One More Night at DCRP in 2016
DODGE CITY, Kan. (September 14, 2016) – One more night of competition is all that remains on the 2016 slate of action at the 3/8-mile Dodge City Raceway Park in southwest Kansas.
And that takes place next Saturday night, September 24, with the Fourth Annual Jerry Soderberg Memorial Championship event.
The September 24 finale will bring the curtain down on an action-packed season that has included 15 previous nights of action building up to the conclusion that will crown five track champions in the track’s divisions of Precise Racing Products DCRP Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars and IMCA Hobby Stocks.
Racing at the Fourth Annual Jerry Soderberg Memorial Championship event will get under way at 7:00 p.m.
While Taylor Velasquez (DCRP Sprint Cars), Kevin Tabor (IMCA Sport Modifieds), Michael Pepper (IMCA Stock Cars) and Matt O’Hair (IMCA Hobby Stocks) each take relatively healthy point leads into the finale, the IMCA Modified crown is very much up for grabs with only nine points separating the top three in points.
Taking the points lead for the first time this year, Ryan Heger takes a nine-point lead into the finale over previous leader Nick Link and William Nusser, who are tied for second. Heger can secure at least a share of the title with a finish of third or better, with a finish any lower opening the door for either Link or Nusser to possibly snare the title.
Heger won the inaugural IMCA Modified portion of the Jerry Soderberg Memorial Championship event in 2013 with Jesse Richter and Brendon Gemmill topping ensuing rounds.
In the Sprint Car ranks, Taylor Velasquez will try to put the icing on the championship cake by taking a third consecutive Soderberg Memorial event after topping the previous two in 2014 and 2015.
In addition to Velasquez, the only other driver to post multiple Soderberg Memorial wins is IMCA Stock Car shoe Ron Hartman with wins in the initial two editions in 2013 and 2014 before Angel Munoz won last year. For Hartman to make it three-for-four, he’ll have to somehow find a way to stop Michael Pepper’s six-race winning streak.
The Soderberg Memorial has offered up three previous different winners in both the IMCA Sport Modified and IMCA Hobby Stock (previously Thunder Car) ranks. Jamie French topped IMCA Sport Modifieds after Nate Ginest and Josh Appel took previous wins while Reagan Sellard scored IMCA Hobby Stock honors last year after Cody Davis and Dan Rogers topped earlier rounds.
General admission for the September 24 Fourth Annual Jerry Soderberg Memorial Championship event is just $20 with children 11 and under admitted free when accompanied by an adult.
Past Jerry Soderberg Memorial Championship Winners:
2015 – Taylor Velasquez (DCRP vs. URSS Sprint Cars), Brendon Gemmill (IMCA Modifieds), Jamie French (IMCA Sport Modifieds), Angel Munoz (IMCA Stock Cars), Reagan Sellard (IMCA Hobby Stocks).
2014 – Taylor Velasquez (URSS Sprint Cars), Jesse Richter (IMCA Modifieds), Nate Ginest (IMCA Sport Modifieds), Ron Hartman (IMCA Stock Cars), Cody Davis (Thunder Cars), Jarett Lunow (Hornets).
2013 – Zach Blurton (URSS Sprint Cars), Ryan Heger (IMCA Modifieds), Josh Appel (IMCA Sport Modifieds), Ron Hartman (IMCA Stock Cars), Dan Rogers (Thunder Cars), James Phelps (Hornets).
General admission for Saturday’s Third Annual Sport Modified Mayhem event is just $15 with children 11 and under admitted free when accompanied by an adult.
The complete 2016 schedule of events at Dodge City Raceway Park is available at http://www.dodgecityraceway.
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.
Sources: Lonnie Wheatley/Dodge City Raceway Park PR