IMCA national champions headed to US 36, Bethany for IMCA openers

Feature

OSBORN, Mo. – Drivers with IMCA national championships already on their resumes begin their pursuit of 2020 honors this weekend at US 36 Raceway and Bethany Speedway.

Jordan Grabouski, Mike Nichols and Austin Kaplan are among drivers from 10 states pre-entered for opening night events Friday, May 8 at Osborn and Saturday, May 9 at Bethany. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods are on both race night cards 

From Nebraska, Grabouski became the first driver to win two IMCA national crowns in the same season last year, topping point standings for both Modifieds and Stock Cars. He amassed 69 feature wins, two regional titles and eight track championships, all IMCA record totals for a single season.

Eight-time national champion Nichols, a former Missouri state king, looks to add to his Stock Car division best 529-win total. Fellow Iowan Kaplan owns a Northern SportMod national crown and makes the weekend trip south as well. 

2017 Jet Racing Central Region king Steven Bowers Jr., a six-time track and two-time state champion in Kansas, is among the fleet IMCA Modified contenders. Two more drivers with state titles to their career credit, Brandon Conkwright and Scott Smith, and two-time and defending U.S. 36 Raceway champ Chad Clancy are also entered. 

RaceSaver Sprint Car entries will be en route from as far away as Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana to battle an equally talented group of Midwest and Central states drivers, among them multi-time URSS and Kansas state champion Zach Blurton.

The winged field also features Tyler Drueke, who has a collection of Eagle Raceway, Sprint Series of Nebraska and Nebraska State plaques; defending US 36 Raceway track and two-time Iowa State champion Mike Houseman Jr.; 2019 Lake Ozark Speedway champ Jack Potter; and defending Nebraska State champion Stuart Snyder.

Defending Bethany champion Mich Ross and former Thunder Hill Speedway champ Marvin Griffith Jr. are also among the Stock Car entries. 

Another 2019 Bethany titlist, Chris Wright, and 2019 Salina/Thunder Hill Speedway champion Luke Stallbaumer are pre-entered in the Northern SportMods.

As announced by promoter Jon Boller Jr., social distancing guidelines will be in effect in the pit area and grandstand each night. Track officials will ask all race teams to stay within their respective pit stalls and that everyone attending wear a mask or other appropriate facial covering. 

Questions about the season-opening weekend can be directed to Boller at 816 752-3645. Both race programs will be broadcast by Speed Shift TV. 

Related Articles

Events

US 36 Raceway postpones Missouri IMCA Nationals to Oct. 25 and 26

OSBORN, Mo. – Due to the weekend forecast of thunderstorms and cold temperatures, US 36 Raceway officials have postponed the Missouri IMCA Nationals to Oct. 25 and 26.  Drivers from all across the region have planned to make the trip for the first ever event, and US 36 officials wanted to make the decision early to allow those drivers time to adjust their plans. Many contingency plans were discussed, and US 36 Raceway officials decided this to be the best possible option to complete a successful first ever event.  Friday, Oct. 25 will be a practice night for all divisions. Saturday, Oct. 26 will include heats, “B” features and main events to crown the first-ever Missouri IMCA Nationals champions. Racing will start at 2 p.m. Pre-entry to the event will re-open and is available at https://www.myracepass.com/register/?n=17636.  More information regarding the postponement of the Missouri IMCA Nationals will be made available soon.

Feature

10 states now represented at US 36, Bethany IMCA openers

OSBORN, Mo. – Opening night events this weekend at US 36 Raceway and Bethany Speedway bring IMCA drivers from across the nation to the Show-Me State. IMCA drivers from Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio and Indiana join competitors from closer to home on season-opening cards Friday, May 8 at Osborn and Saturday, May 9 at Bethany. IMCA Modified, IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod entries are also in hand from Colorado, Oklahoma, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas, as well as Missouri.  “We’re expecting to get drivers from a couple more states, too. It seems like the number of entries goes up every time I look at my phone,” said promoter Jon Boller Jr., who noted the strong contingent of RaceSaver Sprint Cars making the trip from out east.  “We had more than 100 cars practice last Saturday. Once we got to 100, we stopped counting,” continued Boller, looking forward to watching the stars of IMCA vie for the only IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional, E3 Spark Plugs State and [Read More]

Results

Masoner scores first IMCA Stock Car win

By Jacob Blair OSBORN, Mo. (July 10) – A strong field of race cars checked in to race at U.S. 36 Raceway on July 10. A mix of new and return winners in 2020 made for an entertaining night. With a dominating performance, Carson Masoner picked up his first career win in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature. One week after letting one slip away late, Masoner drove away from the field to pick up the win and celebrate in victory lane. Brad Derry moved up to finish second after starting 10th.  The IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars saw a new face in victory lane as Kenny Potter earned his first win of the season. Early on, Potter and Tyler Drueke battled for the lead before Drueke broke and went pitside. Chris Couch finished second with Austin Couch in third. In the IMCA Modifieds, Chad Clancy got out front on lap one and cruised to his second trip to Westfall GMC Victory Lane in 2020. Steven Bowers Jr. charged up to a second place finish, his [Read More]