Ryan Clark

Dodge City primed for big 2018 season with awards banquet in the books

By Lonnie Wheatley DODGE CITY, Kan. (Jan. 27) – Setting the stage for a stellar 2018 racing season, Dodge City Raceway Park competitors and fans celebrated the recently-completed 2017 season with Saturday night’s annual Awards Banquet. More than 200 attendees took in Saturday night’s festivities at the Western State Bank Expo adjacent to the 3/8-mile Dodge City clay oval with the top contenders in each of the track’s five championship chase divisions recognized during the evening. Taking top accolades in each division were Clay Sellard in the IMCA Modifieds, Jeff Kaup in the IMCA SportMods, Angel Munoz in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Reagan Sellard in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Taylor Velasquez in Precise Racing Products DCRP Sprint Cars, While others among the top 10 and each champion also picked up their hardware and point fund monies, Munoz picked up an extra $100 and the 2017 DCRP Feature Winner board for racking up the most feature wins over the course of the season. Munoz racked up six wins to top the overall win charts [Read More]

Performance Distributors promptly announces awards in five IMCA divisions

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Performance Distributors was prompt in announcing it would continue contingency awards for five IMCA divisions in 2018. The Memphis, Tenn., high performance parts manufacturer and 12-year sponsor gives product or product certificates to competitors in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod, IMCA Southern SportMod and Mach-1 Sport Compact divisions. “Performance Distributors is excited to be an IMCA sponsor for 12 years,” said Steve Davis, company president. “IMCA provides exciting racing nationwide and our D.U.I. Distributors are designed for hard racing.” Top eligible drivers in each of the two Stock Car regions and in both Hobby Stock regions, and in national standings for Northern SportMods and for Southern SportMods all receive DUI distributors. Runners-up in each division each get $100 product certificates, with $75 given for third, $50 for fourth and $25 for fifth. The Sport Compact national champion and national rookie of the year both receive Dyna-Batt batteries. Second through fifth place finishers in national standings for the 4-cylinder class all get $50 product certificates while [Read More]

Marriott motors to IMCA Modified checkers in Challenge Series finale

By Tony Steele PEORIA, Ariz. (Jan. 28) – Hunter Marriott picked up the $1,000 win in Sunday’s IMCA Modified main event evening the score with Ricky Thornton Jr. in the four race Winter Challenge Series at Canyon Speedway Park. It was apparent from the start the bottom side of the track would be the fastest way around the oval and once Marriott worked his way into the lead early he stayed there to the checkers. The last half of the race was a major battle through lapped traffic. Cody Laney and Thornton reeled the leader in but Marriott, already a Fast Shafts Allstar Invitational ballot candidate, narrowly held on for the victory while Laney and Thornton ran 2-3. Jeremy Payne brought his borrowed car home in fourth while defending national champion Jason Wolla was finally able to put together a solid day, earning a heat race win and finishing fifth in the feature. Speedy Madrid picked up his second win of the series in the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods while Cody Center picked up his first [Read More]

Thornton scores second IMCA Modified Winter Challenge Series win

By Tony Steele PEORIA, Ariz. (Jan. 27) – Ricky Thornton Jr. rolled through the middle of the track and around Hunter Marriott on his way to capturing his second IMCA Modified win of the Winter Challenge Series at Canyon Speedway Park. After a three-wide start to the race that lasted more than a full lap, Marriott battled his way into the lead position early in the Saturday feature ahead of Thornton and Chaz Baca. As the race approached halfway, Thornton began to show his nose to the inside of Marriott, finally pulling up alongside. With Thornton pressuring to the inside, Marriott changed his line just enough for Thornton to go to the middle of the track and drive around the leader on the outside. Thornton, already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, secured the $1,000 win while Marriott began to fade, making way for Tim Ward to grab the runner-up spot in his first race back in his home state of Arizona. Marriott held onto third ahead of Cody Laney and Jeremy Payne. George Fronsman [Read More]

2018 Deery Brothers Summer Series schedule marked by milestones

VINTON, Iowa – A schedule packed with milestone events sees the Deery Brothers Summer Series make its 50th visit to one race track and its first-ever to another speedplant this season. Thirteen race dates are on the calendar for the 32nd annual IMCA Late Model tour, which opens April 13 with the $5,000 to win Rebel 5K on the quarter mile oval at Davenport Speedway. Davenport also hosts the series finale, on the-half mile track on Sept. 21. “There are a lot of milestones this year,” acknowledged Tour Director Kevin Yoder. “Bookending events on different sized tracks at Davenport is unique and it’s been several years since we’ve had two shows in Illinois.” “It’s a really different looking schedule, which is great,” he added. “There are a lot of places where series drivers don’t have a lot of laps.” Deery drivers are at Cedar County Raceway in Tipton on April 21, at Maquoketa Speedway on May 5 and at Quad City Speedway in East Moline, Ill., on May 6 before the May 28 Memorial Day [Read More]

Boone County bringing back IMCA Modifieds

ALBION, Neb. – The number of calls they got convinced Boone County Raceway track officials to bring IMCA’s premier division back to their weekly race program. IMCA Modifieds return to Albion following a two-year hiatus. They’ll be on regular Friday cards that also feature IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts. “We have quite a few locals who drive IMCA Modifieds and wanted to bring them back here,” explained promoter Mike Trollope. “We called ‘em on the phone and put it out on Facebook, and they started calling us back.” “We had 15 Modified drivers who confirmed that they would race with us so we made the decision to pull the trigger and bring them back,” he continued. “I raced a Modified myself. I like the division and I’m glad to have them back at Boone County.” Opening night for the IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season is April 20. Thirteen more Friday night shows are scheduled through Aug. 17. All five weekly divisions are in [Read More]

IMCA rookies in five divisions score Swift Springs awards

CHINO HILLS, Calif. – Second-year sponsor Swift Springs continues awards for IMCA drivers in five divisions finding success in their rookie seasons. IMCA Modified, IMCA Late Model, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod and IMCA Southern SportMod national rookies of the year all receive sets of four springs from the Chino Hills, Calif., manufacturer. The other four regional Modified rookies of the year each receive one spring. “Swift Springs is excited to be back for a second year with IMCA. We are proud to be a sponsor and excited to reward the rookie of the year with our product in hopes of them continuing on for many more years of racing with IMCA,” said Motorsports Director Frank Simonetti. “Without rookies we will not have growth. This is an exciting time in racing and we look forward to an outstanding 2018 season.” Swift had a long history of manufacturing springs for street use and for asphalt competitors before expanding to the dirt market. The company has dealers in 11 states as well as Canada, [Read More]

IMCA Stock Car, Hobby Stock, Deery Series drivers share wealth of Sunoco sponsorship

VINTON, Iowa – One of the best-known companies in all of automotive racing returns in 2018 as a key supporter of two IMCA divisions and one special series. Sunoco Race Fuels, based in Linwood, Pa., and manufacturer of the Official Fuel of IMCA, continues title sponsorship of both the IMCA Stock Car and IMCA Hobby Stock divisions and gives cash awards to drivers maintaining perfect attendance in the Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models. “Sunoco Race Fuels is thrilled to continue our 26-year partnership with IMCA. The level of competition for grassroots racers throughout the country is unmatched,” said National Sales Manager Terry Thompson. “They do an outstanding job for all involved, the racers, fans and sponsors.” Sunoco has been title sponsor of the IMCA Stock Car division since 1999 and the Hobby Stock division since 2006 and provides point fund shares to be paid to top 15 drivers in national point standings for each division again this season. Those checks will be presented during the national awards banquet in November or mailed [Read More]

Speedway Motors signs new five-year pact backing IMCA Weekly Racing, Super Nationals

LINCOLN, Neb. – Speedway Motors, America’s Oldest Speed Shop, will continue its association with IMCA, America’s oldest sanctioning body, for another five years. The Lincoln, Neb., high performance parts manufacturer, retailer and distributor has played an invaluable and incomparable sponsorship role with IMCA since the 1950’s. The latest marketing agreement runs through the 2022 race season. “We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with IMCA,” Speedway Motors President Clay Smith said. “Speedway Motors and IMCA have a long history together supporting racers, teams and tracks. This partnership highlights our commitment to making racing safe, fun and affordable for all racers.” Notably, Speedway Motors will continue its title sponsorship role of IMCA Weekly Racing for an 11th consecutive season and returns as title sponsor of Super Nationals for the 23rd straight year. Speedway Motors renews a program benefitting more than 200 tracks in the United States and Canada by providing jackets, promoter and tech official shirts and discounts on tech inspection equipment, flags and signage to help those facilities defray costs of their weekly programs, plus decals, driver’s [Read More]

Waller takes promotional reins at 105 Speedway

CLEVELAND, Texas – The new promoter at 105 Speedway has already been around the track a time or two. Randy Waller takes charge this season of the ¼-mile red clay oval, where IMCA Modifieds will be a Saturday night fixture. Waller’s Southern United Sprints also makes Cleveland a regular stopping spot over the course of 2018. The track is now owned by Jerry Brown. “We want to bring stability to the numbers in the pits and the grandstand,” said Waller, the long-time promoter at Gator Motorplex in Willis, which closed last year because of urban sprawl. “Our main goal is to make sure drivers in all divisions are treated fairly.” Modified drivers vocalized their support for Waller and the IMCA sanction during a meeting earlier this month. “I’ve been involved with the IMCA Modified division and the Southern United Sprints for a long time and that’s something I wanted to continue doing,” he said. “I talked to Mr. Brown and a lot of the IMCA drivers. Once you become part of this industry, you don’t [Read More]