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NORTON, KS (July 2, 2011) - Despite rain to the north and later to the west, Elmwood Park Speedway stayed dry for the second race night of the season. After suffering through 100-degree temperatures during the week, the overcast and breeze made for a very comfortable night for race fans. Howard Van Dyke of Clay Center, Brian Conness of WaKeeney, Jay Hachmeister of Lenora, and Norton drivers Kelly Karnopp and Rick Schwab may not have breezed to victory, but they did take the A Feature wins. Howard Van Dyke had an enjoyable fifteen lap IMCA 305 Sprint Car Feature. On lap two, after making sure leader Randy Bantam of Norton was not going to move into his line, hit the gas and streaked by for the lead. During the fifteen race, Van Dyke worked out to a big lead, slowing some when he lapped by slower cars. In spite of no yellow flags, heat winner Bantam was able to catch back up to the Clay Center driver and make a last lap attempt to steal the win. Van Dyke stayed hard on the gas and went across the finish line first by half a car length. Darren Berry of McCook, Nebraska watched the finish from third place. Bill Hays of Edison, Nebraska who spun on the last lap of his heat race and salvaged a fifth place, improved one spot to fourth in the money race. Troy Edwards of McCook, Nebraska rounded out the top five. The IMCA Stock Car A Feature also went fifteen laps without stoppage. Jay Hachmeister, who broke while leading opening night at Norton, has had bad luck all year with accidents and strange broken parts. After winning his heat race, the heat race winner shot out to a lead over the field. The car held together, and Hachmeister was able to enjoy his first win of the year. Jason Davis of Norton was his closest competitor at the finish line, earning his second second place finish of the weekend, duplicating the feat from the night before at McCook Speedway. Dustin McClurg of Logan was a little more methodical in his drive forward, but was able to improve to a third place finish. Bob Rutherford of Norton and Chase Conaway of Smith Center finished in fourth and fifth places. The IMCA Northern SportMod A Feature had nearly half of the field in a pile in corner one of the first lap after pole sitter Ted Kutsch of Kearney, Nebraska spun. While it took some time, everyone involved in the accident came back out during the race at various points of the race. Brian Conness had the top point of the race from the start. Before the second caution, after lap five, he was tailed by Troy Attwood of Gaylord. When the race resumed, Conness pulled out to a large lead. After the next caution, three laps later, Attwood would stick close to Conness. At times in the final seven laps, Attwood would made serious attempts of taking the lead, but Conness found his rhythm and again moved away for a five car-length victory. Colton Osborn of Cozad, Nebraska had to start scratch after arriving at the track as the SportMod heat race hit the track, but he made the drive count by finishing in third place. Heat race winner Jason McCartney of Smith Center finished in fourth, with Frank McClurg of Logan taking fifth place. Kelly Karnopp brought his IMCA Hobby Stock to the track with the words “For Sale” on it, as he is toying with the idea of putting together a SportMod. After sailing to a win in the heat race, Karnopp kept making a sales pitch with his performance. Early in the race, he had to fend off Anthony Martin of Wilcox, in spite of Martin hitting the wall coming out of corner four early in the race. He pulled out to a big lead when the caution flag flew with two laps to go after racing newcomer Dana Morgan of Kearney, Nebraska emptied the contents of his engine on corner four. The restart meant another challenge from Anthony, but Kelly was able to obtain his second win of the season, and bringing self-doubt as to whether he should really try to sell the car. Kansas state point leader G. W. Fuller of Tescott followed close behind in third place. Theron Martin of Wilcox, Nebraska, Anthony’s father, finished in fourth place. A low number of IMCA Modifieds had drivers Tim Watts of Beloit and Rick Schwab contemplating having a footrace to their cars, buckling in, racing five laps, switching cars, and doing it again. Instead, they went with a conventional ten lap A Feature. Schwabie, who won the heat race by a car length, had a big lead on Watts when Watts missed his mark in corner three and went for a spin. That made for a caution period. Watts was having trouble making his car go through corner one in two, but with less than three laps to go, hit the corner perfectly, and pulled out to an advantage coming out of corner two. That was the last time he hit it perfectly, and Schwab moved down the track to make sure Watts wouldn’t find it again and won another close dual. Elmwood Park Speedway will be back in action next Saturday night, July 9, at 7 p.m., with all five classes returning.
July 2
results
A Feature
IMCA Stock
Cars
A Feature
IMCA Hobby
Stocks
A Feature
IMCA
Northern SportMod
A Feature
IMCA 305
Sprint Cars
A Feature
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