Ryan Clark

New part numbers announced for GM 602, 604 crate engines

VINTON, Iowa – General Motor has introduced an improved sealing system for GM 602 and 604 crate engines. A cap seal system has replaced the breakaway bolts effective immediately. This has resulted in an additional part number for both GM 602 and GM 604 engines. Hobby Stock, Northern SportMod and Southern SportMod drivers can compete with 602 numbered 88869602 crates while Modified drivers can compete with 604 numbered 88869604 crates, as well as the previously approved part numbers. “GM has added a new part number for what is essentially the third generation of 602 and 604 engines,” explained IMCA President Brett Root. “Those additions demand a part number change but assembly and performance remain the same. Earlier part numbered engines are not less competitive and remain 100 percent IMCA legal.” “While rulebooks have already been sent to print, the timing is actually very good for us,” Root said. “IMCA seals must be put on the new part numbered GM engines right out of the gate when they are purchased from a GM Performance dealer.” “This [Read More]

New sponsor AutoMeter sharpens focus on IMCA, oval market

SYCAMORE, Ill. – A company already well-known in drag racing circles becomes a contingency award sponsor for six IMCA divisions in 2018. AutoMeter, the Sycamore, Ill.-based competition instrument and accessories manufacturer, gives $50 gift certificates to designated top five finishing drivers at 80 designated specials for IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Late Models, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and IMCA Southern SportMods. Mechanical 2 or 3-gauge panel sets go to the runners-up in all main events at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s and the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car Nationals. The company was founded in Elgin, Ill., in 1957 and relocated to Sycamore in 1979. “We have been heavily involved in drag racing for a long time,” explained AutoMeter Director of Motorsports Marc Erickson. “We want to become more involved with the short track market and focus on the Saturday night racer.” “We like the different divisions IMCA has and the support they receive from their racers,” he added. “IMCA is the type of organization we want [Read More]

IMCA Modifieds head Jan. 13, 14 Winter Heat cards at Perris Auto Speedway

By Scott Daloisio PERRIS, Calif. – While fans of most race tracks across the nation are months away from the first race of 2018, Perris Auto Speedway fans are days away from the opening races of the year when the Riverside County racing facility hosts Winter Heat featuring the IMCA Modifieds along with Super Stocks, Street Stocks and American Factory Stocks on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 13 and 14. The pit gate will open at noon both days, spectator gates will open at 2 p.m. and racing will begin at 3 p.m. Both days will feature complete shows with heats, “B” mains (if needed) and “A” mains for all classes. The IMCA Modified portion of each show will award IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Larry Shaw Race Cars Western Region, Allstar Performance California State and Perris Auto Speedway track points. 2018 is going to see an expanded season for the IMCA Modified drivers and the drivers from the PASSCAR Super Stocks, Street Stocks and American Factory Stocks series at The PAS. With the racing weekends [Read More]

Flinn earns Promoter of the Year nomination

CRYSTAL, Mich. – Crystal Motor Speedway promoter Ron Flinn is one of six nominees for Racing Promotion Monthly’s Auto Racing Promoter of the Year award. The ARPY is short track racing’s most prestigious annual award. Nominees hail from six different regions, with Flinn the promoter of the year in RPM’s Central Region. Crystal was recognized with a 30-year Modified sanction award at the IMCA banquet last fall. The Auto Racing Promoter of the Year will be revealed during the 45th annual RPM Workshop at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort at Daytona Beach, Fla., on Feb. 12.

Matt Richards joins talented IMCA RaceSaver field at US 36

By Rick Staley OSBORN, Mo. – Matt, Cade and Jessica Richards are truly a racing family, competing on the highest level at tracks throughout the Midwest. Calling Eagle Raceway his home track, we will also see Matt behind the wheel of an IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car at US 36 Raceway this season, adding to a loaded field of competitors. Matt is from Lincoln, Neb., and pilots the no. 1R, the same number as his son Cade, who drives an E-modified at US 36 weekly. Married to Jessica, who also can wheel a racecar, winning her powder puff feature on fun night, they all travel and race as a close knit family and are respected by all. Matt is self-employed, running Richards Machine Shop and is passing his skills to his son. To say Matt has raced everywhere would be an understatement, so let’s name a few of the tracks he has competed: Belleville, Kan., Eagle Raceway, Lee County Speedway, Atchison County Raceway, Iowa State Fairgrounds, Rocky Mountain Speedway, Junction Motor Speedway, I-80, US 30, Beatrice [Read More]

IMCA office closed for holidays

VINTON, Iowa – The IMCA home office will close for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays at noon CST on Thursday, Dec. 21 and re-open at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 2. Happy holidays to all and the best of luck to all drivers throughout the 2018 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing Season.

32nd annual Deery Brothers Summer Series set for 2018

VINTON, Iowa – Running under the Deery Brothers banner for a 27th consecutive season, the Summer Series for IMCA Late Models returns in 2018 with dates at familiar venues as well as tracks that have been absent from the schedule for years or even decades. While scheduling of $2,000 to win, $300 to start events continues, the 32nd annual tour will return to Davenport Speedway for the first time since 2014 for opening night in April. The series travels to Maquoketa Speedway, Quad City Speedway, Boone Speedway, Marshalltown Speedway, Benton County Speedway, 34 Raceway, CJ Speedway and Fayette County Speedway. Five or six more races are expected to be added to the schedule and all dates will be announced in January, as will new race format procedures. The Deery Series last visited CJ in 1996 and was most recently at Benton County in 2005 and Fayette County in 2009. Home track of series ironman Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown Speedway again hosts the Miller Lite 50 Deery event. Boone rolls out the red carpet for both Memorial [Read More]

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]