Change. Change is constant, change is inevitable, change is necessary. Whether it is you changing the channel on your television cause you are bored, or it is a hall of fame coach changing his coaching schemes to adjust to the way the game is played nowadays, change is necessary and all around us. In racing change is constant, it is almost required. You might have one setup that works on one track, one day and then the next day at the same track that set-up might be terrible, so you have to change what you are thinking. We have seen some changes in Kansas Racing going into the start of the 2024 season, join me on a journey through some of these changes.
Let us start out in Imperial, Nebraska...yes I know that is not Kansas, but stick with me! Brock Leibhart saw his whole world change when he suffered a life-changing accident behind the wheel of his pickup, the accident paralzyed Brock from the waist down, Brock was not sure if he would ever get a chance to race again, but his dad simply asked "Brock do you want to race again?" Brock responded with "well I don't know how" and his dad Dan Leibhart told him if you want to race we will make it happen, and set up a sport compact with all the necessary hand controls for Brock to race again. Despite his accident Brock never lost his desire for speed or to race, and his change going into 2024 is to try out a new car, he tabbed Kiowa Higdon a well known compact champion to build him a car. Leibhart is very excited about the 2024 season and hoping to claim numerous track championships with his new car!
Stockton, Kansas is home to the family of Madison Reed and Reed Racing, Madison has raced several years, he had a sport mod for some time, but has found a home in sport compacts, while also fighting fires, his racing might be limited nowadays but his passion and desire to help young competitors in the sport will never change. One change for Reed, is that his oldest son Charles is set to start his racing career in the form of go-karts. Madison will have to trade out the driver's helmet, for the crew chief ballcap as he teaches young Charles to become another great racer. Madison Reed is also involved in helping Dean Kester make Stockton's race track the place to be during the county fair, this year will see two sport compact shows, along with modifieds, stock cars, hobby stocks, late models and sport mods all getting to race the historic track in Stockton!
Wakeeney, Kansas has always been a racing town, the farming community would always fill the stands at the fairgrounds track, but lately we have only seen a few races each year. Change is coming as Barrett Wagoner and his wife Danielle have taken over the promoter position at the famed race track. The Wagoners are dedicated to bring back the glory of Wakeeney Speedway and vow to make IMCA racing big in Wakeeney again. The track will field IMCA racing, American Sprint Car Series racing, United Rebel Sprint Series racing and the big one a Dirt Crown Stock Car Showdown in partnership with Thomas County Speedway! Numerous drivers, fans and crew members have expressed their excitement as everyone knows that when Wagoner is working a track, you will get a good racing surface each time out and the fans will not go home disappointed!
Going west from Wakeeney, we will stop in little Grainfield, Kansas snuggled into the northern part of Gove County, where we meet up with the owner of Better Built Trailers. Mike Bainter has built an amazing trailer/Polaris dealership in small town USA, and he has a surprise, as he brought home a RAGE chassis from Iowa, and will compete in IMCA Modified action in 2o24! The flame and desire to race had never left Bainter, but when Better Built employee Sheldon Wickwar would not shut up about how fun the racing in Kansas has been the last couple years, it got Bainter thinking "hey I got this, I am not too old, let's go kick some ass!" With the support of his family and close friends, Mike Bainter will race again, and has tabbed Brady Bainter, Dylan Bainter and Sheldon Wickwar as his "pit crew." Hell if Kenny Wallace, Ken Schrader, and Red Farmer can still win races in their later years, why can't Mike Bainter do it?
Sliding northwest of Grainfield, let us stop in Selden, KS, the home of IMCA stock car stand out Jason Rogers. Rogers always a fierce competitor, is accepting a new challenge behind the wheel of a late model! Rogers will pull double duty this year in both the stock car and the late model! Rogers has admitted the late model is very fast compared to anything he has raced, but knowing Rogers he will get it figured out quickly!
Dodge City is where we find Kyler Fetters, he and his wife have done a phenomenal job in year one as promoters of the Dodge City Raceway Park, and now Fetters has an additional change as he has became owner of the United Rebel Sprint Series! Fetters has tabbed young Dalton Janousek as the voice of the Sprints, Janousek had been calling numerous races in Dodge City and in Garden City, now he gets to call races for a popular series in the Midwest!
The High Plains Late Model Series will continue to build themselves up as they field a schedule that will visit Colby, Dodge City, Salt City (Hutchinson), Rock Springs, Wyoming, Rush County (Lacrosse, KS), McCool Junction and Lexington, Nebraska, Calhan, Colorado and Sheridan, Wyoming! The HPLMS always puts on a great show, and Sheldon Wickwar will look to cover as many events as he can!
Change happens every year in racing, it is necessary whether it is changing the setup on your car, or changing the class you run, change is constant. We all look ahead to a great 2024 racing season in Kansas! We hope you all continue to support our local race tracks in Kansas!
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