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NICK SCHWIEN • Hays Daily News David Murray Jr. (97) and Travis Sherfick battle during a modified race Saturday at RPM Speedway in Hays.

G.W. Fuller (1x) and Brian Stich compete during a hobby stock race.

Low line works to mod driver's favor

By NICK SCHWIEN

nschwien@dailynews.net

Usually, Travis Sherfick rides the high line around a track, working his way to the front of the pack to battle for a modified win.

But not Saturday night at RPM Speedway in Hays. The WaKeeney driver used the low line for once to get to the front and stayed there while earning his first win this season in Hays.

"I felt like Dylan out there for a little bit, running around the bottom and bouncing through the holes," Sherfick said about his brother, who normally makes his way to the front of the field by using the low line. "It was one of those deals where guys were running around the top and I had to try something to get around them. You pass them on the bottom. Then under caution, I'd go to the top and feel something up there. But it's one of those deals where you don't know what's going on behind you."

Sherfick, coming off a runner-up finish at Mod Mania in Hays earlier in the week, started 11th in Saturday's feature -- alongside David Murray Jr., who has five wins at RPM this year.

But Sherfick cracked the top six on the third lap, then jumped from fourth to second on lap six, right behind leader Tyler Sutton.

"It bugs me. And not only that, it is a little rough around the bottom,"  Sherfick said. "It makes you drive the car a lot different and harder. You have to keep everything headed in the right direction. When you go through those holes, you don't know which way it's going to go."

Sutton surrendered the lead on lap eight to Sherfick, who would lead the rest of the race.

The victory didn't come without drama, though. Three cautions happened during the final seven laps, bunching things up for the pursuers of Sherfick.

It gave Geoff Jermark, who started third, an opportunity after he moved into second place on lap 11.

"I figured the bottom was going to be where to go, and I just couldn't get anything down there,"  Jermark said. "I went to where I'm comfortable -- way up high. It was working for a while, then I kind of overdrove it a little bit. Then I figured it out at the end, but it was too late."

The final caution flew on the final lap, setting up a one-lap battle for the lead.

"I thought, 'Another one?' " Sherfick said. "I knew (Murray) was coming. The car started to go away toward the end. I was pretty hard on the right rear tire. I wasn't looking forward to those cautions. I was looking forward to getting it over with and done with and go from there."

Sherfick was able to hold on for the win, followed by Jermark in second and Murray in third.

"I figured out what I needed to do with about five to go,"  Jermark said. "Then I started reeling him in, then we had too many cautions. It just wasn't going my way."

Rodger Peck, who started seventh, rounded out the top four.

* Trevor Schmidt won his third sport compact feature at RPM. He led all 12 laps. Brandon Lobdell was second, followed by Art Herzog and Shaun Woods.

* Daniel Irwin led the first half of the hobby stock feature before G.W. Fuller took the top spot on lap eight. He'd lead the rest of the way to take his third win in Hays. Cody Graham, who started 10th, was second, with Cody Ghumm in third. Tony Slothower went from 22nd to fourth.

* Jake Krone continued his hot streak in the Northern sport mod class, claiming his fifth win at the track. Trenton Kleweno came from 14th to finish second, just inches behind Krone. Chris Heim was third, with Blaine Walt in fourth.

* The battling brothers of Nick and Jeff Tubbs took the top two spots in the stock car feature. Jason Davis led early before Jeff Tubbs led laps nine and 10. Nick Tubbs took the lead on lap 11 and led the rest of the way. Terry Cunningham was a close third, with Shaylon Holloway in fourth.

* On Saturday, make-up features also took place for four classes from a rain-out June 30. Troy Plummer won the modified race, and Austin Carter won the stock feature. Holloway was victorious in the sport mod class, and Brian Stich won the hobby stock feature.

* Racing returns to RPM Speedway on Aug. 25, with the five regular classes competing.