Ryan Clark

Hall of Fame induction set for Saturday

WEBSTER CITY, Iowa – A who’s who of motorsports legends will be inducted into the Iowa Hall of Fame and Racing Museum this weekend. The event will be held at the new Hamilton County Events Complex, located on the fairgrounds. Dinner is at 6 p.m. and induction ceremonies begin at 7 p.m. Along with J. Alex Sloan, founder of the International Motor Contest Association and Keith Knaack, who owned IMCA and was a pioneer of the Modified division, inductees include Al Sweeney and Frank Winkley, Gus Schrader, Tiny Lund, Frederick and August Duesenberg, Ernie Derr, Don White, Emory Collins, Ramo Stott, Ed Sanger, Marion Robinson, Dick Hutcherson, John Gerber, Johnny Beauchamp, Curt Hansen, Tom Hearst, Gary Webb, Bob Shryock, Roger Dolan, Darrell Dake, Ronnie Weedon, Denny Hovinga, Red Droste, Verlin Eaker, Bob Trostle, Bob Harris, Larry and Penny Eckrich, Dale Swanson, Larry Clement, Al Frieden, Ralp Capitani, Whit Hemingway, Larry Conklin and brothers Junior, Jerry and Jimmy Grove.

Saturday practice precedes Dodge City season opener

By Lonnie Wheatley DODGE CITY, Kan. – Activity is picking up around the Dodge City Raceway Park 3/8-mile clay oval with opening night just 10 days away. But first, an open practice session is on tap for this Saturday, March 24 from 6-9 p.m. Grandstand admission is free with a $20 fee per person for admittance to the pit area. The practice session is open to all. Saturday’s practice session precedes the 2018 season opener by seven nights, with the Dodge City Raceway Park season officially getting under way on Saturday night, March 31. The March 31 season opener will feature a full card of championship racing action including IMCA Modifieds, IMCA SportMods, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. The March 31 event fires off at 7:30 p.m. with tickets $15 for adults while children 11 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Pit passes are $30. In total, the 2018 season at Dodge City Raceway Park is slated for 17 nights of action following Saturday’s open practice session.

Egleston Tribute at Merced postponed to April 14

MERCED, Calif. – Inclement weather gets the blame for postponement of the Bill Egleston Tribute originally schedule for this Saturday at Merced Speedway. IMCA Modifieds now race for $3,000 to win and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods for $1,800 to win at the rescheduled event Saturday, April 14. Pit gates open at 1 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 4 p.m. Racing follows 4:45 p.m. hot laps. Car and driver is $50. Pit passes are $40. Spectator admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors 62 and over, military personnel and students with ID, $5 for children ages 6-12 and free for five and under. The Egleston Tribute is a Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier. Modifieds and Northern SportMods chase IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, California State and track points; Modifieds also contend for Larry Shaw Race Cars Western Region points. Fellow racers and friends contributed to the purse for the event, held in honor of the late IMCA Modified driver. More information is on Facebook.

Winnemucca’s Classic Shootout rained out, rescheduled for June 2-3

WINNEMUCCA, Nev. – Rain is already the winner of this weekend’s IMCA Modified special at Winnemucca Regional Speedway. The High Desert Classic has been rescheduled to Saturday and Sunday, June 2 and 3. IMCA Modifieds chase top checks of $1,500 both nights with Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot berths at stake as well. A minimum of $100 will be paid to start and each main event purse totals $5,500. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Larry Shaw Race Cars Western Region, IMCA State and track points will be awarded for each show. Entry fee is $150 for both days or $100 a day at the gate for non-registered drivers. Pit gates open at 10 a.m., the grandstand opens at 11 a.m. and racing follows 12:30 p.m. hot laps both days. A pit party follows the Saturday race program at Model T Hotel and Casino, sponsor of the second annual event. Both shows are draw/redraw with an optional pill draw. Grandstand admission is $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and students, and free for kids ages [Read More]

Perfect forecast for Arkansas Spring Nationals at Batesville

BATESVILLE, Ark. – You couldn’t ask for better weather for this weekend’s Arkansas Spring Nationals at Batesville Motor Speedway. IMCA Modifieds run for $1,500 to win and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot berths Friday and Saturday, March 23 and 24. Both features pay $1,000 to the runner-up. Minimum start money is $150, non-qualifiers earn “B” money and IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Jet Racing Central Region, Arkansas State and track points will be awarded. The pit gate opens at 4 p.m., the grandstand opens at 5:30 p.m., hot laps are at 7 p.m. and racing starts at 7:30 p.m. each night. Spectator admission is $10 for adults and free for kids ages 14 and under. Pit passes are $30. An open practice will be from 7-10 p.m. on Thursday, March 22. Pit passes that evening are $20. Overnight accommodations are available by calling the Ramada Inn at 870 698-1800 or the Holiday Inn Express at 870 698-2700. Additional information about Arkansas Spring Nationals is available by calling 870 251-0011, at the www.batesvillemotorspeedway.com website or [Read More]

Repeat winners are Saturday story at Canyon

By Tony Steele PEORIA, Ariz. (March 17) – Repeat winners were the story Saturday at Canyon Speedway Park. Jason Noll wasted no time following a Leading Edge IMCA Modified restart and made what proved to be the race-winning pass of Ryan Roath to the inside when the green flag flew. Chaz Baca had a strong run going until a misstep allowed Joey Moriarity to get by to the inside, putting both MRT Racecar teammates on the podium. For the first time in almost a full year the race fans at Canyon were treated to a full Allscapes IMCA Stock Car battle between Cody Center and George Fronsman. It seems between the two it’s been one of them having some type of mechanical problem over the last six or so races. At last, both cars held up to full strength and the fight raged on. Much of the race was led by Fronsman on the low side while Center continued to chip away on the cushion. Center finally got the run he needed to get by Fronsman [Read More]

Dowell rallies to bag big check at Bagby Memorial

WACO, Texas (March 16) – After getting the lead back a second time, J.P. Dowell held off Justin McCoy for the $1,000 IMCA Modified feature win at Heart O’ Texas Speedway’s Jack Bagby Memorial. Making his first start of the season in a car borrowed from Pat McGuire, Dowell drew the pole start. McCoy started outside front row and got ahead early and then again with two circuits left in the 20-lapper. “I’ve won this event before and this year’s race played out in my favor. It didn’t hurt starting on the pole,” Dowell said. “I chased Justin past midway before I could pass him back the first time. The second time was do or die. I got around him on the outside and had the lead when we came to the white flag.” “It was exciting. It was a good race,” the new Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier added. “It was exciting to pick up the big trophy and the big check.” McCoy, Justin Radcliff, Chase Allen and Kevin Green completed Friday’s top [Read More]

Marshalltown postpones World Nationals

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa – Track conditions and a less than promising weather forecast have forced Marshalltown Speedway track officials to postpone the $10,000 to win World Nationals special for IMCA Modifieds from this weekend to Sept. 13-15. The event will now be a qualifier for the 2019 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. The first race of 2018 at Marshalltown is now the April 6 Frostbuster, featuring IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. The same four divisions run at Frostbusters April 4 at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, April 5 at Benton County Speedway in Vinton and April 7 at Boone Speedway.

Allstar Performance is new sponsor of IMCA heat race winner decal program

WATERVLIET, Mich. – The little sticker that means a lot to IMCA drivers comes from Allstar Performance beginning this season. The Watervliet, Mich., high performance parts manufacturer provides the decals given to heat race winners in all divisions. Drivers with 10 or more heat race victories receive $100 Allstar Performance gift cards at the end of the season. A $250 gift card goes to the driver with the most heat race wins. “This is a great way to build our brand and to freshen our program with IMCA,” explained Allstar Performance Advertising Manager John Berglund. “We have had eight really good years as an IMCA sponsor, we have a very good dealer network in place and this is one way we can reach more racers. You get decals for each heat race win and if you win 10 heat races you get an award on top of that.” Drivers must send a photo of their car proving decal placement to the IMCA home office to be eligible for post-season awards. “This is the kind of [Read More]

Michigan’s Silver Bullet sanctions Modifieds with IMCA

OWENDALE, Mich. – The longest continuously operating dirt race track in Michigan is the latest to sanction its Modified division with IMCA. Silver Bullet Speedway at Owendale has scheduled 18 dates, 16 of them on Saturday nights, for the open-wheeled class. “I have always had it in the back of my mind that I would like to go with IMCA. Even though we’d been UMP, we’ve always had a good relationship with IMCA and the IMCA tracks in Michigan,” said promoter Matt Hoonhout, who along with his brother Nick purchased the former Owendale Speedway in 2013. “I really like what IMCA has to offer us, everything from apparel to rules to regional and national point funds.” Located in the thumb of the state some 20 minutes south of Caseville, a popular summertime tourist destination, the quarter-mile clay oval at Owendale opened in 1955 and saw the likes of A.J. Foyt and Parnelli Jones compete. Hoonhout raced in both the late model and modified divisions at Owendale. He piloted an IMCA ride in 2011 at Tri-City [Read More]