Ryan Clark

Pearish gets first IMCA Modified win at Springfield

By Ronnie Williams SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (June 22) – Oronogo’s Bobby Pearish grabbed the early lead and held back current point leader James Thompson in recording his first-ever Bad Boy Mowers IMCA Modified feature win Saturday at The “Quick-Quarter” of the Springfield Raceway. Pearish, who started third, wasted no time in moving to the extreme top groove on the racy surface and began to put some distance on the field. Taking full advantage on a restart as Shawn Duncan spun, Pearish went rim-riding while the race for second really heated up between Thompson and Jody Tillman. The top two in the track standings were door-to-door and began to gain on Pearish. Thompson took over the runner-up spot and with eight laps remaining was closing ground. Pearish, who later said the car was working strong, felt it slip a couple of laps and then realized he was pushing too hard. He got back into a smooth rhythm in becoming the eighth different winner in IMCA Modified action this season. Thompson proved the old saying going from a [Read More]

25 years of great memories: Final checkers fly on July 3 for Hogan Memorial

VINTON, Iowa – A quarter-century of memories will be shared and a tear or two shed before the final checkers fly for one of the longest running events in the history of the IMCA Modified division. The 25th and final Hogan Memorial is Wednesday, July 3 at Benton County Speedway in Vinton. With lap money and the mid-way leader’s bonus, the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier could pay the winner more than $5,000. “The Hogan has been a premier Modified event for many years and rightfully so,” said IMCA President Brett Root. “It’s one of those events every IMCA Modified driver wants to win. Winning the Hogan is one of those rare career highlight-type victories.” The event got its start in 1995 as the Dick Hogan Memorial Mid-Season Championship. It was renamed the Hogan Memorial following the death of Dick’s wife Janet. The Hogans’ son Scott won the inaugural Modified race in 1995. After adding trophies from the 2005, 2006 and 2010 events, he leads all drivers with four career victories. Special recognitions and presentations [Read More]

Registration underway for history-making 30th annual Dakota Classic Tour

JAMESTOWN, N.D. – Registration is underway for a tour three decades in the making. IMCA Modified and IMCA Sunoco Stock Car drivers planning to follow the 30th annual Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Tour can now go to the www.dakotamodtour.com website to register and make themselves eligible for contingency awards and reserve car numbers. “This tour has become something of an institution,” noted founder and director John Gartner. “Drivers come from all over the United States and Canada to enjoy the competition as well as the hospitality.” “Thirty years ago, we had no inkling that this tour would be this successful,” he added. “The tracks, the drivers and the sponsors who have been part of the tour deserve a lot of credit.” Modifieds race for $2,400 to win, Stock Cars for $800 to win on July 6 at Jamestown Speedway; July 7 at Nodak Speedway; July 8 at Estevan Motor Speedway; July 9 at Williston Basin Speedway; July 10 at Southwest Speedway; and July 11 at Dacotah Speedway. All six Modified tour features are qualifying events for the 2019 [Read More]

Cottage Grove win is third of Wild West Shootout for Winebarger

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (June 25) – The late-race scenario was the same Tuesday but this time Collen Winebarger held Kellen Chadwick in check to win the Wild West IMCA Modified Shootout feature at Cottage Grove Speedway. Chadwick had reeled in Winebarger in lapped traffic late for the Monday victory at Cottage Grove. Winebarger caught up with the back of the pack again on Tuesday, but held on to earn his third tour feature of the week and another $1,000. Chadwick was a close second while Jake Mayden ended his evening in third. Bricen James collected a fourth while posting a fifth-place result was Gus Cooper. Cooper had motored his way to the front of the field in the opening laps before getting passed on lap four by Mayden. The lone stoppage of the race was a caution on lap nine bunching the field right up. Shortly after the restart, Winebarger maneuvered around Mayden and took over the role as the trailblazer. Winebarger set a torrid pace in open racetrack and as in [Read More]

Hooker Harness continues special events awards in fifth season as IMCA sponsor

FREEPORT, Ill. – Hooker Harness again gives awards to special events drivers this season, its fifth as an IMCA sponsor. The Freeport, Ill., custom seatbelt and shoulder harness manufacturer gives $50 certificates to top five finishers at all events in the Deery Brothers Summer Series for Late Models, and at designated specials for IMCA Modifieds, IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods, Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts. Certificates are mailed from the IMCA home office within a week after official results from designated specials are received. Hooker made seat belts and harnesses for aviation applications before expanding to the racing industry; Hooker seat belts and harnesses are manufactured to individual customer specifications, so they are not manufactured until actually ordered. Any necessary alterations are made at no additional cost. Information about the company product line is available at the www.hookerharness.com website, on Facebook or by calling 815 233-5478. “With cockpit safety paramount to IMCA drivers, the Hooker Harness latch and link system provides a [Read More]

Logue finds answers, $2,500 feature win at Hancock County’s SportMod Nationals

BRITT, Iowa (June 25) – One win in his first 19 starts of the season had Johnathon Logue looking for answers. He found them Tuesday night at Hancock County Speedway’s MaxYield Seed SportMod Nationals. Logue won his heat, the dash and the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod main event, earning $2,700 in all for his efforts. “My car was very, very good,” said Logue, whose one previous victory this year had also been at Britt, on June 7. “It seems like we’ve been on the trouble bus with it all season. To be able to run as well as we did made it a fun night.” Brayton Carter, Jared Boumeester, Jake McBirnie and Jim Chisholm completed the top five across the stripe in the $2,500 to win feature. Forty-seven drivers from five states were entered. “So many good drivers come to this event every year. I’ve always loved coming up here,” said Logue, also the SportMod Nationals winner in 2016. “The amount of talent in this division is unbelievable.” Logue pocketed $200 for winning the DeKalb [Read More]

Day Motor Sports backs IMCA special events drivers

TYLER, Texas – Drivers competing in IMCA special events this season are in the running for awards from Day Motor Sports. The Tyler, Texas, circle track warehouse and 16-year sponsor again gives $50 gift certificates to top five finishers at 80 designated specials for IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Late Models, IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods, Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts. “Day Motor Sports is proud of our 16-year association with IMCA and look forward to providing IMCA racers with quality parts and same day shipping with free freight on most items for years to come,” said Joe Francis. “Feel free to contact us at 800 543-6238 or www.daymotorsports.com.” Day gift certificates are mailed from the IMCA home office within a week after official race results are received. “Year in and year out, Day Motor Sports consistently supports drivers all across the country with top five finishes in some outstanding IMCA special events,” said Kevin Yoder, director of marketing for IMCA. “It is [Read More]

Checkers fly for Chadwick in Wild West Shootout round 4

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (June 24) – After runner-up finishes each of the last two nights, Kellen Chadwick stood on the top step of the podium following Monday evening’s Wild West IMCA Modified Shootout at Cottage Grove Speedway. Chadwick ended Collen Winebarger’s winning streak at two with the $1,000 victory, putting his name of the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot in the process. Winebarger looked primed to three-peat, setting a rapid pace from his outside pole start and building a huge lead over the rest of the field. The leader encountered heavy lapped traffic in the final half of the main event and began to come under pressure from the second-running Chadwick. The California challenger tried several times to make a pass underneath or around the outside, but each time Winebarger thwarted those advances. Unfortunately, the two touched briefly in turn one on lap 32, resulting in Winebarger spinning. Winebarger went to the tail of the field, Chadwick inherited the lead with three laps to go and held onto the top spot [Read More]

Miles finds fast line at Maquoketa

By Rob Hinckley MAQUOKETA, Iowa (June 22) – Jerry Miles bided his time, worked the high groove and sped by Logan Veloz with six laps left to win the 15-lap B&D Pit Stop IMCA Northern SportMod finale on Hall of Fame Night at Maquoketa Speedway. Veloz, Rusty Deshaw, Tyler Soppe and Wes Digman came next. Point leader Soppe suffered a mechanical issue in his own no. 3T ride during his heat. He hopped into Scott Williams’ no. 9 and raced from the tail to that finish, his first outside the top two all season at Maquoketa. Other feature winners were Ray Cox Jr. in the QCJeeps.com IMCA Modifieds, David Brandies in the 15-lap GRE/REV Chassis IMCA Stock Cars and Randy Lamar in the Shawn’s Auto Service IMCA Hobby Stocks. The wins came after the inaugural class of the Maquoketa Speedway Hall of Fame was inducted. Ernie Cook, Bob Current, Pickle Edwards, Tom Feller, Lloyd Nabb and Karl Vohringer were honored during intermission.

Andreasen charges to Dawson County checkers

LEXINGTON, Neb. (June 23) – The secret of success Sunday at Dawson County Raceway for Tyler Andreasen was staying in the front group and out of trouble. Andreasen found the moisture and traction he needed during the waning laps to lead the final three circuits to earn the Platte Valley Auto Mart IMCA Northern SportMod victory. Andreasen had made his way through traffic after starting in the sixth row. Anthony Roth led the last 10 times around the oval in winning the Holbein Lawn Service/KLawn of Lexington IMCA Modified main and Mike Nichols hustled from the fourth row to top the Levander Body Shop IMCA Stock Car feature. Jeff Ware repeated as the Overton Sand and Gravel IMCA Hobby Stock winner while Terry Tritt won his third consecutive Plum Creek Motors IMCA Sport Compact feature.