Ryan Clark

R.M. Van Pay at New Motorama book signing March 23-25

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay native R.M. Van Pay, Wisconsin’s winningest IMCA Modified driver, will join motorsports author Joe Verdegan at a book signing during the fourth annual New Motorama at Shopko Hall in Green Bay March 23-25. Heading into 2018 Van Pay, who currently calls Denmark home, sits atop the state’s all-time list for IMCA Modified wins with 126. Van Pay’s storied racing career is chronicled in a chapter in Verdegan’s third book, Life In The Past Lane-The Next Generation, which was released in December, 2017. Van Pay will appear Friday night. At one point in his career Van Pay would race as many as four nights a week at area dirt tracks, often competing in both an IMCA modified and a late model on the same night. Van Pay has captured 11 career track titles in his IMCA career. 2017 Outagamie Speedway IMCA Sunoco Stock Car champion Chas Van Ooyen of Appleton will have his purple no. 26 vintage Chevrolet Monte Carlo street stock on display. Like Van Pay, Van Ooyen and [Read More]

Tomlinson picks up Cotton Bowl opener

By J.M. Hallas PAIGE, Texas (March 10) – After scoring a Friday night win at Heart o’ Texas Speedway, Eric Tomlinson concluded a successful weekend by picking up the IMCA Modified feature win Saturday at Cotton Bowl Speedway. Tomlinson, who started mid-pack, found a line on the bottom that suited his set up and methodically worked his way to the front where Rob Slott and Jeff Hoegh had been battling for the lead. Tomlinson took control a little before halfway with Hoegh, Slott, Dalton Knox and Raymond McSpadden in the top five at the midway point. As the race wound down, Tomlinson built a lead while McSpadden was able to find the bottom to his liking, moving into the top three. At the checkers it was Tomlinson with the win. Brandon Blaylock was best of the bunch in the Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods, going wire to wire for the win. Blaylock was chased throughout the 20-lapper by Mike Wagner. At the crossed flags it was Blaylock, Wagner, Jennings, Will Carter and Johnny Torres edging [Read More]

Noll, Madrid motor to Canyon feature wins

By Tony Steele PEORIA, Ariz. (March 10) – Jason Noll kicked off the Leading Edge IMCA Modified point season with a trip to victory lane while Speedy Madrid picked up another win in the Arizona Differential IMCA Northern SportMod season opener Saturday at Canyon Speedway Park. After finishing 1-2 in their heat race, Chaz Baca and Noll went to work during Modified feature event action. Baca started fifth and moved to the lead early after the first few circuits were paced by former track champion Guy Norton. Noll started back in the 10th position and found his way into second around the halfway mark. Noll had no yellow flags to aid his pursuit and was forced to chase down race leader Baca. With two laps to go, Noll set up Baca coming off turn four to dive to the inside of the leader in turn one. The pass was completed down the backstretch and Noll held on during the final circuit to take the win. Baca finished second with John Parmeley, Bubba Stafford and Guy Norton [Read More]

IMCA Stocks, Hobbies are new at Millard County

DELTA, Utah – Millard County Raceway adds two more IMCA divisions to Friday and Saturday race programs in 2018. Both the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks are new this season and join sanctioned Modifieds and SportMods on May 4-5, June 15-16, Aug. 3-4 and 24-25, and Sept. 21-22 cards. “When I was named the new promoter here in January, I said I wanted to go IMCA across the board,” explained Russell Wolfe. “It’s one way we can get drivers from other states racing here for IMCA national and regional points.” “IMCA’s rules are right there in black and white,” he continued. “If there’s a question about them, you’ve always got somebody you can call at any time to get an answer. IMCA’s rules make it so much easier for us.” Modifieds and SportMods have run at Delta since 2012. The Modifieds are part of IMCA’s Larry Shaw Race Cars Western Region. Stock Cars will be new to the EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region, Hobby Stocks to the Big Daddy Race Cars [Read More]

Doherty wins Southern Stampede opener, Taylor tops IMCA Modifieds on night two

ARDMORE, Okla. (March 9-10) – ‘B’ qualifier Jeff Taylor brought his ‘A’ game to Southern Oklahoma’s Speedway and nearly had a Southern Stampede sweep to show for his efforts. Taylor ended in second on Friday after Brad Doherty’s high-side heroics netted him the opening night IMCA Modified checkers. Taylor then dueled with Brendon Gemmill before holding off Nick Roberts for the $1,200 victory on Saturday. “I’d been to Ardmore before to help other guys but this was the first time I’d ever raced there. It’s a very racy track,” said Taylor, who started 19th on Friday and from the 13th spot on Saturday. “It was exciting. I had a good car both nights and was able to run wherever I wanted.” Taylor went from third to first with five laps left in the Saturday show. After a late restart, hard racing led to contact up front that took Gemmill out of contention. Roberts, William Gould, Jeffrey Abbey and Drew Armstrong rounded out the top five. The battle for opening night honors and $1,000 appeared to [Read More]

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Thornton starts Spring Nationals legacy, Grabouski wins career 10th Modified main

BEATRICE, Neb. (March 9-10) – Ricky Thornton started his Spring Nationals legacy while Jordan Grabouski added to his at Beatrice Speedway’s 25th annual event. Thornton topped the Friday feature for IMCA Modifieds and the Saturday main event for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. Grabouski collected his record-extending career 10th Modified victory on night two. Both Modified features paid $2,500 to win. Both Thornton and Grabouski were already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. More than 220 race teams from a dozen states and Canada were at Beatrice from the traditional season lidlifter. While Beatrice is Grabouski’s hometown track, Arizona native Thornton had raced there just once previously with a mid-pack finish at a weekly event to show for his efforts. “Probably the biggest thing on Friday was that I didn’t win from the front row,” said Thornton, who worked his way up from 11th. “It took about 10 laps to get up to third. I passed Cayden Carter after a yellow around lap 15. Hunter Marriott and I raced hard and clean before I cleared [Read More]

Kelly, Wood stampede to checkers in Sprint Series of Oklahoma at Ardmore

By David Smith Jr. ARDMORE, Okla. (March 9 and 10) – Chris Kelly and Joe Wood Jr. followed different lines to the same destination when the Sprint Series of Oklahoma opened as part of Southern Oklahoma Speedway’s Southern Stampede special. Kelly found the bottom before all others as he took the lead near midway point and never looked back to claim the Friday feature and $700 in the IMCA RaceSaver series presented by Smiley’s Racing Products/Hoosier Racing Tires Southwest lidlifter. Wood took the lead early and cruised along the top side to Saturday’s $750 checkers. Running fourth on lap 10, Kelly quickly disposed of Blake Daccus for third and moved into the runner-up position by passing Gary Owens on lap 12. One lap later, Kelly powered past two-time defending series champion Andy Shouse. Not even a heavy dose of lapped traffic on lap seventeen could detour Kelly as he would go on to claim his second career SSO victory by eight car lengths over Shouse. Kevin Ramey settled for third while Owens came home fourth [Read More]

34 Raceway kicks off new ownership with annual car show

WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa – 34 Raceway will kick off the 2018 season with new owner Brad Stevens and his co-promoter Jessi Mynatt at the annual 34 Raceway Car Show on Sunday, March 18. This year’s show will be held at Deery Brothers in West Burlington from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and will take place rain or shine. More than 20 race cars and drivers from a variety of classes will be on hand to sign autographs and take photos with fans. There will be kids’ activities, food and beverage for purchase, and don’t forget to grab your 2018 schedule. This event is free to the public so come out and see what family friend, fast racing fun will look like at 34 Raceway this season.

Grayson County adds IMCA Stock Cars to Saturday programs

BELLS, Texas (March 9) – IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars return to weekly race programs at the longest IMCA-sanctioned track in Texas this season. The full-bodied class joins IMCA Modifieds and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods on Saturday nights at Grayson County Speedway. “We had the I-Stocks here for one race last season and the fans loved them. We made the announcement late last year that we would sanction the division this year,” said promoter Mark Weiss. “What I personally like best about the class is that they keep the competition fair. No one has an advantage other than skill set. That’s what makes it exciting for the fans and what keeps the drivers coming back.” A business president in the Dallas metroplex, Weiss got his introduction to dirt track racing as a spectator at Grayson County. He helped sponsor a race car, traveling to various events across the South, before buying the track in December of 2016. “Grayson County was the shortest quarter-mile track I’d seen,” said Weiss. “The first thing we did was make [Read More]