rpmspeedway Archives

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]

Olmstead keeps grinding for 100th IMCA Hobby Stock win

OVERTON, Neb. (Aug. 19, 2023) – Not that many years ago, Zach Olmstead was just happy to be at the track. Now the defending IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s champion and a 2023 national championship contender, he won for the 100th time in his IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock career Friday night at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction. “Everything is just going right for us. We’ve raced more this year and we’ve had some good luck,” said Olmstead, who has totaled 27 wins at 10 different tracks in Kansas and Nebraska this season. “I don’t think I’m faster than I was last year, I’ve just learned to be patient.” “Super Nationals has been my biggest win so far and you have to have some luck to do that,” added the Overton, Neb., driver, also the two-time defending Stephenville Starter Race of Champions winner. “But that’s more like a sprint. One hundred wins is a marathon. You have to keep your nose to the grindstone.” He’s been grinding out the wins since 2016 after [Read More]

Everything comes up roses for Mills at RPM’s Sunflower Classic

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]

Five IMCA divisions run March 31, April 1 as Sunflower Classic starts season at RPM

HAYS, Kan. (March 24, 2023) – RPM Speedway starts the 2023 race season with the traditional Mike Hughes Sunflower Classic on March 31 and April 1. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds run for $1,000 to win, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars for $750 each night. Both Friday and Saturday features are qualifying events for Fast Shafts All-Star or B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitationals. IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod features both pay $500 to win, Mach-1 Sport Compact features $200. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Jet Racing Central, EQ Cylinder Heads Northern or Big Daddy Race Cars Northern regional, and Kansas State points will be awarded for each draw/redraw show. Entry fee for the weekend is Modifieds $100, Stock Cars $75, Hobby Stocks and Northern SportMods both $50 and Sport Compacts $35. Pit passes are $30. Spectator admission is $10 for adults and free for military with ID and kids ages 12 and under. King of the hill races for Modifieds and Stock Cars are on the March 30 open [Read More]

RPM Speedway opens with April 15-16 Sunflower Classic

HAYS, Kan. (April 11, 2022) – RPM Speedway opens the season in legendary fashion with the Friday and Saturday, April 15 and 16 Mike Hughes Memorial Sunflower Classic. IMCA Modifieds race for $1,000 to win and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility both nights while IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars run for $750 to win in each of their B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying events. IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and IMCA Northern SportMods both run for $500 to win, Mach-1 Sport Compacts for $200 to win each night. One-time entry fee is $75 for the Modifieds, $50 for the Stock Cars, $40 for Hobbies and Northern SportMods and $30 for Sport Compacts. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional and KMJ Performance State points will be awarded. Pit gates open at 3 p.m. with hot laps at 5 p.m. and racing at 6 p.m. Pit passes are $25 for the Thursday, April 14 practice session that starts at 5 p.m. Pit passes are $30 on Friday and Saturday. More information is available about [Read More]

Big-time IMCA Modified special at RPM leads to another big win for Hobscheidt

HAYS, Kan. (Oct. 2) – Another big-time event ended with another big payday for Jacob Hobscheidt. After starting on the pole, running second most of the way and passing Tanner Black late in the 40-lapper, Hobscheidt was the $5,000 IMCA Modified winner Saturday at RPM Speedway’s 15th annual Fall Nationals presented by Nutrien Ag Services. “It’s been a pretty good year,” said the modest Hobscheidt, recently the winner of Park Jefferson Speedway’s Iron Cup and Southern Oregon Speedway’s R. Charles Snyder Salute and now eligible to qualify for the 2022 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. “We’ve focused and worked hard. We’ve made some mistakes but we’ve learned a lot.” His IMCA travels took Hobscheidt to 16 tracks in six different states in 2021. He drew the pole for his first post-season start at Hays, saw Black motor by on lap two and then stayed in the runner-up spot before a restart opened the door. “The season started out terrible,” he said. “We finally got things rolling when I got this new car (a 2020 GRT) put together.” [Read More]

IMCA Modifieds headline Oct. 1-2 RPM Fall Nationals

HAYS, Kan. – A $5,000 to win main event for IMCA Modifieds headlines RPM Speedway’s rich, 15th annual Fall Nationals presented by Nutrien Ag Services this Friday and Saturday, Oct. 1 and 2. The Saturday feature pays $2,500 for second, $1,500 for third and $1,000 for fourth with a minimum of $400 paid to start. The winner becomes eligible to qualify for the 2022 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Also on the card at Hays are IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars racing for $3,000 to win and $250 to start, along with B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods run for $2,000 to win and $175 to start, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks for $1,500 to win and $175 to start, and Mach-1 Sport Compacts for $400 to win and $50 to start. Qualifying events for all five divisions are on Friday; last-chance qualifying and features are on Saturday. Entry fee and non-qualifier pay are $150 for Modifieds, $100 for Stocks, $80 for SportMods, $75 for Hobby Stocks and $25 for Sport Compacts. [Read More]

A race fan forever, Sutton takes over as new promoter at RPM Speedway

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 [Read More]

Bowers is at his best for biggest IMCA win

HAYS, Kan. (Oct. 2-3) – Already a regular visitor to victory lane at RPM Speedway, Steven Bowers Jr. parked there again Saturday night after the biggest win of his IMCA Modified career. Bowers caught and passed long-time race leader Tom Berry for the $5,000 Fall Nationals feature win, adding another exclamation point to what has already been an amazing season. “This was pretty exciting, after the season we’ve had. I’m almost speechless,” Bowers said. “Running with Tom Berry, who is my closest friend, and battling with him for $5,000 was an honor.” While Tripp Gaylord and Bowers started on the front row, Berry – who’d drawn for the tardy Bowers – quickly charged from the fourth row to take control. After an early caution, the 40-lapper ran green to the finish. Bowers caught] up with and chased Berry into traffic, the two touched briefly and then Bowers edged ahead. “I reeled him in with five to go and passed him with three to go,” said Bowers, who pilots a homebuilt SB Chassis. “I had to [Read More]

RPM Fall Nationals features $5,000 to win IMCA Modified main event

HAYS, Kan. – RPM Speedway puts the wraps on 2020 with its rich Fall Nationals presented by Nutrien Ag Solutions special Friday and Saturday, Oct. 2 and 3, topped by the $5,000 to win main event for IMCA Modifieds. The Saturday feature is a 2021 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier and pays $2,500 for second, $1,500 for third and $1,000 for fourth with a minimum of $400 paid to start. Also on the card for the 14th annual Fall Nationals are IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars racing for $3,000 to win and $250 to start; Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods for $2,000 to win and $175 to start, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks for $1,500 to win and $175 to start, and Mach-1 Sport Compacts for $400 to win and $50 to start. Qualifying events for all five divisions are on Friday; last-chance qualifying and features are on Saturday. Entry fee and non-qualifier pay are $150 for Modifieds, $100 for Stocks, $80 for SportMods, $75 for Hobby Stocks and $25 for Sport Compacts. Adult grandstand admission is $15 [Read More]