Feature Archives

Berry continues Marshalltown mastery in IMCA Frostbuster

By Joyce Eisele MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (April 5, 2024) – Hard to believe, but there was a time when Tom Berry Jr. didn’t think he’d ever get a win at Marshalltown Speedway. Now he’s being told he could probably drive around the place with his eyes shut and do it. Berry raced to his latest win at the Highbanks on Friday night, dominating the Frostbuster feature for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds in a borrowed car. “This track had been my nemesis. We raced here the first time around 2015 and it was maybe 2019 before we ever won,” said Berry, who would be both the Marshalltown track champion and IMCA national champion the following season. “When I started to win here, something just clicked for us.” Now in the middle of moving to Marshalltown, he piloted a Tim Current-owned 2023 Rage to the checkers, for his IMCA second and career 73rd win in the class. “I just kind of hopped in and drove it,” said Berry, who answered with a quick yes when Current asked if he’d [Read More]

Braaksma Express rolls on with IMCA Frostbuster win at Stuart

STUART, Iowa (April 4, 2024) – The Ethan Braaksma Express kept on rolling Thursday, opening night of the IMCA Frostbuster Tour at Stuart Speedway. Braaksma raced to his fifth Friesen Performance IMCA Modified win of the season, taking the $1,000 checkers ahead of Dylan Thornton, Dallon Murty, Jerry Flippo and Todd Shute. He’d won twice in Arizona before sweeping Southern Iowa Frost Out features at Bloomfield last weekend; the continued early season success is especially gratifying as he’d gone winless in both 2022 and 2023. “It’s only April and I never thought we would have that many wins already. We just had a couple years where we struggled but now everything is falling into place,” Braaksma said. “I couldn’t be more grateful for everything I have and everyone I have around me.” The 2021 Frostbuster champion and already Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible, Braaksma would lead every lap from the pole, weathering multiple cautions and finding the smoothest line around the oval. “I knew I’d be good if I hit my marks. I could [Read More]

Brandies ends pretty awesome weekend with Frost Out feature win

BLOOMFIELD, Iowa (March 30, 2024) – Fast on the track, David Brandies was equally quick to point out the positives of the start to his IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season. Fourth in Friday’s Southern Iowa Frost Out lidlifter, the Wilton hotshoe led every lap of the Saturday feature for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars at Bloomfield Speedway, earning $1,250 and becoming eligible to qualify for the B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational. “This was my first time ever racing at Bloomfield and Friday was just my second start in this car (a 2024 B & B). We made some changes to make it even faster Saturday,” Brandies said. “I hate drawing the pole because you’re like a sitting duck out there, but the weekend turned out pretty awesome,” he continued. “Last year we didn’t win at all until May or June, then again in July and that was it. I’m already halfway to (equaling) last year.” The Saturday checkers were Brandies’ career 74th in The Class Too Tough To Tame. Fifteenth starting Derrick Agee was second [Read More]

Too tight but Sproul makes things right with Sunflower checkers

HAYS, Kan. (March 30, 2024) – He didn’t get any points for guessing right but Dakota Sproul did get $1,000 for his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature win on night two of RPM Speedway’s Sunflower Classic. Despite missing on his Saturday night setup, Sproul took the lead from Jace Whitt just after midway in the 20-lapper and outran Jeremy Frenier & Co. the rest of the way. “We tightened the car for the feature and it seemed like I was fighting it the whole way,” said Sproul, nonetheless able to take advantage of a bobble by Whitt on a restart for the lead. “I was struggling before I passed Jace and Jeremy was right behind me. I didn’t know if I was going to be good enough to win but fortunately no one gave me trouble after I got to the lead.” Dylan Sherfick, Eddie Belec and Clay Sellard completed the top five. Sproul was already eligible to qualify for the upcoming Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. “Every time we hit the track it was different. [Read More]

Gottschalk tops IMCA Modified main on night one of RPM’s Sunflower Classic

By Sheldon Wickwar HAYS, Kan. (March 29, 2024) – Nine years after winning his first Sunflower Classic main event, Daniel Gottschalk celebrated after winning his second. The Ellis charger got the best of Eddie Belec in the Friday night feature for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds at RPM Speedway, earning $1,000 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility for his efforts. “It’s hard to find victory lane here. The competition is just so tough,” said Gottschalk, a Northern SportMod winner at the Sunflower Classic in 2015 and a three-time Modified track champion at RPM since. “I rolled under Eddie, then tried high and once I got to the front it was smooth sailing.” Gottschalk and Belec had raced side-by-side early on, with Gottschalk gaining the lead seven laps in. The 20-lapper ran green to checkered with Belec, Brett Berry, Greg Gustus and Dakota Sproul completing the top five. Mike Nichols’ IMCA Sunoco Stock Car career 628th win was also his Sunflower Classic career 10th while Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod win number 97 for Blaine Walt doubled as the [Read More]

Braaksma is best in Modified main as IMCA returns to Bloomfield

BLOOMFIELD, Iowa (March 29, 2024) – Ethan Braaksma was told Bloomfield Speedway was “a cool place to race.” After winning the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature on opening night of the season-opening Southern Iowa Frost Out at the Davis County Fairgrounds venue, he couldn’t have agreed more. “Bloomfield doesn’t exactly compare to anywhere else I’ve raced before,” Braaksma said after taking Friday’s $1,250 checkers. “One of my buddies, Drew Janssen, said it was a pretty cool place to race. Plus it’s close to home, only an hour and 20 minutes or so.” Braaksma started the 20-lapper from fourth and took advantage of an early caution before going to the top of the track and outrunning Cayden Carter and Chris Zogg for his home state win of 2024. “We had another restart with about five laps to go. I didn’t see anyone after that and just concentrated on hitting my marks,” said Braaksma, already Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible after two January wins during Cocopah Speedway’s IMCA.TV Winter Nationals. “It was a lot of fun.” Bloomfield [Read More]

Grabouski, Ward near IMCA Modified milestones, Ware sweeps Spring Nationals Stock Car features

BEATRICE, Neb. (March 22-23, 2024) – Jordan Grabouski and Tim Ward each took another step toward Friesen Performance IMCA Modified milestones with Spring Nationals feature wins. Jeff Ware, meanwhile, got the Beatrice Speedway monkey off his back with Friday and Saturday night victories at the 31st annual special. Grabouski’s 290th IMCA Modified win on opening night at his hometown track doubled as his Spring Nationals career 14th in the class dating to 2011. Ward’s Saturday checkers were his career 95th, his last win at Beatrice having come in IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing action in 2013. Both features paid $2,500 and both winners were already Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible. Grabouski had taken advantage of the extra week after Spring Nationals was postponed to build a new car. He used lapped traffic and then a restart to his advantage in taking the lead with 10 laps to go on Friday and winning ahead of Ward and Troy Cordes. “That car was a bare frame on Monday. Friday was the first time that car saw dirt,” said Grabouski, [Read More]

Five IMCA divisions head to RPM for March 29, 30 Sunflower Classic

HAYS, Kan. (March 12, 2024) – The 12th annual Sunflower Classic brings five IMCA divisions to the traditional season opener at RPM Speedway. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds race for $1,000 to win and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars for $750 to win and B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility both Friday, March 29 and Saturday, March 30. Also on both Sunflower Classic cards are IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods in $500 to win features and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts in $200 to win features. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional and Kansas State points will be awarded. Entry fees for the weekend are $100 for Modifieds, $75 for Stock Cars, $50 for Hobby Stocks and SportMods and $35 for Sport Compacts. Pit gates open at 5 p.m. and pit passes are $25 for the Thursday, March 28 test ‘n tune at Hayes. Gates open at 3 p.m., hot laps are at 5 p.m. and racing is at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, [Read More]

Mallicoat ends Florida roller coaster ride with IMCA Modified Clash on the Coast checkers

MILTON, Fla. (March 2, 2024) – His Florida roller coaster ride saw Izac Mallicoat end the IMCA Clash on the Coast on top. The 17-year-old speedster from Boone, Iowa, stayed close to leader Trevor Fitz the first 19 times around the track in the Saturday finale for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds at Southern Raceway, and took over up front after Fitz fell off power on a restart. Mallicoat then outran Benji LaCrosse, Ethan Braaksma, speedweek champion Jeff Larson and Tanner Barnhart to the $1,000 checkers. “We have struggled with consistency but the whole week, we knew we had a fast car. We just didn’t know it would be this good,” said Mallicoat, who became eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational aboard a new Brand X ride. “This was a big confidence booster before we start racing around home.” Mallicoat ran fourth in his opening night ‘B’ and exited early from the night two feature at Northwest Florida Speedway, then was kayoed by a flat tire early in his ‘B’ Thursday at Milton. [Read More]

Ohio’s O’Patik tops Clash on the Coast IMCA Modified feature at Milton

MILTON, Fla. (Feb. 29, 2024) – Mitchell O’Patik and Dallon Murty both talked about luck during their post-race interviews Thursday night at Southern Raceway. Truth is that both made their own luck on night three of the IMCA Clash on the Coast. O’Patik led the distance of the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at Milton, outrunning hometown speedster Joseph Joiner for the $1,000 win and earning Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. “I had a good feeling on the night. I drew 11, went out for my heat race and saw there were some heavy hitters in the back,” he said. “I was like ‘Man, it’s pretty stacked, I’d better go,’ and I did that.” A Colorado native and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod winner early in his racing career there, O’Patik attended college in Ohio and now works for Meyer Shank Racing in Pataskala. His Thursday start was just his third in a 2020 Rage Chassis. The win came just a car length ahead of Joiner, with Shane Stephens, Joel Rust and Jadin Fuller [Read More]