Lonnie Wheatley
DODGE CITY, Kan. (September 5, 2017) – 
The state-of-the-start 3/8-mile clay oval in Southwest Kansas puts the wraps on the 2017 championship chases with the Saturday night, September 16, Fifth Annual Jerry Soderberg Memorial Championship event.
Five track champions will be determined by the end of the night with the Precise Racing Products DCRP Sprint Cars taking on the URSS Sprint Cars while the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars and IMCA Hobby Stocks are in action as well with the green flag flying at 7:00 p.m.
While the championship season at Dodge City Raceway Park wraps up with the September 16 card, racing isn’t entirely done for the year as the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars make a highly anticipated return to the DCRP clay on October 27-28.
Leading the way into the Jerry Soderberg Memorial Championship event are Taylor Velasquez (DCRP Sprint Cars), Clay Sellard (IMCA Modifieds), Jeff Kaup (IMCA Sport Modifieds), Angel Munoz (IMCA Stock Cars) and Reagan Sellard (IMCA Hobby Stocks).
While Clay Sellard, Kaup and Munoz can all put the wraps on their respective titles by showing up, Velasquez and Reagan Sellard both still have work to do.
Turpin, Oklahoma’s Velasquez is gunning for a second consecutive Precise Racing Products DCRP Sprint Car title after earning his first crown last year. A feature winner on July 15, Velasquez carries a 53-point lead over Wright’s Tyler Knight into the finale.
The tightest battle is in the IMCA Hobby Stock ranks with Bucklin’s Reagan Sellard just 19 points ahead of Pratt’s Duane Wahrman in the title fight as defending track champ Matt O’Hair sits 53 markers off the lead pace in third.
Looking to add a DCRP title in the IMCA Modified ranks to a past IMCA Sport Mod title, Bucklin’s Clay Sellard is 117 markers ahead of defending track champ Nick Link while Woodward, Oklahoma’s Jeff Kaup has a 141-point lead over Brian May as he looks to finish off a third IMCA Sport Modified title over the past four years. Meanwhile, Lamar, Colorado’s Angel Munoz has reeled off a DCRP-best five wins thus far in 2017 to build a 145-point advantage over Ondre Rexford in the IMCA Stock Car ranks.
Battles for position are numerous throughout the top ten in each class as well with drivers all vying for a bigger slice of the points fund pie.
Colorado’s Jake Bubak is the reigning Jerry Soderberg Memorial Championship winner after besting a field of 29 DCRP vs. URSS Sprint Cars last year with other reigning winners including Cole Traugott (IMCA Modifieds), Jeff Kaup (IMCA Sport Modifieds), Michael Pepper (IMCA Stock Cars) and David Berger (IMCA Hobby Stocks).
General admission for the Saturday night, September 16, Fifth Annual Jerry Soderberg Memorial Championship event are just $20 with children 11 and under admitted free when accompanied by an adult.
The 2017 season at Dodge City Raceway Park consists of 14 total nights of scheduled racing action, culminating with the return of the World of Outlaws Sprint Car series for the “Boot Hill Showdown” on October 27-28. The complete 2017 schedule of events at Dodge City Raceway Park is available at http://www.dodgecityraceway.com/schedule/.
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.