Ryan Clark

Kay captures Thursday Race For Hope 74 IMCA Modified qualifier at Batesville

By Mike Spieker BATESVILLE, Ark. (Sept. 28) – Justin Kay captured night two of the inaugural Race For Hope 74 IMCA Modified special at Batesville Motor Speedway Thursday evening. Kay led 21 of the 25 laps en route to the victory, which locked him into the front row for Saturday’s $20,000 to win main event. “I’ve never been here before. What an awesome race track,” said Kay in victory lane. “I knew what line I needed to run and I just had to hit my marks. Ricky (Thornton Jr.) has been so good lately and Kelly (Shryock) has been doing this a long time … this is just awesome. I’m so excited.” The race got underway with Kay, Dennie Gieber and Jason Wilkey on the front row for the three-wide start. The green flag was quickly replaced with the caution on the opening lap as Tyler Droste and Tyler Stevens got together exiting turn four. Droste was able to rejoin the field while Stevens was done for the night. On the complete restart, Wilkey raced his [Read More]

Strickler dominates opening feature at the Race For Hope 74

By Mike Spieker BATESVILLE, Ark. (Sept. 27) – Kyle Strickler backed up his overall quick time qualifying run on Tuesday with a dominating performance in Wednesday night’s Race For Hope 74 IMCA Modified preliminary feature. The Mooresville, N.C., driver started in the middle of the front row for the three-wide start, which ran 10 rows deep. Strickler jumped out to the lead on the opening lap as Wendell Wallace and Steven Bowers Jr. settled into second and third, respectively. Strickler quickly opened up a full straightaway lead by lap five, while Wallace and Bowers fought for the runner-up position. As Strickler approached lapped traffic at the midway point of the 25-lap event, he didn’t waste any time getting around slower cars. The two-time IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s champion made a three-wide pass around two lapped cars that were battling for position as he continued to stretch out his lead over Wallace. Strickler was still battling heavy lapped traffic as the race advanced to the closing stage but he held a steady [Read More]

IMCA Modifieds chase $1,500 checks at Salina’s Sept. 29, 30 Mid-America Clash

SALINA, Kan. – A pair of $1,500 to win features for IMCA Modified top Friday and Saturday, Sept. 29 and 30 Mid-America Clash programs at Salina Speedway. Both Modified features are qualifying events for the 2018 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot and pay a minimum of $125 to start. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars run for $1,000 to win both nights, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods for $750 to win and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks for $500 to win. Top prize on Saturday for the Mach-1 Sport Compacts is $300. There are no entry fees and the purse is guaranteed. Pit gates open at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 28 and practice runs from 6-9 p.m. Pit passes are $20 and grandstand admission is free. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5 p.m. on Friday. Hot laps are at 7 p.m. and racing starts at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, pit gates open at 3 p.m., the grandstand opens at 4 p.m., hot laps are at 5 p.m. and racing starts at 6 [Read More]

Strickler paces IMCA Modifieds during Race For Hope 74 time trials

By Mike Spieker BATESVILLE, Ark. (Sept. 26) – A stout field of 91 IMCA Modifieds checked in at Batesville Motor Speedway for the first of five nights of action during the Race For Hope 74. Tuesday began with practice for all competitors and concluded with time trials, which set heat race lineups for the remainder of the week. Kyle Strickler of Mooresville, N.C., set the overall quick time with a lap of 16.913 seconds, averaging 79.82 mph around the high-banked, 3/8-mile clay oval. Strickler was the only driver to run a lap in the 16-second bracket. Chris Abelson of Sioux City, Iowa, was second quick with a time of 17.068. Both drivers have locked themselves into Saturday night’s $20,000 to win, minimum $2,000 to start main event by virtue of their top-two qualifying efforts. Wednesday through Friday’s program will feature 15 qualifying heat races with a nightly feature, where the top eight finishers will automatically transfer into Saturday’s main event. On Saturday, the night will be highlighted by the 74-lap, Race For Hope 74 feature. [Read More]

Practice, time trials start tonight at Batesville’s Race For Hope

BATESVILLE, Ark. (Sept. 26) – Practice and time trials get underway tonight (Tuesday) before IMCA Modified drivers from across the United States and Canada get down to the business of qualifying for the inaugural Race For Hope 74 at Batesville Motor Speedway. The Sept. 26-30 Mark and Arlene Martin Hope For Arkansas Foundation Race For Hope 74 calls attention to the needs of others while paying the biggest main event purse in division history. The winner of Saturday’s main event earn a $20,000 share of the $150,000 main event purse. Pre-entered drivers now include: Chad Andersen, Fort Calhoun, Neb.; Drew Armstrong, Alexander; Robby Arnold, Paragould; Chadd Avey, Judsonia; Jason Beaulieu, Campbell River, B.C.; Mikey Bell, Quitman; Wayne Brooks, Bald Knob; Aaron Carr, Judsonia; Chris Carter, Redfield; Timmy Culp, Prattsville; Robert Davis, Searcy; Myron DeYoung, Stanton, Mich.; Travis Dickson, Gallipolis, Ohio; Ethan Dotson, Bakersfield, Calif.; Tyler Droste, Waterloo, Iowa; and Tommy Fain, Abilene, Texas. Casey Findley, Bryant; Scott Fitzpatrick, Cedar Falls, Iowa; Neal Flowers, Hobbs, N.M.; Kelsie Foley, Tucson, Ariz.; Bill Frye, Greenbrier; Joey Gee, Judsonia; [Read More]

Luinenburg gets 100th Hobby Stock win at Arlington’s season championship night

READING, Minn. – Justin Luinenburg would have liked to have gotten his career 100th IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature win before his final race of the season, but he’s happy things worked out the way they did. Luinenburg collected the landmark checkers Saturday at Arlington Raceway, when the Sept. 23 season championship program doubled as a night to honor the late Scott Schoknecht. “It was nice to get my 100th win on that night,” said Luinenburg, from Reading, Minn. “I knew Scotty pretty good so it was special to win at his memorial race.” The victory was Luinenburg’s 23rd of the season and 71st in the last three years. He’d also won 23 times during his 2015 national championship campaign and followed up with a career-best 25 wins in 2016. “Winning 100 features and winning a national championship are neat accomplishments. Very few drivers have done them both,” Luinenburg said. “The national title is pretty great because it’s neat to be the top dog, but you have to have a heck of a season to be able to do [Read More]

Hatlestad, Zevenbergen take top checks, Luinenburg, Porter get big Arlington wins

ARLINGTON, Minn. (Sept. 23) – While Clint Hatlestad and Elijah Zevenbergen took $1,500 victories, Justin Luinenburg and Kyren Porter were history-making winners Saturday at Arlington Raceway. More than 200 cars were in the pits for the season championship night program, held in honor of the late Scotty Schoknecht. Hatlestad topped the IMCA Modified main, earning a spot on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, while Zevenbergen was fastest in an IMCA Sunoco Stock Car field pared from 42 entries. Luinenburg earned his career 100th victory in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature and Porter became the first driver to win an Arlington Raceway track title in the Mach-1 Sport Compact division. Curt Lund led the first 11 laps in the Modified main before Hatlestad drove by. Brandon Beckendorf came from 15th starting to take over second with hard charger Tyler Limoges passing 15 cars on his way to finishing third. Matt Schauer ran up front early in the Stock Car feature before Zevenbergen weaved his way from ninth starting into the front spot. Dustin Larson followed him [Read More]

Engine auction adds $19,100 to Saturday purse

BOONE, Iowa – Another $19,100 was added to main event purses at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s from the proceeds of the Saturday night champions’ engine auction. Stock Car champion Mike Nichols’ engine sold for $6,600 so each of the other 29 drivers starting that race receive an additional $227.59. Northern SportMod champion Brian Efkamp saw his engine sell for $6,000. The other 29 qualifiers for that event will get $206.90 on top of their purse shares. Modified champion Richie Gustin’s engine gaveled at $3,800. The other 32 starters in that minimum $1,000 to start race receive an additional $118.75. And Hobby Stock champion Shannon Anderson’s engine sold for $2,700, meaning the other 29 starters in that race receive an additional $93.10. All four Saturday champions received new engines from Karl Chevrolet and Karl Performance.

Dustin Strand captures Jamestown Stampede title for third straight year

By Mike Spieker JAMESTOWN, N.D. (Sept. 23) – The 46th edition of the Stock Car Stampede concluded Saturday afternoon at Jamestown Speedway with a near capacity crowd on hand. Coming into the evening, Dustin Strand had won the previous two Stampede championships in the late model division. By the end of the night he added a third Stampede win to his already impressive resume, this time behind the wheel of his IMCA Modified and worth $2,000. The original 62-car field of IMCA Modifieds were whittled down to the fastest 24 for the 30-lap main event. Strand started fifth on the grid and quickly worked his way forward. After moving into second on lap five, Strand drove by Robert Hellebust for the lead on lap 12. Strand ran relatively unchallenged in the lead until 14th starting Jeremy Keller charged up to second to place a bid for the lead. “I was running really well around the bottom and it’s really tough to change lanes when you’re leading,” the new Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier said afterwards. [Read More]

After $2,000 checkers, Smith notes Septemberfest win put him on All-Star ballot

BEATRICE, Neb. (Sept. 22-23) – It’s hard to believe but Dylan Smith wasn’t even on the ballot for the 2017 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. After winning Saturday’s Septemberfest feature at Beatrice Speedway, the fact he was already vote eligible for the 2018 event was one of the first things Smith noted. “That $2,000 (win) put me on the All-Star ballot for next year,” Smith said. “And it wasn’t easy. The quality of cars there was huge. There were a lot of good cars at Beatrice.” The 30-lap win came ahead of two frequent visitors to victory lane at Beatrice, Johnny Saathoff and Jordan Grabouski. Smith drew the outside front row start; Saathoff worked his way up from the fourth row to battle Grabouski behind the leader. “I knew the outside front row would be the place to be. The draw really helped me,” said Smith. “Johnny and Jordan were really racing hard behind me and I hate to think how many wins the two of them have here. There was a caution with about 10 [Read More]