Modified Archives

Berry survives, thrives at Skagit IMCA special

ALGER, Wash. (Sept. 28, 2024) – He was in racing a borrowed car at a track he’d never been to before, but his Saturday night results were familiar to Tom Berry Jr. Berry returned to his Pacific Northwest roots, topping the $10,000 to win Skagit Aggregates Survive the 55 main event for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds at Skagit Speedway. “It was nice to get back and see a lot of people I haven’t seen for a while,” said the Oregon native, who raced out of North Dakota before moving his dirt track operation to Central Iowa eight year ago. “The facility is very nice and I got to race against a lot of different cars.” “This is the third time I’ve won a race that paid $10,000,” continued Berry, who took home the same amount for winning the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s in 2022, “so this has to rank right up there. There were a lot of tough cars here.” Berry fell back to fourth early in the 55-lapper before starting [Read More]

Obertello, Sanders sail to Pettit IMCA wins at Ocean

WATSONVILLE, Calif. (Sept. 28, 2024) – Andy Obertello has always been a fan of long races. Now he’s the winner of one. Obertello led the last 78 laps of Ocean Speedway’s of Ocean Speedway’s Pettit Memorial main event for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, earning a career-best $3,006 payday for his efforts in the 103-lap marathon. “I’m not a rookie to these longer races. I used all the tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years. My main focus was to not overdrive late in the race,” said Obertello. “When I got to fourth I did a double take when I saw (multi-time race winner) Bobby Hogge. I knew I had something developing and I made it happen.” From Hollister and newly eligible for Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying, Obertello had run fifth in the Friday feature and started eighth in Saturday’s big show. Hogge and Friday winner Troy Foulger both time at the front before Obertello took charge. “I knew we had our work cut out for us but we had a fast car. I had [Read More]

Flatlander checkers fly for Rohleder

By Sheldon Wickwar GOODLAND, Kan. (Sept. 27, 2024) – Kyle Rohleder kept up his winning ways on opening night of the 35th annual Flatlander at Sherman County Speedway. Rohleder’s third Friesen Performance IMCA Modified victory of the season at Goodland was good for $1,000 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. Seventy-nine race teams checked in for the night and joining Rohleder in victory lane were Troy Burkhart in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Cody Williams in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Blaine Walt in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and Gage Porter in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts. The Modified 20-lap feature event started with a front row of Marshal Hoppe and Trevor Geist, with the latter leading until lap three, the circuit that saw a multi-car pileup that ended the night for four of the seven drivers involved. Geist restarted the field but Rohleder sped by to take the lead. There was no catching his Zero numbered machine from that point as the WaKeeney hotshoe was flawless through lapped traffic. Second was [Read More]

Baca battles to victory lane on night two at Price

By Ben Deatherage PRICE, Utah (Sept. 27, 2024) – Taking advantage of a late restart, defending Friesen Performance IMCA Modified national champion Chaz Baca powered his way to first place and stayed ahead of all other contenders to pick up the victory at Desert Thunder Raceway’s Castle Country Clash. During the Friday night main event, Wyatt Howard had a speedy race car and led most of the race. A late race stoppage with a handful of laps remaining brought about an exciting restart. Baca drag raced the leader on the backstretch, took the lead on the 17th circuit and didn’t look back once ahead of the field. Regan Tafoya, the winner on Thursday, worked his way into second place while Kelly Smith completed third place on the podium. Five other IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing divisions were on tap, including the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts. Payce Herrera, Scott Hardman, Mitchell Ferguson, Dillion Thomas and Cody [Read More]

Friday is another good night for Nightingale at Salina

SALINA, Kan. (Sept. 27, 2024) – The track where Jake Nightingale says he’s “always had some pretty good luck” was the site of more of the same Friday night. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified heavyweight from Hutchinson took the lead right after midway in the championship night main event, earning $2,000 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. “It was a pretty hammer down deal with lots of moisture. We were wide open all the time,” Nightingale said following his third win and 10th top three finish in as many Salina starts this season. “We ran a lane and a half off the top all the way around.” He started fourth and passed Austen Huehl for the front spot on the 11th of 20 circuits. Restarts kept the field close but Nightingale would build an advantage of three seconds when green flag racing prevailed. Tenth starting Tyler Sutton and Huehl completed the top three. Nightingale heads to Sherman County Speedway in Goodland on Saturday for night two of the Flatlander special in his defense of the Jet [Read More]

Foulger, Shrader pace Pettit Shootout on opening night

By Ben Deatherage WATSONVILLE, California (Sept. 27, 2024) – Troy Foulger got the job done on the first night of the Pettit Shootout at Ocean Speedway in exciting fashion in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified division. The defending Shootout winner got the lead late in the race, after a three-car dogfight, to score the $1,003 win and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. The race started thrillingly when Robby Sawyer rocketed under Paul Stone and Gavyn Manning, made it three-wide going into the first turn, and led the opening lap. After two early cautions, Manning got around Stone to move into second. But the two kept battling, which allowed Sawyer to pull away. Sawyer got out to a really good lead a couple of times, but frustratingly, all of his hard work would be erased due to a few more stoppages, which not only reset the race but also tested Sawyer’s ability to maintain his lead under pressure. On the final restart, with 14 laps to still cover, Foulger started 11th, battled hard with Stone [Read More]

Tafoya denies Baca for opening night Clash checkers

By Ben Deatherage PRICE, Utah (Sept. 26, 2024) – There would be some thunder at Desert Thunder Raceway on Thursday night in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds for the first of three legs of the Clash. Regan Tafoya stormed the castle around the halfway mark after a restart. But the Farmington, N.M., driver had to fend off several advances by a determined Chaz Baca Jr. and held on for the win. The main event began with Bryan Wordelman setting a good pace when the green flag dropped. A caution on lap seven halted things and when the race resumed, Tafoya pounced on an opportunity to get to the front on the eighth circuit. Another yellow flag emerged, erasing Tafoya’s lead. When the race resumed, Tafoya faced relentless challenges from defending national champion Baca. Despite Baca’s persistent efforts, the seventh-starting Tafoya managed to fend off his attempts not once, but twice, in a thrilling display of skill and determination. Baca secured a respectable second place. Local driver Wyatt Howard, who had a remarkable journey to the [Read More]

IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National Point Standings through Sept. 26, 2024

Final points races of the 2024 season are Sunday, Sept. 29 Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds – 1. Chaz Baca, Mesa, Ariz., 1,000; 2. Ethan Braaksma, Newton, Iowa, 987; 3. Tim Ward, Harcourt, Iowa, 979; 4. Chris Zogg, New Liberty, Iowa, and Troy Cordes, Dunkerton, Iowa, both 977; 6. Troy Morris III, Bakersfield, Calif., 973; 7. Grey Ferrando, Stayton, Ore., 969; 8. Jed Freiburger, Dubuque, Iowa, 967; 9. Myron DeYoung, Stanton, Mich., 965; 10. Jeremy Mills, Clear Lake, Iowa, 962; 11. Jeff Larson, Freeport, Ill., and Jeffrey Reay, Portland, Mich., both 957; 13. Austin Harnick, Clare, Mich., 949; 14. Jake McBirnie, Boone, Iowa, and Ty Clemens, Belgrade, Mont., both 942; 16. Todd Shute, Norwalk, Iowa, 941; 17. Matt Werner, Geneseo, Ill., 940; 18. Charlie Mohr, Bettendorf, Iowa, 939; 19. Jake Nightingale, Maize, Kan., 938; 20. Cole Czarneski, Denmark, Wis., 937. IMCA Sunoco Late Models – 1. Cory Dumpert, Newman Grove, Neb., 795; 2. Travis Denning, Sterling, Ill., 793; 3. Anthony Roth, Platte Center, Neb., 780; 4. Evan Miller, Davenport, Iowa, 774; 5. Zach Zeitner, Bellevue, Neb., 770; 6. [Read More]

Foulger doubles up an Antioch

By Candice Martin ANTIOCH, Calif. (Sept. 21, 2024) – Troy Foulger won both the 20 lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified and IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main events Saturday at Antioch Speedway. The championship night format put point Kellen Chadwick on the pole of the Modified race and he bolted into the lead ahead of Foulger and Jacob Mallet Jr. Andrew Pearce spun on lap two, collecting Tyler Browne. Chadwick continued to lead Mallet and Foulger on the restart, and an intense battle ensued. A low pass in turn three of the eighth lap briefly gained Mallet the lead, but Chadwick came rushing by on the outside down the back stretch a lap later. A three-wide battle on lap 10 saw Foulger make an inside pass for second, but Mallet went inside on the front stretch on lap 11 to get by both Chadwick and Foulger. A high pass on lap 12 gained Foulger the lead from Mallet. Foulger would lead the remaining laps for the impressive victory, followed by Mallet, new track champion Chadwick, Katelynn [Read More]

Moore dominates Grays Harbor finale

By Ben Deatherage ELMA, Wash. (Sept. 21, 2024) – Craig Moore started from fourth place in Saturday’s Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event at Grays Harbor Raceway and the only time he didn’t lead was the first lap. Once he took the lead, the Seabeck veteran built a commanding advantage, winning a main event for the second time this year at the Grays Harbor Fairgrounds 3/8-mile oval. Ryen Haney and Josh Muller engaged in a thrilling battle on the contest’s opening circuit, with Haney leading lap one. Determined to break away from the pack, Haney found himself in Moore’s sights. Moore, relentless in his pursuit, overtook Haney at the flag stand on the second lap. From there, Moore gave it full steam and sail and took off from his nearest opponent. Despite some heavy lapped traffic, he cruised to victory with a margin of 4.595 seconds. Zach Simpson moved into third on lap 13 before making a late charge for second, obtaining the position on the 18th circuit and finishing there. Grey Ferrando was [Read More]