GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. – Time-proven rules and new opportunities for drivers at Valley Speedway sold promoter Dennis Shrout on sanctioning IMCA Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod and IMCA STARS Mod Lite divisions this season.
Both classes will join Saturday night race programs at his Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo., some 10 miles east of Kansas City on Interstate 70. Shrout plans to work closely with Jon Boller, promoter at US 36 Raceway and Bethany Speedway, in building the IMCA following in the northwest corner of the Show Me State.
Valley Speedway becomes the first Missouri track to sanction STARS Mod Lites.
“We have a class similar to the SportMods and ran the Mod Lites for four or five years and helped build that class,” said Shrout. “We really like the rules. I’ve seen how Jon’s classes at Osborn have grown with the sanction. If everybody went IMCA, it would be good for all of us.”
“IMCA locks down the rules. They don’t let drivers spend themselves into oblivion. Nobody around here is building ‘B’ mods now because they’re too expensive, but they will race IMCA SportMods,” he continued. “Mod Lites have been great for us. Those drivers want to run for national points and national championships and they can do that with IMCA.”
Four test and tune sessions are scheduled in March before opening night of the IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season on April 3.
Weekly racing continues through Sept. 25. Both the SportMods and STARS Mod Lites end their inaugural season at Valley Speedway during the King of Kansas City special in October.
Shrout brought a history of racing on two wheels to the track when he purchased Valley Speedway. The area businessman and former motocross competitor purchased the 1/3-mile oval a dozen years ago.
