News – IMCA – International Motor Contest Association

Champ Pans extending support for drivers in six IMCA divisions

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Jan. 16) – Champ Pans continues an awards program rewarding IMCA drivers in six divisions in 2020. Top 10 drivers in official national standings for IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Late Models, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods all receive $50 product certificates. The Eau Claire, Wis., manufacturer is in its eighth year of IMCA sponsorship and added Late Models to its slate of awards last season. Champ Pans certificates will be presented during the national awards banquet in November or mailed beginning the next week from the IMCA home office. Certificates can be applied to purchases from Champ Pans or Champ Brackets, another JR Manufacturing Company. Information about Champ Pans and Champ Brackets products is available at the www.champpans.com website, by calling 715 834-7748, and on Facebook. “Adding Late Models last year was a great addition to the Champ Pans program and certainly helped solidify the weekly expansion we experienced,” IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder commented. “2020 looks to be even better [Read More]

Driver Don Gumke passes away in Arizona

JAMESTOWN, N.D. – Don Gumke, a fixture in the North Dakota racing community for more than four decades, died Tuesday night. The long-time driver, businessman and former owner of his hometown Jamestown Speedway passed away in Somerton, Ariz. He was 66. Gumke had raced in Late Model and Modified divisions beginning in the 1970s, earning the respect of fellow competitors and a legion of fans. Nicknamed The Grinder, Gumke had followed the Dakota Classic Tour and was sixth in the IMCA Modified points race at Jamestown last season. “He’s the reason I got into stock car racing back in the day,” said John Corell, who first raced with Gumke in a late model in the late 1970s. “I helped him build a car in my dad’s garage and we were best buds ever since.” “Don was just a nice guy, pretty soft-spoken, friendly and competitive,” continued Corell. “Everybody took a liking to him.” A member of the club that had operated the speedway, Gumke was at the promotional helm there when it received two business of [Read More]

Big Daddy Race Cars returning as title sponsor of IMCA Northern, Southern Hobby Stock regions

NORFOLK, Neb. – The big name in both Northern and Southern regions for IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks will be Big Daddy Race Cars again in 2020. The Norfolk, Neb., chassis builder returns as title sponsor for both regions, providing part of $1,000 point funds to be paid to top 10 drivers in each region. Northern Region tracks are in eastern Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. Tracks in the Big Daddy Race Cars Southern Region are in Arizona, western Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. Big Daddy has sponsored the Northern Region since 2014 and the Southern Region since 2017. Point fund checks will be presented during the national awards banquet next November. Information about Big Daddy-built chassis is available by calling 402 371-1927 or 402 841-4119. “The stability that Big Daddy Race Cars has brought to sponsorship of our Hobby Stock regions is something drivers in that division have come to rely on,” IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder observed. “The division is really taking off in the Southwest [Read More]

Brinn Transmission renews awards for IMCA Modified specials through 2022

BAY CITY, Mich. – Brinn Transmission has renewed an awards program that takes the Bay City, Mich., manufacturer through its 20th season of IMCA sponsorship. Top five finishers at 30 designated IMCA Modified specials receive $50 product certificates. All 150 of those drivers will then be entered in a random drawing, with the winner receiving a new Brinn transmission. The pole starter at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s Saturday night Modified main event also receives a new transmission. All 33 qualifiers for that event as well as the 12 Harris Auto Racing Race of Champions starters receive $50 product certificates. Champions of two special series for Modifieds also earn free transmission rebuilds. The popular Brinn program was continued through the 2022 race season. “As Brinn Transmissions partners with IMCA for another three years, we look forward to continued growth and exposure,” said Brinn’s Bob Kietzman. “It has been a pleasure working with IMCA over these 18 years and we are excited to be involved for many years to come.” Product certificates will [Read More]

Night three IMCA Modified checkers fly for O’Neil; Cordova is first to repeat at Cocopah

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 11) – His green to checkered run at the front of the IMCA Modified field Saturday night at Cocopah Speedway put Jake O’Neil in victory lane and on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. O’Neil took home $1,000 as the third different winner in as many Winter Nationals shows. Jeff Taylor held off Casey Arneson in the race for second, finishing five car lengths off the pace. Bobby Hogge IV and Lance Mari completed the top five. Joshua Cordova became the first repeat winner at Somerton, topping the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature. Gene Henrie scored the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car victory and Michael Johnson dominated the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod main. Scott Tenney led the first 18 times around the track in the Hobby Stock main. Cordova had started fourth and was scored first by the width of his bumper on lap 19 and led Tenney across the stripe in the caution-free 20-lapper. Friday winner Tim Gonska, Eric Knutson and Nathan DeRagon rounded out the top five. Checkers flew for Henrie [Read More]

Baca is best in night two Somerton show, IMCA Modified checkers good for $1,000

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 10) – After he got back in the lead, Chaz Baca got the $1,000 IMCA Modified feature win Friday night at Cocopah Speedway. Baca ran in front the first nine circuits of the Winter Nationals main event before Braxton Yeager drove by. Baca had regained the point by the time the next lap was scored, however, and led Yeager, Marlyn Seidler, Lance Mari and Bobby Hogge IV across the stripe. Tom Berry Jr. ran third much of the way before bringing out a late caution; Baca was already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Canadian Brendon LaBatte was the leader the last 17 times around the track in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car headliner. Completing the top five were Gene Henrie, Steffan Carey, Troy Jerovetz and Kevin Roberts. Tim Gonska’s long tow from Minnesota was rewarded with the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock checkers. All 17 cars that started the 20-circuit contest finished on the lead lap. Eric Knutson, Joshua Cordova, Brad King and Scott Tenney were scored behind Gonska. After working [Read More]

Thornton tops IMCA Modifieds in Winter Nationals opener at Cocopah

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 9) – His return to his home state put $1,000 in Ricky Thornton Jr.’s bank account Thursday night. Thornton led every lap in winning the IMCA Modified feature on opening night of Winter Nationals at Cocopah Speedway. The victory came in the first sanctioned Modified event of the 2020 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing Season. Piloting Kollin Hibdon’s backup car, Thornton had started outside the front row. He walked away from the rest of the field following a lap 13 restart. Runner-up was Jeff Taylor and Jake O’Neil challenged before finishing third. “B” feature winner Tom Berry Jr. started 16th and finished fourth while Hibdon completed the top five. Already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, Iowa transplant Thornton won for the 148th time in his IMCA Modified career. Other winners in the lidlifter at Somerton were Iowan Troy Jervetz in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Shelby Frye in the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and defending track champion Joshua Cordova in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. Jerovetz led start to finish in [Read More]

US 36, Bethany drivers meetings rescheduled

OSBORN, Mo. – Due to forecasted winter weather, US 36 Raceway and Bethany Speedway officials have postponed the 2020 drivers’ meeting that was scheduled for Sunday. The new date, which will again serve as a meeting for both tracks, is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 25 at 11 a.m. at the Cameron Community Center.

Rush on pit stall sales results from new IMCA Modified sanction at Michigan’s Winston Speedway

ROTHBURY, Mich. – After making the announcement that he’d run IMCA Modifieds beginning in 2020, Winston Speedway promoter Dean Wilkerson had one of the hottest properties in town. Twenty Friday night dates for the sanctioned division are scheduled this season at the 3/8-mile clay oval in Rothbury. It didn’t take long for area drivers to start a rush on pit parking reservations at the newest track in IMCA’s Dirt Works Eastern Region. “We made the announcement that we would sanction with IMCA and posted pit spots for sale. We’ve already sold more than 30,” Wilkerson reported. “The response has been unreal. It’s been more than I ever expected.” The second of three generations to race at Winston – his father Dean Sr. was a multi-time track champion while son Drew has earned rookie of the year honors there – Wilkerson and wife Lynette took over as promoters last September. Wilkerson had been in charge of track prep at both Winston and Saturday speedplant Thunderbird Raceway in Muskegon, half an hour to the south “I grew [Read More]

Visitation announced for Greg Durbin

SILVIS, Ill. – Visitation for Greg Durbin will be 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12 at Van Hoe Funeral Home in East Moline. Durbin, 41, died Wednesday at his home. The family has requested those attending the visitation wear their favorite racing shirt and jeans in his memory. Durbin had raced for more than 20 years. He was a three-time IMCA Modified track champion at Quad City Speedway and also won three Illinois State crowns. In lieu of flowers, memorial may be made to the family. Survivors include his wife Michelle; three children, Lexy, Brooke, and Gavin; two brothers, Brandon Durbin and Eric Barnes (Aleic Underwood) both of Colona; mother Jean Durbin (Jeff Peterson) of Colona; father Dennis Barnes (Juli Spindler) of Silvis; maternal grandparents John and Mary Ann Durbin of Colona; paternal grandfather A.C. Barnes of Silvis, brother-in-law Michael Stottler; nieces Kaylee and Addie, and several aunts, uncles and cousins. He was preceded in death by his paternal grandmother June Barnes; mother-in-law Carol and uncles Jody Durbin and John Barnes.