Modified Archives

Champions crowed in exciting finale at Ocean

By Steven Blakesley Blakesley Sports Media WATSONVILLE, Calif. (Aug. 23, 2024) – Ocean Speedway in Watsonville concluded its 2024 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season Friday night at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds on an exciting night on the dirt. Jim Pettit wrapped up back-to-back Friesen Performance IMCA Modified titles while 18-year-old Emali VanHoff claimed her first Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod championship. The Modifieds had an outstanding quality field for a 25-lap feature. Robert Marsh went through the middle down the backstretch to lead lap one after starting third. Marsh then spun in turn two, sparking a chain reaction crash. Fred Lind flipped side over side wildly to draw a red flag. Lind was uninjured. Bobby Hogge drove into the lead on lap seven with former champ Cody Burke and Pettit in pursuit in second and third. A series of cautions over the next 10 laps kept the field in close quarters. Hogge survived an onslaught of challenges from Burke and Pettit to score the championship finale win over Pettit, Burke, eighth-starting Jacob Mallet [Read More]

Final night of racing at Kossuth County Speedway

By Greg Grabianowski Sports Editor ALGONA, Iowa (Aug. 22, 2024) – The final evening of exciting dirt track racing at the Kossuth County Speedway for 2024 took place on Aug. 22 wrapping up a crazy season that saw Mother Nature the only feature winner on seven different Thursday nights. The evening was also for the final night for track manager Ron Reefer as he announced after doing a great job at the oval for the past nine years that it was time for him to spend more time with his family and have more time to enjoy some of his outdoor hobbies. IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks were led to the flag stand by Brayton Kajewski and Joe Doran. Doran jumped out front after the first lap around the track and led the whole race until a late race surge by hard-charger Mike Smith gave the Lake City driver his fifth local feature win. Although Doran maintain the top spot early in the race, the battle for second place saw Jade Lange, Josh Sidles and Brandon [Read More]

Gould rings up career 200th IMCA Modified checkers at Bells

CALERA, Okla. (Aug. 24, 2024) – Thirty years ago, William Gould was happy going fast in a straight line. Saturday night, he kept going fast and turning left at Grayson County Speedway in Bells, Texas, winning for the 200th time in his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified career. “It’s another accomplishment and I’m proud of it. I was glad to get it done and move on to bigger and better things, and hopefully a lot more wins,” said the Calera, Okla., speedster, IMCA’s national champion in 2013 and now the ninth driver in division history to reach the 200 win mark. “I’m looking forward to next week and the week after. You’re only as good as your last win. That’s why we race.” His IMCA resume also boasts six GRT Race Cars South Central Regional crowns, plus nine track and six state titles. “My dad and his brothers, they all raced and I was a hot rodder. I had a 1970 Camaro and I was content doing that,” said Gould, now 51. “I was street racing and [Read More]

Mills, Swearingen, Fett, Nielsen earn Hancock County crowns

By Chad Meyer BRITT, Iowa (Aug. 23, 2024) – Season championship night at Hancock County Speedway on Friday night was sponsored by Doug Studer Farms and KIOW 107.3 Radio. In the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, Jeremy Mills entered the night with a sizable point lead and was crowned the track champion. In the feature, he worked the top side repeatedly until he was able to get past Cody Knecht in the second half of the main. Knecht, who led the first half of the event, used a late-race caution to make one last attempt to get past Mills but had to settle for second. Kelly Shryock gained six spots to finish third ahead of Nick Meyer. The closet point battle of the night was in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. Troy Swearingen entered the night with a three-point lead on Heath Tulp. Tulp led the entire feature and collected the trophy but had to fend off a charging Swearingen, who fell back several spots early in the race. Swearingen finished a close second and secured [Read More]

Braaksma rides IMCA Modified momentum to Fayette County win

WEST UNION, Iowa (Aug. 23, 2024) – Ethan Braaksma had all kinds of momentum on his side when he pulled into the pit area at Fayette County Speedway Friday night. He rode that momentum straight to victory lane, winning the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature and $1,200 on opening night of the Fall Finale. “I feel pretty confident going to momentum race tracks and coming from go kart racing, I feel like Fayette County is one of those,” explained Braaksma, who’d also won the Rage 40 special at West Union in July. “I like when the track is slick and I can just roll around it. You have to get up on the wheel but at the same time keep the tires underneath you and you should be pretty good.” He was pretty good from the drop of the green, starting from the pole and leading the distance of a 25-lapper interrupted by four cautions. Braaksma hit lapped traffic late but put some real estate on teammate and crew chief Drew Janssen, debuting a new [Read More]

Off-track Super Nationals activities centered at NAPA Fan Zone

BOONE, Iowa (Aug. 23, 2024) – The NAPA Racing Fan Zone is again the locale for many of the special off-track events during the week of the 42nd annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s at Boone Speedway. Located south of the main grandstand at Boone Speedway, the Fan Zone will be site of scheduled and perhaps some spontaneous activities beginning with the Sunday, Sept. 1 Prelude show and continuing through the Sept. 2-7 Super Nationals. “What’s new this year is the Tuesday afternoon Women in IMCA presented by NAPA and Dynamic Drivelines,” noted Carson Becker-Gramm, marketing integration and sponsorship director for IMCA. “Female drivers have played an important role in this organization for more than 40 years. There’s no better time than to recognize them, and maybe get an autograph or two, than during our biggest event.” All female drivers competing at Super Nationals will be invited to display their cars at the fan zone and sign autographs; NAPA will provide shirts they can sign and autograph for fans as well. More than a dozen [Read More]

IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National Point Standings through Aug. 22, 2024

Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds – 1. Chaz Baca, Mesa, Ariz., 999; 2. Ethan Braaksma, Newton, Iowa, 986; 3. Tim Ward, Harcourt, Iowa, 977; 4. Troy Cordes, Dunkerton, Iowa, 976; 5. Chris Zogg, New Liberty, Iowa, 969; 6. Troy Morris III, Bakersfield, Calif., and Jed Freiburger, Dubuque, Iowa, both 966; 8. Grey Ferrando, Stayton, Ore., 964; 9. Myron DeYoung, Stanton, Mich., and Jeremy Mills, Clear Lake, Iowa, both 956; 11. Jeff Larson, Freeport, Ill., 955; 12. Jeffrey Reay, Portland, Mich., 946; 13. Charlie Mohr, Bettendorf, Iowa, 935; 14. Jake McBirnie, Boone, Iowa, 933; 15. Matt Werner, Geneseo, Ill., 931; 16. Ben Chapman, Clarence, Iowa, 926; 17. Todd Shute, Norwalk, Iowa, 924; 18. Joel Rust, Holland, Iowa, 919; 19. Izac Mallicoat, Boone, Iowa, and Jacob Mallet Jr., Oakley, Calif., both 918. IMCA Sunoco Late Models – 1. Cory Dumpert, Newman Grove, Neb., 792; 2. Travis Denning, Sterling, Ill., 779; 3. Evan Miller, Silvis, Ill., 772; 4. Anthony Roth, Platte Center, Neb., 762; 5. Zach Zeitner, Bellevue, Neb., 759; 6. Andy Nezworski, Blue Grass, Iowa, 750; 7. Jesse Bodin, Silvis, [Read More]

Whisler wins Wednesday bout at Cottage Grove

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (Aug. 21, 2024) – Eston Whisler, who was on the verge of victory at Cottage Grove Speedway earlier this month, was granted redemption in the fifth leg of the prestigious Midweek Mayhem Series. He earned his first win of the season in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds after making the pass for the lead around the midway point and holding on to the coveted top spot after a late-race restart. The main event was a showcase of intense competition. Kevin Williamson set a rapid pace in the early stages but the race was far from decided. The pack remained close due to two cautions, and the tension escalated when Whisler began his impressive run on the bottom after a restart with eight complete. Whisler made the appropriate pass for the lead on lap 12 and took off from there. His hard work would be washed away due to a caution on the 22nd circuit. When things got back to full speed, Whisler, [Read More]

Maquoketa Speedway hosts season championships this Saturday

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (Aug. 22, 2024) – This Saturday, Aug. 24, Maquoketa Speedway will host the final point races of the 2024 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season as Dynamic Tube of Maquoketa presents season championships. A full night of racing will include all regular classes headlined by the IMCA Sunoco Late Models. Hot laps will take to the quarter-mile at 6 p.m. with racing to follow. Following Saturday night’s racing action, the crew from Darkside Promotions will host two special events at Maquoketa Speedway. The first will be the All Star Classic with two big days of racing on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 13 and 14. The Friday night portion of the All Star Classic will include a special night of racing in memory of Kelly Meyer, a very popular driver at Maquoketa who lost his life in a tragic motorcycle accident. The Kelly Meyer All Star Race will headline the September 13th race program. The final race of the year at Maquoketa will be the Iowa Dirt Nationals, which will be contested Thursday [Read More]

Morris has prescription for special win at Bakersfield

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Aug. 17, 2024) – Troy Morris III had the right prescription for winning the race dedicated to the memory of The Race Doctor. Morris led 46 of 50 Friesen Performance IMCA Modified circuits Saturday at hometown Bakersfield Speedway, topping the Mike Moshier Classic ahead of Gavyn Manning. The win, Morris’ 10th this season and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying sixth, paid $1,200. Moshier, aka The Race Doctor, was the long-time announcer at Bakersfield and died in 2015 at the age of 69. “This win was special,” said Morris. “I grew up listening to him (Moshier) announce at the track. He called my first win and interviewed me when I was six and racing a mini dwarf.” Morris got to the front early from his inside row three start and built a seven second advantage before the scheduled stoppage at lap 25. Tyler Blankenship found his way to the lead following the restart with Manning challenging in third; issues at the front, however, saw Blankenship drive off to the work area and Morris restart at the [Read More]