Foul forecast washes out Batesville

BATESVILLE, Ark. – Practice and time trials get underway Tuesday night at Batesville Motor Speedway for the top-paying IMCA Modified event of the season. A $20,000 share of the $150,000 Mark and Arlene Martin Hope For Arkansas Foundation Race For Hope 74 main event purse goes to the winner of the Saturday, Sept. 29 headliner. Twenty-seven drivers take the green flag in a race that pays a minimum of $2,000 to start. All IMCA rules will apply and IMCA Speedway Mo­tors Weekly Motors Weekly Racing National, Jet Racing Central Region and Arkansas State points will be awarded. Race For Hope 74 will be broadcast by IMCA.TV. Presenting sponsor is Sweet Manufacturing. Fifteen heat races will be held each night Wednesday through Friday. “D,” “C” and “B” races will follow qualifying features those evenings with points to be awarded toward a special race. Both the Race of States, featuring the fastest car from each state that does not qualify for the main event, and the Manufacturers’ race, featuring the fastest non-qualifying car built by each manufacturer [Read More]

By Mike Spieker BATESVILLE, Ark. (Sept. 27) – Kyle Strickler backed up his overall quick time qualifying run on Tuesday with a dominating performance in Wednesday night’s Race For Hope 74 IMCA Modified preliminary feature. The Mooresville, N.C., driver started in the middle of the front row for the three-wide start, which ran 10 rows deep. Strickler jumped out to the lead on the opening lap as Wendell Wallace and Steven Bowers Jr. settled into second and third, respectively. Strickler quickly opened up a full straightaway lead by lap five, while Wallace and Bowers fought for the runner-up position. As Strickler approached lapped traffic at the midway point of the 25-lap event, he didn’t waste any time getting around slower cars. The two-time IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s champion made a three-wide pass around two lapped cars that were battling for position as he continued to stretch out his lead over Wallace. Strickler was still battling heavy lapped traffic as the race advanced to the closing stage but he held a steady [Read More]

BATESVILLE, Ark. (Oct. 11) – New car? No problem. Thornton topped the $12,000 to win Race For Hope 71 feature for IMCA Modifieds at Batesville Motor Speedway. Sunday’s checkered flag run was his second straight and third in the four years the event has been held. “It’s awesome to be able to win this race three out of four years. This was definitely one of our biggest wins,” said Thornton, who led start to finish in the 71-lapper. “We brought a new car (a Lethal Chassis), went back to our notes and didn’t have to change a thing all week.” Already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, Thornton set fast time to start the week and never slowed down. After rain postponed the main event from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon, he weathered a handful of cautions before and after the mandatory fuel stop on lap 40. The final yellow came with three laps left. Jake O’Neil pulled to Thornton’s back bumper before chasing him to the checkers. “This year we were really good [Read More]