NORTON, Kan. -- After being rained out Saturday night (yes, it did rain in northwest Kansas), racing action resumed on Sunday evening, July 29, at Elmwood Park Speedway in Norton, KS, to wrap up the Norton County Fair. The points season also wound up for four of the five classes at the ½-mile oval.

In the IMCA 305 Sprint Car feature, Darren Berry of McCook, NE, led all 15 laps to win his third feature of the season and secure the track championship. Mike Spear chased Berry the whole distance but had to settle for second, followed by heat race winner Howard VanDyke, Randy Bantam and Greg Reiners.

In the IMCA Modified main event, Jeff Walters led the first half of the 10-lap event but Beloit’s Brian Calhoon took the lead at the halfway mark and held on for his second win of the season. Walters was second and heat race victor Tim Watts of Beloit third. Calhoon’s win and Watts’ third place finish tied them for the track championship.

Belleville’s Tyler Frye won his second IMCA Sport Mod feature. Frye took the lead from Cory Struckhoff on lap 3 and never looked back. Struckhoff was able to hold off Troy Attwood for the runner-up spot, with Kaid Calhoon and Chris Heim completing the top five. Heat race winners were Struckhoff and Frye.

Heat one winner Josh ‘The Hammer’ Hudson took the lead at the drop of the green in the IMCA Stock Car main event. Hudson led the first 5 laps before Casey Werkmeister of North Platte, NE, took control and led the remaining 10 laps for his first win at Norton. Hudson was able to hang on to second, trailed by Michael Dancer, Eric Kinderknecht and Jason Rogers. Jason Davis won the other heat race. Jay Hachmeister had his 4 race winning streak come to an end, but his 11th place finish was still good enough to earn him the track championship.

Brian Stich of Topeka made the long haul worthwhile. After winning the second IMCA Hobby Stock heat race, Stich took the lead from ‘Neon’ Leon Pfannenstiel on lap 2 of the 12-lap feature and drove on to score his first win of the year at Norton and snap Anthony Martin’s undefeated streak. Martin, the first heat race winner, chased Stich most of the race but had to settle for second, good enough though to clinch the track championship. Cody ‘Bam Bam’ Graham, Pfannenstiel, and ‘The Wild Child’ Garrett Hager rounded out the top five.

The 2012 racing season will wrap up at Elmwood Park Speedway on Labor Day weekend. The United Rebel Sprint Series, IMCA Sport Mods, and Vintage cars will be in action on both Saturday & Sunday, September 1-2. Race time will be 7:00 both nights.
The motorcycle races scheduled for August 13 have been canceled.

RESULTS

IMCA Hobby Stocks
Heat 1: 1. Anthony Martin, 2. Cody Graham, 3. Leon Pfannenstiel, 4. Jeremy Couse.
Heat 2: 1. Brian Stich, 2. Garrett Hager, 3. Jason Grabast.
Feature: 1. Stich, 2. A. Martin, 3. Graham, 4. Pfannenstiel, 5. Hager, 6. Couse, 7. Brad McCoy, 8. Roger Garrison, 9. Theron Martin, 10. Michael Smith (DNF), 11. Grabast (DNS), 12. Jeromy Wagner (DNS), 13. Ray Caldwell (DNS).

IMCA Sport Mods
Heat 1: 1. Cory Struckhoff, 2. Chris Heim, 3. Jason McCartney, 4. Tyler Watts.
Heat 2: 1. Tyler Frye, 2. Austin Walker, 3. Kaid Calhoon, 4. Jay Weigel.
Feature: 1. Frye, 2. Struckhoff, 3. Troy Atwood, 4. Calhoon, 5. Heim, 6. Brian Conness, 7. Dan Lauer, 8. McCartney, 9. Weigel, 10. Frank McClurg, 11. Walker (DNF), 12. J.R. Ewing (DNF), 13. Watts (DNF).

IMCA Stock Cars
Heat 1: 1. Josh Hudson, 2. Jason Rogers, 3. Chase Conaway, 4. J.R. McCreery.
Heat 2: 1. Jason Davis, 2. Eric Kinderknecht, 3. Casey Werkmeister, 4. Bob Rutherford.
Feature: 1. Werkmeister, 2. Hudson, 3. Michael Dancer, 4. Kinderknecht, 5. Rogers, 6. Rutherford, 7. Dustin McClurg, 8. Pat Bedore, 9. McCreery, 10. Darin Racek, 11. Jay Hachmeister, 12. Conaway (DNF), 13. Davis (DNF).

IMCA 305 Sprint Cars
Heat: 1. Howard VanDyke, 2. Darren Berry, 3. Randy Bantam, 4. Greg Reiners.
Feature: 1. D. Berry, 2. Mike Spear, 3. VanDyke, 4. Bantam, 5. Reiners, 6. Ron Hadley, 7. Nate Berry (DNF).

IMCA Modifieds
Heat: 1. Tim Watts, 2. Jeff Walters, 3. Brian Calhoon.
Feature: 1. Calhoon, 2. Walters, 3. Watts.