ARLINGTON, Minn. (Sept. 21, 2024) – A.J. Zimmerman got the best of 31 IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars for his first-ever feature win, in a race that went green to checkered Saturday at Arlington Raceway.
Ryan Grochow paced the first three laps before Zimmerman took the high side and passed him to take over at the front. He encountered lapped traffic in the late going but protected his groove and went on to win.
“This win has definitely been tough to get. It’s definitely been tough racing with these guys every week,” Zimmerman said. “We’ve been close a lot of times so it’s good to get this one. It was exciting.”
He’ll add his trophy to the collection of hardware his father Mark, who made his 15th start of the season Saturday at Arlington, has compiled in his own career.
Grochow fell back multiple positions which gave Brent Uecker the opportunity of moving up. He and Dakota Robinson were battling for the runner-up spot but it was Uecker at the line taking second while Robinson was third, just ahead of Matt Speckman.
Cory Probst was victorious again in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature. Blake Foesch led the first six laps before hard charger Blake Luinenberg, who had started 10th, passed both Chad Volk and Foesch to take over the lead.
It looked as if he would win the $300 bounty put up on Probst, but Probst made a last-lap pass coming out of turn four to finish inches ahead of Luinenberg and take the win. Volk finished third ahead of Brad Becker.
Eric Stocker took the lead early in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact main but soon both Alan Lahr and Justin Dose passed him. Following a lap six restart, Lahr once again took the lead and led the remaining four laps to win ahead of Dose and Stocker.
Tony Stephensmeier had the point after two early restarts in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod main but not for long as Matt Looft got by him by the time they entered turn two.
For the next nine laps, Zac Davis worked on Looft as he looked to claim that $300 bounty but had to settle for second at the line. Stephensmeier took third.
Monte Ferrero led 16 laps of the 20-lap Rice Companies IMCA RaceSaver Sprint feature. Going into turn four, he got too high, spun out and lost his position. He then drove into the pit area.
That gave the lead to Matt Johnson, who had been in second place from lap four. Brett Allen was in third but was able to take the high side and passed Owen Graf. After the restart, Lee Goos Jr. also passed Graf and tried to close the gap on Allen but had to settle for third behind Johnson and Allen.
Jason Schroeder led the first eight laps of the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature but after the third early restart, had troubles and went into the pit area, ending his night.
That gave Trent Loverude the lead as he had worked up from his 10th place start. Chad Porter followed Loverude but couldn’t get by him and had to settle for second behind Loverude. Dan Menk finished third, ahead of Clint Hatlestad.
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