Ryan Clark

Berry picks up top URSS check at Lincoln County 

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (July 8) – Darren Berry bested a field of 28 United Rebel Sprint Series entries Saturday night to earn the $1,700 winners share at the Ron Williams/Dick Snoose Memorial at Lincoln County Raceway. Starting outside the front row, Berry outgunned pole sitter and cousin Nate Berry to take the early lead in the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car main event. Jake Martens made quick work of Nate Berry as he moved into the second spot on lap two. Darren Berry continued his torrid pace throughout the 25-lap feature as Martens had nothing for him. Berry, Martens, Nate Berry, Terry Richards and 13th starting Ty Williams rounded out the top five. Feature results – 1. Darren Berry; 2. Jake Martens; 3. Nate Berry; 4. Terry Richards; 5. Ty Williams; 6. Stuart Snyder; 7. Jed Werner; 8. J.D. Johnson; 9. Keefe Hemel; 10. Steven Richardson; 11. Brian Herbert; 12. Bob Schaeffer; 13. Mark Walinder; 14. Kaden Taylor; 15. Nick Nichols; 16. Adam Walton; 17. Patrick Bourke; 18. John Webster; 19. Zach Blurton; 20. Tracey Hill.

Career 100th Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod win is the latest lofty accomplishment for Looft

SWEA CITY, Iowa – Winning a single feature was a pretty big deal during Matthew Looft’s Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod rookie season. He’s raised the bar considerably since then. The Swea City, Iowa, driver won for the 100th time in his career in the division on June 30 at Jackson Motorplex. The checkers were the ninth of the season for Looft, who has averaged better than 17 wins a year since his rookie campaign in the IMCA division. “It’s pretty surreal,” admitted Looft. “If someone told me back in 2010 that I’d get 100 wins, I would have said they were crazy. It’s something I never planned on. It took a lot of work by a lot of people.” Looft won a career-best 26 features in 2013. He became the only driver to earn back-to-back national championships in the class on the strength of 18 wins the following year. Along with a division-leading 18 track and special series championships, Looft is a five-time Allstar Performance Minnesota State titlist. “Winning a national championship is a commitment to [Read More]

Bitner is best in photo finish at Bridgeport

By Erika Palmai Wagner BRIDGEPORT, N.J. (July 8) – Mark Bitner took home his first Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series win of the season Saturday at Bridgeport Speedway, by a margin of three thousandth’s of a second over Rick Stief. Bitner had led from the start and without any challenge until a late-race caution bunched the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car field back together. That yellow was the only caution of the contest and came with five laps to go. With two laps remaining Stief began working the outside lane, edging closer to Bitner in the final moments. As they exited turns three and four, Stief and Bitner were running inches away from each other and were virtually side-by-side coming across the line. In the end, officials referred to photographs to name Bitner the winner with Stief coming home a very close second. The Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series returns Friday, July 21 to Bridgeport Speedway for a double feature event. The Sprints will be completing the make-up feature from June 17 along with running a full night’s program. Feature [Read More]

Scott weathers storm, wins Dakota Tour IMCA Modified feature at Estevan

ESTEVAN, Sask. (July 10) – After weathering the storm, Johnny Scott raced to the Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Tour IMCA Modified feature win Monday at Estevan Motor Speedway. Heavy rains hit right the track right after the first IMCA Sunoco Stock Car heat race was completed. Unlike last year, when flooding and a state of emergency grabbed the headlines and the tour event was canceled, the rains subsided and the track prep crew got the 3/8-mile clay oval ready and racing resumed. Scott took advantage of his front row start spot in the 30-lap main event to take the early lead ahead of Jason Wolla. As the laps ticked by, the frontrunners entered lapped traffic and Scott had to hold off Wolla again as well as Jordan Grabouski, up from ninth starting. Scott stayed strong up front to lead all 30 laps, earning $2,300 and sole possession of the top spot in the point standings for his efforts. He was already on the ballot for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Grabouski pulled a late-race pass [Read More]

Mullen repeats at Outagamie Speedway

By Edward Anschutz SEYMOUR, Wis. (July 9) – For the second week in a row at Outagamie Speedway, Brian Mullen made a winning pass, this time on Jay Matthias, in the waning laps to win the IMCA Modified feature. Matthias was the man to beat early in the main event, opening up a huge advantage. Mullen worked from row six, giving chase. As the race hit the midway point, Matthias worked the high side and Mullen worked down low. The duo raced wheel to wheel until Mullen took the top spot with three laps remaining. Mullen scored the win while Matthias had to settle for second, Jamie Schmidt was third. In IMCA Sunoco Stock Car action, Barry Streck paced the opening circuits with Kurt Olson and Trent Nolan giving chase. On lap 4 the trio crashed in turn one, resulting in a caution. Streck was done for the event and Olson and Nolan were sent to the tail of field. This handed the lead over to Devin Snellenberger, who was immediately challenged by Chaz Van [Read More]

Callahan rides rim to Dubuque Speedway win

By Jerry Mackey DUBUQUE, Iowa (July 9) – Joel Callahan impressed in winning Sunday’s Out-Pace Racing Products IMCA Late Model main event at Dubuque Speedway. Callahan bolted to the front and immediately shoot to the top side of the track to set a blistering pace. He led the caution-free 25 lap race flag to flag in scoring the win ahead of Luke Merfeld and Justin Kay. The Merfeld Brothers Automotive Modifieds again featured plenty of side-by-side racing. Jason Schueller advanced from his fourth row start and outraced Ryan DeShaw in scoring his second feature win of the 2017 season. Schueller used several lines around the multi-grooved track to get to the front. DeShaw ran second ahead of a fast closing Mark Schulte. Tyler Soppe topped the GSI Collision Specialists IMCA Northern SportMod feature. Soppe raced to the front from a fifth row start and went on to take the checkers ahead of Jerry Miles and Troy Bauer. Greg Gill scored the win in the Bakey Seamless Gutters IMCA Stock Cars by crossing the finish line [Read More]

Thunder Hill’s Covert Memorial pays $1,000 to IMCA Modified winner

MAYETTA, Kan. – IMCA Modifieds run for $1,000 to win along with a Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot berth this Saturday, July 15 at Thunder Hill Speedway. There is no entry fee. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks complete the card; IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional, Allstar Performance State and track points will be awarded. Pit gates and the grandstand open at 5 p.m. Hot laps are at 7 p.m. with racing to follow. Grandstand admission is $10 for adults and free for kids 10 and under. Pit passes are $25.

DeYoung, Near are Modified winners at Tri-City

By Roger Williams AUBURN, Mich. (July 7) – Veteran Myron DeYoung and rookie Timmy Near were Main Street Seed and Supply IMCA Modified winners Friday at Tri-City Motor Speedway. DeYoung added another victory to his 100-plus total in the class in the make-up event while Near prevailed in the scheduled show. Brenten DeYoung had a tough outing in the makeup feature and got the opportunity to redeem himself by starting on the pole in the second feature. Starting alongside rookie Preston Deshano, they took the field of 21 to the green flag. Matt Szecsodi, who had finished in the runner-up position in the Greased Pig event in mid-June, took over the lead and soon looked to be on his way to his first win of 2017. However Near, from his 15th starting position, searched the track and ran a higher line than the leader. Near, who repaired his machine from an incident in the first feature, used that high line to make the winning move in turn two to pick up the win. Szecsodi had [Read More]

Brown celebrates birthday with West Liberty win

By Jerry Mackey WEST LIBERTY, Iowa (July 8) – Saturday’s headliner at West Liberty Raceway was the 20-lap feature for the Performance Concepts IMCA Modifieds. The race took the green with veteran Brad Dubil leading the first several circuits around the super fast half-mile before Jarrett Brown shot by. Brown, who was racing on the eve of his 16th birthday, charged out to a comfortable race lead before a lap 17 caution. The caution put Brown’s teammate Derrick Stewart on his rear bumper for the restart. The two youngsters came off of turn four to the checkers side-by-side and Brown was able to hold off Stewart for a ½-car length win. The Out-Pace Racing Products IMCA Late Model 25-lap feature saw Chad Holladay chase down race leader Jonathan Brauns and make the pass for the lead as the race neared the halfway point. Holladay went on to score the win over Brauns and Denny Eckrich. Timmy Plummer scored the 15-lap feature win in the Weikert Iron & Metal IMCA Northern SportMods. Plummer advanced from a third [Read More]

Fagan dominates Stuart’s Stock Car Shootout special

By Josh Reynolds STUART, Iowa (July 7) – Marcus Fagan was the $1,000 winner of Stuart Speedway’s Stew Hansen Dodge-Jeep IMCA Sunoco Stock Car Shootout. Fagan and Robert Stofer were the front row starters for Friday’s 25-lap event. Fagan took control early with Stofer and Brandon Pruitt close behind. The top two stayed the same with Pruitt and Michael Murphy racing hard for third until a lap 16 caution flew. Pruitt exited with mechanical issues and Fagan, Stofer and Keith Simmons restarted in the front three spots. Stofer threw everything he had at Fagan, but the leader was too strong and went on to the feature win and the $1,000 payday. Stofer finished second with Simmons third, Cory Bushnell fourth and Josh Daniels fifth. Feature results – 1. Marcus Fagan; 2. Robert Stofer; 3. Keith Simmons; 4. Cory Bushnell; 5. Josh Daniels; 6. Derrick Rohe; 7. Matthew West; 8. Adam Hensel; 9. Chris Pruitt; 10. Kyle Rose; 11. Cody Gustoff; 12. Andrew Knode; 13. Jordan Riesberg; 14. Brandon Pruitt; 15. Michael Murphy; 16. Bill Fox; 17. [Read More]