May IMCA Dirt Knights Tour dates postponed

VINTON, Iowa – Another chapter in IMCA Modified history will be written on Sunday, when the Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights Tour comes to Benton County Speedway. The 100th event in tour history will be held at Vinton, the track where the IMCA Modified division first raced more than 40 years ago. Winner of three of the first six Dirt Knights events this season, Ethan Braaksma is poised to become the 11th different champion in as many years the tour has been held. The Aug. 30 feature pays $1,000 to win and is a qualifying event for the 2021 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational.  Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and racing follows 6 p.m. hot laps. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods are also on the card, in $500 to win features. There are no entry fees for the draw/redraw show. Grandstand admission is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors and ages 6-14, and free for five and under. Pit passes are $30 for adults and $15 for ages 14 [Read More]

By Mike Spieker FRANCIS CREEK, Wis. (June 21) – Ricky Thornton Jr. dominated Thursday’s IMCA Modified Clash at the Creek at 141 Speedway to earn the $10,000 payday. Already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, Thornton led all 50 trips around the smooth and slick 1/3-mile dirt oval. The Clash did double duty as an Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights Tour event, the first such held outside Iowa. Eighty-two Modifieds were entered and seven states were represented in the main event. Thornton grabbed the lead from the pole on the opening lap as Mike Mullen filed into second. A gaggle of cars, including Hunter Marriott, Joel Rust, Kyle Stickler and Benji LaCrosse, raced for the final positions inside the top five. Thornton immediately checked out from the field, establishing a one second lead over Mullen in the first five laps. Like Thornton, the rest of the drivers inside the top five ran the low side of the speedway until Strickler countered that trend. Strickler went to the top side and quickly began picking off cars, [Read More]

KNOXVILLE, Iowa (July 19) – Ricky Thornton Jr. added another career highlight-type IMCA Modified feature win to a resume that’s already full of them Thursday night. Thornton led start to finish of the Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights Tour main event at Knoxville Raceway, earning $2,000 for his series record third straight victory. “This win is huge,” the Arizona transplant said. “Growing up, we all watched the Knoxville Nationals and to win in only my third race here is just great.” Thornton had gotten caught in a wreck while running near the front in last year’s tour event at Knoxville. Traffic wasn’t an issue in Thursday’s Dynamic Drivelines Dirt Duel as Thornton took charge from outside the front row. Cayden Carter was close behind but a caution with six circuits left in the 25-lapper cleared the track ahead of the leader. Carter, Richie Gustin, Jacob Murray and 2017 race winner Chris Abelson rounded out the top five. “The biggest thing was that I was able to set my own pace,” said Thornton, qualified multiple times [Read More]