Feature Archives

Chadwick, Diaz, Bannister are best in opener for Central California Clash

By Candice Martin ANTIOCH, Calif. (April 20, 2024) – Kellen Chadwick scored the victory in the 25-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified race Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. This was the opening race of the six-race Central California Clash. The win paid Chadwick $1,000 and made him eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Chadwick had the outside front row for the start and bolted into the lead at the green flag, followed by Bobby Hogge IV and Troy Foulger. Foulger slipped past Hogge for second on a lap three restart with Andrew Pearce settling into third. After a lap nine caution, the race had a good run of green flag racing with Chadwick pulling away from Foulger. A yellow flag with three laps to go bunched the field but Chadwick bolted ahead and brought it home to a satisfying win. Foulger settled for second ahead of Pearce, Hogge and Cody Burke. Rick Diaz won the 20-lap IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main event. He led all the way and held off a furious challenge [Read More]

Saturday Ice Breaker Challenge checkers fly for Braaksma

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (April 20, 2024) – On a track that’s definitely different than what he’s used to running on, Ethan Braaksma raced to the same results Saturday night. Braaksma won his sixth Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature, and fifth Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying race of the season, collecting $2,000 on night two of the Ice Breaker Challenge. “It was a pretty good run. I just took my time and hit my marks. I was kind of searching there at the beginning but once I found the bottom I hit it really good,” said Braaksma, the leader from lap 11 to the finish. “I could see where the others were messing up in front of me and that’s how I got to the lead. I just had to be sure to get the left side down in the moisture so I could get off of the corner.” Ricky Stephan and then Shawn Harker held down the front spot early on. Braaksma caught Chad Andersen for second on lap seven and grabbed the [Read More]

Ice Breaker Challenge checkers are first for Andersen

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (April 19, 2024) – Eagle Raceway got the first night of its Ice Breaker Challenge in for the first time since 2019 and Chad Andersen won for the first time at the special that starts the season at America’s Home Track on Friday night. The defending track champion scored the $1,000 Friesen Performance IMCA Modified victory in the final event of the evening, outrunning Jordan Grabouski, Ryan Jenkins and Drew Janssen. “We’ve come to the Ice Breaker Challenge ever since I started racing a Modified and we’ve been close, but we‘d get a third or a second and never seemed to have enough to lead the final lap,” said Andersen, newly eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. “We came up with a game plan after the heat race because we felt really good. I just wasn’t quite as comfortable as I wanted to be in the heat so we made a couple of changes for the feature and it felt like the car came to life.” “Hopefully, that means [Read More]

Sherfick defends home turf in Friday Buzzard Bash Dash

By Sheldon Wickwar WaKEENEY, Kan. (April 19, 2024) – Dylan Sherfick defended his home turf Friday night at WaKeeney Speedway, earning $1,000 and becoming Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible while doing so. The hometown hotshoe counts the 2015 crown at WaKeeney among his eight career Friesen Performance IMCA Modified track titles and clearly had the fastest car from the drop of the green in the Buzzard Bash Dash main event. The 20-lap feature started with a front row of Sherfick and John Burrow, and once the field got going Sherfick made like he was shot out of a cannon and built a huge lead right off the bat. Once he entered lapped traffic Sherfick did not slow down and not even an always fast Jeremy Frenier could reel him in. Frenier, Brett Berry, Daniel Gottschalk and Dakota Sproul would complete the top five. Eighty-four race teams contended Friday night with Troy Burkhart topping the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Morgan Olmstead leading the way to the checkers in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Blaine Walt [Read More]

License eligibility spelled out in IMCA general, divisional rules

VINTON, Iowa (April 15, 2024) – IMCA drivers will still be allowed to compete in specified, multiple divisions this season. What they won’t be doing, however, is changing divisions multiple times, especially when it comes time to racing in high-paying specials. Both general rules and divisional rules posted on the IMCA website now specify which divisions drivers can compete in when purchasing licenses in two or more classes; what’s spelled out in black and white is the time they’ll have to wait when switching between restricted divisions. “For example, if a driver with a Modified license switches to a Northern or Southern SportMod, they have to stay in the new division for 12 calendar months from the date they changed divisions,” said IMCA President Brett Root. “What we’ve seen primarily is drivers making that switch to race in higher-paying specials held prior to or after the end of the point season. In no way is it fair for SportMod drivers who support their weekly tracks during the season to race against Modified or Late Model [Read More]

Shryock takes crown in King of the Highbanks at Marshalltown

By Joyce Eisele MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (April 12, 2024) – Kelly Shryock already has 5,000 reasons to celebrate the start of his 40th racing season. The veteran from Fertile topped Friday’s King of the Highbanks main event for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars at Marshalltown Speedway, taking the $5,000 checkers ahead of defending race winner Jeffrey Abbey. Now guaranteed a starting spot in the B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational, Shryock started from the pole and took the lead as the race went green, with Dallon Murty in second and Boyd, Texas charger Abbey third. Those three ran closely in the opening portion of the race, with Murty seeking high and low for a way around Shryock and Abbey just waiting for a bobble from either. At halfway, it was still the same running order for the top three but seventh place starter Cole Czarneski had joined them and was giving chase. A yellow flew on lap 30 and again on lap 37; when the race restarted after the final caution, Abbey was able to sneak by Murty [Read More]

Every race night this season at 34 is All-Star opportunity for IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars

WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa (April 11, 2024) – Friesen Performance IMCA Modified and IMCA Sunoco Stock Car drivers in the Southeast Iowa area can now race every week for All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. They can load up their cars and head to 34 Raceway already knowing that every night they race at the West Burlington oval, they’ll be in the running to become eligible for their respective, prestigious events. “Any time Modifieds race at 34 this season, they’ll be racing for $1,000 to win and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational eligibility. Any time Stock Cars race here, they’ll race for $750 to win and B & B Racing Chassis All-Star eligibility,” explained Promoter Brad Stevens. “That’s due to local sponsors stepping up on behalf of drivers in both divisions.” The first $1,000 to win feature for the Modifieds is this Saturday, April 13 during the Sprint Invaders show. The April 19 and 20 Slocum Weekend special sees Modifieds chasing $1,055 top checks both nights; Stock Cars run for $755 to win on Friday and $1,055 on Saturday. [Read More]

Jeffrey Abbey won Heart O’ Texas Speedway’s Baby Blue Harcrow special for a second time, taking the $1,515 IMCA Sunoco Stock Car checkers Friday night. (Photo by Stacy Kolar, Southern Sass Photography)

Abbey leaves Harcrow foes feeling blue

WACO, Texas (April 5, 2024) – A race night that saw a who’s who of IMCA Sunoco Stock Car drivers in the EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region saw Jeffrey Abbey stand tallest at the end of the evening. Abbey got the best of the rest of a star-filled field at Heart O’ Texas Speedway’s fifth annual Baby Blue Harcrow Memorial, scoring both a $1,515 payday and B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. “There were a lot of good cars here,” said Abbey, also the Harcrow race winner in 2022. “But we got a couple good breaks and were able to win it.” After starting seventh, he’d run with the likes of Blake Clark, Cody Smith and Jason Batt before passing pole starter Paul White for the point with 10 laps remaining. “I caught a couple breaks. Jason pushed up a bit and I was able to get by him,” Abbey said. “Then the next time around Paul pushed up and I was able to get by him, too.” “Once we got the [Read More]

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]