Feature Archives

Foulger is double winner at Merced’s Central California Clash show

By Ben Deatherage MERCED, Calif. (Aug. 10, 2024) – Troy Foulger celebrated his first win this season at Merced Speedway with fireworks. The Oakley flyer celebrated twice when he returned to the Central Valley oval Saturday night for the latest installment of the Central California Clash. Foulger, first to the checkers in the July 3 Friesen Performance IMCA Modified headliner at Merced, topped both the Modified and IMCA Sunoco Stock Car features at Merced. The Modified feature paid $1,000 to win with Foulger already Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible. Jason Bannister was the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod victor. Cody Burke led the Modified pack in the early stages, challenged around the sixth lap by Foulger, who got around for the lead on the next circuit, with the lap scored complete just before what proved to be the only caution of the contest came out. On the restart, Burke was under fire from Paul Stone, a fight that Stone would win on the eighth circuit. Bobby Hogge followed, putting his machine into third [Read More]

Bencken’s latest pretty big accomplishment is 100th career IMCA Hobby Stock feature win

OAKLEY, Kan. (Aug. 9, 2024) – Brady Bencken raced his way into the IMCA history book Friday night but probably wasn’t the proudest person standing in victory lane. Bencken won for the 100th time in his IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock career at home track Thomas County Speedway and was joined after the checkers flew by father Rod and grandfather Wes in displaying the congratulatory banner. “It’s pretty big. When I got my first track championship, it was unbelievable. Now we’re 10 years down the road and 100 wins. It’s pretty neat,” the Oakley, Kan., driver said. “I didn’t even realize until last year that we were even that close. I was just racing, not paying attention to the wins, and then IMCA contacted me.” “It’s a pretty big accomplishment.” Bencken has racked up a lot of pretty big accomplishments since recording his first Hobby Stock win, also at Thomas County, in 2014. The 2016 Kansas state and an 11-time track champion, he won at least 10 features every season from 2016 to 2021. Bencken had a [Read More]

Ferrando shines at Sunset Speedway’s Mod Frenzy

By Ben Deatherage BANKS, Ore. (Aug. 10, 2024) – The event at Sunset Speedway Park on Saturday, Aug. 10, was significant, attracting a large field of Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds for the third running of the Whisler Construction Mod Frenzy, with a cool $3,000 on the line. The 40-lap finale for Modifieds was a thrilling spectacle. Multi-time defending track champion Craig Cassell immediately seized the top spot, setting the stage for an intense battle. Cassell had to put up a hard fight on the initial start when he went three-wide with Grey Ferrando and Bricen James. As Cassell secured the lead, Ferrando held off James for second before concentrating his efforts on running down the leader. Ferrando, determined to secure the lead, worked the inside line on the fifth circuit as Cassell kept his faith on the top shelf. The two dueled for quite some time with no clear advantage to either party, showcasing their unwavering determination and skill. Things would take a twist when lapped traffic entered the mix on lap 18. Using [Read More]

Belec dominates 1,000 Stars finale for IMCA career best payday

By Chad Meyer BRITT, Iowa (Aug. 10, 2024) – Eddie Belec had a DNQ and a rainout to show for his first visit to Hancock County Speedway. He has a Friesen Performance IMCA Modified career-best $5,000 payday to show for his second. The Colorado speedster led all 40 laps of Saturday’s Night of 1,000 Stars main event at Britt, the final event of IMCA Speed Week. “This is huge. We’re lucky enough that we get to race with these guys a few times a year. I get to watch them a lot and see them win a lot of races,” he said from victory lane. “When you can come out and line up with them and win, it feels pretty good, for sure.” “I had a few notes from last year and we did make some changes from Friday,” added Belec, who had run third in the opening night qualifier. “I knew we could make the car a little bit better because I knew the track was going to be a little bit different because [Read More]

Rich checkers fly for Ward at Schattschneider Memorial

ALGONA, Iowa (Aug. 8, 2024) – Tim Ward didn’t quite have the track figured out, but he figured that no one would catch him if he didn’t change what he was doing. He was right about that, and $5,600 richer after the checkers flew Thursday night at Kossuth County Speedway’s Gene Schattschneider Memorial feature for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. Ward swapped the lead with pole starter Zach Dockter on each on the first four circuits, then led to the end of the 25-lapper. Dockter stayed close right through the first 10 laps, then gave way to Joel Rust following a restart. Rust ran second the rest of the way. “It was fun racing with Zach, hats off to him for a good run,” Ward said of their lengthy side-by-side duel. “The track changed on me a bit and I wasn’t sure where to run, so we struggled just a bit,” he added. “I wasn’t sure exactly where to run but figured it would be hard for Joel to get around me if I kept doing [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]

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]

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]

Career 100th IMCA Hobby Stock win sends Mike Smith back to victory lane at Boone

LAKE CITY, Iowa (Aug. 3, 2024) – The track that’s already been the scene for so much of Mike Smith’s success saw him in victory lane again Saturday night. Smith raced to the 100th win of his IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock career at Boone Speedway, becoming at 20 the youngest driver to reach that milestone number. He also joined his father David, now knocking on the door of 200 career IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature wins, and uncles Dustin, Devin, Donavon and Doug in the IMCA Century Win Club. “I wanted to be in that club. It’s quite impressive,” said Smith, “and it means a lot to do it at Boone Speedway, especially because we race there weekly. It’s one of the tracks that’s closest to home and it was cool to have so much of our family there for it.” A two-time champion of the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s, Smith also owns hardware from the 2022 Junior National Championship, six track titles and back-to-back Iowa State crowns. “I never thought I’d get to 100 wins this [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]