Sports
Johnson, Romfo win challenge races
Matthew Semisch
07/22/2014
More cars and more laps around the Thunder Mountain Speedway (TMS) track wowed the onlooking crowd Sunday afternoon during the IMCA Sportmod and Hobby Stock Challenge.
Sunday’s event at TMS was much different from what normally takes place at Bottineau’s quarter-mile track. For the challenge night, International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) drivers, some from as close as Westhope and Minot, raced at the track for the first time this season.
No points were on the line Sunday, but quite a lot of prize money was. A total prize of $500 was available to the winner of Sunday’s sport stock feature race, while $1,000 was on offer for the modifieds feature race.
Chris Romfo of Bottineau, who currently leads the sport stock division at Thunder Mountain this season.
He and Steve Beckedahl, currently second in the TMS points standings, were locked in tight competition during Sunday’s 14-car sport stock feature. Romfo pulled away in the second turn of the final lap, though, making a nice move on the outside before holding on to win.
IMCA driver Wayne Johnson of Minot won the modifieds feature race in his first-ever event at TMS. He, too, faced stiff competition in his classification’s 18-car, 40-lap feature race before pulling away late.
The next event at TMS is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 3. The first sport stock preliminary heat that day will start at 4 p.m.