DODGE CITY, Kan. – Dakota Sproul continued his recent run of IMCA Modified supremacy by racing to his third consecutive Dodge City Raceway Park triumph in Saturday’s 20-lap feature atop the three-eighths-mile clay oval.
While the Hays racer dominated the IMCA Modified ranks, Monty Nordyke scored his first DCRP win in the Preluede to IMCA Sport Modified Mayhem, Chris Oliver snared his first IMCA Stock Car win of the season and Duane Wahrman captured his second IMCA Hobby Stock victory of the season.
In the 20-lap IMCA Modified main event, Sproul rallied from the ninth starting position to take the lead away from Nick Link on the eighth lap en route to a straightaway triumph over Clay Sellard, who worked past Link in the closing rounds for runner-up honors.
Sproul, a rookie among the Modified ranks after climbing up from the Sport Modifieds, split the duo of Kale Beavers and Randy Wilson exiting turn four on the fifth lap to move into third and then chased down Jack Kirchoff for second the next time around.
Sproul gobbled up Link’s ten car-length lead in short order before ripping by on the top side on the eighth lap. Sproul raced on to another convincing victory with Sellard working past Link as the laps expired. Beavers crossed the stripe fourth with Kirchoff rounding out the top five.
In the 20-lap IMCA Sport Modified Prelude to next weekend’s $1,500-to-win, $150-to start Seventh Annual Sport Modified Mayhem feature event, Monty Nordyke capitalized on Luke Stallbaumer’s mechanical woes and then held off son Brendyn Nordyke over the closing rounds for his first DCRP score.
Nordyke became the race’s fourth different leader when he battled past Bart Baker on a lap 14 restart that followed a caution for Stallbaumer’s disabled mount on the backstretch. After Dan Rogers led the opening round, Stallbaumer had battled past Baker for the point on the eighth circuit only to suffer race-ending driveline issues seven laps shy of the checkered flag.
With Nordyke taking command, Brendyn Nordyke tried to steal his thunder only to fall two car-lengths short at the stripe with Baker, Mike Lunow and Rogers rounding out the top five.
A runner-up finisher on three occasions already this season, Chris Oliver broke into victory lane for the first time of the DCRP season by topping the 15-lap IMCA Stock Car feature.
Oliver wrestled the lead away from Jesse Smith on the second round and then held off Ron Hartman and Troy Burkhart in the closing circuits to secure the win.
Duane Wahrman added his second IMCA Hobby Stock win of the season by racing to the chekered flag in the 15-lap main event.
Wahrman battled past Keith Carr to take command on the fourth circuit and paced the field the rest of the way, crossing the stripe ahead of Tathan Burkhart and Brett Copeland.