Ginest, Hager, Watts news faces in Hays winner’s circle
By Mike Hughes
HAYS, KS (May 24)—Great Bend’s Nate Ginest, hometown driver Garrett ‘The Wild Child’ Hager, and Beloit’s Tim Watts were first time winners this season at RPM Speedway in Hays, KS, Saturday night, May 24.
The Golden Plains Trucking IMCA Northern Sport Mod 20-lap feature got off to a rough start as Michael Copper and Brandon Belvill crashed into the frontstretch wall on the opening lap. Both drivers were okay but done for the night. Jeremy Couse led the first 2 laps before a caution waved for a spinning Ryan Gier. On the restart, Ginest shot to the lead and never looked back. Several cautions kept the field close, and point leader ‘The Frye Man’ Tyler Frye stayed on the back bumper but could not make a pass and settled for the runner-up spot. Heat race winners Daniel Gottschalk and Blaine Walt finished third and fourth, with Brenden Damon rounding out the top five. Cory Struckhoff also won a heat race.
Brady Bencken led the first half of the 20-lap Rebel Tank Service IMCA Hobby Stock feature before Hager took the lead at the halfway mark. Hager was able to hold off a late charge by Ron Wehling to make his first trip to the winner’s circle, with Monte Honas, Trevor ‘The Hit Man’ Schmidt and Eric Ross completing the top five. Heat race winners were Hager, Adam Armstrong, Travis Coop and Jason Sucky, with Daniel Irwin winning the B-feature.
Watts took the lead on lap 3 of the S & W Supply 20-lap IMCA Modified feature from Trent Gray and held on to make his first trip to victory lane this season. Rob Day started 11th and worked his way to second to challenge Watts but had to be content in the runner-up spot. Heat race winners Jesse Richter and David ‘The Iceman’ Murray placed third and fourth with Jason Schoenberger finishing fifth. Watts was victorious in the other heat race.
Cody Zimmerman led the opening lap of the Advantage Glass Plus 20-lap IMCA Stock Car feature before Kevin Wagoner took the lead on lap 2. The caution then waved on lap 3 when Scot Granzella lost a wheel. When the green flag replaced the yellow, Selden’s Jason Rogers took the lead and drove on to score his second feature win in a row at Hays. Jeff Tubbs was second, followed by heat race winners Nick ‘The Spiderman’ Tubbs and Nolan Remus. Bruce Plumisto finished fifth.
Kiowa Higdon of Hays won his third Tom’s Machine & Welding IMCA Sport Compact feature in a row. Higdon led all 12 laps for the win. Dallas Dunn tried to get under Higdon in turns 3 & 4 on the final lap but had to settle for second. Michael Smith, Art Herzog and Madison Reed rounded out the top five. Reed and Kirk Pfannenstiel won the two heat races.
Mike Wagner topped a 7 bus field to win the School Bus feature.
The evening’s race sponsor was Baker Hughes. It was also Girl Scout Night and all girl scouts in uniform were admitted free.
Racing returns to RPM Speedway on Saturday, June 7, with the regular five divisions in action, and NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader will return to compete. Race time is 7:00 p.m.
RESULTS
IMCA Sport Compacts
Heat race winners: Madison Reed, Kirk Pfannenstiel.
Feature: 1. Kiowa Higdon, 2. Dallas Dunn, 3. Michael Smith, 4. Art Herzog, 5. Reed, 6. Pfannenstiel, 7. Brandon Lobdell, 8. Justin Rohr, 9. Shaun Woods, 10. Amber Bird (DNF), 11. Ashlyn Bird (DNF).
IMCA Hobby Stocks
Heat race winners: Garrett Hager, Adam Armstrong, Travis Coop, Jason Sucky.
B-Feature (top 4 advance): 1. Daniel Irwin, 2. Aaron Gray, 3. Colton Pfeifer, 4. Eric Ross, 5. Kent Tammen, 6. Wayne Juenemann, 7. Brett Henke, 8. Preston Shamburg, 9. Duane Wahrman (DNF), 10. Mitchell Kuhlmann (DNF), 11. Oscar Runyon (DNF), 12. Kolton Vogel (DNS).
A-Feature: 1. Hager, 2. Ron Wehling, 3. Monte Honas, 4. Trevor Schmidt, 5. Ross, 6. Cody Graham, 7. Jeromy Wagner, 8. Brady Bencken, 9. Armstrong, 10. Pfeifer, 11. Sucky, 12. Gray, 13. Darren Unrein, 14. Jacob Olmstead, 15. Lyle Russell, 16. Coop, 17. Christopher McNulty, 18. Kyle Pfeifer, 19. G.W. Fuller (DNF), 20. Irwin (DNF).
IMCA Northern Sport Mods
Heat race winners: Blaine Walt, Daniel Gottschalk, Cory Struckhoff.
Feature: 1. Nate Ginest, 2. Tyler Frye, 3. Gottschalk, 4. Walt, 5. Brenden Damon, 6. Joe Couse, 7. Jeremy Couse, 8. Clay Money, 9. Kurtis Pihl, 10. Jacob Crowell, 11. Dakota Sproul, 12. Tyler Watts, 13. Pat Bedore, 14. Ryan Gier, 15. Cory McGann (DNF), 16. Tony Fisher (DNF), 17. Trenton Kleweno (DNF), 18. Cody Stefanski (DNF), 19. Eric Pfeifer (DNF), 20. Struckhoff (DNF), 21. Bentley Pywell (DNF), 22. J.R. Ewing (DNF), 23. Brandon Belvill (DNF), 24. Michael Copper (DNF).
IMCA Stock Cars
Heat race winners: Nick Tubbs, Nolan Remus.
Feature: 1. Jason Rogers, 2. Jeff Tubbs, 3. N. Tubbs, 4. Remus, 5. Bruce Plumisto, 6. B.J. Wagoner, 7. Jason Davis, 8. Kevin Wagoner, 9. Dustin McClurg, 10. Cody Zimmerman, 11. Bob Arnold, 12. Brandon Conkwright, 13. Robert Rutherford, 14. Eric Kinderknecht, 15. John Annon (DNF), 16. Cody Williams (DNF), 17. Scot Granzella (DNF).
IMCA Modifieds
Heat race winners: Tim Watts, Jesse Richter, David Murray.
Feature: 1. Watts, 2. Rob Day, 3. Richter, 4. Murray, 5. Jason Schoenberger, 6. Mike Petersilie, 7. Nate Moore, 8. Ronnie Hill, 9. Dusty Springer, 10. Clinton Hockersmith, 11. Craig Colgin, 12. Matt Henke, 13. Todd Schwarz, 14. Marty Clark (DNF), 15. Dylan Sherfick (DNF), 16. Trent Gray (DNF), 17. Jerry Phillips (DNF), 18. Clay Sellard (DNF), 19. Kevin Gray (DNF).
Category: Kansas / Nebraska, RPM Speedway
