MYTON, Utah – When they started kicking around the idea of starting the IMCA Wild West Tour back up on social media last month, it took just three days for more than 60 drivers to sign up.
Nearly 100 are on board now, with 10 events scheduled for IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods. What will be the ninth annual tour travels to six different tracks in five states.
“There’s a lot of enthusiasm on the part of the drivers,” noted Ken Hansen, who returns as tour director. “They’re the ones who made this tour good before and they’re the ones who will have the opportunity to do it again.”
Opening weekend is Friday and Saturday, May 3 and 4 at New Mexico’s Aztec Speedway. The tour is at Diamond Mountain Speedway in Vernal, Utah, on Friday and Saturday, June 28 and 29.
Nevada race dates are Friday, July 26 at Winnemucca Regional Raceway and Saturday, July 27 at Battle Mountain Raceway.
Sweetwater Speedway at Rock Springs, Wyo., hosts Friday and Saturday, Aug. 30 and 31 events. Wrapping up the tour is the Friday and Saturday, Sept. 20 and 21 doubleheader at Idaho Falls, Idaho, Raceway.
Car counts will determine nightly purses, with Modifieds racing for a minimum of $1,000 to win and as much as $2,500 to win their Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifiers. Stock Cars and Northern SportMods both vie for top checks of at least $750 and as much as $1,600.
Start money ranges from $50 to $175 for the Modifieds and from $50 to $150 for the Stock Cars and Northern SportMods.
Modified entry fees will be $100, Stock Car and Northern SportMod entry fees $75. Registration fees go into point funds for each division; drivers must compete in half the tour races held to be eligible for point fund shares.
One hundred dollars will be paid to drivers making the longest tow each night in each division while non-qualifier pay is $50.
IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, state, special series and track points will be awarded each night. Modifieds also earn Larry Shaw Race Cars Western Region points and Stock Cars race for EQ Cylinder Heads Northern or Southern Region points.
Tour point leaders will be eligible to compete in race of champions qualifying for their respective divisions at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s.
Ninety-eight Modified events were held, at 15 different tracks in six states, during the Wild West Tour’s 2007-2014 run.
“The Wild West Tour has been missed. I hated to see them bow out but understood the reasoning behind it,” said IMCA President Brett Root. “Ken has remained active in racing at the local level and his sons have continued to race with IMCA. I hope drivers appreciate the dedication Ken and Shelly have for this tour and am confident the tour won’t miss a beat. The tracks will benefit as well.”