leader. The field would single file out in the closing laps, as Sellard was able to pull away from runner-up Sproul to grab the win. Daniel Gottschalk, Jake Nightingale and Brett Smith rounded out the top five. Despite getting caught up in an early wreck, Sherfick held good points lead to pick up the track championship. Troy Burkhart [Read More]