New promoter wants to deliver first-rate racing at Hancock County

Hobby Stock, Modified, Northern SportMod, Results, Stock Car, Weekly

BRITT, Iowa (Feb. 22, 2024) – Back when Hancock County Speedway was being built, Darin Toot used to take breaks from his job delivering milk and eat his lunch at the track so he could follow the work in progress.

Beginning this season, he’ll focus his energies on delivering first-rate race programs at Britt.

Toot takes over as new promoter of the 4/10-mile dirt oval, where Friday night shows will feature Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods.

“Racing has been in my life since I bought my first car in 1989. It’s what I do, It’s what I enjoy, it’s what’s in my heart,” said Toot, who raced IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Stock Cars along with a nine-year stint as owner and promoter of Chateau Speedway in Minnesota. “We want Hancock County to be a place where racers want to race, and where fans can come to watch good racing.”

“Our goals are to get numbers up in the grandstand and pit side,” he added, noting both challenges and opportunities faced by weekly race tracks. “We want to get kids and entire families to the track.”

What’s been a relatively mild winter has been “a blessing in disguise,” Toot said, allowing track officials to begin work on the racing surface sooner than expected.

“We’ll bring some life back to the dirt, reduce some of the banking and make the track racier,” he promised. “We’ll throw some different things at it to see if we can make it faster. If we can do that, the entertainment will be there.”

The IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season runs from May 3 to Aug. 23 at Britt. Open practices will be held April 20, 26 or 27 if weather permits.

Specials for all weekly IMCA divisions, including the SportMod Nationals, Tuesday night fair show and Speedweek ‘Stars’ show will all be on the 2024 schedule.

“The four divisions we sanction are really the core of IMCA. We’ve had them here for years,” said Toot, who researched where and when area drivers raced after fielding numerous questions about the sanction. “You can’t empty the basket to make a change and then just fill it with new eggs.”

After construction was done, fans didn’t have to wait long to see the first IMCA track champions crowned at Hancock County as Modified, Stock Car and Hobby Stock kings all reigned in 1995.

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Return to Hancock County, Hobo 100 win result in career-best payday for Cornelius

BRITT, Iowa (July 26) – Dean Cornelius came to Britt Friday night with the same setup that had put him in Hancock County Speedway’s victory lane in May. He left town with the Hobo 100 IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature win and a career-best payday of $4,300. Curt Lund made it a back-and-forth battle before Cornelius regained the upper hand. Jake Mas­ters challenged late but couldn’t catch the leader before the checkers flew at the end of the cau­tion-free 25-lapper. “I was faster off turn four,” Cornelius said of the duel with Masters. “I knew I’d be all right if I didn’t make a mistake and just kept doing what I was doing.” Cornelius had started fourth and passed Ned Kalis and then Lund for the lead. Thirteenth starting Matt Speckman, Lund and 14th starting Derek Green completed the top five. Cayden Carter ad­vanced 10 positions to sixth.  A first-time Hobo 100 entrant, Cornelius ran second after starting dead last in his heat race. “We won there in May and came back with the same setup. [Read More]

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Berry is best at Britt’s Night of 10,000 Stars

BRITT, Iowa (Aug. 9) – Tom Berry Jr.’s string of second-place finishes ended with the win at Han­cock County Speedway’s Night of 10,000 Stars.  Berry passed Mike Mullen for the lead with nine laps left, then held on to the front spot after two late restarts in winning Friday’s IMCA Modified main event, and $7,000, at Britt. Berry had started eighth and chased Ethan Dotson most of the first half of the race. Mullen threat­ened to pull away from the pack following the mandatory pitstop at halfway but Berry made up ground as the two ran in lapped traffic.  A single lapped car separated the two when lap 41 was scored. Berry rolled the dice and came up a winner with that nifty drive around the outside the next time around. “I didn’t know who was behind me or how much tire I had left,” admitted the 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier. “All kinds of things were running through my head. This was the biggest race I’ve ever led. I can’t be more [Read More]

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IMCA Modified stars shine at Hancock County specials

BRITT, Iowa – Three very rich nights of racing give the stars of the IMCA Modified division the opportunity to shine at Hancock County Speedway. The Thursday, Aug. 9 Night of 1,000 Stars at Britt pays a guaranteed $3,500 to win and $300 to start, plus a bonus of $1,000 to the leader at halfway and another $1,000 if the winner has perfect attendance at Britt this season. The Night of 10,000 Stars on Friday, Aug. 10 sports a $7,000 top check, plus $1,000 bonuses to the halfway leader, for perfect attendance and for having won on Thursday as well. A minimum of $400 will be paid to start that main event. And the Saturday, Aug. 11 Bob Shryock Memorial All Stars pays $3,000 to win and a minimum of $500 to start. The evening’s Kody King Motorsports All Star Dash features 16 cars in a 10-lap $500 to win, $100 to start race. Thirty cars start three-wide in 50-lappers on Thursday and Friday. Twenty-four cars take the green in Saturday’s 40-lapper. All three events [Read More]

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