Ryan Clark

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Dodge City season opener postponed to April 7

By Lonnie Wheatley DODGE CITY, Kan. – The season will open at Dodge City Raceway Park another seven days later, as Saturday night’s scheduled event atop the 3/8-mile clay oval has been postponed due to forecasts of bone-chilling weather. After a bustling practice session last Saturday, the state-of-the-art facility in southwest Kansas will now kick off the 2018 season on Saturday night, April 7. The season opener will include a full championship slate of events including Precise Racing Products DCRP Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA SportMods, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks with racing action going green at 7:30 p.m. The Easter Egg hunt slated for children eight and under will take place during the rescheduled season opener on April 7 as well. The April 7 event will kick off a blockbuster season of racing action at Dodge City Raceway Park that includes a total of 17 nights of scheduled racing action.

Jet Racing continues IMCA Central Region title sponsorship

BEATRICE, Neb. – Jet Racing begins its third decade as an IMCA sponsor in 2018, returning to an integral role with the sanctioning body’s Central Region for Modifieds. As title sponsor of the region for the seventh consecutive season, the Beatrice, Neb., chassis builder provides a portion of the $6,000 point fund to be paid to top 10 drivers in the region encompassing tracks in Arkansas, eastern Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma. The champion earns $2,500 and the runner-up $1,250, with $625 paid for third, $325 for fourth, $300 for fifth and $200 for sixth through 10th places. Drivers must display two Jet Racing decals on their race car to be eligible for point fund shares. Jet Racing is owned by four-time IMCA Modified national champion Johnny Saathoff, and also builds Northern SportMod, Stock Car and Hobby Stock chassis in addition to selling high performance parts and automotive accessories. Information about Jet chassis and parts is available at the www.jetracinginc.com website, by calling 888 290-9696 and on Facebook. Jet had previously sponsored IMCA special [Read More]

Hughes Sunflower Classic special is March 30, 31 at RPM Speedway

HAYS, Kan. – A familiar event runs under a slightly different name when RPM Speedway opens with its Mike ‘Huey’ Hughes Sunflower Classic on Friday and Saturday, March 30 and 31. Hughes, the long-time track announcer, writer and radio show host, died late last year. IMCA Modifieds run for $1,000 to win each night at Hays and both features are qualifying events for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Also running both nights are IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars for $750 to win, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods both for $500 to win and Mach-1 Sport Compacts run for $200 to win. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional and IMCA State, but no local track points, will be awarded at the sixth annual event. Pit gates open at noon both days. Hot laps are at 4 p.m. and racing starts at 5 p.m. Gates open at 5 p.m. for the Thursday, March 29 open practice. Pit passes are $25 on Thursday and $30 on Friday and Saturday. One-time entry fees are [Read More]

Thaw Brawl brings IMCA Modifieds, Northern SportMods to LaSalle

LaSALLE, Ill. – IMCA Modifieds and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods will be part of Thaw Brawl programs at LaSalle Speedway Friday and Saturday, March 30 and 31. Both Modified features are qualifying events for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Friday’s main event pays $1,000 to win and a minimum of $100 to start while Saturday’s headliner pays $1,200 to win and a minimum of $120 to start. Northern SportMods race for $600 to win and $80 to start on Friday and $650 to win and $100 to start on Saturday. Payouts for both divisions could increase with additional sponsorship. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National and Illinois State points will be awarded in both divisions; Modifieds also earn Side Biter Chassis North Central Region points. There is no entry fee and pit passes are $40 each day. Pit gates open at 1 p.m., the grandstand opens at 2 p.m. and racing follows 6:30 p.m. hot laps. Adult general admission is $30 on Friday and $35 on Saturday. Kids ages 11 and under are free [Read More]

Willamette is first Oregon track for IMCA Stock Cars

LEBANON, Ore. – Willamette Speedway makes history this season, becoming the first track in Oregon to sanction its Stock Car division with IMCA. The Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods are also new this season at Lebanon, where they will join IMCA Modifieds as well as the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars on weekly race programs. “We have street stock and sportsman classes now that already have rules similar to the IMCA Stock Cars and Northern SportMods,” said promoter Jerry Schram. “I like that IMCA’s rules are right there in black and white, and that our drivers will be able to race for point fund money and contingency awards from IMCA.” The IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season begins April 14 and runs through Sept. 22 at Willamette, where 15 Stock Car and 13 Northern SportMod dates are on the schedule. Willamette has sanctioned its Modified division with IMCA since 2013 and is part of the Larry Shaw Race Cars Western Region for that division. Stock Cars are part of the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region.

Mitchell Machine adds Hobby Stocks to IMCA contingency award program

WEBSTER CITY, Iowa – New contingency awards from Mitchell Machine are in store this season for a fourth IMCA division. The Webster City, Iowa, transmission manufacturer and machine shop adds IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks to a program already including IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods. Top three eligible finishers in point standings in each of the Big Daddy Race Cars regions for Hobby Stocks receive product certificates valued at $250, $100 and $100, respectively, from the 12-year IMCA sponsor. Product certificates in the same $250, $100 and $100 increments go to top three eligible drivers in the two EQ Cylinder Head Stock Car regions, and in national standings for both SportMod divisions. Drivers in all four divisions must compete with a Mitchell-manufactured transmission and provide proof of purchase made between Jan. 1 and Oct. 1, 2018, return a sign-up form to the IMCA home office by Aug. 1 and display two Mitchell Machine decals on their race car. All Mitchell Machine awards will be presented during the [Read More]

New qualifying format in place for historic 32nd annual Deery Brothers Summer Series

VINTON, Iowa – A new qualifying format employing passing points will be used at Deery Brothers Summer Series events this season. It’s the first time in the 32-year history of the IMCA Late Model tour that passing points have been used. All heat race winners and the next combination of drivers with the highest passing point totals will comprise the first 12 main event starters, with heat winners redrawing for the front rows. “B” feature grids will be lined up from the remaining high to low point totals. Series point provisionals will be awarded to drivers to drivers not qualifying from their heat or “B.” The upcoming Deery Series opens with the $5,000 to win Rebel 5K at Davenport Speedway on Friday, April 13.

Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series returns to New Egypt Speedway for opening night

By Erika Palma Wagner NEW EGYPT, N.J. – The Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series presented by the Delaware Auto Exchange is gearing up for their return to New Egypt Speedway for the first time under the Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series banner. The IMCA Race Saver Sprint Car series, has four scheduled events at the Central New Jersey D-shaped oval, with April 14th being the first. The series returns there on May 12, July 21 and Aug. 11. Leading the list of drivers making comebacks to New Egypt Speedway are 2017 MASS champion Eddie Wagner, with other MASS talents like Jeff Geiger, Tim Tanner, Bryant Davis, Austin Bishop, Craig Pellegrini Jr., Tom Carberry and Brendon Poff, as well as rookies and newcomers to the series Domenic Melair, C.J. Faison, Dan Leaper and Chloe Andreas looking forward to the event also. “I am thrilled to be able to come back to my home track and race in front of friends and family who usually are unable to travel to other tracks we race at,” said Jeff Geiger, general manager of MASS and [Read More]

Schoenfeld in 20th season as IMCA sponsor

VAN BUREN, Ark. – Schoenfeld Headers reaches another sponsorship landmark with IMCA in 2018, providing contingency awards for a 20th consecutive season. Manufacturer of IMCA’s official 609, 930 and 935 muffler, as well as headers and related exhaust components, the Van Buren, Ark., company maintains a very visible role in the national decal program for Modifieds. Drivers in that division are required to display two Schoenfeld decals on their race car to be eligible for shares of national and regional point funds. And drivers at 80 designated specials for the Modifieds, IMCA Late Models, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod specials all chase $50 product certificates. The special events portion of the Schoenfeld program includes each date in the Deery Brothers Summer Series. All certificates will be mailed within a week after official race results are received at the IMCA home office. When required to run a noise reduction system of 98 decibels or more, Modified, Late Model, Stock Car and SportMod must compete with one of [Read More]