Large field gathers for Norton’s Frost Fest
By Mike Hughes

NORTON, KS (March 12, 2006)—Over 80 race teams invaded Elmwood Park Speedway in Norton, KS, on Sunday, March 12, for the annual Frost Fest race event.

Dave Trauernicht of Beatrice, NE, passed early leader Brice Riley on lap 3 of the 25-lap IMCA Modified feature to pick up the $900 winner’s check. Riley led the first 2 laps before Trauernicht and David Murray Jr. both got by on the following lap. The first of two caution flags waved on lap 5 for Carl Hurd who had a mishap. While under caution, Murray went to the pits with problems and did not return. Trauernicht pulled away on the restart, and lapped several cars before the final caution waved on lap 18 for Randy Porter. Trauernicht was able to hold off Riley, Corey Lagroon, Jason Schoenberger and Rick Schwab at ease to the finish line. Heat race winners were Trauernicht, Mike Petersilie, Murray, and Jordan Grabouski, while Tim Watts took top honors in the B-feature.

The IMCA Stock Car feature saw a host of drivers run in the front pack but Wichita’s Brian Lariviere was in front at the end of 20 laps to score the victory. J.R. McCreery led the first six laps before hometown driver Jason Davis took command on lap 7. Lariviere then passed Davis on lap 9 to take a lead he would not surrender. Davis brought out the first of two cautions when his run ended as he stalled on the track on lap 10. Three laps later the caution flag waved for debris on the race track. Lariviere led the field back to green on both occasions and held off a late charge from Jason Rogers for the win. Jason Smidt finished third, followed by McCreery and Caleb Peters. Randy Tipton, Peters, Lariviere, and Jason Schoenberger all scored wins in their heat races, while Nathan Glendening topped the B-main.

Twenty-one cars took the green flag in the 15-lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature that saw 5 different leaders in the first 10 laps. Norton’s Kelly Karnopp took the lead on the opening lap before Jason Nelsson took over the top spot on lap 2. Karnopp retook control on lap 4 but gave way to B.J. Dauer two laps later. After consecutive cautions on laps 8 and 9, Justin Wagner of Culbertson, NE, then took over the lead. Stockton’s Adam Balthazor took the lead on lap 10, but then tangled with Jim Buss on the following lap. The mishap ended Buss’s night, and Balthazor was sent to the back for contact on Buss. This gave the lead back to Wagner who held on for the win. Jesse VanLaningham finished in the runner-up spot, trailed by Brady Schoen, Nelsson, and Jerry Hudson. Heat race victors were Dauer, Buss and Karnopp.

Heat race winners Joe & Jim Carter of Russell waited until the last moment to win the Cruiser main event. The father/son duo passed defending track champions Mike Hockemeier & Jim Ellis of Edison, NE, on the outside on the final turn on the final lap of the 8-lap event to win the race to the checkers. Macy & Kimberly Thomas finished third.

The first regular season event will kick off on Saturday, April 1, with the regular four divisions in action – IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA Hobby Stocks and Cruisers. The green flag will wave at 6:00 p.m.



RESULTS

IMCA Hobby Stocks
Heat 1: 1. B.J. Dauer, 2. Jason Nelsson, 3. Brandon Naasz, 4. Jerry Hudson.
Heat 2: 1. Jim Buss, 2. Wade Wagenblast, 3. Justin Wagner, 4. Mike Shriver.
Heat 3: 1. Kelly Karnopp, 2. Jesse VanLaningham, 3. Adam Balthazor, 4. Phil Hinger.

Feature: 1. Justin Wagner, 2. VanLaningham, 3. Brady Schoen, 4. Nelsson, 5. Hudson, 6. Shriver, 7. Wagenblast, 8. Balthazor, 9. P. Hinger, 10. Jebb Tally, 11. Laura Hinger, 12. Dauer (DNF), 13. Gene Sneath (DNF), 14. Buss (DNF), 15. Jeromy Wagner (DNF), 16. Scott Marvin (DNF), 17. Karnopp (DNF), 18. Naasz (DNF), 19. Brent Schoen (DNF), 20. Bill Clanton (DNF), 21. Dustin McClurg (DNF).

IMCA Stock Cars
Heat 1: 1. Randy Tipton, 2. J.R. McCreery, 3. Bill Matson, 4. Lance Borgman.
Heat 2: 1. Caleb Peters, 2. Cory Struckhoff, 3. Jared Remus, 4. Donald Dodds Jr.
Heat 3: 1. Brian Lariviere, 2. Brett Behrends, 3. Phil Hinger, 4. Dustin Schmidt.
Heat 4: 1. Jason Schoenberger, 2. Jason Davis, 3. Jason Rogers, 4. Troy Attwood.

B-Feature (top 4 advance): 1. Nathan Glendening, 2. Jason McCartney, 3. Casey Werkmeister, 4. Josh Hudson, 5. Angel Munoz, 6. Tyler Hahn, 7. Dan Lauer, 8. Michael Zajic (DNF), 9. Jay Hachmeister (DNF), 10. Ron Olson (DNF), 11. Kyle Werkmeister (DNF), 12. Travis Cashman (DNS), 13. Steven Coddington (DNS).

A-Feature: 1. Lariviere, 2. Rogers, 3. Smidt, 4. McCreery, 5. Peters, 6. Behrends, 7. Schmidt, 8. Remus, 9. Tipton, 10. Schoenberger, 11. Attwood, 12. Glendening, 13. C. Werkmeister, 14. McCartney, 15. Dodds, 16. Hudson (DNF), 17. Matson (DNF), 18. Davis (DNF), 19. Struckhoff (DNF), 20. Borgman (DNS).

IMCA Modifieds
Heat 1: 1. Dave Trauernicht, 2. Brian Calhoon, 3. Corey Lagroon, 4. Randy Porter.
Heat 2: 1. Mike Petersilie, 2. Doug Shearer, 3. Dave Jewett Jr., 4. Carl Hurd.
Heat 3: 1. David Murray Jr., 2. Jason Schoenberger, 3. Rick Schwab, 4. Brian Foote.
Heat 4: 1. Jordan Grabouski, 2. Chad Dolan, 3. Brice Riley, 4. Scott Smith.

B-Feature (top 4 advance): 1. Tim Watts, 2. Wes O’Bannon, 3. Marty Clark, 4. Scott Gruber, 5. Steve Reedy, 6. Lane Linthacum, 7. Lonnie Veteto (DNF), 8. Jason Gallentine (DNF), 9. Nate Schaben (DNS).

A-Feature: 1. Trauernicht, 2. Riley, 3. Lagroon, 4. Schoenberger, 5. Schwab, 6. Dolan, 7. Petersilie, 8. Calhoon, 9. O’Bannon, 10. Shearer, 11. Watts, 12. Clark, 13. Gruber, 14. Smith, 15. Hurd, 16. Porter (DNF), 17. Jewett (DNF), 18. Foote (DNF), 19. Grabouski (DNF), 20. Murray (DNF).

Cruisers
Heat: 1. Joe Carter/Jim Carter, 2. Mike Hockemeier/Jim Ellis, 3. Macy Thomas/Kimberly Thomas, 4. Jason Albrecht/Terry Gradig.

Feature: 1. Carter/Carter, 2. Hockemeier/Ellis, 3. Thomas/Thomas, 4. Albrecht/Gradig, 5. Doug Monty/Jason Monty, 6. Bret Marietta/Alan Marietta, 7. Rhona Annon/Joann Ellis, 8. Nick Horn/Tim Horn, 9. Heather Brown/Michael Smith.