Elmwood Park finishes season, crowns champions
By Mike Hughes

NORTON, KS (Sept. 23, 2006) - The final race of the 2006 season at Elmwood Park Speedway in Norton, KS, took place Saturday evening, September 23, with track champions crowned in four divisions at the end of the night.

Nate Schaben of Selden won his second IMCA Modified feature of the season. After winning the first heat race, Schaben was able to beat Marty Clark, Jason Schoenberger, second heat winner Brian Calhoon, and Jerry Teel to the checkers in the main event. Schoenberger, of Gorham, was on top of the point standings at the end of the evening to win the track title.

‘The Tazz Man’ Tyler Hahn of Stockton made it two in a row on the half-mile oval in the IMCA Stock Car division. Hahn, who also won the first heat race, picked up his first win of the season at Norton just one week ago. Second heat winner Jason Davis of Norton finished second in the feature race, followed by Jason Rogers and Josh Hudson. Caleb Peters of Oberlin finished fifth, giving him the track championship by just one point. Jay Hachmeister of Lenora rolled his car in the feature race but was not injured.

Athol’s Jerry Hudson also made it two in a row at Elmwood Park. Hudson won the first IMCA Hobby Stock heat, then held off heat two winner Kelly Karnopp of Norton in the feature for the win. Dustin McClurg finished third, followed by Brent Schoen and Brady Schoen. Karnopp’s runner-up finish was good enough to win the track championship.

Hometown drivers Wes & Chuck Eagleburger won their fifth Cruiser feature of the season. Mike Hockemeier & Jim Ellis finished second, followed by Derrick Funk & Ron Watson. Heat two winners Joe & Jim Carter of Russell did not finish the feature race but had a big enough point lead to win the track championship. The Eagleburgers won the other heat race.

The track management would like to thank all the track sponsors, track personnel, drivers and fans for their support during the 2006 racing season.



RESULTS

IMCA Hobby Stocks
Heat 1: 1. Jerry Hudson, 2. Brady Schoen, 3. Dustin McClurg, 4. Laura Hinger.

Heat 2: 1. Kelly Karnopp, 2. Adam Balthazor, 3. Brent Schoen, 4. Phil Hinger.

Feature: 1. Hudson, 2. Karnopp, 3. McClurg, 4. Brent Schoen, 5. Brady Schoen, 6. Balthazor, 7. L. Hinger, 8. P. Hinger.

IMCA Stock Cars
Heat 1: 1. Tyler Hahn, 2. Jay Hachmeister, 3. J.R. McCreery, 4. Jason Rogers.

Heat 2: 1. Jason Davis, 2. Josh Hudson, 3. Cory Struckhoff, 4. Caleb Peters.

Feature: 1. Hahn, 2. Davis, 3. Rogers, 4. Hudson, 5. Peters, 6. McCreery, 7. Michael Zajic, 8. Dan Lauer, 9. Struckhoff (DNF), 10. Hachmeister (DNF).

IMCA Modifieds
Heat 1: 1. Nate Schaben, 2. Tim Watts, 3. Brian Calhoon, 4. Doug Shearer.

Heat 2: 1. Rick Schwab, 2. Marty Clark, 3. Jason Schoenberger, 4. Jerry Teel.

Feature: 1. Schaben, 2. Clark, 3. Schoenberger, 4. Calhoon, 5. Teel, 6. Shearer, 7. Schwab, 8. Watts (DNF).

Cruisers
Heat 1: 1. Joe Carter/Jim Carter, 2. Macy Thomas/Kim Thomas, 3. Norman Wiechman/Milo Lippelmann, 4. Robert Mason/Danny Bliss.

Heat 2: 1. Wes Eagleburger/Chuck Eagleburger, 2. Mike Hockemeier/Jim Ellis, 3. Derrick Funk/Ron Watson, 4. Jim Palmer/Joann Ellis.

Feature: 1. Eagleburger/Eagleburger, 2. Hockemeier/Ellis, 3. Funk/Watson, 4. Thomas/Thomas, 5. Palmer/Ellis, 6. Wiechman/Lippelmann, 7. Carter/Carter (DNF), 8. Mason/Bliss (DNF).