DODGE CITY, Kan. – Robert Elliott became the fifth different winner of Dodge City Raceway’s Sport Modified Mayhem event by racing to victory lane in Saturday night’s 30-lap feature atop the three-eighths-mile clay oval.
While Elliott pocketed $1,000 by winning the sixth annual Sport Modified Mayhem event, other Saturday night winners included Taylor Velasquez in Precise Racing Products DCRP Sprint Cars, Troy Gemmill in IMCA Modifieds, Kyle Pfeifer in IMCA Stock Cars and Tathan Burkhart in IMCA Hobby Stocks.
Robert Elliott took command midway through the 30-lap Sport Modified Mayhem feature then held off Dakota Sproul and Blaine Walt to secure the win.
While Race Elliott and Ryan Kirchoff led the way to the green flag, Robert Elliott worked his way forward from seventh with Walt bolting from fourth to take the lead away from Race Elliott on the second lap.
Robert Elliott made his way to third by the fourth round behind Walt and Sproul and then pounced on the second position on a lap seven restart. He then stalked Walt over the ensuing rounds before battling into the lead on the 16th circuit
Sproul moved into second behind Elliott on a lap restart and pressured for the point the rest of the way, working the high side as Elliott circled the bottom of the track. Elliott was up to the task, keeping his chasers at bay all the way to the checkered flag.
Elliott crossed the stipe ahead of Sproul, who raced from ninth, with Walt on the podium in third. Troy Boynum was fourth with reigning track champion and current points leader Jeff Kaup racing from 12th to round out the top five.
In the 15-lap Precise Racing Products DCRP Sprint Car feature, two-time track champion Taylor Velasquez slid past Luke Cranston for the point on the tenth round en route to his first win of the season atop the three-eighths-mile clay oval.
Cranston and Velasquez led the way to the green flag with Cranston jumping out front at the outset. Cranston worked the low side in the early laps with Velasquez moving in to challenge on the cushion.
Cranston made his way to the top side of the track, but Velasquez countered by sliding into the lead in turns three and fourth on tenth circuit. Cranston battled back, with the due racing wheel-to-wheel over the following circuit before Velasquez gained command for keeps.
Velasquez raced on to the checkered flag ahead of Cranston while Jordan Knight made his way past Ray Seemann on the tenth round to capture the show position. Seemann was fourth with Jeremy Huish rounding out the top five.
In the 20-lap IMCA Modified main event, Ponca City, Oklahoma’s Troy Gemmill snapped a DCRP victory drought of more than six years by holding off his son, Brendon Gemmill, over the final half of the race for victory honors.
T. Gemmill and B. Gemmill started nose-to-tail in eighth and tenth with T. Gemmill making quick work of the field by slicing through the field and racing past Joel Lane to take command on the eighth lap.
B. Gemmill wasn’t far behind, capturing second by the tenth round and setting sail after his father. T. Gemmill meticulously worked the low side the rest of the way and successfully fended off the rim-riding B. Gemmill with Nick Link, Lane and Trent Gray rounding out the top five.
Hill City’s Kyle Pfeifer made it two IMCA Stock Car feature wins in a row and three on the season by leading the final half of the 15-lapper.
Pfeifer made his way from eighth to second in just two laps and began his pursuit of Ondre Rexford, who had taken the lead away from Dalton Bauer on the third circuit.
Pfeifer battled into the lead on the seventh lap and slipped away to a near straightaway advantage over the final half of the race to secure the win as Rexford fought off Chris Oliver for runner-up honors. Will Bauer and current point leader Angel Munoz filled out the top five.
Tathan Burkhart picked off his sixth IMCA Hobby Stock win of the season by leading the final 14 laps of the 15-lapper.
Burkhart raced past Tom Reed on the second lap, then held off Reagan Sellard the rest of the way with Duane Wahrman, Dion Priddy and Brooke Russell in the top five.