By NICK SCHWIEN

nschwien@dailynews.net

Expectations were there.

But has Cody Ghumm lived up to them?

"I thought I could maybe be in the middle to the front of the pack," the hobby stock driver from WaKeeney said. "I didn't think I'd be winning. I definitely didn't expect that."

Perhaps it's safe to say Ghumm has exceeded his preseason expectations this year. The young gun on the dirt ovals of RPM Speedway in Hays and WaKeeney Speedway has been turning heads in the stands and on the track in only his second full season of racing in the IMCA class.

"I've got a lot more seat time this year," the driver of the No. 1C said. "I'll have my 30th race this weekend -- a lot of laps."

Ghumm will get another chance at victory on his hometown track Sunday in WaKeeney. Races are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

He is near the top in track points there, battling Luke Pfannenstiel and G.W. Fuller for the top spot. Cody Graham is in the hunt, too.

"Things have been good this year," Ghumm said. "I think we've got the set-up kind of figured out."

Ghumm has six feature wins this year -- four at Hays, one at WaKeeney and one at the Great American Dirt Track at Jetmore Motorplex. All four of his wins at RPM came in consecutive races, and he's finished second the last three nights at WaKeeney after winning there June 12.

His success even has surprised himself at times.

"No, I didn't really expect it," Ghumm said. "I knew I wanted to have a good year, but I haven't had any problems with the car all year. That's helped."

Ghumm is fifth in track points at RPM Speedway and hoped to trim into that margin last week, only to have Mother Nature rain on his parade. Fuller leads the RPM standings with 333 points, followed by Graham (331), Kent Tammen (328) and Pfannenstiel (327). Ghumm has 314 points.

"They've helped me a lot," Ghumm said about his fellow competitors. "Racing against them last year and this year, that helps a lot. I kind of followed them and found the best way around the track. Now, sometimes they're following me."

As Ghumm continues to gain more and more experience on the track, he also sees his confidence growing.

"I'm pretty confident right now,"  he said. "I feel I can do it, and all I have to do is go out and do what I need to do."

That confidence has propelled him from a competitor to a contender each night out.

Now, he knows it's just about driving his race and taking what the track -- and other drivers -- will give him.

"You have to be patient," Ghumm said. "You have to work your way through guys and keep your nose clean."