Ryan Clark

Night three IMCA Modified checkers fly for O’Neil; Cordova is first to repeat at Cocopah

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 11) – His green to checkered run at the front of the IMCA Modified field Saturday night at Cocopah Speedway put Jake O’Neil in victory lane and on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. O’Neil took home $1,000 as the third different winner in as many Winter Nationals shows. Jeff Taylor held off Casey Arneson in the race for second, finishing five car lengths off the pace. Bobby Hogge IV and Lance Mari completed the top five. Joshua Cordova became the first repeat winner at Somerton, topping the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature. Gene Henrie scored the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car victory and Michael Johnson dominated the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod main. Scott Tenney led the first 18 times around the track in the Hobby Stock main. Cordova had started fourth and was scored first by the width of his bumper on lap 19 and led Tenney across the stripe in the caution-free 20-lapper. Friday winner Tim Gonska, Eric Knutson and Nathan DeRagon rounded out the top five. Checkers flew for Henrie [Read More]

Baca is best in night two Somerton show, IMCA Modified checkers good for $1,000

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 10) – After he got back in the lead, Chaz Baca got the $1,000 IMCA Modified feature win Friday night at Cocopah Speedway. Baca ran in front the first nine circuits of the Winter Nationals main event before Braxton Yeager drove by. Baca had regained the point by the time the next lap was scored, however, and led Yeager, Marlyn Seidler, Lance Mari and Bobby Hogge IV across the stripe. Tom Berry Jr. ran third much of the way before bringing out a late caution; Baca was already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Canadian Brendon LaBatte was the leader the last 17 times around the track in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car headliner. Completing the top five were Gene Henrie, Steffan Carey, Troy Jerovetz and Kevin Roberts. Tim Gonska’s long tow from Minnesota was rewarded with the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock checkers. All 17 cars that started the 20-circuit contest finished on the lead lap. Eric Knutson, Joshua Cordova, Brad King and Scott Tenney were scored behind Gonska. After working [Read More]

Thornton tops IMCA Modifieds in Winter Nationals opener at Cocopah

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 9) – His return to his home state put $1,000 in Ricky Thornton Jr.’s bank account Thursday night. Thornton led every lap in winning the IMCA Modified feature on opening night of Winter Nationals at Cocopah Speedway. The victory came in the first sanctioned Modified event of the 2020 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing Season. Piloting Kollin Hibdon’s backup car, Thornton had started outside the front row. He walked away from the rest of the field following a lap 13 restart. Runner-up was Jeff Taylor and Jake O’Neil challenged before finishing third. “B” feature winner Tom Berry Jr. started 16th and finished fourth while Hibdon completed the top five. Already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, Iowa transplant Thornton won for the 148th time in his IMCA Modified career. Other winners in the lidlifter at Somerton were Iowan Troy Jervetz in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Shelby Frye in the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and defending track champion Joshua Cordova in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. Jerovetz led start to finish in [Read More]

US 36, Bethany drivers meetings rescheduled

OSBORN, Mo. – Due to forecasted winter weather, US 36 Raceway and Bethany Speedway officials have postponed the 2020 drivers’ meeting that was scheduled for Sunday. The new date, which will again serve as a meeting for both tracks, is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 25 at 11 a.m. at the Cameron Community Center.

Rush on pit stall sales results from new IMCA Modified sanction at Michigan’s Winston Speedway

ROTHBURY, Mich. – After making the announcement that he’d run IMCA Modifieds beginning in 2020, Winston Speedway promoter Dean Wilkerson had one of the hottest properties in town. Twenty Friday night dates for the sanctioned division are scheduled this season at the 3/8-mile clay oval in Rothbury. It didn’t take long for area drivers to start a rush on pit parking reservations at the newest track in IMCA’s Dirt Works Eastern Region. “We made the announcement that we would sanction with IMCA and posted pit spots for sale. We’ve already sold more than 30,” Wilkerson reported. “The response has been unreal. It’s been more than I ever expected.” The second of three generations to race at Winston – his father Dean Sr. was a multi-time track champion while son Drew has earned rookie of the year honors there – Wilkerson and wife Lynette took over as promoters last September. Wilkerson had been in charge of track prep at both Winston and Saturday speedplant Thunderbird Raceway in Muskegon, half an hour to the south “I grew [Read More]

Visitation announced for Greg Durbin

SILVIS, Ill. – Visitation for Greg Durbin will be 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12 at Van Hoe Funeral Home in East Moline. Durbin, 41, died Wednesday at his home. The family has requested those attending the visitation wear their favorite racing shirt and jeans in his memory. Durbin had raced for more than 20 years. He was a three-time IMCA Modified track champion at Quad City Speedway and also won three Illinois State crowns. In lieu of flowers, memorial may be made to the family. Survivors include his wife Michelle; three children, Lexy, Brooke, and Gavin; two brothers, Brandon Durbin and Eric Barnes (Aleic Underwood) both of Colona; mother Jean Durbin (Jeff Peterson) of Colona; father Dennis Barnes (Juli Spindler) of Silvis; maternal grandparents John and Mary Ann Durbin of Colona; paternal grandfather A.C. Barnes of Silvis, brother-in-law Michael Stottler; nieces Kaylee and Addie, and several aunts, uncles and cousins. He was preceded in death by his paternal grandmother June Barnes; mother-in-law Carol and uncles Jody Durbin and John Barnes.

IMCA boosts RaceSaver Sprint point fund to $18,150

VINTON, Iowa – Bigger numbers on the track at IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car events will translate into bigger numbers on point fund checks mailed at the end of the season. IMCA will boost the point fund for the winged division $18,150 beginning in 2020. That amount includes $5,000 for the national champion with $300 paid to the 20th place driver. “We are investing in the RaceSaver Sprint Car division,” noted IMCA President Brett Root, “and want the national top 20 point fund to reflect both the membership support and the number of sanctions involved.” “IMCA has a long history with Sprint Cars,” he continued. “We’ve seen a huge resurgence in membership and sanction numbers during our seven-year association with RaceSaver. Both the growth we have already seen in the division and its potential more than justify the increased point fund.” IMCA RaceSaver sanctioned Sprint Car events in 17 states in 2019 and drivers from six of those states finished in the national top 20 standings. “New sanctions and solid car counts gave RaceSaver Sprint Car drivers [Read More]

IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars on Jan. 1 card at Arizona Speedway

QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. – The first green flag of the 2020 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season flies Wednesday, Jan. 1 at Arizona Speedway. A 40-lap feature for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars is on the program for the ninth annual New Year’s Day special. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region and E3 Spark Plugs Arizona State points will be awarded. Pit gates open at 10 a.m., the grandstand opens at 11 a.m. and racing is at noon. Grandstand admission is $15 for adults and seniors and free for kids ages 11 and under. Pit passes are $35 for adults, $10 for kids ages 7-12 and free for six and under.

IMCA Wild West Tour adds Arizona dates for Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Dec. 23) – The first green flag for the 10th annual IMCA Wild West Tour flies at Cocopah Speedway. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods make their first-ever tour visit to Arizona on April 17-18. Following Friday-Saturday doubleheaders are May 15-16 at Aztec, N.M., Speedway; June 19-20 at Sweetwater Speedway in Rock Springs, Wyo., July 17-18 at Winnemucca, Nev., Regional Raceway, Aug. 14-15 at Idaho Falls, Idaho, Raceway and Sept. 18-19 at Desert Thunder Raceway in Price, Utah. “Registrations are already coming in,” reported Tour Director Ken Hansen. “We averaged 75 cars across three divisions this year and hope to have 100 cars next year.” The Wild West Tour for Modifieds ran from 2007-2014, with Stock Cars and Northern SportMods joining race programs when the tour resumed in 2019. “Modified car counts were consistent and we averaged around 20 Northern SportMods a night this year, which was very good for the first year they were part of the tour,” noted Hansen. “We had eight different winners in nine Stock [Read More]

Gottschalk, Johnson win Harris Race Tech drawings

AMES, Iowa – Daniel Gottschalk and Michael Johnson will hit the books next year, courtesy of Bob Harris Enterprises. The names of both IMCA special events competitors were drawn from a pool of 35 eligible drivers to attend BHE Race Tech Info dirt chassis schools. Gottschalk won the IMCA Modified main event at RPM Speedway’s Fall Nationals while Johnson was runner-up in the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod headliner during the Duel In The Desert at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Top five finishers at designated Modified, Northern SportMod and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod events were entered in the drawing and all received BHE certificates good for two shock rebuilds. Modified drivers receiving certificates included Austin Arneson, Casey Arneson, Tom Berry Jr., Cayden Carter, P.J. Egbert, Troy Foulger, Gottschalk, Jordan Grabouski, Eddie Kirchoff, Ryan McDaniel, Josh McGaha, Hunter Marriott, Terry Phillips, Joel Rust, D.J. Shannon, Casey Skyberg, Jesse Sobbing, Alex Stanford, Collin Thirlby, Ricky Thornton Jr., Dominic Ursetta and R.C. Whitwell. SportMod certificate recipients were Guy Ahlwardt, Lance Borgman, Brayton Carter, Kaden Honeycutt, Johnson, Luke Krogh, [Read More]