Cunningham, Fuller first repeat winners at Wakeeney

By Mike Hughes

WAKEENEY, KS (May 27)—After four races this season at Wakeeney (KS)Speedway, no driver was able to repeat in their respective division.  But two drivers broke the spell Sunday evening, May 27, during the first night of the annual 2-day Memorial Challenge, sponsored by First Federal Savings & Loan of Wakeeney.  Round 2 will take place Monday night, May 28, at 6:00 p.m.

The first to score the double was G.W. ‘Cheeseburger’ Fuller of Tescott.  The opening lap saw polesitter Garrett ‘The Wild Child’ Hager take the early lead.  Hager led to the halfway mark, followed by Fuller, Tony Slothower, Daniel Irwin and Cody Ghumm.  Then a caution flag on lap 14 set up a green-white-checkered finish.  Fuller took advantage on the restart and got under Hager and held on for the win.  Hager finished second, followed by Irwin, Slothower, and Jacob Crowell.  Heat race winners were Crowell, Fuller, and Brian Stich.  Jason Stevens of Colby rolled his car in his heat race.  He as taken to the hospital for observation.

The second driver to make a repeat appearance in the Jason Oil Winner’s Circle was hometown driver Terry Cunningham.  Cunningham chased down leader Jeff Tubbs on lap 17 of the IMCA Stock Car feature and made the pass and held off a late charge from Jeff’s brother Nick Tubbs to win the caution free 20-lap event.  Jeff Tubbs held on for third, trailed by Austin Carter and Jesse Taylor.  The Tubbs brothers won the two heat races.

It was a battle of attrition in the IMCA Modified A-feature as only 11 of the 20 starters were around at the checkered flag.  Brendon Gemmill looked to have things well in hand as he led the first 16 laps.  Then on lap 17, Bill Albin blew up his motor, bringing out the caution.  While under caution, Gemmill’s car started smoking and he headed to the pits.  That gave the lead over toManhattan’s Grant Junghans on the restart.  Junghans, who won the night before at Heartland Park Topeka, stayed in front the final four laps for the win.  B-feature victor ‘Dynamite’ Dylan Sherfick, Corey Lagroon, Rodger Peck and Marty Clark completed the top five.  Heat race winners included Travis Sherfick, Peck, Junghans, and Lagroon.

Trenton Kleweno led the first 3 laps of the IMCA Northern Sport Mod feature before defending national champion ‘Flyin’ Bryan Lariviere ofWichitatook a lead he would not relinquish.  The caution flag waved several times, the final on lap 14, setting up a green-white-checkered finish, but Lariviere held off Kleweno for the trip to victory lane.  Heat three winner Blaine Walt finished third, followed by ‘Wild’ Willie Wynn and heat one winner Daniel Gottschalk.  Cory Struckhoff won the other heat race.

 

RESULTS

IMCA Hobby Stocks

Heat 1: 1. Jacob Crowell, 2. Daniel Irwin, 3. Jason McIntyre, 4. Ron Wehling.

Heat 2: 1. G.W. Fuller, 2. Tony Slothower, 3. Cody Ghumm, 4. Garrett Hager.

Heat 3: 1. Brian Stich, 2. Tommy Fose, 3. Randy Murphy, 4. Tyrel Smith.

Feature: 1. Fuller, 2. Hager, 3. Irwin, 4. Slothower, 5. Crowell, 6. Cody Graham, 7. Smith, 8. Fose, 9. Wehling, 10. Leon Pfannenstiel, 11. Lee Sells, 12. Austin Tammen, 13. Stich, 14. Jeremy Couse, 15. McIntyre, 16. Murphy, 17. Ghumm (DNF), 18. Jason Stevens (DNS).

IMCA Northern Sport Mods

Heat 1: 1. Daniel Gottschalk, 2. Dan Lauer, 3. Clay Money, 4. Josh Appel.

Heat 2: 1. Cory Struckhoff, 2.Trenton Kleweno, 3. Willie Wynn, 4. Chris Heim.

Heat 3: 1.Blaine Walt, 2. Bryan Lariviere, 3. Mike Appel, 4. Jesse Levin.

Feature: 1. Lariviere, 2. Kleweno, 3. Walt, 4. Wynn, 5. Gottschalk, 6. Levin, 7. J. Appel, 8. M. Appel, 9. Struckhoff, 10. Heim, 11. Joe Couse, 12. Brian Conness, 13. Money, 14. Andy Barton, 15. Lauer, 16. Brandon Belvill, 17. Jason Gray, 18. Justin Dietz, 19. Austin Walker (DNF), 20. Don Strecker (DNF), 21. Jerrod Couse (DNF), 22. Derrick Pfannenstiel (DNF).

IMCA Stock Cars

Heat 1: 1. Jeff Tubbs, 2. Wheat Lippelmann, 3. Josh Hudson, 4. Perry Misner.

Heat 2: 1. Nick Tubbs, 2. Austin Carter, 3. Jason Davis, 4. Jesse Taylor.

Feature: 1. Terry Cunningham, 2. N. Tubbs, 3. J. Tubbs, 4. Carter, 5.Taylor, 6.Davis, 7. Hudson, 8. Lippelmann, 9. Chase Conaway, 10. Misner, 11. C.J. Pfannenstiel, 12. Eric Kinderknecht, 13. Cody Zimmerman, 14. Rich Beesley.

IMCA Modifieds

Heat 1: 1. Travis Sherfick, 2. Kyle Rohleder, 3. MartyClark, 4. Wheat Lippelmann.

Heat 2: 1. Rodger Peck, 2. Brian Calhoun, 3. Brendon Gemmill, 4. Bill Albin.

Heat 3: 1. Grant Junghans, 2. Troy Plummer, 3. TadDavis, 4. Dylan Sherfick.

Heat 4: 1. Corey Lagroon, 2. Jerry Phillips, 3. Randy Wilson, 4. Shannon Maughlin.

B-Feature (top 8 transfer): 1. D. Sherfick, 2. Albin, 3. Maughlin, 4. Nate Moore, 5. Tim Watts, 6. Matt Fabrizius, 7. John Fose, 8. Danny Keller, 9. Jerry Teel, 10. W. Lippelmann, 11. Michael Martin, 12.Milo Lippelmann, 13. Cody Gearhart, 14. Matt Henke, 15. William Nusser, 16. Brad Keller, 17. Rob Day (DNS), 18. Austin Allen (DNS).

A-Feature: 1. Junghans, 2. D. Sherfick, 3. Lagroon, 4. Peck, 5. Clark, 6. Wilson, 7. Moore, 8. Maughlin, 9. Calhoun, 10. Fabrizius, 11. D. Keller, 12. Gemmill (DNF), 13. Albin (DNF), 14. Rohleder (DNF), 15. Plummer (DNF), 16. Phillips (DNF), 17.Watts (DNF), 18. T. Sherfick (DNF), 19. Fose (DNF), 20. Davis (DNF).

Category: Kansas / Nebraska, News, WaKeeney Speedway (Kansas)