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RPM Speedway kicks off new season
By Mike Hughes 

HAYS, KS (April 16) – Despite rain the previous night and a northerly wind on race night, Rolling Plains Motor Speedway in Hays, KS, got the 2010 season underway Friday evening, April 16. 

Twenty cars took the green in the IMCA Modified feature, which took three tries to get underway.  Jason Schoenberger took the early lead with Rodger Peck and Troy Plummer close behind.  A couple of caution flags the first half of the 20-lap event kept the field close but Schoenberger still led at the crossed flags, followed by Hardesty, Perry Misner, Plummer, and Belleville’s Darrick Klima.  Then on lap 12, Klima took the lead when Schoenberger went to the pits.  The caution flag waved again a few times the remainder of the race but Klima held on to win, trailed by Hardesty, Jeremy Zorn, Jerry Teel, and ‘Gorgeous’ George Tyler.  Heat race winners were Hardesty, Tyler, Schoenberger, and Danny Morrison, with ‘The Terminator’ Travis Sherfick claiming the checkers in the B-feature. 

Pat Bedore led the opening lap of the IMCA Stock Car feature, but Garden City’s Rod Wadel took the lead one lap later and led the remaining distance in the 20-lap race to score the victory.  A late race caution set up a green-white-checkered finish that saw Wadel trailed by Adam Balthazor, Bedore, Jay Hachmeister, and Keith Riley, and the five finished that way when the checkered flag waved.  Craig Werth and Terry Cunningham won the two heat races. 

G.W. ‘Cheeseburger’ Fuller of Tescott led from green to checkered in the 15-lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature.  A couple of caution flags kept the field close at hand, but Fuller was able to hold off the 20-car field for the win.  Kent Tammen, Brent Schoen, Tony Slothower, and Mark Normandin rounded out the top five.  Heat race winners included Fuller, Josh Latka, and Schoen. 

Twenty IMCA Northern Sport Mods took the green in a 15-lap marathon that saw the caution flag wave as much as the green.  Jerry Lambeth led the first 3 laps, but after a lap 4 restart, Belleville’s Tyler Frye took over the top spot and led the rest of the distance to score the win.  B.J. Dauer, in a new car in a new division, finished in the runner-up spot, followed by former go-kart competitor Chris Heim, Josh Rice, and Mathew Crowell.  Dauer, Dustin McClurg, and Frye were victorious in the three heat races.

It was Fort Hays State University Night.  The Tiger Debs were on hand, and several Tiger souvenirs were given away. 

The evening’s race sponsor was Gib’s Auto Supply of Hays and Lacrosse, your local NAPA auto parts dealer. 

Racing action returns to the 3/8-mile oval next Friday night, April 23.  The URSS 305 Sprint Cars will make their first appearance of the season, and will be joined by the IMCA-sanctioned Hobby Stocks, Northern Sport Mods, and the Sport Compacts.  Race time is 7:30.

RESULTS

IMCA Hobby Stocks

Heat 1: 1. G.W. Fuller, 2. Kent Tammen, 3. Mark Normandin, 4. Cody Graham.

Heat 2: 1. Josh Latka, 2. T.C. McKain, 3. Al Emmons, 4. Jerry Hudson.

Heat 3: 1. Brent Schoen, 2. Cody Ghumm, 3. Aaron McBride, 4. Leon Pfannenstiel.

Feature: 1. Fuller, 2. Tammen, 3. Schoen, 4. Tony Slothower, 5. Normandin, 6. McBride, 7. Luke Pfannenstiel, 8. Daniel Irwin, 9. Aaron Honas, 10. Latka, 11. Casey Gilmore, 12. Graham, 13. Auron Gray, 14. Rick Maynard, 15. Leon Pfannenstiel, 16. McKain (DNF), 17. Ghumm (DNF), 18. Jeff Unrein (DNF), 19. Tyrel Smith (DNF), 20. Emmons (DNF), 21. Hudson (DNF).

IMCA Stock Cars

Heat 1: 1. Craig Werth, 2. Jay Hachmeister, 3. Rod Wadel, 4. Jay Schmidt.

Heat 2: 1. Terry Cunningham, 2. Terry Franz, 3. Pat Bedore, 4. Tim Leiker.

Feature: 1. Wadel, 2. Adam Balthazor, 3. Bedore, 4. Hachmeister, 5. Keith Riley, 6. Cunningham, 7. Adam Stenzel, 8. Franz, 9. Schmidt, 10. Werth (DNF), 11. Leiker (DNF), 12. Josh Hudson (DNF), 13. Mike Hershaw (DNF), 14. Brandon Fisher (DNF).

IMCA Northern Sport Mods

Heat 1: 1. B.J. Dauer, 2. Trenton Kleweno, 3. Chris Heim, 4. Jerry Lambeth.

Heat 2: 1. Dustin McClurg, 2. Mathew Crowell, 3. Josh Rice, 4. Blaine Walt.

Heat 3: 1. Tyler Frye, 2. Ryan Goheen, 3. Joe Couse, 4. Tanner Portenier.

Feature: 1. Frye, 2. Dauer, 3. Heim, 4. Rice, 5. Crowell, 6. Goheen, 7. Portenier, 8. Kenny Schmidt, 9. Troy Attwood, 10. Couse, 11. Troy Robinson, 12. McClurg, 13. Walt, 14. Tyler Watts, 15. Derrick Pfannenstiel, 16. Clayton Wilson, 17. Kleweno (DNF), 18. Jeffrey Kerns (DNF), 19. Lambeth (DNF), 20. Brenden Damon (DNF).

IMCA Modifieds

Heat 1: 1. Dave Hardesty, 2. Darrick Klima, 3. Rodger Peck, 4. Jeremy Zorn.

Heat 2: 1. George Tyler, 2. Perry Misner, 3. Brian Calhoon, 4. Corey Lagroon.

Heat 3: 1. Jason Schoenberger, 2. John Fose, 3. Jerry Phillips, 4. Mike Petersilie.

Heat 4: 1. Danny Morrison, 2. Troy Plummer, 3. Jerry Teel, 4. Tim Watts.

B-Feature (top 4 advance): 1. Travis Sherfick, 2. Shannon Maughlin, 3. Nate Moore, 4. Kyle Rohleder, 5. Scott Brown, 6. Jesse Richter, 7. Matt Fabrizius, 8. Barry Maupin, 9. Chadd Brown, 10. Marty Clark, 11. Joshua Appel, 12. Ronnie Hill (DNF), 13. Matt Henke (DNF), 14. Rick Lamb (DNS), 15. Cory Simoneau (DNS).

A-Feature: 1. Klima, 2. Hardesty, 3. Zorn, 4. Teel, 5. Tyler, 6. Petersilie, 7. Plummer, 8. Maughlin, 9. Peck, 10. Fose, 11. Watts, 12. Moore, 13. Sherfick, 14. Lagroon, 15. Phillips (DNF), 16. Misner (DNF), 17. Calhoon (DNF), 18. Schoenberger (DNF), 19. Rohleder (DNF), 20. Morrison (DNF).