Ryan Clark

Hurst, Ramey are first-time IMCA national champions

VINTON, Iowa (Oct. 11) – Jeremiah Hurst and Kevin Ramey earned career-first crowns while six other IMCA drivers have added to their national championship trophy collections. Hurst topped IMCA Late Model standings while Ramey paced the point race for IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars. Jordan Grabouski won the IMCA Modified championship for the third time while Mike Nichols and Shannon Anderson both raced to third straight and record-extending career eighth titles in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock divisions, respectively. Matt Looft’s Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod crown was his career third; two-time champions are Gabe Tucker in the Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods and Ramsey Meyer in the Mach-1 Sport Compacts. Looft, Tucker and Meyer were all national champions in 2013. Hurst had seen his 2017 season ended mid-summer by health issues. Along with seven feature wins, including his first Deery Brothers Summer Series victory since 2002, Hurst raced to the track title at Maquoketa Speedway and his first Iowa State championship this year. The first driver to win both national and [Read More]

Heat winner decal photo good for $100 Allstar certificate

WATERVLIET, Mich. – IMCA drivers who enjoyed their share of heat race success this season are in line for $100 gift cards courtesy of Allstar Performance. The Watervliet, Mich., high-performance parts manufacturer was the first-year sponsor for the heat race winner decal program in 2018. Drivers who won 10 or more heats this season and send a photo to the IMCA office proving proof of decal placement receive gift cards from Allstar. The driver with the most heat wins gets a $250 gift card. Photos should be directed to Marketing Director Kevin Yoder at kyoder@imca.com. Deadline for doing so is Wednesday, Nov. 14. Gift certificates will be presented during the national awards banquet next month

Five IMCA Modified drivers added to Fast Shafts ballot

VINTON, Iowa – Five more IMCA Modified drivers have earned berths on the 2019 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Dominic Ursetta swept features at Sherman County Speedway’s Flatlander and Tyler Limoges topped Arlington Raceway’s Scott Schoknecht Shootout. Oliver Kollofski was the Jackson Nationals winner at Jackson Motorplex. Nick DeCarlo took home the big check at Ocean Speedway’s Pettit Shootout and Clay Money cashed in at Salina Speedway’s Mid-America Clash. Drivers winning qualifying events already vote eligible were Bobby Hogge IV, Kyle Strickler and Jordan Grabouski. 2018 state champions will be added to the ballot after point standings become official; the 2019 ballot now includes these drivers: Chris Abelson, Jeff Aikey, Casey Arneson, Brandon Beckendorf, Eddie Belec, Brad Calhoun, Cayden Carter, Jon DeBenedetti, Nick DeCarlo, Jesse Dennis, Zane DeVilbiss, Myron DeYoung and Scott Foreman. Jaden Fryer, Josh Gilman, Jordan Grabouski, Richie Gustin, Michael Hale , Scott Hogan, Bobby Hogge IV, Darrell Hughes II, Justin Kay, Billy Kendall, Eddie Kirchoff, Oliver Kollofski and Dennis LaVeine. Tyler Limoges, Ryan McDaniel, Hunter Marriott, Rich Michael Jr., Trevor Miller, Clay [Read More]

Southern Challenge IMCA features pay $2,000 to win

ABILENE, Texas – Winners of the IMCA Modified, Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod and IMCA Sunoco Stock Car divisions at Abilene Speedway’s 24th annual Ryan Bard Memorial Southern Challenge on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 19 and 20 all earn $2,000. The Modified main event is a qualifier for the 2019 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot and pays $300 to start. SportMod and Stock Car features pay a minimum of $200 to take the green. Non-qualifiers in all three divisions get $100. An open practice runs from 6-10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18. Pit passes are $15 while grandstand admission is free. All three divisions can time trial as part of that evening’s Fast Lap Challenge, with the top two cars in each class receiving an optional provisional if they don’t qualify. Pit gates and the grandstand open at 3 p.m. and racing starts at 7 p.m. both days. Adult grandstand admission is $12 on Friday and $15 on Saturday. Kids ages 6-12 get in for $5 and five and under are free both nights. Pit passes [Read More]

Grabouski gets bookend hardware at Fall Nationals

HAYS, Kan. (Oct. 6) – Jordan Grabouski came home from Hays with a bookend Fall Nationals trophy. Grabouski led all 40 laps of Saturday’s IMCA Modified main event at RPM Speedway. The victory was good for $5,000 and hardware to complement the trophy he got at the 2011 event. “I had a five second lead at one point so we definitely had a good car,” said Grabouski, already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. “It’s hard to know how much you’re leading by, especially when you’re in lapped traffic. There was a restart with six laps to go and I was able to pull away a bit after that.” He’s had mixed luck at RPM in the past – a late flat tire took him out of contention at last year’s Fall Nationals – but Grabouski won both his heat and qualifying feature on Friday night. Clay Sellard, Eddie Belec, Steven Bowers Jr. and Tanner Black completed the top five. More than 200 IMCA race teams competed during the 12th annual event at Hays. [Read More]

Miller wins Keystone RaceSaver Challenge

PORT ROYAL, Pa. (Oct. 6) – Darren Miller seemed destined for the runner-up spot Saturday at Port Royal Speedway but a strange incident set him up for the biggest win of his IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car career. Kyle Smith was all set for a weekend sweep as he drew the pole position for the Pennsylvania Sprint Series Keystone RaceSaver Challenge event and led every lap. Except the last one. On the final circuit, as Smith drove into the last turn, an incident blocked the track ahead of him. Smith entered the turn on the high side with traffic below and had no time or opening to make it through. Miller was just far enough behind that he was able to make a last second maneuver to avoid contact and went on to grab the one lap dash for the win. Miller earned $1,200 for the victory, which included $400 in bonuses based on years with RaceSaver and races run in 2018. Former winner Jeff Miller Jr. came home second followed by Zach Newlin, Austin Bishop [Read More]

Skalicky is best in Battle at the Boneyard

LISBON, N.D. (Sept. 30) – Jesse Skalicky wrapped up his IMCA Modified rookie campaign with a flag-to-flag run at the front of Sunday’s Battle at the Boneyard field at Sheyenne Speedway. The victory was Skalicky’s third of the season. He had the fastest car on the higher line in the second set of turns and took the checkers ahead of John Nord and Zach Dockter. “We’re really satisfied with this year. We knew there would be a big learning curve but hoped we could finish consistently in the top 10,” Skalicky said. “This was our fourth year with a Fury (Chassis) so I was confident getting into the Modifieds.” He was a regular at Red River Valley Speedway, Norman County Raceway and Buffalo River Race Park. Skalicky’s previous best finish at Lisbon had been second in the July 1 show. Feature results – 1. Jesse Skalicky; 2. John Nord; 3. Zach Dockter; 4. Billie Christ; 5. Randy Klein; 6. John Corell; 7. Tim Perkins; 8. Rusty Kollman; 9. Randy Gordon; 10. Jarrett Carter; 11. Bryce [Read More]

Bonus points to be added, unofficial IMCA standings announced next week

VINTON, Iowa (Oct. 5) – Track championship bonuses will be added to point standings for the eight IMCA divisions to be released next week. Unofficial national and regional champions and rookies of the year will be announced after bonuses and resulting point totals are verified. IMCA Modifieds – 1. Jordan Grabouski, Beatrice, Neb., 1,199; 2. Brandon Beckendorf, Danube, Minn., 1,194; 3. A. J. Ward, Ionia, Mich., 1,190; 4. Zane DeVilbiss, Farmington, N.M., 1,182; 5. Cory Sample, Winnemucca, Nev., 1,177; 6. Bricen James, Albany, Ore., 1,170; 7. Anthony Roth, Columbus, Neb., 1,162; 8. Chaz Baca, Mesa, Ariz., 1,157; 9. Jay Noteboom, Hinton, Iowa, 1,150; 10. Drew Armstrong, Alexander, Ark., 1,149; 11. Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, 1,147; 12. Tyler Limoges, Redwood Falls, Minn., 1,146; 13. Tim Ward, Chandler, Ariz., and Matt Szecsodi, Clio, Mich., both 1,145; 15. Josh McGaha, Abilene, Texas, 1,143; 16. Troy Cordes, Dunkerton, Iowa, 1,138; 17. Bryce Garnhart, Shannon, Ill., and Joel Rust, Grundy Center, Iowa, both 1,132; 19. Jeffrey Abbey, Comanche, Texas, 1,130; 20. Clint Hatlestad, Glencoe, Minn., 1,119. IMCA Late Models – [Read More]

Ursetta sweeps Flatlander IMCA Modified features

GOODLAND, Kan. (Sept. 28-29) – Dominic Ursetta took a new car that had sat idle in his shop all season and parked it in victory lane twice during the Sherman County Speedway Flatlander. Ursetta won both Sept. 28 and 29 IMCA Modified features at Goodland, taking $1,000 checks each night. “I didn’t race much this year but I had a new car (a 2018 GRT by Phillips) sitting in the shop,” he said. “We threw it together and I told the guys after hot laps Friday that we had a good car.” He started from outside the front row on opening night and from 10th Saturday. Kyle Rohleder got by in lapped traffic for a brief turn at the front on Friday, but Ursetta regained the lead and hit his marks the rest of the way. Rohleder, Jeremy Frenier and Garrett Sporhase completed the top four. Eddie Belec, Rohleder and Sporhase ran 2-3-4 on Saturday. Cautions played in Ursetta’s favor on night two as he took the top line from third to the lead on [Read More]

Kollofski comes up big time for $1,000 IMCA Modified win at Jackson Nationals

JACKSON, Minn. (Sept. 29) – An IMCA Modified driver who followed a part-time schedule this year came up big time Saturday at Jackson Motorplex. Oliver Kollofski won the Jackson Nationals main event, earning $1,000 and a Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot berth. “There were a couple caution flags that came out at the right time and a found a little grip in (turns) three and four, the Fairmont veteran said. “It’s really neat to race at such an amazing facility. Jackson is a great track.” Kollofski kept the same setup that took him to fifth place in the Friday feature, started ninth in the Saturday show and restarted third for the final caution midway through the 20-lapper. He passed Jason Fisher for the front spot three laps later. Fisher, Ricky Stephan and Josh Foster completed the top four. Big car counts meant extra money for Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks as well on Saturday. SportMod winner Dan Paplow took $1,200 to the bank while Matt Hanson’s run to the Hobby Stock [Read More]