VINTON, Iowa – With the biggest divisional increase attributed to the Sprint Cars, a record 102 IMCA drivers earned Allstar Performance State championships this season.
Thirteen Sprint Car drivers were crowned state kings, eight more than in 2014. Modified champions were named in 26 states, the most since 2001.
Myron DeYoung ruled the Modifieds in Michigan for the fifth time in his career. Ricky Stephan repeated in South Dakota; he’s also won the Iowa state crown three times..
Drew Armstrong will hang a fourth Arkansas state plaque on his wall. Drivers winning career second titles were Dean Deming in New Mexico, Mike Densberger in Nebraska, Jeremy Meirhofer in Montana, Robert Miller in Nevada and Spencer Wilson in North Dakota.
First-time title winners were Jason Barnhill in Florida, Justin Elmer in Wyoming, Van Gemmill in Oklahoma, Kevin Green in Texas, Daryl Hay in Missouri, Scott Hogan in Iowa, Jeff Hunter in Colorado, Jake Donnelly in Idaho, Justin Jones in Minnesota, Keith Lamphere in New York, Jesse Richter in Kansas, Dusty Safley in Utah, Brian Schultz in Arizona, Eric Scribner in Wisconsin, Scott Sessions in Alabama, Matt Werner in Illinois, Alexander Wilson in California and Collen Winebarger in Oregon.
Densberger and Meirhofer are repeat champions in their respective states. Barnhill is the first Florida state champion since 2005, Sessions the first Alabama state champion since 2010.
If not already qualified, all Modified state champions become candidates for the Fast Shafts All-Star invitational.
National rookie of the year Paul Nagle paced Iowa state standings for Late Models. Matt Ryan led the way in Illinois; he’d been first in Hawkeye State points in 2009.
The parade of first-ever champions in the Sprint Car division includes Blake Carrier in Louisiana, Mike Downs in Ohio, Mike Haggenbottom in New Jersey, Matt Hope in North Carolina, Jesse Mack in California, Zach Newlin in Pennsylvania and Eric Smith in Indiana.
Also winning career first state titles were Doug Lovegrove in Nebraska, Chad Wilson in Texas and Matt Ziebarth in South Dakota.
Jerald Harris and Matt Moro won back-to-back crowns in Virginia and Iowa, respectively. Brandon Allen now owns Minnesota awards from 2001 and 2015.
Dan Mackenthun adds a seventh career and third consecutive Minnesota state Stock Car plaque to his collection while Jason Ward paced standings in South Dakota for a sixth straight season.
Damon Murty won for the fourth time in his career, and for the third consecutive season in Iowa.
Gregory Gutt repeated in Colorado. Other two-time Stock Car state champs are Aaron Corley in New Mexico, Ronald Hurt in California and Kirk Martin in Texas.
Winners of career first crowns were Manny Baldiviez in Arizona, Joren Boyce in North Dakota, James Lynch in Illinois, Jason Rogers in Kansas, Travis Van Straten in Wisconsin, Mike Wiseman in Oklahoma and Zach Zentner in Nebraska.
Baldiviez is the first Arizona state champion in the division. Van Straten is a former Northern SportMod champ in Wisconsin and Boyce is an eight-time North Dakota Modified state king.
John Cain’s Hobby Stock title in South Dakota is his career fifth. Shannon Anderson aced Iowa for the third season. Tiffany Bittner topped the state points race in Nebraska and Cory Probst led the way in Minnesota, both for the second consecutive season.
The eight Hobby Stock drivers winning first state crowns were Gary Goudy Sr. in North Dakota, Leonard Jones in Arizona, Wesley Mayer in New Mexico, Marcus Moede in Wisconsin, Shane Oknewski in Colorado, Jeremy Oliver in Texas, John Produit in Wyoming and Tyrel Smith in Kansas.
The Minnesota state championship for Northern SportMods went to Matt Looft for the fifth straight year. Robby Rosselli reigned in North Dakota for the third consecutive season.
Repeat champs were Rex Higgins in New Mexico, Lucas Lamberies in Wisconsin and Chris Toth in Arizona. Kenny Vollmer’s Idaho title was his career second.
Drivers winning career first state titles in the class were Wayland Duncan in Utah, Jarett Franzen in Illinois, Michael Medel in Oregon, Kayden Menasco in Oklahoma, Clay Money in Kansas, Rusty Montagne in South Dakota, Ryan Moser in Colorado, Tony Olson in Iowa, Fred Ryland in California, Nelson Vollbrecht in Nebraska and Kevin Wright in Wyoming.
Higgins is a four-time Stock Car state champion. Rosselli has also won twice in the Stocks, Montagne twice in the Hobbies.
Jeffrey Kaup’s Kansas state crown was his Southern SportMod career fourth in a row. Travis Gray raced to his fourth career championship in Utah.
Career-first titles went to Jeffrey Abbey in Texas, Brock Aeschbacher in Idaho, Jesse Baldwin in Colorado, Logan Ellis in Oklahoma, Shane Helton in New Mexico and Kyle Menlove in Wyoming.
Cody Thompson’s Sport Compact championship was his fourth in a row in South Dakota while Nate Coopman won for the fourth time in his career in Minnesota.
Shannon Pospisil repeated atop the Nebraska point standings. Scott Johnson becomes the first Wisconsin champion crowned in the 4-cylinder class.
The first-time champions were Kimberly Abbott in Illinois, Brandon Anderson in North Dakota, Jay DeVries in Iowa, Bryan Moore in Colorado, Randy Murphy in Kansas and Danny Sims in Texas.
IMCA began crowning state champions in 2000. The previous single-season record of 91 state champions was set last year.
State champions will be among the drivers honored during the national awards banquet on Nov. 28 in Lincoln, Neb.
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