Wakeeney Speedway kicks off season

By Mike Hughes

WAKEENEY, KS (March 30)—Wakeeney (KS) Speedway opened their racing season Sunday, March 30, with their Spring Fling as over 110 cars from 6 states filled the pits.

In the IMCA Modified feature, Marty Clark jumped out to an early lead, only to slide off the backstretch on lap 3 and go to the tail of the 22-car field.  That gave the lead to Cody Gearhart of Turpin, OK, who sped off and left the field enroute to a $1,000 payday.  Heat 4 winner ‘Dynamite’ Dylan Sherfick chased Gearhart but had to settle for second, followed by Jeremy Frenier, Tim Watts and first heat winner Kyle Rohleder.  Gearhart and Van Gemmill also won heat races.

The Dirt Track Central Jax Sports Grille Great Plains Series IMCA Stock Car feature was loaded with heavy hitters.  Jason Rogers jumped out to the lead at the drop of the green, and 3 early cautions kept the field close.  Rogers continued to lead at the halfway mark of the 25-lap event, followed by Mike Nichols of Harlan, IA, and Jeff Tubbs.  Rogers and Nichols put on a show, with Nichols finally taking over the top spot on lap 20.  A caution on lap 24 set up a green-white-checkered finish but Nichols was able to hold off Rogers and Tubbs at the line for the victory.  Angel Munoz and Justin Tiemeyer rounded out the top five.  Heat race winners were Nichols, Rogers and Tubbs.

In the 20-lap IMCA Northern Sport Mod main event, Daniel Gottschalk led the opening lap but was passed on lap 2 by Cory Struckhoff.  Struckhoff led to a lap 5 caution, then was passed by ‘The Frye Man’ Tyler Frye of Belleville on the restart.  Frye led the rest of the way to score the win, with Struckhoff, Blaine Walt, Ben Kates and Josh Appel rounding out the top five.  Appel, Walt, Byran Herrick and Kates were the heat race winners, with Austin Walker claiming the checkers in the B-feature.

Brock Beeter of Minot, ND, looked to make the long haul worthwhile as he took the lead at the start of the IMCA Hobby Stock feature.  Beeter led to the crossed flags in the 15-lap race until Adam Armstrong of Beatrice, NE, made a pass on Beeter to the outside in turn 2 on lap 9 to gain control.  A couple of late cautions bunched the field but Armstrong held on for his second $500 winner’s check in as many nights.  Beeter held on for the runner-up spot, trailed by Garrett Hager, Brandy Bencken and Colton Pfeifer.  Heat race victors were Roy Armstrong, Adam Armstrong, and Hager.

Ramsey Meyer of Pierce, NE, passed Art Herzog on lap 4 of the 12-lap IMCA Sport Compact feature and pulled away for his second win on the weekend.  Kiowa Higdon finished second, followed by Herzog, Michael Smith and Brandon Lobdell.  Meyer and Kirk Pfannenstiel won the 2 heat races.

Racing action returns to Wakeeney Speedway on Sunday, April 6, with all five regular divisions in action.  The green flag will fly at 6:30 p.m.

RESULTS

IMCA Sport Compacts
Heat race winners: Ramsey Meyer, Kirk Pfannenstiel.
Feature: 1. Meyer, 2. Kiowa Higdon, 3. Art Herzog, 4. Michael Smith, 5. Brandon Lobdell, 6. Dean Herzog, 7. Madison Reed, 8. Andrew Soderlund, 9. T.J. Janousek, 10. Richard Tegethoff, 11. Ed Jasper (DNF), 12. Kirk Pfannenstiel (DNF), 13. Justin Rohr (DNS).

IMCA Hobby Stocks
Heat race winners: Roy Armstrong, Adam Armstrong, Garrett Hager.

Feature: 1. A. Armstrong, 2. Brock Beeter, 3. Hager, 4. Brady Bencken, 5. Colton Pfeifer, 6. Andrew Sebastian, 7. Cody Graham, 8. Jeromy Wagner, 9. Colin Heim, 10. Kyle Pfeifer, 11. William Bauer, 12. Al Emmons, 13. Robert Emmons, 14. Sierra Swart, 15. Leon Pfannenstiel (DNF), 16. Lyle Russell (DNF), 17. Tanner Moss (DNF), 18. Mike Giesenhagen (DNF), 19. Jason McClung (DNF), 20. Daniel Irwin (DNF), 21. R. Armstrong (DNF), 22. Justin Meserve (DNF), 23. Monte Honas (DNS).

IMCA Northern Sport Mods
Heat race winners: Josh Appel, Blaine Walt, Bryan Herrick, Ben Kates.

B-Feature (top 8 advance): 1. Austin Walker, 2. Trenton Kleweno, 3. Clay Money, 4. Ryan Moser, 5. Dan Lauer, 6. Willie Wynn, 7. #08, 8. Eric Pfeifer (DNF), 9. C.J. Pfannenstiel, 10. Steven Lewis (DNF), 11. Thomas Nelson (DNF), 12. Bentley Pywell (DNF), 13. Randle McRoberts (DNF), 14. Brian Conness (DNS).

A-Feature: 1. Tyler Frye, 2. Cory Struckhoff, 3. Walt, 4. Kates, 5. J. Appel, 6. Money, 7. Herrick, 8. Austin Carter, 9. Walker, 10. Jeremy Sigler, 11. Kleweno, 12. Moser, 13. Wynn, 14. Kaid Calhoon, 15. Pfannenstiel, 16. #08, 17. Trevor Geist (DNF), 18. Henry Henderson (DNF), 19. Lauer (DNF), 20. Jeremy Couse (DNF), 21. Brandon Clough (DNF), 22. Mike Appel (DNF), 23. Daniel Gottschalk (DNF), 24. Jimmy Ness (DNF).

IMCA Stock Cars
Heat race winners: Mike Nichols, Jason Rogers, Jeff Tubbs.

Feature: 1. Nichols, 2. Rogers, 3. J. Tubbs, 4. Angel Munoz, 5. Justin Tiemeyer, 6. Kyle Clough, 7. Nick Tubbs, 8. B.J. Wagoner, 9. Brent Moss, 10. Perry Misner, 11. Wheat Lippelmann, 12. Michael Meyer, 13. Jason McIntyre, 14. Jason Davis, 15. Casey Woken, 16. Tyler Tipton (DNF), 17. Austin Janousek (DNF), 18. Wes Bauer (DNF), 19. Shannon Maughlin (DNF), 20. Eric Kinderknecht, 21. Scot Granzella (DNF), 22. John A. Sieg (DNS), 23. John D. Sieg (DNS).

IMCA Modifieds
Heat race winners: Kyle Rohleder, Cody Gearhart, Van Gemmill, Dylan Sherfick.
Feature: 1. Gearhart, 2. Sherfick, 3. Jeremy Frenier, 4. Tim Watts, 5. Rohleder, 6. Gemmill, 7. Clay Sellard, 8. John Fabrizius, 9. Anthony Roth, 10. Chris Heim, 11. Jason Haug, 12. Marty Clark, 13. Jesse Richter, 14. Wheat Lippelmann, 15. Craig Colgin, 16. Don Geist (DNF), 17. Randy Wilson (DNF), 18. Chadd Brown (DNF), 19. Danny Concelman (DNF), 20. Brian Calhoon (DNF), 21. Scott Brown (DNF), 22. Alex Albin (DNS), 23. Bill Albin (DNS), 24. Milo Lippelmann (DNS).

Category: Kansas / Nebraska, WaKeeney Speedway (Kansas)