Northern SportMod Archives

Kaeding Classic is stage for Frazier’s first feature win

By Steven Blakesley Blakesley Sports Media WATSONVILLE, Calif. (July 12, 2024) – Opening night at Ocean Speedway’s 14th annual Howard Kaeding Classic saw Matthew Frazier collect top honors in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod main event. The win was the career first for Frazier, 15 years old and a sophomore-to-be at St. Joseph High School in his hometown of Santa Maria. “It’s a pretty crazy feeling to get my first win in my second season” in the class, said Frazier, who topped the 20-lap contest over a 16-car field. “There was a lot of excitement at the end. I pretty much wanted to yell.” Jeff Mead led the opening lap after starting third. Frazier started seventh and used a restart on lap two to advance to second. A caution on lap four allowed Frazier to challenge Mead for the lead. Frazier jumped inside to lead lap five. Emali VanHoff and Mead battled for second place through a series of cautions in a challenging race. Frazier got away cleanly on a green, white, checkered finish attempt [Read More]

Smith, Veber, Burg get first Boone wins of season

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (July 13, 2024) – Devin Smith, Curtis Veber and Keith Burg all won first features of the season at Boone Speedway Saturday evening. It was another top notch night of racing Saturday night, on a typical hot and humid July night in Iowa. Jimmy Gustin got the crown in the King of the Hill for the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, while Jake McBirnie returned to victory lane for another feature win in the division and Travis Stensland kept racking up wins in the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites. Smith took the high road in capturing the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature, Veber won in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and Burg took the checkers in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. Feature racing kicked off with the 15-lap main event for the Mod Lites. Stensland wasted no time in getting to the front. He started sixth, had the lead at lap one and never looked back in a race that went caution-free. He had no issues with lapped traffic as he pulled [Read More]

Vanderheiden sprints to first Eagle win

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (July 13, 2024) – Young fans got a chance to add some heft to their piggy banks with the $1,500 money grab on the front stretch sponsored by One Shot Auto Repair but the big winner Saturday night at Eagle Raceway was Cole Vanderheiden. Vanderheiden won for the first time in his career at America’s Home Track, snagging the lead on a mid-race restart and denying Trevor Grossenbacher’s mad slide job attempt in the final turn for the $1,300 IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car checkers. “It’s been a long time coming. Over the past three years we’ve been second, had thirds and fourths all year. It just feels amazing to finally get a win here at Eagle,” Vanderheiden said. “That’s the longest lap (the last one) I’ve ever experienced in my three years of racing. Going down the back stretch I couldn’t see him (Grossenbacher). I hopped his wheel going into three, but luckily my car didn’t break and I didn’t pop a tire,” he continued. “I kept going into four and [Read More]

Make-up features plus full show on tap Sunday at The Bullring

VINTON, Iowa (July 16, 2024) – Those unable to attend the July 14 Urbana 5 Memorial will still have the chance to see the stars shine Sunday at Benton County Speedway. The special main events for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds presented by Wright Way Trailers and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods fell to rain last weekend and have been rescheduled for this Sunday, July 21. A complete show for Modifieds, SportMods, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars presented by Christie Door Company, IMCA Hobby Stocks presented by iHeart Radio, Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts and INEX Legends presented by Legends.Direct will be held on the quarter-mile Bullring before the make-up features from last Sunday. In addition to the expanded night of racing, July 21 will also be Christmas in July for the kids in attendance. Pit gates and grandstand open at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, with hot laps set for 5:30 and racing at 6. Spectator admission is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors and veterans, and $5 for ages 6-12. Kids ages five and under will be admitted [Read More]

IMCA Hobby Stocks headline Dave Riley Memorial at Interstate

JEFFERSON, S.D. (July 16, 2024) – IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks are the spotlight division in Sunday night’s Dave Riley Memorial at Interstate Speedway. The July 21 main event pays at least $2,556 to win and a minimum of $156 to start with contingency awards to be given throughout the field. There is no entry fee. The Hobby Stock hard charger earns a $256 product certificate from Interstate Powder Coating and a 3D printed model race car courtesy of VT’s 3D Prints; the long haul driver gets $256 from J & J Fitting. The $456 back row challenge to win for the Hobbies is presented by TMF Recycling and Dillon Streets. Non-qualifiers for the Hobby Stock feature get $56. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds race for $1,056 to win in their Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifier, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars for $1,056 to win their B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifier. Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods race for $756 to win, Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts for $256 to win. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, [Read More]

Sanders wins $15,000 IMCA Western SportMod Nationals at Yreka

By Ben Deatherage YREKA, Calif. (July 13, 2024) – Matt Sanders would be the first driver to the stripe of the 40-lap finale for the $15,000 to win Finley Farms Western SportMod Nationals at Yreka Speedway on Saturday, July 13. The Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds assembled some of the country’s best Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod pilots to the 1/4-mile clay over the weekend. When the main event began, Friday night prelim winner Joe Docekal led the opening stanza after a brief battle with Ethan Killingsworth. Docekal tried to pull away from the runner-up as Tyler Bannister settled into third. After eight laps were completed, things slowed down due to a chain reaction crash on the front stretch. When the green returned, Docekal had his hands full with Bannister overtaking Killingworth shortly followed by a claymaker toward Docekal for the lead in turn three. Docekal countered with a bit better run off the bottom of the fourth corner, retaining the position. Sanders came to call on the ninth circuit with a move under Killingsworth to procure [Read More]

Tuttle, Reynolds, Ballard are best in rain-shortened Urbana 5

VINTON, Iowa (July 14, 2024) – Nolan Tuttle checked a must-win race off his bucket list while Kaden Reynolds and Nathan Ballard both raced to career-third Urbana 5 Memorial feature wins Sunday at Benton County Speedway. A cousin of three of the youth remembered during the 10th annual event, hometown driver Tuttle led the distance of the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature, running just ahead or alongside Lukas Rick much of the 12-lapper. “This is everything I’ve ever wanted. Winning that race is something I’ve wanted to do since I was 14,” Tuttle said following the $400 victory, his second of the season at The Bullring. “I got out of my car and the first thing I could do was grab my mom and give her the biggest hug I could. I cried a little bit. It just means the world to me.” “I feel like I’m living our dream that they couldn’t do.” Cristin Grady ended a distant third. Jay Crabill was fourth and another cousin, Stephen Randall, rounded out the top five despite an ailing [Read More]

Off Road Speedway offers double features

By Randy Pospishil sports@norfolkdailynews.com NORFOLK, Neb. (July 12, 2024) – Racing fans were treated to a slate of double features in four of five divisions in a rare Friday night offering at Off Road Speedway. Likewise, with the season winding down, drivers were offered double the chances to make a move on the various points lists and none did more to improve their situation than Nate Buck, who won both features in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. The evening began with feature races postponed from last week’s weather-shortened special Ray Haase Tribute event including the sanctioned Hobby Stocks, Stock Cars and Northern SportMods before moving to the regular program of racing. Buck finished ahead of Mark Arduser and Parker Vollbrecht in the make-up feature then, in Friday’s scheduled event, moved quickly from the fifth row, keyed by momentum gained while exiting turn two on the outside during the fourth lap, that propelled his car down the backstretch and continued for two more laps before he finally wrestled the lead away from race leader Landyn Roebuck. The [Read More]

Hancock County Christmas in July Wins to Mills, Shryock, Fett, Sidles

By Chad Meyer BRITT, Iowa (July 12, 2024) – It felt like Christmas morning in more ways than one at Hancock County Speedway Friday night. After nearly a month off due to the July 4th holiday and persistent weather challenges, clear skies and warm temperatures greeted race fans for “Santa’s Christmas Spectacular.” Jeremy Mills navigated lapped traffic and a mid-race restart to capture the lead from Greg Elliott and win in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. Clint Hatlestad was up front all night and finished second. Owen Barnhill charged from his 10th starting spot to third in the late going, finishing ahead of Stinehart and Elliott. In the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Justin Ades led the first six circuits before Kelly Shryock, who started 10th, made the winning pass using the middle groove of the speedway. Over the last six laps, Shryock was a half-second a lap faster than the field to seal the win. Colby Fett surged from ninth to secure the second spot late over Ades and Kevin Opheim. Nate Chodur was strong in the [Read More]

Night two Western SportMod Nationals checkers fly for Docekal

By Ben Deatherage YREKA, Calif. (July 12, 2024) – The Finley Farms Western SportMod Nationals returned to racing with scorching temperatures outside and action on the track at Yreka Speedway on Friday night. The Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods were in attendance for the second of three nights of action, and the top eight finishers of the main event were locked into Saturday’s grand finale. Derek Murphy and Tate Loftis from Bakersfield engaged in a fierce battle for the early lead, with Murphy narrowly leading the opening lap. Loftis stuck to Murphy’s tail, maintaining his position on the inside line while Murphy ruled the top of the track. Loftis got the necessary run on Murphy to take the lead on the seventh circuit. Shortly after the overtake, the new trailblazer started pulling away from the new runner-up as Joe Docekal occupied third. Docekal made a successful pass on lap 16 for second. The Dysart, Iowa driver quickly closed in on Loftis and challenged for the race lead. His sweeping move inside Loftis on the 20th trip [Read More]