Lonnie Wheatley
DODGE CITY, Kan. (August 27, 2018) – The penultimate round of 2018 championship chase action atop the 3/8-mile Dodge City Raceway Park clay oval in southwest Kansas is set for this Saturday night, September 1.
Saturday’s Labor Day Weekend special card at the state-of-the-art facility includes a full card of Precise Racing Products DCRP Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars and IMCA Hobby Stocks.
Saturday’s racing action goes green at 7:30 p.m.
Thus far in 2018, a total of 185 different racers have competed in at least one round of DCRP championship chase action with 31 different competitors making their way to victory lane in 46 overall features. This past weekend’s tilt offered up four first-time winners on the season with only IMCA Hobby Stocker Duane Wahrman making a return visit to the winner’s circle after his fourth triumph of the year.
Several championship battles continue to hang in the balance with only the Sixth Annual Jerry Soderberg Memorial Championship event on Saturday, September 15, remaining on the regular season following this Saturday’s card.
While just two nights of championship chase competition remain, a pair of major events will follow with the BMI Racing Products Dodge City 200 Enduro on Saturday, September 22, and then the return of the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars on Saturday, October 20.
Leading the way into Saturday’s card are Steven Richardson in Precise Racing Products DCRP Sprint Cars, Nick Link in IMCA Modifieds, Jeff Kaup in IMCA Sport Modifieds, Dusty Witthuhn in IMCA Stock Cars and Reagan Sellard in IMCA Hobby Stocks.
Kaup and Sellard are the only ones that can breathe somewhat easy when the green flag flies on Saturday as the other three title chases will likely go down to the final checkered flag on September 15.
Woodward’s Kaup carries a 169-point lead over Bart Baker in the IMCA Sport Modified ranks into Saturday and could secure his fifth track championship in six years this weekend although the balance of the top ten continues to be in flux.
Vying for a second consecutive IMCA Hobby Stock title, Bucklin’s Sellard takes a 117-point lead over Wahrman into Saturday’s tilt and is on the verge of locking things up.
That’s not the case at all in the other three divisions with fewer than 22 points the difference between first and second in each case.
In the Precise Racing Products DCRP Sprint Cars, Liberal’s Steven Richardson moved atop the points charts for the first time of the year with a fifth-place run this past weekend. Richardson is just 17 points ahead of previous leader Brian Herbert with Koby Walters just another three points back in third. Reigning champion Taylor Velasquez, the only driver to repeat in the Sprint Car ranks this year, may have suffered a critical blow to championship hopes when his engine expired one lap short of the checkered flag while running third last weekend. Velasquez has fallen 57 points off the lead pace as a result.
Rolla’s Nick Link is gunning for a second IMCA Modified title in three years but holds only a 22 point advantage over Kevin Gray with William Nusser just another 11 points back in third.
Bazine’s Dusty Witthuhn takes a 20-point lead over Chris Oliver into Saturday’s card in the IMCA Hobby Stock chase. After Oliver scored his first career win on July 14, Witthuhn knocked off the next two wins before Tyler Tipton topped last weekend’s action.
General admission for Saturday’s championship chase action at DCRP is just $15 with children 11 and under admitted free when accompanied by an adult.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Dodge City located at 201 4th Avenue is the official lodging partner of Dodge City Raceway Park. Race fans staying at the Holiday Inn & Suites Dodge City will want to request the special DCRP rate for their visit when making reservations. Contact the Holiday Inn Express at 620-225-1000.
In total, the 2018 season at Dodge City Raceway Park is slated for 17 nights of action. The complete 2018 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.