Lonnie Wheatley, DODGE CITY, Kan. (September 23, 2013) – Dodge City Raceway Park is set to put the wraps on its 2013 racing season with this Saturday night’s Inaugural running of the Jerry Soderberg Memorial Championship event.
The United Rebel Sprint Series (URSS) will headline the season finale at DCRP on Saturday with the track’s championship chase divisions of IMCA Modifieds, United Wireless IMCA Sport Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, Thunder Cars and Hornets in action as well.
Saturday’s card run in tribute to Jerry Soderberg, who passed away in April following a lengthy racing career and then years as owner and operator S.O.S. Engine Service, gets under way at 7:30 p.m.
While all five of the DCRP track championships will be finalized on Saturday, plenty of URSS Sprint Car championship implications are on the line as well.
With Saturday’s event offering URSS National points as well as Colorado and Kansas Regional points, each title chase is a close one. Ness City’s Luke Cranston enters the weekend just 12 points off Jake Bubak’s lead pace in National points with Dodge City’s Brian Herbert, Jetmore’s Ray Seemann and Fowler’s Richie Dewell rounding out the current top five.
Cranston holds a 34-point edge over Herbert in Kansas Regional points while Adam Trimble is just four points ahead of Bubak in Colorado Regional points.
The URSS Sprint Cars have visited DCRP on three previous occasions in 2013 with Brian Herbert defending his hometown turf on May 11, Turpin, Oklahoma’s Taylor Velasquez taming the fast 3/8-mile clay oval on June 29 and then Goddard’s J.D. Johnson taking top honors on July 26.
Wichita’s Mike Peters topped last year’s $1,000-to-win URSS finale at DCRP.
In DCRP championship chase action, Austin Allen, Jeff Kaup, Billy Phelps, Dustin Walker and Jarett Lunow lead the way into Saturday night.
Goddard’s Allen has his first IMCA Modified DCRP track championship nearly within grasp as he enters Saturday’s action with a 27-point lead over Dodge City’s Jesse Smith with Woodward, Oklahoma’s Jon Herring, Jr., just another eight points back in third. Kevin Gray and last year’s championship finale winner Ryan Heger round out the current top five.
Woodward’s Jeff Kaup has opened up a 54-point edge over Toby Witthuhn in the United Wireless IMCA Sport Modified ranks with Austin Walker, Matthew Crowell and Clay Sellard filling out the top five.
Billy Phelps has a commanding lead in the IMCA Stock Car ranks as Marlin Hogie and Brett Copeland battle it out for runner-up honors, Dustin Walker holds a slight advantage in the Thunder Car ranks over Cody Davis and Matt O’Hair, with Jarett Lunow an unstoppable Hornet force on the inner asphalt oval.
Admission to Saturday’s Jerry Soderberg Memorial Championship event is just $15 for adults with children 11 and under admitted free when accompanied by an adult.
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.
- Admin Account on Sep 23, 2013
- Article Date: 9/23/2013 by Lonnie Wheatley