Wakeeney Speedway opens season with Spring Fling
By Mike Hughes
WAKEENEY, KS (March 29)—The Wakeeney (KS) Speedway opened the 2015 racing season with the Spring Fling on Sunday, March 29, with drivers from 6 states competing for extra prize money.
Cody Gearhart of Turpin, OK, started on the pole of the 27-car 25-lap IMCA Modified feature and took an early lead with Ryan Heger in tow. After a caution on lap 18 when Mike Martin lost a motor, Colby’s Nate Moore made a pass on Gearhart to take the top spot. Gearhart left the race later with tire issues. Moore held on to win, with Heger, ‘The Wichita Lineman’ Randy Wilson, defending track champion Kyle Rohleder, and ‘Dynamite’ Dylan Sherfick completing the top five. Heat race winners were Rohleder, Jesse Richter, Sherfick, and Chris Heim.
The 25-lap IMCA Stock Car feature saw its fair share of cautions but had the most exciting finish of the day. Chad Sterling took the lead at the drop of the green, but was passed by Jason Rogers on lap 10. Rogers’ lead was short lived as 5-time national champion Mike Nichols of Harlan, IA, passed Rogers on the outside down the backstretch as the field reached the halfway mark. Nichols continued to lead with Rogers glued to the back bumper. Rogers regained the lead on the white flag lap but Nichols got back past Rogers at the checkers for a trip to the Jason Oil winner’s circle. ‘Spiderman’ Nick Tubbs finished third, followed by Sterling and Casey Woken. Heat race victors were Rogers, Jeff Tubbs, and Woken.
The IMCA Sport Mod feature saw Collyer’s Blaine Walt take advantage of his outside pole starting spot to take a lead he would not relinquish in the 20-lap main event. Austin Carter chased Walt most of the race but had to settle for the runner-up spot, with ‘The Money Man’ Clay Money, Ryan Moser and Daniel Gottschalk rounding out the top five. Gottschalk, Carter, and Jeremy Sigler all won heat races.
Goodland’s Tyrel Smith started pole in the 15-lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature and quickly shot out to the lead, however on lap 4, Colton Pfeifer assumed command and led the field at the halfway mark. But Smith was handed the top spot back on lap 9 when Pfeifer went pitside with a flat tire. Brock Beeter of Minot, ND, chased Smith the rest of the distance but could not make a pass. ‘The Wild Child’ Garrett Hager was third, Colin Heim fourth and Ron Wehling fifth. Heat race winners were Heim, Cody Williams, and Andrew Burg from Adel, IA.
Art Herzog of Hays led all 10 laps in the IMCA Sport Compact feature. A couple of early cautions bunched the field but Herzog pulled away for the win. Heat race winner Kiowa Higdon was second, followed by Andrew McClellan and Trenton Cantrell.
The race sponsor was Xtreme Motorsports of Great Bend.
Racing action returns to the Wakeeney Speedway on Sunday, April 12, with all 5 classes in action. Race time is 6:30 p.m.
RESULTS
IMCA Hobby Stocks
Heat race winners: Colin Heim, Cody Williams, Andrew Burg.
Feature: 1. Tyrel Smith, 2. Brock Beeter, 3. Garrett Hager, 4. Heim, 5. Ron Wehling, 6. Shay Simoneau, 7. Kyle Pfeifer, 8. Eric Cross, 9. Al Emmons, 10. Robert Emmons, 11. Irvin Earl, 12. Tom Reed, 13. Burg (DNF), 14. Colton Pfeifer (DNF), 15. Duane Wahrman (DNF), 16. Williams (DNF), 17. Brady Bencken (DNF), 18. Cody Graham (DNF), 19. Jace Smith (DNF), 20. Leon Pfannenstiel (DNF), 21. Jamie Songer (DNF).
IMCA Northern Sport Mods
Heat race winners: Daniel Gottschalk, Austin Carter, Jeremy Sigler.
Feature: 1. Blaine Walt, 2. Carter, 3. Clay Money, 4. Ryan Moser, 5. Gottschalk, 6. Kaid Calhoon, 7. Sigler, 8. Dakota Sproul, 9. Brian Cross, 10. Tyler Watts, 11. Trenton Kleweno, 12. Bentley Pywell, 13. Trevor Geist, 14. Eric Pfeifer, 15. Toby Witthuhn (DNF), 16. Kenny Schmidt (DNF), 17. Tristen Barton (DNF), 18. C.J. Pfannenstiel (DNS), 19. Kolton Vogel (DNS).
IMCA Stock Cars
Heat race winners: Jason Rogers, Jeff Tubbs, Casey Woken.
Feature: 1. Mike Nichols, 2. Rogers, 3. Nick Tubbs, 4. Chad Sterling, 5. Woken, 6. B.J. Wagoner, 7. Wheat Lippelman, 8. Aaron Gray, 9. Justin Lewis, 10. Dusty Witthuhn, 11. J. Tubbs, 12. Josh Crombie (DNF), 13. Cody Zimmerman (DNF), 14. Tyler Hahn (DNF), 15. Eric Kinderknecht, 16. Shannon Maughlin (DNF), 17. Bruce Plumisto (DNS), 18. Austin Janousek (DNS).
IMCA Modifieds
Heat race winners: Kyle Rohleder, Jesse Richter, Dylan Sherfick, Chris Heim.
Feature: 1. Nate Moore, 2. Ryan Heger, 3. Randy Wilson, 4. Rohleder, 5. Sherfick, 6. Anthony Roth, 7. Tim Watts, 8. Clay Sellard, 9. Nick Link, 10. Richter, 11. Matt Henke, 12. Jacob Adler, 13. Marty Clark, 14. Brian Calhoon, 15. Mike Petersilie, 16. John Fabrizius, 17. Danny Keller, 18. Heim (DNF), 19. Cody Gearhart (DNF), 20. Mike Martin (DNF), 21. Brad Keller (DNF), 22. Don Geist (DNF), 23. Todd Schwarz (DNF), 24. Chadd Brown (DNF), 25. Jason Schoenberger (DNF), 26. Paul Jones (DNF), 27. Grant Florence (DNS).
IMCA Sport Compacts
Heat race winner: Kiowa Higdon.
Feature: 1. Art Herzog, 2. Higdon, 3. Andrew McClellan, 4. Trenton Cantrell, 5. Nathan Barton (DNF), 6. Kirk Pfannenstiel (DNF), 7. Ed Jasper (DNF), 8. Randy Murphy (DNS), 9. Brandon Lobdell (DNS).
Category: Kansas / Nebraska, WaKeeney Speedway (Kansas)
