Ryan Clark

IMCA crate engine track champions earn $36,500 in Chevrolet Performance bonuses

GRAND BLANC, Mich. – Chevrolet Performance has paid $36,500 in bonuses to IMCA drivers who won track championships while competing exclusively with crate engines this season. One hundred and forty-six drivers in the IMCA Modified, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod and Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMod divisions received $250 checks, mailed this month from the IMCA home office. This was the first season in the current three-year bonus agreement with Chevrolet Performance, which has now awarded nearly $240,000 to eligible drivers over the course of the program. “This has been a great program for our racers for well over a decade and Chevrolet has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars to IMCA drivers during that time,” IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder noted. “Track champions were paid $250 and it is a bonus that will remain in place again in 2018.” The 75 crate-powered Modified drivers winning track titles and $18,750 in bonuses were: Drew Armstrong, Chaz Baca, Eric Barnes, Steven Bowers Jr., Randy Brown, John Burrow Jr., John Campos, Cayden Carter, Justin [Read More]

Friesen awards crate engines to three IMCA rookies of year

LINCOLN, Neb. – Friesen Performance made even bigger winners of three rookie of the year award recipients during the IMCA national banquet. Modified rookie of the year Clint Luellen received a 604 crate engine. Hobby Stock rookie of the year Lance Mielke and Northern SportMod rookie of the year Jacob Olmstead both earned 602 crates for their efforts in 2017. “This is the second year for this program, which is obviously a great benefit to the rookies of the year in these three divisions,” noted IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. “We appreciate Friesen’s title sponsorship of the national rookie program in all three divisions and look forward to continuing this program well into the future.” In addition to completing IMCA rookie of the year requirements, drivers must have displayed a Friesen logo on their race car to be eligible for the crate engine award. Also the top first-year driver in the Side Biter Chassis North Central Region, Luellen won nine features and was ninth in the national points race. He earned three track championships and [Read More]

Family Hobby Stock tradition rewarded as Rawls races to regional rookie honors

WACO, Texas – Colton Rawls continued a family tradition this season and has the Big Daddy Race Cars Southern Region rookie of the year award to show for his efforts. The 14-year-old speedster was a weekly regular at his hometown Heart O’ Texas Speedway and paced first-year Hobby Stock drivers in point standings the region. “My whole family has raced Hobby Stocks,” said Rawls, a China Spring High School freshman, cousin of Jeremy Oliver and nephew of Garett Rawls. “We only live about 20 minutes from the track. We like to race and have fun and support the Hobby Stock class.” Rawls started racing go-karts at the age of nine. He mowed yards and did odd jobs to fund his junior mini stock career before moving to the sanctioned division. “I got sponsors and I got a Hobby Stock. I came out this year and gave it the best I had,” Rawls said. “My uncle Garett has been behind me since I was racing go-karts. He scaled the car and spent a lot of late [Read More]

Bransom follows ambitious schedule to top EQ Southern Region rookie prize

BURLESON, Texas – An ambitious schedule paid off with more than EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region rookie of the year honors for Jerrett Bransom. The 14-year-old from Burleson went wheel-to-wheel weekly with IMCA Sunoco Stock Car veterans at Boyd Raceway and Kennedale Speedway Park, earning his career-first feature win in the division along with second-place in final standings at Boyd and third place in the final standings at KSP. “I like the competition. The other drivers in this class push you to become a better driver yourself,” said the Centennial High School freshman, who raced go-karts and junior mini sprints, then a junior mini stock for four years before graduating to the sanctioned class. “The Stock Car is a lot faster and handles differently than anything I’ve raced before.” His father Jay, IMCA”s national Crate Model champion nearly a decade ago, won the point race at family-owned Kennedale. “It definitely wasn’t easy racing against him. He pushes me to the limit,” Bransom said. “I feel like I became a better driver racing with him and [Read More]

Lone Star Stock Car Tour totes $5,000 champion’s check

ABILENE, Texas – A rich week of racing in Texas will see IMCA Sunoco Stock Car drivers battle for shares of nearly $15,000 in point fund money and $750 to win each night of the Lone Star Stock Car Tour. Champion of the inaugural tour, sponsored by Sniper Speed, takes home a whopping $5,000 and becomes eligible to qualify for the Sunoco Race Fuels Race of Champions during the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s in September. The runner-up earns $2,500, with $2,000 paid for third, $1,500 for fourth, $1,000 for fifth, $500 for sixth, $400 for seventh, $300 for eighth, $250 for ninth and $150 for 10th. In addition, drivers finishing 11th on back with perfect attendance will be eligible for a $1,000 cash drawing. The Lone Star Tour opens with Friday and Saturday, Feb. 16 and 17 events during Abilene Speedway’s traditional season-opening Ice Breaker special. Sunday and Monday, Feb. 18 and 19 dates follow at 281 Speedway. Boyd Raceway hosts Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 20 and 21 races before the [Read More]

Stormzand qualifies for every feature during quest for Dirt Works Eastern Region ROY

LOWELL, Mich. – He didn’t get a feature win but Nick Stormzand did accomplish the goal he set for himself at the start of his first IMCA Modified season. The Dirt Works Eastern Region rookie of the year qualified for the main event in all 36 starts this year, with three runner-up finishes. “These guys are always on their game but I know I’ll get a win,” the Lowell, Mich., driver said. “I knew coming in that being a rookie, it would be tough to make the show. I was hoping to make every feature and I did. I was pretty proud of that.” Stormzand logged 19 starts at Crystal Motor Speedway, where he ended fifth in the point standings, with another nine outings at Tri-City Motor Speedway and eight at I-96 Speedway. He was fifth in the Allstar Performance Michigan State points race. “The IMCA Modifieds are the most competitive division around here,” he said. “You can go anywhere around and race them and compete against the very best every weekend.” Stormzand had decided [Read More]

Quick study Slott scores Razor Chassis South Central Region rookie prize

NEW WAVERLY, Texas – Before the start of his first IMCA Modified season, Ryan Slott would have been happy with a single feature win in 2017. When the final checkers flew, he had four wins and Razor Chassis South Central Region rookie of the year honors to show for his efforts. “The class is just taking off around here. It looked like fun and I decided I wanted to do it,” said Slott, from New Waverly, Texas, and now a junior at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville majoring in agricultural engineering. “It was challenging at first. The hardest thing was definitely setup but I slowly got better.” Slott had raced a factory stock class, which he said was comparable to an IMCA Sunoco Stock Car, for five years before moving into the Modified. He got his first win in the sanctioned division in just his fourth start, at Gator Motorplex, and ended his night in victory lane three starts later at Cotton Bowl Speedway. “After the early season play dates, I didn’t think I’d [Read More]

Competitive Clough captures four feature wins, Jet Racing Central Region rookie of the year

WALLACE, Neb. – Brandon Clough hoped to be competitive in his first IMCA Modified season. He was better than that. Clough won four features on the way to capturing Jet Racing Central Region rookie of the year honors. He was second in standings at Phillips County Raceway, just a single point out of first, and fourth at both Lexington Raceway and Lincoln County Raceway. “I am very happy with the year. Early in the season I didn’t figure I’d get any wins,” he said. “I had just hoped to be competitive. I am extremely pleased with our results from this season.” The Wallace, Neb., driver had another 12 top five finishes in 38 starts. After taking some early lumps, his first Modified win came on May 6 at Lincoln County, in just his seventh start in the new division. “There are some pretty fast cars that race there weekly. I didn’t quite know what to think at first after I won that night,” Clough admitted. “As the season went on and once we kind of [Read More]

Wonch, Lamberies win Harris Race Tech Info drawings

AMES, Iowa – Austin Wonch and Lucas Lamberies were winners of drawings to attend Bob Harris Enterprises Race Tech Info dirt chassis schools early next year. Winners of 30 designated events for IMCA Modifieds and 15 specials for Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMods were entered in that drawing. Wonch won the Great Lakes Nationals at Crystal Motor Speedway. Lamberies prevailed at Davenport Speedway’s SportMod Challenge. Modified winners entered in the drawing were Chris Abelson, Jeff Aikey, Chase Allen, Chaz Baca, Eddie Belec, Ethan Dotson, Tyler Droste, Darin Duffy, Troy Foulger, Jordan Grabouski, Michael Greseth, Richie Gustin, Jeremy Keller, Eddie Kirchoff, Cody Laney, Paul Leach, Hunter Marriott, Terry Phillips, Chaz Pray, Marlyn Seidler, Kelly Shryock, Jesse Sobbing, Kyle Strickler and Ricky Thornton Jr. And SportMod drivers included Jeffrey Abbey, Justin Addison, Adam Armstrong, Keith Blum, Brian Cooper, Dustin Daniels, Sawyer Haese, Chris McKellar, Jesse Skalicky, Chris Toth, Jared VanDeest and Jaylen Wettengel. All race winners received certificates good for two shock rebuilds.

Erivez brings Western Region rookie title back to Wyoming

GILLETTE, Wyo. – The timing of a phone call got Marty Erivez in an IMCA Modified. His consistency throughout the season got the Gillette, Wyo., driver rookie of the year honors in the Larry Shaw Racing Western Region. “I had raced for more than 10 years before selling everything, buying a house and taking a year off,” Erivez said. “I was going to pick up a B mod in Minnesota when I got a call from a guy in Montana about a Modified (a 2012 Side Biter). I canceled my plans to go to Minnesota and bought the Modified instead.” He logged 22 starts in 2017, 13 of them at his hometown Gillette Thunder Speedway, where Erivez finished third in the point standings. His best feature finish was second, by half a car length, to Rob Hoffman in the May 27 show at Gillette. Erivez posted six more top five five finishes and ended fourth in Allstar Performance Wyoming state standings. Erivez was a two-time Western region champion and three-time state champion with Wissota. He [Read More]