Northern SportMod Archives

Ficklin takes care of business at Marysville

By Ben Deatherage MARYSVILLE, Calif. (Aug. 3, 2024) – Marysville Raceway welcomed the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods to the historic 1/4-mile clay oval Saturday night. Shannon Barton took the marshal’s baton early in the main event. Despite a number of cautions in the first five laps, Barton was good on the restarts. After a stoppage on the fourth circuit, Scott Savell battled hard with Mike Ficklin Jr. Misfortune struck on lap eight when Savell came to a halt, bringing an early end to his evening. When the green flag reappeared, the race was back on. Ficklin overtook Barton for the lead and flew around the track while Barton was put on the defense as he tried to stay ahead of Mark Garner. Garner got around Barton, but the pass was negated due to the race’s last caution with four to go. Garner managed to get around Barton again on the restart, but no one had anything for Ficklin as he went on to win his first race in 2024. Garner was a strong [Read More]

Chased, challenged, never caught, Thornton collects Clay County Clash checkers

SPENCER, Iowa (Aug. 7, 2024) – He was chased and he was challenged but Dylan Thornton was never caught. Thornton led every lap of Wednesday’s Clay County Fairgrounds Speedway Clash main event for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, keeping Tim Ward behind him the first 20 laps and holding Tom Berry Jr. at bay the last 10 times around the track. The IMCA Speed Week win was also Thornton’s Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying third and was good for $2,500. He parried a last-turn slider from Berry, winner of Tuesday’s Harris Clash, to secure that big check. “I saw his (Berry’s) nose so I knew he was close enough to slide me,” he said. “What you have to do coming down the backstretch is not make a mistake and not stuff it into the fence or something stupid, you have to be able to turn back down.” “We actually went home after last night, woke up this morning, decided we were too dumb to quit and decided to drive four hours back up this way,” said Thornton, who’d [Read More]

Turnidge, Schott earn Clair Cup victories

By Ben Deatherage LEBANON, Ore. (Aug. 3, 2024) – Willamette Speedway hosted two IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing divisions on Saturday at the Clair Cup, a prestigious event run in honor of long-time track promoter Clair Arnold. Nate Turnidge zoomed out in front at the start of the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature, starting on the outside pole and powering away to build big gap over second place in the running order, contested by Sandy Sanders and Jacob Shandy. Shortly after that, Jason Ferguson moved into third. As the race progressed without any incidents, Shandy began to close the gap on Turnidge. With five laps to go, Shandy applied intense pressure on the leader. Turnidge, however, fended off those relentless challenge to maintain his lead. Shandy made a final attempt to overtake Turnidge, but the latter held his ground, even as Shandy spun out in the final corner. Turnidge earned the victory. Ferguson finished a close second, with Mark Pothoff third. For the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, outside polesitter Brad Gentry took control of [Read More]

Sanders brushes away foes in Sherwin Williams Night feature

By Ben Deatherage WHITE CITY, Ore. (Aug. 3, 2024) – Matt Sanders chose the perfect palette for winning the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature on Sherwin Williams Night at Southern Oregon Speedway. Ty Williams reached the point at the start of the feature but saw misfortune strike as he got sideways with three laps complete and got collected by another car. That gave the lead to Ryder Boswell. Ryan Peery started to challenge but Boswell held him back. Peery again came to call on lap eight and got the lead, but the caution came out before the lap could be officially counted. On the restart, Peery went on the offensive but got sideways in turn four and came to a halt, resulting in another stoppage. Sanders then emerged as the new threat. He made a sweeping maneuver around the outside of Boswell in the fourth turn of the ninth circuit to become the new trailblazer, followed by Trevor Points progressing to second. The ninth-place starter had no issues while at the head of the [Read More]

Foulger is double winner at Antioch’s Fan Appreciation Night

By Candace Martin ANTIOCH, Calif. (Aug. 3, 2024) – There was plenty of excitement in the air Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. This was the second annual Fan Appreciation Night, and fans got to see the show and all the other excitement during the evening for just $5. It was the biggest crowd for a regular race all season. Kids got an opportunity to win free bikes and other goodies throughout the evening. During intermission, drivers pulled into the infield for a meet and greet with the fans. This was the track’s way of saying thank you to the fans and it was also an invitation to new fans to see what the track is all about. Reigning Friesen Performance IMCA Modified and IMCA Sunoco Stock Car track champion Troy Foulger scored a double as he won both division’s main events. Foulger has reduced his schedule this year but remains a force to be reckoned with every time he’s in action. In the Stock Car race, Foulger started in the second row and made a [Read More]

Harris Clash checkers are second for Berry, Reimers repeats

SPRING VALLEY, Minn. (Aug. 6, 2024) – Fifty-nine other Friesen Performance IMCA Modified drivers had high hopes for the 33rdannual Harris Clash but none of them had anything for Tom Berry Jr. Berry led all 30 laps of Tuesday night’s main event from his middle of the front row start, then pulled away before and again after three cautions near midway before taking the $5,000 checkers ahead of Zack VanderBeek. “I’ve had my ups and downs here but I’ve had a lot of ups lately,” said Berry, also the winner at Deer Creek in 2022. “Winning this race always means a lot, just the effort by so many people that goes into it. Everything is always top notch.” “Luck has been on our side, we’ve started on the front a lot this year,” he’d acknowledge, following his latest Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying victory. “I’m just taking that while I can because you never know when your luck is going to turn and you’ll be starting in the back.” Sixteenth starting Ethan Braaksma, 11th starting and [Read More]

Collisions, cautions and competitive racing at Off Road Speedway

By Randy Pospishil sports@norfolkdailynews.com NORFOLK, Neb. (Aug. 3, 2024) – Competition during Saturday night’s program at Off Road Speedway included battles not only for the lead, but also for positions among the top five. As a result, collisions and cautions, and even a pair of roll-overs, created a busy night for the track’s wrecker service as damaged cars were escorted to the pit area. Jordan Uehling, who had led all of the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature’s prior 14 laps, spun out after making contact with the rear of Gage Koch’s car as the two exited turn four, followed closely by cars driven by Nate Buck and Jason Wilkinson. Video of the race convinced race officials that Koch had attempted a slide job as he entered turn four and, as his car skidded up the track impeded Uehling, who could not avoid contact which caused the spin-out. The ruling determined Uehling as the feature winner and Koch, who had crossed the finish line first, was moved back one position to second. Meanwhile, Buck and Wilkinson were [Read More]

Hagen hoists hardware on night two of Coal County Classic

By Ben Deatherage UNDERWOOD, N.D. (Aug. 3, 2024) – Travis Hagen made like lightning twice, on night two of the Coal County Classic The McGregor motorist bolted to the front twice in the late stages of Saturday’s Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event, first to take the lead and again to get it back. Hagen would then lead to the finish of the $1,500 to win feature at McLean County Speedway. Lap one of the feature saw Jason Grimes beat night one winner Steven Pfeifer for the early lead. Pfeifer became the new trailblazer when they hit the line. Shortly afterward, Hagen arrived on the scene to try to take second away. The position was exchanged no less than five times in six laps as Grimes and Hagen battled. Hagen, after securing second place, unleashed a burst of speed on a restart, making a daring crossover move on the front stretch to get ahead of Pfeifer. The race was far from over, however, with the yellow flag bringing a temporary halt to the action and [Read More]

Reierson in right direction with first IMCA Northern SportMod win

ARLINGTON, Minn. (Aug. 3, 2024) – Ben Reierson led every lap but the last one last week. He got the job done Saturday night at Arlington Raceway, beating Matt Looft to the finish line by all of 18 thousandths of a second for his career first Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature win. “I definitely replayed that in my mind a bunch. We were supposed to have that Stock Car special (rained out and rescheduled to this Wednesday) so I was trying to erase that from my memory and start fresh,” said Reierson, 22 and in his fourth full season in the class. “Then it came to Saturday, I was able to start second row and I got the lead on the second lap. I tried to stay as smooth and consistent as I could.” Unsure exactly where the scoring loop is, Reierson took the checkers at the end of the caution-free main event and looked to his right, seeing Looft running with him virtually side-by-side. “It was great to get this win. We’ve worked [Read More]

Maquoketa Speedway host Kids’ Night as 122 teams pack pits

By Jerry Mackey MAQUOKETA, Iowa (Aug. 3, 2024) – Kinion Auto Sales hosted Kids Night at the races with an outstanding field of 122 race teams in attendance at Maquoketa Speedway on Saturday night. The IMCA Sunoco Late Model feature took the green with rookie Carter Johnson setting the pace early. Johnson was overtaken by another young driver in Chase Brunscheen before the 93 of Brunscheen slipped off the top side of turn, four allowing Bryce Garnhart to take the lead. Garnhart went on to set sail on the lip of the track holding off the constant challenges of 10th starting Travis Denning. Garnhart held his line and held on for a hard-fought win a car length ahead of Denning with Evan Miller finishing a very close third. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds saw pole sitter Timmy Current lead for better than half of the main until eighth starting Jeff Larson was able to move out front using the extreme high side of the track. Current ran the low line and was able to hold for [Read More]