Feature Archives

A first for Arizona as Baca wins Modified crown, IMCA names top champions, rookies of 2023

VINTON, Iowa (Oct. 3, 2023) – After winning his career 100th feature in the division over the Memorial Weekend, Chaz Baca announced that his next goal for the 2023 season would be winning the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified national championship. Goal accomplished. The Mesa driver became the first Arizona driver to earn an IMCA national crown in any division, ending his drive to the title with six straight checkers and a career single-season best 25 feature wins in all. “I’m excited, relieved, everything you can be at once. This is a ‘Wow !’ thing,” said Baca. “We switched to a (2021) Harris car and thought we had a shot at it at the beginning of the season. My whole team, family, friends and sponsors, was really the key. The whole thing wouldn’t have happened without them.” Along with the national title, Baca raced to a career third Shaw Race Cars Western Region crown, track championships at Central Arizona Raceway, Cocopah Speedway and Deuce of Clubs Thunder Raceway and Arizona State title. While 23 of his weekly [Read More]

Foulger wins 103 lap IMCA Modified feature, sweeps Pettit Shootout

By Steven BlakesleyBlakesley Sports Media WATSONVILLE, Calif. (Sept. 30, 2023) – Troy Foulger completed the sweep of the Pat and Jim Pettit Memorial Shootout at Ocean Speedway in Saturday’s 103-lap finale, grabbing the 13th annual Friesen Performance IMCA Modified event in Watsonville. The victory paid $3,006 to win in the extra distance affair at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds after Foulger snared $1,003 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility on Friday night. “Thank you to the Pettit family for everything they do. They are a wonderful family and give us a great race,” Foulger said. “Hats off to the track crew and hopefully that was a good show for the fans. I saw (Nick DeCarlo’s) nose down there and I didn’t know what pace to set. Lapped traffic was thick so I just started sliding people. So I kind of moved my line down there in three and four and was able to get away.” Hall of Famer Jim Pettit II led the 22 starters from the pole position before Foulger took over the lead [Read More]

Herndon takes $10,000 checkers at Batesville’s 28th Mid-America IMCA Stock Car Championship

BATESVILLE, Ark. (Sept. 30, 2023) – A win that’s been a long time coming came Saturday night for T.J. Herndon. Herndon led the last 29 of 50 laps and banked $10,000 after the long green flag run that ended the 28th annual Schoenfeld Headers Mid-America IMCA Sunoco Stock Car Championship at Batesville Motor Speedway. “I’ve been after this one for 10 or 15 years. It took me a long time,” said Herndon, from Atwood, Tenn., and newly guaranteed a starting spot in the 2024 B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational. “I feel like I had two or three taken away from me but we finally got one.” There was no taking anything from Herndon once he worked his way from fourth starting to the front on lap 22, passing Zane DeVilbiss and outrunning early leader Troy Burkhart the rest of the caution-free distance. “I was just praying ‘Please don’t let the caution come out,’” said Herndon, fully aware of an ailing car ahead of him trying to stay out of the way and get off [Read More]

2023 IMCA point season ends Sunday, Sept. 24

VINTON, Iowa (Sept. 19, 2023) – The 2023 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season will end this Sunday, Sept. 24. Final points races will be held that day for sanctioned Modifieds, Late Models, Sprint Cars, Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks, Northern SportMods, Southern SportMods, STARS Mod Lites and Sport Compacts. Track championship bonus points will be figured and national and regional champions and rookies of the year, as well as the Junior National Champion and Lady Eagle winner, announced as soon as possible after all race reports are received. Track and series officials have until noon Central Standard Time on Monday, Oct. 23 to notify IMCA of corrections that affect their top 15 point standings before 2023 standings become official. Questions about IMCA point totals and standings should be directed to Virginia Lindsey, director of membership and points, at vlindsey@imca.com or by calling 319 472-2201, ext. 215.

Sean Lias Memorial checkers fly for Morgan

By Michael Benjamin SUSQUEHANNA, Pa. (Sept. 16, 2023) – The second night of a weekend doubleheader took Close Racing Supply NY-Penn IMCA Modified Series presented by M.R. Graphix drivers to Penn Can Speedway Saturday and it was Rodney Morgan winning the annual Sean Lias Memorial race and $1,637. Also the series winner at Susquehanna in May and The Hill Speedway in July, Morgan’s latest run to the checkers was also good for 2024 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. Dash winner Tyler Stoddard and Bobby Maynard paced the field to the green but Rich Michael Jr. came through the field from his fifth starting position to take the lead. Morgan found himself working his way up into the runner-up spot from sixth before a caution that bunched up the field and put him on the outside of Michael on the restart. The two then put on a spectacular show for the fans as they battled for the top spot. Morgan finally got past Michael for the lead after a lap 10 restart and never looked back. [Read More]

Berry is double winner on World Nationals Night Two

By Joyce Eisele MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (Sept. 16, 2023) – The Karl Auto Group Marshalltown Speedway held its Night Two of the World Nationals on Saturday for the Local UAW 893 Cliff Chambers Memorial Saturday Night Spectacular. Tom Berry Jr. doubled up and won both the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature and the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature. The Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature went to Matt Avila and Adam Wasserman took the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock title. Blake Driscol took the honors in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts. The Stock Car feature became a runaway after Berry grabbed the lead at lap three. He never looked back and finished well ahead of second place and Friday winner Dallon Murty. Kaden Reynolds crossed in third place but was docked two positions for a deck height infraction, handing him a fifth place finish. This moved Damon Murty to third and opening laps leader Austin Kaplan to fourth. The race paid $1,000 to the winner and was a B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifier for next year’s Super Nationals. The [Read More]

Ward takes Night No. 1 of World Nationals

By Joyce Eisele MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (Sept. 15, 2023) – Marshalltown Speedway held its 17th annual World Nationals on Friday night. Taking top honors in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds was Tim Ward. Dallon Murty took the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car win and Brayton Carter went to victory lane in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods. Benji Irvine was tops in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Christian Grady took the checkers in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts. Things got kicked off with 30 laps of Stock Car racing. The early leader was Damon Murty with son Dallon on his tail. Dallon took command on lap ten with the elder Murty suddenly off power and out of the running on lap fourteen. Dallon Murty held his lead the remainder of the race, with Tom Berry Jr. looking for any way around him, but it was not to be as Murty held his ground expertly and sailed home to the win. Berry made a last-ditch slide attempt but had to settle for the runner-up spot. Another slider was pulled off in the [Read More]

Stremme captures NY-Penn IMCA Modified Series checkers at Clinton County

By Paul Szmal FORT HILL, Pa. (Sept. 15, 2023) – A 20-car field made the trip to Clinton County Speedway on Friday night to contest the next round of the NY-Penn MCA Modified Series presented by Close Racing Supply and presented by M. R. Graphix. Ken Schrader and David Stremme were part of the field looking for the winner’s payday and it was Stremme who would ultimately earn that $1,000 check plus Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. Eddie Sites looked to maintain his point lead going into the first race of a doubleheader weekend for touring Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. Jake Maynard and Rodney Morgan brought the field to the green flag, with Morgan grabbing the early lead. Stremme and Rich Michael Jr. started 10th and 12th, respectively, with Stremme breaking out first, moving to third by lap five and pressuring Maynard for second. Michael cracked the top five on lap six and battled with Keith Jack Lamphere and George Dixon as the first caution flew for debris on lap seven. Under the caution, Dixon pulled up in turn four [Read More]

Hard working Ward rewarded with IMCA Super Nationals Modified championship

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 9, 2023) – Tim Ward’s run to the Modified championship at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s was even more spectacular than the fireworks displays that preceded and followed it. The Arizona native and Iowa transplant led the last half of Saturday’s 40-lap finale at Boone Speedway, ultimately outdistancing 2021 champion Cody Laney to earn his first title and $10,000. The 41st annual Super Nationals brought a record 1,017 cars to Boone, 17 more than the previous mark set just last September. “You have to work so hard to make the show, let alone win the thing,” said Ward, who’d begun his week at Iowa’s Action Track with the checkers in the Wild Rose Casino Double Down Prelude. “Two years ago I ran second to Cody and I was probably the grumpiest guy in the pits. I felt like I made a couple mistakes that night and I knew what it was like to get close to winning Super Nationals.” He chased Laney again on Saturday, finally pulling alongside on lap 19 [Read More]

Shryock, Thornton star in Stock Car qualifiers

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 8) – Two-division stars Kelly Shryock and Dylan Thornton led parades to the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s main event with Stock Car qualifying feature wins Friday at Boone Speedway. Shryock led the last nine circuits of the first 25-lapper, finishing at the front of a top four that ultimately included Troy Burkhart, Cole Czarneski and Derrik Agee. Thornton drove from 17th, took the lead on the very last lap and led Travis Barker, Jake McBirnie and Jeff Ware across the stripe and onto the outside row for Saturday’s big show. “This is the closest I’ve ever started toward the front,” said Shryock, his eye on Saturday. “I’ve won a lot of big races and any time I can pull onto this stage it means a lot to me.” DQ’d from apparent top four finishes were Dustin Larson and Cody Center. McBirnie took the lead following a lap two restart and lost it after a caution with three to go in the finale. “I’m glad we got it done. [Read More]