Feature Archives

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]

Southern SportMod Super Nationals conclude with $5,000 checkers at KSP

KENNEDALE, Texas (July 31, 2024) – You can almost predict what he’ll say, when you ask Kennedale Speedway Park promoter James Lopez about the upcoming IMCA Southern SportMod Super Nationals powered by Smiley’s Racing Products. The third annual event, scheduled Thursday through Saturday, Sept. 5-7, promises Lopez, will be super. The $5,000 to win, minimum $500 to start 30-lap main event on Saturday night is a shoo-in to feature the best drivers competing weekly in the division in Texas and Oklahoma. Total purse for the Big Dance is more than $20,000 with another $4,000-plus paid to drivers in Friday’s All-Star race. “Our qualifying format will be very similar to last year,” Lopez said. “One thing that we’re doing differently is a fan vote to add one driver to the All-Star race and a different driver will be elected to start at the back in the $5,000 to win main event.” Pre-registration for drivers to be vote eligible is required by Aug. 14: Voting will be conducted on MyRacePass and starts Aug. 16 for the All-Star [Read More]

Big Wings, Big Excitement, Big Money: $12,000 is record payday for IMCA RaceSaver Nationals winner

EAGLE, Neb. (July 31, 2024) – The team at Eagle Raceway could add to the Big Wings, Big Excitement slogan used to promote the IMCA RaceSaver Nationals. The new slogan for the 12th annual event, scheduled Aug. 29-Sept. 1 at the Nebraska speed factory, would better be Big Wings, Big Excitement, Big Money. A record $12,000 will be paid to the winner of the Sunday night main event for IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars, courtesy of RaceSaver and IMCA. The big dance now pays a minimum of $1,600 to start with numerous contingency awards to be given as well. “This is the biggest event for the biggest class of Sprint Cars in the country and those numbers more than justify a $12,000 winner’s share and record-setting purse like this,” stated track operator and co-promoter Racine Hadan, noting that early entries are already in hand from more than 70 drivers coming everywhere from California to North Carolina. Qualifying heats for the BlueMax Pay-sponsored Race of Champions is on Thursday with that $1,000 to win, $300 to start race on Friday. Nine cars advance [Read More]

Improvements, updates continuing at Boone ahead of 42nd annual IMCA Super Nationals

BOONE, Iowa (July 31, 2024) – Finish one project, check it off the list. Start another project, add it to the list. That list, as IMCA President Brett Root notes, is everything that has been done, is getting done or will be done before the start of the 42nd annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. “There are non-stop improvements and updates at Boone Speedway which bring their own set of challenges ahead of the Sept. 2-7 Super Nationals,” said Root. “Getting ready for Super Nationals is like farming for a living in that there’s always something to be done.” A new-look infield victory lane incorporating popular jumbotrons is currently in the works, as is an updated scale pad and additional VIP pit stalls to accommodate large trailers. “Those are the most visible projects if you’re driving through Boone on Highway 30,” notes Root. “We’re also well underway with numerous other behind the scenes projects, like designing and ordering Super Nationals apparel and souvenirs, the Boone Bound social media promotion and everything the IMCA.TV crew needs [Read More]

Governor’s Cup checkers fly for Turnbull, Domagala, Hughbanks

By Becca Pelkey MANDAN, N.D. (July 27, 2024) – Rain did its best to wreak havoc but couldn’t wash away all of the North Dakota Governor’s Cup Auto Races at Dacotah Speedway. Saturday checkers would ultimately fly for $1,500 Friesen Performance IMCA Modified winner Aaron Turnbull, $1,000 IMCA Sunoco Stock Car winner Hunter Domagala and $400 Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact winner Zach Hughbanks. Tim Perkins and Mark Dahl led the field to the green flag in the Modified main event, the final feature of the weekend. Cautions were frequent as drivers struggled to get laps in but despite the yellows, the seventh starting Turnbull stealthily moved through the field. Restarts helped him grab the lead by lap four but cautions continued to fall. As the Canadian driver led the field back to line, he would quickly pull away from the field. It was now a race for second between Dahl, Quentin Kinzley and Jeremy Keller. Keller used the cautions to slip by Kinzley and Dahl to take second. Dahl and Kinzley continued to race hard [Read More]

Boone Speedway fans salute McBirnie following Veterans win

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (July 27, 2024) – Boone Speedway was host to the third and final night of this year’s Hunting with Heroes Salute to Veterans night on Saturday. Veterans and their spouses were admitted free, given a meal and drink, a goodie bag, and more. The stands were packed to watch the 201 race cars on hand for the special night of racing. A moving pre-race ceremony in front of the grandstand honored all veterans in attendance, special recognition and awards given to some of those on hand, and the specially wrapped Salute to Veterans race cars were showcased. First Responders from law, fire, and ambulance were also on hand. Ten drivers had special wraps on their cars to honor veterans in some way. The overall best car winner voted on by the veterans went to Stock Car driver Jim Horejsi of Marshall, Minn., with his Pearl Harbor salute. The other Salute to Veterans wraps were Modified drivers Joel Rust with his Air Force Air Superiority – The F15E Strike Eagles, Cody Thompson’s US [Read More]

Gage County Fair checkers at Beatrice are IMCA Modified career 300th for Grabouski

BEATRICE, Neb. (July 26, 2024) – The setting proved perfect for Jordan Grabouski’s latest Friesen Performance IMCA Modified accomplishment. Grabouski raced to his career 300th feature win in the division Friday night, during the Gage County Fair show at hometown track Beatrice Speedway. “A lot of family and friends were there. We grew up showing cattle at the fair before I was even racing so winning my 300th at the Gage County Fair was really sweet. The grandstands were full and that was cool, too,” he said. That his latest milestone win would come at Beatrice should be no surprise: Grabouski got his 100th there in May of 2014 and 200that the same locale in August of 2018. “This is another win that means a lot – Beatrice Speedway feels like home to me, which it is. It’s my hometown race track,” he explained. “I grew up here and it was just neat.” A five-time Modified national champion during his career and the only IMCA driver to win national crowns in two divisions the same season – Modifieds [Read More]

Braaksma’s incredible season continues with Rage Chassis 40 checkers at Fayette County

WEST UNION, Iowa (July 25, 2024) – Ethan Braaksma said it best Thursday night when he described his 2024 season as incredible. The Newton speedster led the last 37 laps in winning the Rage Chassis 40 main event at Fayette County Speedway. The checkers, already Braaksma’s Friesen Performance IMCA Modified 13th of the season, were good for $2,000 and came ahead of Drew Janssen and Skyler Woods. As a big plus, the county fair special victory came in the hometown of Braaksma’s chassis builder. “It was our first visit to West Union and it was a pretty racy track. I don’t know if I can compare it to anywhere else I’ve raced,” Braaksma said. “The track conditions suited my driving style, especially for the feature. I just raced all over – you could move wherever you wanted to. I was very pleased with the track prep, it was great all night.” Braaksma had started third and ran side-by-side with Jeff Aikey before making his way to the front. He caught the back of the 27-car field [Read More]