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NORTON, KS (June 11, 2011) - The weather finally co-operated so that on the third try, Elmwood Park Speedway finally had its first race of the year. There was a concern about the weather, so officials tried to run the races in a timely manner, finishing the event in about two hours. Darren Berry of McCook, Nebraska, Wade Wagenblast of Deshler, Nebraska, Dustin McClurg of Logan, and Kelly Karnopp of Norton took the opening night A Features. Bill Hays of Edison drew the pole of the IMCA 305 Sprint Car A Feature after winning the split the pot raffle, but it was Darren Berry who jumped to the lead at the start of the main event. At one point, the McCook driver had nearly a straightaway lead on Hays and heat race winner Howard Van Dyke of Clay Center. Once Van Dyke got by Hays, he began to close the gap to less than half of what it was. After newcomer Mike Madden of Norton hit the corner four guardrail with four laps to go, the caution flag waved, bunching the field even closer. On the restart, Van Dyke tried the low side in corner one to no avail. On the next lap, Berry went to the bottom, shutting the door on the Clay Center driver and driving off with the victory. Hays finished in third place, ahead of Randy Bantam of Norton and Troy Edwards of McCook, Nebraska. Wade Wagenblast passed heat race winner Ben Hobbs of Red Cloud, Nebraska for the lead of the IMCA Northern SportMod A Feature after the rookie driver pushed high into corner three. While Wagenblast drove out to a comfortable lead, Hobbs and Troy Attwood of Gaylord putting a great race for second place. They swapped the spot many times in the last half of the race while Wagenblast pulled away for the win in “They Mystery Machine”, as the vinyl wrap on his car pays tribute to Scooby Doo. Hobbs was able to make the last pass for his SportMod-best second place finish. Rounding out the top five behind Attwood was Brian Conness of WaKeeney and Jason McCartney of Smith Center. At first, the IMCA Stock car A Feature appeared to be a runaway win for heat winner Jay Hachmeister of Lenora, who took the lead on lap one and moved ahead of the pack for a huge lead. However, on lap eight, the left front rotor broke on his car, freezing the left tire up, and sending him for a spin in corner one. That handed the lead to Dustin McClurg on the restart, but also bunched the pair of Jason Davis of Norton and Pat Bedore of Stockton with him. The final eight laps involved Davis and Bedore working on both each other and McClurg for position. With two laps to go, Davis was able to cross the scoring line with the top spot, only to have the Logan driver take it back one lap later. McClurg was able to hold Davis and Bedore off on the last lap, in that order, to take the opening night win. John Annon of Norton, who almost didn’t start the race but for the determination of Jason Davis to get Annon’s driveshaft properly connected on the car, brought the racecar across the finish line in fourth place. Chase Conaway of Smith Center finished in fifth. Anthony Martin of Wilcox, Nebraska made his first IMCA Hobby Stock appearance at the big ˝-mile track, and was amazed at the size. He was not intimidated by it, as he won the heat race for the class. In the A Feature, he passed Kelly Karnopp on lap two for the lead, and it appeared for a time he would pick up his second feature win in two nights. Karnopp, who was celebrating his birthday, would have none of it on his home track, regained the lead, and would fight Martin tooth-and-nail to the final lap to gain the best present he could give himself, and A Feature win. Jason McIntyre of Colby and Rick Maynard of Woodston finished in third and fourth places. Ray Caldwell of Mccook, Nebraska was credited with fifth place. Elmwood Park Speedway’s next race will be on Saturday night, July 2, beginning at 7 p.m. There is hope the IMCA Modifieds will join the activities and the other four classes that night.
June 11
results
A Feature
IMCA
Northern SportMod
A Feature
IMCA Stock
Cars
A Feature
IMCA Hobby
Stocks
A Feature
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