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Bree Wonch Outduels Husband Austin for Memorable First Modified Victory

By Ben Deatherage CRYSTAL, Mich. (May 3, 2025) — The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at Crystal Motor Speedway delivered a career-defining moment for Lady Eagle racer Bree Wonch, who stormed to her first-ever victory in the DeVilbiss Racing Eastern Region. After a daring pass on the bottom of turn four on lap 4, she surged to the lead and began to distance herself from the field. Despite a mid-race caution erasing her substantial advantage, Wonch nailed the restart and once again pulled away. Behind her, husband Austin Wonch, the 2019 Crystal track champion, worked his way into second, setting up a family one-two finish that brought the Crystal crowd to its feet. With the win, Bree not only captured her first feature victory but also became eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational, set to be held during the 2025 Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Austin held on for second, while Casey Smith completed the podium in third. The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV. Catch every lap [Read More]

Cook Claims Stock Car Thriller

By Ben Deatherage KENNEDALE, Texas (Apr. 12, 2025) — Cameron Cook powered to his second win of the season in the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature at Kennedale Speedway Park, holding off late challenges in a 20-lap barnburner. Christian Miller took the early lead before Damon Hammond slipped under him to lead lap 3. Cook, however, surged down the backstretch and used the top groove to edge past Hammond and take command the next time around the ¼-mile oval. Hammond, the defending KSP title winner, and Cook, the 2022 Texas State champion, both looked strong before cautions on laps eight and ten reset the field. That opened the door for Brett McMillin and Jerrett Bransom to take charge of podium positions. Bransom, a three-time KSP Stock Car champ, made a series of bids to pass Cook using the bottom groove. Each time, Cook’s momentum off the top held strong. On the final lap, Bransom tried one last move, but Cook again held firm. The 24-year-old from Mansfield picked up his second win of the season in [Read More]

South Texas IMCA Modified Series Ready for Sophomore Season

SAN ANTONIO (Mar. 14, 2025) — Race fans, get ready — the South Texas IMCA Modified Series is back for an action-packed second season in 2025! Ten races at five Lone Star State tracks are scheduled, starting March 28 at Heart O’ Texas Speedway near Waco, followed by I-37 Speedway in Pleasanton on March 29. Chris Morris is the defending champion. “Texas has a strong group of (Friesen Performance) IMCA Modified drivers,” said series director Kevin Rogers. “I look forward to showcasing their talent in the upcoming season at these awesome facilities we will travel to.” Each race will pay at least $1,000 to win and $100 to start, with increased payouts for higher car counts. If 25 to 39 cars enter, the purse rises to $1,500 to win and $125 to start. For over 40 entries, the winner gets $2,000, and starting pays $150. Drivers will compete not just for cash, but will also earn points for the National, South Central Region, and Texas State championships. A $10,000 point fund is available for drivers finishing [Read More]

Trevor Grossenbacher was first to the checkers in the Friday night qualifying feature at the IMCA RaceSaver Nationals. (Photo by Joe Orth)

Grossenbacher is first in Friday RaceSaver qualifier

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (Aug. 30, 2024) – Thursday was to have been a practice night to allow time for participants in the IMCA Racesaver Nationals to get acclimated to the high banks of Eagle Raceway, but that evil deity Mother Nature decided to gift us with her liquid sunshine. That caused the Eagle officials to call off the night’s events. But Friday saw a beautiful day with lots of sunshine and lots of race teams in the pits just waiting to put on a show for the fans and attempt to lock themselves into the inside nine rows of Sunday’s Big Dance. In all, 106 IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars filled the pits. Lap one of the Sprint Car feature saw Billy Alley and Shayle Bade make contact with Alley spinning and causing the cars behind him to bunch up. Zach Rhodes then made contact with Koby Werkmeister, sending Rhodes flipping. Rhodes’ car was pushed to the pits while Alley drove to the pits for repair and rejoined the field. The restart saw Stu [Read More]

Cody Laney cruised to the $1,000 checkers and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility, winning Friday’s Showdown at MoTown feature for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. (Photo by Tom Macht, www.photofinishphotos.com)

$1K ShowDown at MoTown wins to Laney, Freeburg

By Joyce Eisele MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (Aug. 31, 2024) – The Karl Auto Group ShowDown in MoTown was held at the Marshalltown Speedway on Friday with a whopping 178 cars from all across the United States tuning up for the upcoming IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Cody Laney would take the honors in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and Austin Kaplan won the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature. Jenae Gustin repeated her win from last year’s ShowDown in MoTown when she took the checkers in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods. Bradly Graham won the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature, Brandon Freeburg won the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lite main and Michael Gardner won the Mach-1 Sport Compact feature. Feature racing kicked off with the 16-lap Northern SportMod event. Hometown racer Gustin started third on the grid, grabbed the lead immediately and held that top position the entire run to the checkers. Jake Sachau started seventh and tried chasing down Gustin but had nothing for her and had to settle for second place. Third went [Read More]

Baca maintains momentum with Early Thaw IMCA Modified win

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Jan. 18, 2024) – Chaz Baca loaded up the momentum he found at Cocopah Speedway and raced to the opening night Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature win at Central Arizona Raceway’s Ernie Mincy Early Thaw. A two-time winner during the second week of the season-opening IMCA.TV Winter Nationals, the series and defending national champion got the best of a star-filled field Thursday at Casa Grande. Baca was side-by-side battling for the lead at midway with 2020 national champ Tom Berry before taking the $1,000 checkers ahead of 2021 national king Jeff Larson. “It was definitely a tough one,” said Baca, who nonetheless stretched his lead to six car lengths before Larson cut into that advantage. “Right now everything is just going very well for us and we’re hoping we can keep up the momentum for the rest of the season.” The 20-lapper can caution-free following a yellow on the initial start and the third-starting Baca ran at or near the front every circuit, working the lower line in the first set of [Read More]

IMCA Double Down Prelude checkers are first for Van Genderen

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 2, 2023) – Checkered flag runs by a driver who has been in victory lane at Boone Speedway before and a first-time winner bookended opening night of the Wild Rose Casino Double Down Prelude. A record 402 cars saw action during the Saturday show, which saw former race winner and defending IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s champ Jake Benischek top the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature and Rowdee Van Genderen win for the first time in an IMCA Sunoco Stock Car in the nightcap. In between, Tim Ward and Jimmy Gustin both won Friesen Performance IMCA Modified features and $1,500, and Tyler Wilson won $1,000 and a Stock Car feature of his own. The 16-year-old Van Genderen, in a borrowed ride and in just his second full season in The Class Too Tough To Tame, led the last 27 of 30 laps and was never challenged by a stout field following a restart at midway. “I don’t know what to say. It’s my first win,” admitted Van Genderen, a sure [Read More]

Padilla, Raffurty star in IMCA Super Nationals Mod Lite qualifiers

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 2, 2023) – The drivers who finished 2-1 last year at Boone Speedway will line up 1-2 in this year’s IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s STARS Mod Lite championship event. 2022 runner-up Jon Padilla led start to finish in winning Saturday’s first 25-lap qualifying feature, earning the pole start in Sunday’s Big Dance. Two-time defending champion Dillon Raffurty was just as impressive in the second qualifier, outrunning Ronnie Choate following a late restart in his own flag-to-flag run. He’ll start from the front of the middle row in the main event. “It felt great,” Padilla said from victory lane, admitting he “didn’t know if anyone was keeping up” with him. Joel Huggins did his best, chasing the Silvis, Ill., speedster around the track the last 24 circuits. Following the front pair across the stripe and into the inside row in the main event were 14th starting Brandon Freeburg, Josh May, Justin Kinderknecht, Jeromy Wilson, Garrett Stonum, Tanner Gannon, Blake Wilson and Michael Raffurty. Dillon Raffurty paused to remember his late [Read More]

Memorial Day 2023

The IMCA Offices will be closed on Memorial Day and will reopen with normal business hours on Tuesday.

Stevie is a wonder at East Bay Winter Showdown

TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 18) – After Thursday and Friday night IMCA STARS Lite feature wins at East Bay Raceway Park, Stevie Throop knew he was fast. After completing his weekend sweep at Tampa Bay with Saturday’s $4,000 Winter Showdown checkers, everybody else knew it, too. “After the first two nights I knew I would have a good shot in the main,” said Throop, from West Palm Beach. “I was starting from the pole and felt pretty good about it. I knew I just had to get out there and run my race.” Throop had topped $300 to win and $400 to win features, respectively, from the pole on Thursday and from eighth starting on Friday, then set the stage for Saturday’s main event with the dash victory. “We rolled with the same setup as the Sugar Bowl (the previous weekend) and didn’t change anything on the car after opening night,” said Throop, who led the IMCA STARS Mod Lite 25-lap big show from start to finish after a caution erased Joe Isabell’s pass for the [Read More]