Feature – IMCA – International Motor Contest Association

IMCA Modifieds are Batesville bound for Sept. 24-28 Race For Hope

BATESVILLE, Ark. – One of the biggest races for IMCA Modifieds will also benefit two area non-profit organizations this season. Batesville Motor Speedway’s third annual Race For Hope 71 is Sept. 24-28, with $15,000 paid to win and a minimum of $2,000 to start the main event. More than 60 drivers will earn at least $1,000 during the Saturday, Sept. 28 program alone. Saturday’s main event is a qualifier for the 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Jet Racing Central Region and E3 Spark Plugs Arkansas State points will be awarded. Saturday’s “D” main pays $2,000 to win and a minimum of $400 to start, the “C” main pays $3,000 to win and a minimum of $600 to start, and the “B” main pays $4,000 to win and a minimum of $1,000 to start. Top two finishers in each of 15 heats on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday advance to qualifying features that send the top 10 finishers to the inside, middle and outside rows, respectively, of Saturday’s 30-car starting [Read More]

Old memories shared, new ones made at Cardinal’s inaugural Sam Hodges Memorial

EUNICE, N.M. (Sept. 14) – Already pretty good through August, Colby Deming saw his season pick up some more at Cardinal Speedway’s Sam Hodges Memorial. Deming led all 40 laps of Sunday’s main event for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, earning $3,055 for a win that mattered more than the money. “I’d known Sam and his son Cody is one of my best friends. It was an honor to be able to win that race,” he said following the event, held in honor of the late track owner, promoter and driver. Deming drew the pole start, held off challenges from Michael Sheen early on and was still in front when the race was halted at midway for a mandatory pit stop. Cautions kept lapped traffic from becoming a factor in the second half of the contest. Jason Rogers made his way to second but couldn’t catch Deming. Michael Sheen, Don Sheen and Cary White rounded out the top five. “Nobody made it easy for me, that’s for sure,” Deming said. “Cardinal is our home track and [Read More]

Deery Series returns to 34 Raceway for 500th event, Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights join Saturday show

WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa – A milestone 33 years in the making will be celebrated Saturday night at 34 Raceway. The 500th event in Deery Brothers Summer Series history will be held Sept. 21 at West Burlington. Touring IMCA Late Models have made 50 previous visits to 34 Raceway, including the first-ever series race on April 11, 1987. 34 Raceway also hosted the 300th Deery event, on Sept. 15-16 of 2006, and the 400th series event, on Sept. 2, 2012. “It is hard to articulate what it means to have run 500 Deery Brothers Summer Series events spanning four different decades,” said Tour Director Kevin Yoder. “It is appropriate that 34 Raceway will host it, as some of the more significant milestones in series history have taken place in West Burlington. It promises to be a special night.” A top prize of $2,000 is at stake Saturday. Eight different drivers have won the nine events held so far this season; Andy Eckrich of Oxford remains the point leader while Darrel DeFrance of Marshalltown brings his perfect attendance streak of [Read More]

Great car gets Grossenbacher Sprint Series of Nebraska win

By Greg Soukup EAGLE, Neb. (Sept. 8) – Trevor Grossenbacher parked a great car in victory lane Sunday night, following the finale of the Precise Racing Sprint Series of Nebraska at Eagle Raceway. Grossenbacher’s $700 Nebraska Cup checkers came ahead of Jake Bubak and Jason Martin. “It was a lot of fun tonight. Rick Forbes is the car owner and it took all year long to finally get a win for him,” said Grossenbacher, runner-up at RaceSaver Nationals the previous week, “The feature was awesome. It was close at the end with lapped traffic but we had a great car.” Kaleb Johnson led lap one with Grossenbacher, Mike Boston and Chad Koch rounding out the top four. Koch passed Boston for third on lap two and Joey Danley got by Boston for fourth on the next lap. Danley moved up to third 2 laps later. Lap 11 saw Martin put his IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car into fourth. Grossenbacher used the high line to take the top spot on lap 14. There were 10 laps left [Read More]

Mission accomplished: Dotson is Modified champion at Super Nationals

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 7) – The goal Ethan Dotson set when he started coming to the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s was achieved Saturday night. Dotson led all 40 laps of the Modified main event at Boone Speedway, outrunning 2016 champion Ricky Thornton Jr. of Adel, Cody Laney of Torrance, Calif., and defending champion Jeff Aikey of Cedar Falls in the race to what proved to be $5,800 checkers. From Bakersfield and the first Californian to win a Super Nationals crown in any division, Dotson weathered five cautions before midway, then a stoppage on the 22nd of 40 laps when intermittent rain brought about a quick track prep session. Thornton, looking for his second championship of the week after winning Monday’s Deery Brothers Summer Series Late Model main event, challenged but never made his bid for the lead stick. “We’ve been coming to Super Nationals for about six years now,” said Dotson, fourth in main events for the Northern SportMods in 2014 and for the Modifieds last year. “The first time we wanted [Read More]

Smith, Daae have good nights in Super Nationals Stock Car qualifying

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 6) – A regular visitor to America’s Racin’ Vacation and a candidate who helped make the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s a truly international event were Stock Car qualifying feature winners Friday night. David Smith of Lake City led all but the first two laps in topping the first qualifier at Boone Speedway while Estevan’s Austin Daae became just the second Canadian driver to make the Stock Car main event by winning the nightcap at Boone Speedway. Top four finishers from both races move on to the Saturday Big Dance. Smith passed eventual runner-up David Brandies of Wilton for the point on lap three. The only caution of the contest came with six to go and the top four running order of Smith, Brandies, Kyle Falck of Decorah and Brian Blessington of Breda remained unchanged to the checkers. 2001 king Blessington was one of five former Super Nationals champions in Friday’s first qualifier. Smith joins brothers Devin and Donavon on the main event grid. Daae made his trip to the front [Read More]

Start time moved up at Super Nationals, first green flag flies at 2 p.m.

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 7) – Start time for Championship Saturday at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s has been moved up an hour. Today’s first green flag flies at 2 p.m. at Boone Speedway. No change has been made in the Sept. 7 race day schedule. Event officials noted the potential for impending weather in moving the program up for the final day of the 37th annual Super Nationals.

Aikey, Carter are first in Friday Modified qualifiers

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 6) – The drivers who ran 1-2 in last year’s Modified main event both finished first in their respective qualifying features Friday night at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Defending champion Jeff Aikey of Cedar Falls took the lead on the third lap, then outran a determined Steven Bowers Jr. following a late restart in the first qualifier. 2018 runner-up Cayden Carter of Oskaloosa led the last four times around the track in topping the nightcap at Boone Speedway. The 12th starting Bowers, from Topeka, Kan., Russ Dickerson of Boone and Trent Loverude of New Ulm, Minn., completed the top four behind Aikey. Carter had started the second qualifier from 13th, was all of a sudden in the top three by lap 10 and took the second spot from Riley Simmons of Susanville, Calif., after midway in the 25-lapper. He finally caught Malvern’s Jesse Sobbing with four to go. Sobbing, Simmons and Cory Wray of Trenton, Mo., were next across the stripe. Top four finishers from both qualifiers advance [Read More]

Rust shines in race to Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational checkers

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 6) – Joel Rust had a year to think about his disappointing end to last year’s Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. He’ll have a lifetime to remember how the 2019 event played out. Rust, from Grundy Center, led all 30 laps of the Modified special during Friday’s IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s program. The win was good for $1,000, plus another $750 in lap money. “We’ve been racing a Modified for six years. This is one of the biggest races you can win and we can finally say we did it,” Rust exclaimed from victory late at Boone Speedway. “This definitely ranks right up there.” Tanner Black of Otis, Kan., took over the second spot following back-to-back cautions on lap five and chased Rust to the finish. The race stayed green the last 26 circuits, with Jesse Sobbing of Malvern, 10th starting Steven Bowers Jr. of Topeka, Kan., and Richie Gustin of Gilman completing the top five. Rust moved to a higher line after Sobbing challenged early. He pulled away from [Read More]

Bag toss win puts Shannon on front row

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 6) – Those California drivers are just as good at bag tossing as they are at wheeling their IMCA Modifieds. D.J. Shannon became the second California speedster to win a front row starting spot in Saturday’s main event at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s, defeating Nick Roberts in a Friday matchup. Both had won Thursday qualifying features at Boone Speedway. Top four finishers in those events duked it out this afternoon in the Fan Zone to determine the order one through eight in the middle row. Cody Laney will start third, Jordan Grabouski fourth, Randy Brown fifth – making the California drivers 3-for-3 on the day – Kelly Shryock sixth, Jeff Taylor seventh and Jimmy Gustin eighth. Ethan Dotson of Bakersfield, Calif., will start on the pole.