By MIKE HUGHES

Special to The Hays Daily News

NORTON (Aug. 9)--Elmwood Park Speedway in Norton, KS, was able to beat out Mother Nature Saturday evening, August 9, and get in their race program, which saw several new faces in victory lane.

David Murray Jr. of Oberlin picked up his third IMCA Modified feature win at Elmwood Park, but it was anything but easy. Jordan Grabouski made the long haul from Beatrice, NE, to Norton and took the lead on the opening lap of the 20-lap race, followed by Brett Behrends and Mike Petersilie. After a lap 6 restart, Behrends got past Grabouski, but the caution waved again before the lap was completed, giving the lead back to Grabouski. By the halfway mark, Murray worked his way to second behind Grabouski, then after a lap 13 restart, drove around Grabouski in turn 2 to take over the lead. A late race caution set up a green-white-checkered finish and Murray was able to hold off Grabouski for the win, while Josh Hudson got around Behrends in a close race for third. Gary Kline rounded out the top five. Heat race winners were Murray, Petersilie, and Grabouski.

The IMCA Stock Car feature saw Logan's Dustin McClurg lead from green to checkered in the 20-lap event, picking up his first ever stock car feature win. Heat race winners Travis Sherfick and Cory Struckhoff challenged McClurg the entire distance but had to settle for second and third. Terry Cunningham and Adam Balthazor completed the top five.

The IMCA Hobby Stock feature saw young Mathew Crowell of Clearwater lead early on in the 14-lap event, but broke on lap 7 ending his night. Rhett Kingsbury led the field back to green but was passed by 'The Bussman' Jim Buss of Blue Hill, NE, on the restart and Buss drove on for his first win at Norton in 2008. Kingsbury was second, followed by Kelly Karnopp, Troy Robinson, and Ricky Runnion. Runnion and Buss won the two heat races.

Heat race winner Alex Loveless of Lincoln led all 8 laps of the 4-cylinder Young Gun feature race to notch his second feature win at Norton. Loyd Schoen and Jesse Dunlap finished second and third.

The Sport Mods made their debut at the ¬½-mile track and their main event saw 3 different leaders in the 10-lap race. Pat Bedore led the first two laps before Brian Conness took over the top spot. Then with 2 laps to go, heat two winner Tyler Frye of Belleville got under heat one winner Conness in turn 2 to take the lead and hold on to the checkers. Conness finished second, followed by Aaron Hupfer.

The Mod Lites returned to the speedway for the second time this season, and heat one winner Bud Lee was in the right place at the right time to score the main event victory. Heat two victor Troy Wente led the first 6 laps of the feature, then after a restart after a lap 6 caution, Wente hit the wall in turn 3, ending his night. That gave Lee the lead on the restart and he was able to hold off Ethan Houlton to the finish. Duane Houlton placed third.

Racing returns to Elmwood Park Speedway on Saturday evening, August 16, at 7:00 p.m. The regular four divisions will again be joined by the Sport Mods.

Results

IMCA Hobby Stocks

Heat 1: 1. Ricky Runnion, 2. Frank McClurg, 3. Kelly Karnopp, 4. Troy Robinson.

Heat 2: 1. Jim Buss, 2. Jeromy Wagner, 3. Brandon Nelson, 4. Mathew Crowell.

Feature: 1. Buss, 2. Rhett Kingsbury, 3. Karnopp, 4. Robinson, 5. Runnion, 6. McClurg, 7. Jason Nelssen, 8. Michael Lauber, 9. B. Nelson, 10. Wagner, 11. Matt Christensen, 12. Laura Hinger, 13. Crowell (DNF), 14. Josh Rohrbough (DNF).

IMCA Stock Cars

Heat 1: 1. Travis Sherfick, 2. Dustin McClurg, 3. Bryan Lariviere, 4. Dan Lauer.

Heat 2: 1. Cory Struckhoff, 2. Adam Balthazor, 3. Brenden Eilts, 4. Terry Cunningham.

Feature: 1. McClurg, 2. Sherfick, 3. Struckhoff, 4. Cunningham, 5. Balthazor, 6. Jason Smidt, 7. Eilts, 8. Lauer, 9. Bob Rutherford, 10. Arnold Williams (DNF), 11. Lariviere (DNF), 12. Jason Davis (DNS).

IMCA Modifieds

Heat 1: 1. David Murray Jr., 2. Rick Schwab, 3. Josh Hudson, 4. Barry Maupin.

Heat 2: 1. Mike Petersilie, 2. Mitch Kline, 3. Dylan Sherfick, 4. Tim Watts.

Heat 3: 1. Jordan Grabouski, 2. Brett Behrends, 3. Gary Kline, 4. Mark Zorn.

Feature: 1. Murray, 2. Grabouski, 3. Hudson, 4. Behrends, 5. G. Kline, 6. M. Kline, 7. Rusty Miller, 8. Maupin, 9. Brooke Eilts (DNF), 10. Petersilie (DNF), 11. Heath Myers (DNF), 12. Schwab (DNF), 13. Sherfick (DNF), 14. Zorn (DNF), 15. Watts (DNF), 16. Doug Shearer (DNF), 17. Mark Hamel (DNF).

4-cylinder Young Guns

Heat: 1. Alex Loveless, 2. Loyd Schoen, 3. Michael Smith, 4. Jesse Dunlap.

Feature: 1. Loveless, 2. Schoen, 3. Dunlap, 4. Smith, 5. Art Herzog, 6. Elliott Conard (DNF).

Sport Mods

Heat 1: 1. Brian Conness, 2. Pat Bedore, 3. Jason Davis, 4. Amanda Maupin.

Heat 2: 1. Tyler Frye, 2. Aaron Hupfer, 3. Wayne McAfee.

Feature: 1. Frye, 2. Conness, 3. Hupfer, 4. Bedore, 5. Davis, 6. Maupin, 7. McAfee, 8. Brad Higdon (DNF).

Mod Lites

Heat 1: 1. Bud Lee, 2. Dustin Forsberg, 3. Ethan Houlton, 4. Duane Houlton.

Heat 2: 1. Troy Wente, 2. Barry Richards.

Feature: 1. Lee, 2. E. Houlton, 3. D. Houlton, 4. Tyson Garrison, 5. Wente (DNF), 6. Justin Kinderknecht (DNF), 7. Forsberg (DNF), 8. Brandon Gray (DNF), 9. Richards (DNF).