Frost Fest checkers fly for Murray in BST Series opening IMCA Modified feature
By Mike Hughes

NORTON, Kan. (March 25) – A day later than the scheduled Frost Fest race date, David Murray Jr. packed up a check for $1,000, along with a spot on the ballot for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational and the early lead in the Blood, Sweat and Tears IMCA Modified Tour.

Murray, from Oberlin, led the last 24 times around the track in Sunday’s 25 lapper, Brandon Blochlinger was second, with Jordan Grabouski, Corey Lagroon and Mitch Kline completing the top five.

Lloyd Meeske earned $500 for the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature win and Jerry Hudson scored a $300 victory in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks.

Blochlinger took the top spot following the initial green flag in the Modified main, followed by Murray, Kline, Rick Schwab, and Lonnie Schriner. Murray powered into the lead on the second circuit by lap five, Blochlinger and Grabouski were in a heated battle for the runner-up spot, a duel that went Blochlinger’s way at the finish.

Four lead changes highlighted the Stock Car feature, which saw Meeske take the front spot back for good on the 16th of 20 laps.

Jason McCartney grabbed the early lead, only to spin on the second lap and relinquish the point to Cory Struckhoff, who was passed on the following lap by Meeske. Travis Towns, Josh Hudson, Geoff Jermark and Jared Remus were also in the hunt for the top spot.

The caution waved on lap eight when Nathan Glendening spun, and the top six pulled away on the ensuing restart. Hudson powered his way to the front on lap 12, but Meeske retook the lead on lap 16. Yellow flags on laps 17 and 18 kept the field bunched for the finish, but Hudson’s shot at the win went awry on lap 18 when he spun to cause the caution.

Meeske then led the field back to green and hung on for the victory over Remus, Brett Behrends, Struckhoff and McCartney. Hudson worked his way into the lead on lap five of the Hobby Stock main, then pulled away following cautions on laps 10 and 13.

B.J. Dauer got past early leader Wade Wagenblast for second with a couple laps left but couldn’t make up ground on Hudson. Austin Davis and Brent Schoen rounded out the top five.

Modified drivers from four states were on hand and despite being postponed because of rain, more than 80 cars pulled into the pit area Sunday at Norton. Next up for the BST Series are dates Saturday, April 28 at Dodge City, Kan., Raceway Park and Sunday, April 29 at WaKeeney, Kan., Speedway.

Murray won the inaugural All-Star Invitational in 2004. The 2007 event will be held Friday, Sept. 7 during the IMCA Speedway Motors at
Boone Speedway.

Results
Modifieds
1st heat (top 3) – 1. Brian Calhoon; 2. Rick Schwab; 3. Brandon Hagan.
2nd heat – 1. Lonnie Schriner; 2. John Fabrizius; 3. Dave Jewett Jr.
3rd heat – 1. David Murray Jr.; 2. Brandon Blochlinger, 3. Angel Munoz.
4th heat – 1. Mitch Kline; 2. Bob Zoubek; 3. David
Garmann. 5th heat – 1. Jordan Grabouski; 2. Corey Lagroon; 3. Ronnie Wallace.

1st “B” (top 4) – 1. Jeremy Frenier, 2. Jason Schoenberger; 3. Matt Brack, 4. Randy Porter. 2nd “B” – 1. Mike Petersilie; 2. Dustin Daniels; 3. Nate Schaben; 4. Mark Zorn.

Feature – 1. Murray; 2. Blochlinger; 3. Grabouski; 4. Lagroon; 5. Kline, 6. Wallace; 7. Schriner; 8. Hagan; 9. Will Brack; 10. Mark Zorn; 11. Schwab; 12. Schoenberger; 13. Frenier; 14. Matt Brack; 15. Marty Clark, 16. Mike Petersilie; 17. Fabrizius; 18. Daniels; 19. Zoubek; 20. Munoz; 21. Calhoon; 22. Jewett; 23. Schaben; 24. Garmann; 25. Porter.

Stock Cars
1st heat (top 4) – 1. James Brower; 2. Lloyd Meeske; 3. Terry Cunningham; 4. Nathan Glendening. 2nd heat – 1. Travis Towns; 2. Dan Lauer; 3. Jason McCartney; 4. Geoff Jermark. 3rd heat – 1. Cory Struckhoff; 2. Jared Remus; 3. Josh Hudson; 4. Jason Davis. Feature – 1. Meeske; 2. Remus; 3. Brett Behrends; 4. Struckhoff; 5. McCartney; 6. Lauer; 7. Towns; 8. Cunningham; 9. Davis; 10. Bob Rutherford; 11. Hudson; 12. Jermark; 13. Glendening; 14. Jason Rogers; 15. Brower; 16. Chad Wulf; 17. Casey Werkmeister; 18. Caleb Peters; 19. Jay Hachmeister; 20. Kyle Werkmeister; 21. Wayne Walker; 22. Martin Newlin.

Hobby Stocks
1st heat (top 4) – 1. B.J. Dauer; 2. Jerry Hudson; 3. Mike Shriver; 4. Kelly Karnopp. 2nd heat – 1. Gene Sneath; 2. Wade Wagenblast; 3. Austin Davis; 4. Tim Horn.
Feature – 1. Hudson; 2. Dauer; 3. Wagenblast; 4. Davis; 5. Brent Schoen; 6. Sneath; 7. Deric Funk; 8. Dustin McClurg; 9. Shriver; 10. Karnopp; 11. Jason McClurg; 12. Jacob Krone; 13. Horn; 14. Jim Buss.