By NICK SCHWIEN

nschwien@dailynews.net

There's one thing you can count on in stock car racing at area dirt tracks: Look for the Nos. 32, 66 and 92 to be up front battling for the lead.

Race after race and lap after lap, it's been that way in northwest Kansas this summer.

That's what Cory Struckhoff has come to expect.

"It sure seems that way anyway," the Kensington stock car driver said. "And you can throw in Terry Cunningham, too. That's the way it seems almost every race."

So Struckhoff, who drives the No. 32 car, is expecting more of the same Friday night at RPM Speedway in Hays. Races for the stock class, along with hobby stocks and modifieds, are set to begin at 7:30 p.m.

Struckhoff leads the points at RPM with 189 points. WaKeeney's Travis Sherfick, who drives the No. 66 car, is a close second at 185, and Stockton's Adam Balthazor, piloting the No. 92, is tied for third at 172 with J.R. McCreery and Josh Hudson -- Struckhoff's traveling partner.

"The stock car class is so competitive and so fast right now," Struckhoff said. "You can run side-by-side lap after lap until the end."

Struckhoff has trimmed back his racing schedule this year, but he's still planning on competing in 30 to 35 races. That includes a busy week with races at Stockton, Hays and Norton.

"Right now, I'm pretty happy with where I'm at," he said. "I'm leading the points at Hays and WaKeeney. ... But all it takes is just one bad night."

Struckhoff is third in the state standings with 1,039 points. Sherfick leads the state with 1,156, and Balthazor is second with 1,115 (as of Aug. 4).

"We decided to back off a little bit and not run every night this year," Struckhoff said. "We've been a little lax this year."

Struckhoff has 10 feature wins this season, four of which have come at WaKeeney Speedway. He also has a win at RPM this summer.

That's not too shabby for a driver in only his fourth year in the class. He won three races as a rookie and four a year ago.

While Struckhoff hasn't competed in as many races this summer as he's used to, don't expect him to back off come Friday night and let any of the other drivers cruise to a win.

"I've got one feature win down there this year," Struckhoff said about RPM Speedway. "And it sure would be nice to get another one."