Lonnie Wheatley
DODGE CITY, Kan. (August 6, 2012) – Dodge City Raceway Park hosts another night of high-powered Sprint Car racing action this Saturday night as the NCRA Sprint Car series makes its lone stop of the year at the 3/8-mile clay oval in southwest Kansas.
Along with the NCRA Sprint Cars, the track’s championship chase classes of IMCA Modifieds, United Wireless IMCA Sport Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars and Poor Boy Kustomz Thunder Cars will be in action as well to round out a wild night of competition. Saturday’s first green flag will fly at 7:30 p.m.
C.J. Johnson of Quinter, KS, leads the NCRA forces into the event. His lead in the title chase is a slim one though, as he’s just 15 points ahead of Michigan native and current Wichita resident Jeremy Campbell.
Johnson has claimed a pair of NCRA feature wins this season, both at Wichita’s 81 Speedway, while Campbell claimed top honors at the Kansas State Fairgrounds’ Hutchinson Nationals on July 14.
While Johnson and Campbell lead the way into Saturday’s action, the balance of the top five in NCRA points currently includes Luke Cranston (Plains, KS), Mike Peters (Wichita) and Zach Blurton (Jetmore). The rest of the top ten includes Marc Robe (Wichita), Jon Freeman (Salina), Jake Martens (Fairview, OK), Barry Gifford (Ponca City, OK) and Jeff Stasa (Kingman).
Among others expected for Saturday’s action are Norman, Oklahoma’s Danny Jennings, who aims for three wins in a row after sweeping through the July 21-22 Wichita-Enid double, and National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Gary Wright of Hooks, TX.
In the track’s championship chase divisions, Ponca City’s Brendon Gemmill holds a 15-point advantage over Woodward, Oklahoma’s Cole Traugott in his bid for a second consecutive IMCA Modified track championship at DCRP. Beau Davis holds down third in points behind Gemmill and Traugott, with Casey Jo Wanger and Ryan Heger rounding out the top five.
Bart Baker holds a ten-point lead over Josh Appel in the United Wireless IMCA Sport Modifieds, with Toby Witthuhn just one more point back in third. Mike Appel and defending track champion Clay Sellard round out the top five.
Perry Misner leads the way in the IMCA Stock Cars with a 33-point advantage over Keith Riley, with Dan Rogers holding a 22-point lead over Scott Messino in the Poor Boy Kustomz Thunder Cars.
Tickets to Saturday’s event are just $15 for adults. Seniors and Military receive a $5 discount, with children 11 and under admitted free if accompanied by an adult. Pit passes are $30.
Dodge City Raceway Park presents 16 nights of racing over a dozen different weekends in 2012. In addition to the five regularly featured classes of competition, special events over the course of the year will include World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, USAC Midgets, USAC Sprint Cars, ASCS National Tour, NCRA Sprint Cars, URSS 305 Sprints and BST Modifieds.
Dodge City Raceway Park is located on the south edge of Dodge City, KS, on US 283, then 0.9 miles west on US 56, then 0.1 miles south. For more information, contact the track at 620-225-3277 or check www.dodgecityraceway.com.