Stock Car Archives

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]

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]

Dacotah Stock Car checkers are first for Gartner

By Becca Pelkey MANAN, N.D. (Aug. 2, 2024) – It was a super hot Friday night at Dacotah Speedway on Friday and the night kicked off with the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car make-up feature from June 28. Dylan Herner and Jason Meidinger led the field to the green flag. Meidinger took the early lead but Shawn Strand quickly worked his way to the front to challenge. They raced door-to-door for several laps before Strand slipped by on lap four. Meidinger then fell into the clutches of Hunter Domagala. As they raced hard for second, Shawn Volk made it a three-car battle. While racing for second, Domagala got loose and spun in front of the field with six laps to go. On the restart, Todd Carter passed Volk for second and was all over Strand’s rear bumper. When the checkered flag waved, Strand held off Carter for the victory. Volk finished a season-best third. When the green flag waved in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature, it was a three-car battle for the lead between Alex [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]

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]

Eagle win is career first for Cook

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (Aug. 3, 2024) – Score a career-first Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature win at Eagle Raceway for Lauren Cook. The third-year hotshoe out of Lincoln led the distance of the Saturday show, and while competition for third through fifth places behind her was hot and heavy, Cook was in control green to checkers. “It does help starting on the front row. The track was really slick in (turns) three and four and really good in one and two,” she said. “I could get the car to turn and hit some good moisture but I was a little slow in three and four because it was so slick. I felt like I was going really slow like somebody should have been passing me, but they didn’t”. McLain Reed, Josh Pfeifer, Cole Wayman and Adam Vrbka completed the top five on the Stumpy’s Custom Creations and A1 Iron-presented Conquer the High Banks program. Chad Andersen topped the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and Jason Danley took the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car checkers [Read More]

Mike Smith nabs 100th, Ward among other Saturday winners at Boone

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (Aug. 3, 2024) – It was Elmquist Towing & Recovery night at the Boone Speedway on Saturday where six divisions took to the track for a full night of racing action. History was made at Iowa’s Action Track when Mike Smith found his way to victory lane, marking his 100th career win in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. Tim Ward returned to the winner’s circle when he won the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature and Devin Smith got the win in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. Randy Havlik got his first win at Boone in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods, Austin Gray repeated his win from last week in the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites and visiting class on the night, the IMCA Mach-1 Sport Compacts saw Cristian Grady take the win. The Mod Lite 15-lap feature was first on the track. William Nobles led the troops through the first three laps until Ben George snatched it away on lap four. Meanwhile, Gray had been making his way through the field [Read More]

Pfeifer, Deschamp, Medler, Heaton are night one Coal County Classic winners

By Ben Deatherage UNDERWOOD, N.D. (Aug. 2, 2024) – McLean County Speedway hosted its final race weekend of 2024 with Steven Pfeifer, Gabriel Deschamp, Darren Medler and Taylor Heaton earning IMCA feature wins. Dalton Flory was the early leader in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified ranks. Travis Hagen caught Flory and challenged on the bottom but couldn’t make it work so he transitioned to the top shelf. While that occurred, Pfeifer came into the fray to make it a three-car battle for the lead. Flory did his best to keep them all in check, but Pfeifer successfully obtained first place on lap six with Hagen motoring his way into second. Drew Christianson went into third and tried to challenge Hagen for the runner-up around lap 10. The yellow came out one last time with 13 laps complete, setting up a dozen laps left to cover. As the lap count got worked on, Hagen did his best to track down Pfeifer, but the leader did an excellent job staying ahead. Pfeifer kept Hagen in check for [Read More]