Track Schedules

NORTON, KS (March 22)—Elmwood Park Speedway in Norton, KS, kicked off the 2008 season with the annual Frostfest that had over 90 drivers show up to compete.

Russell’s Mark Zorn took advantage of his outside pole starting position in the 25-lap IMCA Modified feature to take the lead at the drop of the green, followed by Grant Junghans, Dan Carl and Gary Kline. By lap 10, David Murray Jr. worked his way to second behind Zorn, trailed by Junghans, Matt Rucker and polesitter Dan Carl. The lone caution of the race came on lap 15 when Scott Smith stalled and came to a stop in turn 2. Zorn led the field back to green, but Carl used the high line to pass Rucker and Murray and move to second. While Zorn ran the bottom, Carl got around Zorn on lap 20, and the veteran from North Platte, NE, held on the final 5 laps to claim the win and the $1,000 winner’s check. Zorn finished second, followed by Murray, Corey Lagroon, and Rucker. Heat race winners were Barry Maupin, Lagroon, Gary Kline, Carl, and Jordan Grabouski, while Marty Clark and Chris Burke were first to the wire in the two B-features.

Tim Bergand make the long drive from Iowa worthwhile as he captured the IMCA Stock Car main event. Terry Cunningham took the lead on the opening lap, trailed by Bergand, heat 3 winner Cory Struckhoff, and Justin Bussell. Cautions on laps 7 and 9 kept the field close but Cunningham continued to lead at the halfway mark of the 20-lap race, only to be passed one lap later by Bergand. Bergand led the final 9 laps for the victory, followed by heat 4 winner Bryan Lariviere, heat one winner Lloyd Meeske, Cunningham, and Travis Sherfick. Bergand won the other heat race, while Tracy Holloway was first to the checkers in the B-feature.

Hometown driver Kelly Karnopp won an exciting 15-lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature. The race started on a bad note when polesitter Aaron Koch stuffed the guardrail in turn 4 on the opening lap. On the restart, Frank McClurg took the top spot, followed by Jim Buss, Jerry Hudson and B.J. Dauer. Buss took over the lead on lap 3, only to be passed by Dauer on lap 6. Dauer’s run came to an end on lap 11 when he went up in smoke, giving the lead back to Buss. Hudson then took the lead on the following lap, followed by Karnopp. But Hudson developed problems and fell back, giving Karnopp the lead on lap 13, which he held to the finish. Buss finished second, followed by Austin Davis, McClurg, and Hudson. Hudson and Dauer were victorious in the two heat races.

Alex Loveless of Lincoln was the only driver to defend his Frostfest championship. After winning the 4-cylinder Young Gun heat race, Loveless started seventh in the 8-car field and powered his way to the top spot on the opening lap of the 10-lap feature, followed by Robert McAfee and Bob Loveless. McAfee brought out the lone caution on lap 3 when he hit the guardrail in turn 4. Loveless pulled away on the restart to take top honors, followed by Dalton Dolan and Royal Fisher at the checkers.

The next race at Elmwood Park Speedway in Norton will take place Sunday evening, April 6, at 6:00 p.m. with the regular four divisions in competition.

RESULTS
IMCA Hobby Stocks
Heat 1: 1. Jerry Hudson, 2. Jim Buss, 3. Ricky Runnion, 4. Aaron Koch.
Heat 2: 1. B.J. Dauer, 2. Austin Davis, 3. Kelly Karnopp, 4. Jeromy Wagner.
Feature: 1. Karnopp, 2. Buss, 3. Davis, 4. Frank McClurg, 5. Hudson, 6. Wagner, 7. Runnion, 8. Troy Robinson, 9. Daniel Hilsabeck, 10. Colton Clausen, 11. Dauer (DNF), 12. Rhett Kingsbury (DNF), 13. Koch (DNF), 14. Michael Thummel (DNS).

IMCA Stock Cars
Heat 1: 1. Lloyd Meeske, 2. Wheat Lippelmann, 3. Dustin McClurg, 4. Angel Munoz.
Heat 2: 1. Tim Bengard, 2. Terry Cunningham, 3. Justin Bussell, 4. Shawn Bigham.
Heat 3: 1. Cory Struckhoff, 2. Travis Sherfick, 3. Randy Tipton, 4. Arnold Williams.
Heat 4: 1. Bryan Lariviere, 2. Nathan Glendening, 3. Jay Hachmeister, 4. Jason Rogers.

B-Feature (top 8 transfer): 1. Tracy Holloway, 2. Rogers, 3. Michael Dancer, 4. Jason Davis, 5. Kent Lower, 6. Williams, 7. Jared Remus, 8. Jason McCartney, 9. Robert Rutherford, 10. Adam Balthazor, 11. Jason Smidt, 12. Michael Zajic, 13. Brant Beam, 14. Brendon Eilts, 15. Holloway (DNF), 16. Zach Hilzer (DNF), 17. Thomas Nelson Jr. (DNF), 18. Jesse Taylor (DNF), 19. Munoz (DNS).

A-Feature: 1. Bengard, 2. Lariviere, 3. Meeske, 4. Cunningham, 5. Sherfick, 6. Bussell, 7. Dancer, 8. Davis, 9. Struckhoff, 10. Glendening, 11. McClurg, 12. Lippelmann, 13. Tipton, 14. Williams, 15. Lower, 16. Rogers, 17. Hachmeister, 18. Bigham (DNF), 19. McCartney (DNF), 20. Remus (DNF).


IMCA Modifieds
Heat 1: 1. Barry Maupin, 2. Scott Smith, 3. Jeremy Zorn, 4. Marty Clark.
Heat 2: 1. Corey Lagroon, 2. Matt Rucker, 3. Rodger Peck, 4. Chris Burke.
Heat 3: 1. Gary Kline, 2. Mark Zorn, 3. David Murray Jr., 4. Joe Cleveland.
Heat 4: 1. Dan Carl, 2. Brandon Blochlinger, 3. Lance Borgman, 4. Brian Calhoon.
Heat 5: 1. Jordan Grabouski, 2. Grant Junghans, 3. Chad Sterling, 4. Josh Hudson.

B-Feature #1 (top3 transfer): 1. Clark, 2. Cleveland, 3. Mike Lunow, 4. Hudson, 5. Mike Petersilie, 6. Mitch Kline, 7. Brandon Hagan, 8. Doug Shearer, 9. Wade Wagenblast, 10. Danny Keller (DNF), 11. Chad Wulf (DNF), 12. George Tyler (DNF).

B-Feature #2 (top 3 transfer): 1. Burke, 2. Brett Behrends, 3. Clay Bontrager, 4. Rick Schwab, 5. Tyler Hahn, 6. Hunter Hembree, 7. Brooke Eilts, 8. Heath Myers, 9. Wes O’Bannon (DNF), 10. John Fabrizius (DNF), 11. Calhoon (DNS).

A-Feature: 1. Carl, 2. M. Zorn, 3. Murray, 4. Lagroon, 5. Rucker, 6. Junghans, 7. Grabouski, 8. G. Kline, 9. Lunow, 10. Cleveland, 11. Burke, 12. Blochlinger, 13. Borgman, 14. Sterling, 15. J. Zorn, 16. Behrends, 17. Clark, 18. Peck, 19. Smith (DNF), 20. Maupin (DNF), 21. Bontrager (DNF).


4-cylinder Young Guns
Heat: 1. Alex Loveless, 2. Dalton Dolan, 3. Royal Fisher, 4. Robert McAfee.
Feature: 1. A. Loveless, 2. Dolan, 3. Fisher, 4. Bob Loveless, 5. Art Herzog, 6. Andrew Soderlund, 7. Rosie Werth, 8. McAfee (DNF).