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MALVERN, Ark. (Nov. 28, 2022) – Race fans around Arkansas and the drivers he competed against weren’t surprised to hear that Noah Burlison earned Jet Racing Central Region rookie of the year honors this season. It was Burlison himself who had to look twice when he saw his name in the press release from IMCA announcing the fact.  “We just wanted to get a lot of laps under our belt and not tear up too much equipment,” said Burlison, from Malvern and the first Friesen Performance IMCA Modified driver from Arkansas to win the regional rookie title since 1998. “It never crossed my mind that we could win the rookie award. There was shock, surprise and awe, all of that.”  “There’s a ton of good competition around here and seat time is important, but what helps a ton is when you’ve got to generations of the best drivers around helping you,” added Burlison, who benefitted from both the pit crew help and wisdom shared by uncle Charlie Armstrong and cousin Drew Armstrong. “There’s probably 40-50 [Read More]

NUNICA, Mich. (Nov. 28, 2022) – Jacob Poel turned his first laps in a race car at Thunderbird Raceway nearly 20 years ago.  He raced to his first Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature win at the Muskegon oval this spring and collected five checkers in all in earning Dirt Works Eastern Region rookie of the year honors.  “Last year I said, ‘Let’s get an IMCA Modified and a couple crate engines and race closer to home,’” stated Poel, from Nunica. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and acclimated well to the division. I feel as if I have earned the respect of the other drivers and they’ve earned mine.”   He’d win three times at Thunderbird and twice at Winston Speedway, counting nine runner-up showings among 25 top five finishes on the year. “I really like Thunderbird. I grew up racing there and that’s where the first laps I ever drove were at,” Poel said. “I can go out my driveway and be there in 22 minutes. Thunderbird is my favorite Michigan track. Racing and winning there [Read More]

CARTHAGE, Ill. (Nov. 28, 2022) – Potential quickly became reality in Austen Becerra’s first Friesen Performance IMCA Modified season. Becerra raced to eight feature wins – one of them good for a $5,000 payday – and two track championships in a campaign that ended with Razor Chassis North Central Region rookie of the year honors. “We were good right out of the box,” said Becerra, a quick learner in the new division after winning the Northern SportMod main event at the 2021 IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. “About the middle of last year, Jon Fuller asked me if I would be interested in racing a Modified.”  “They bought a car – a 2020 Lethal – and we had some success in our starts after the IMCA point season ended. That’s when we knew we had the potential to win a lot of races this year.  From Carthage, Ill., Becerra was track champion at both Lee County Speedway and 34 Raceway, finishing fifth in regional points and 12th nationally.  Four of his checkers at [Read More]

RENO, Nev. (Nov. 28, 2022) – Katelynn Robertson punched her ticket to the national awards banquet, racing with the big boys and winning rookie of the year honors in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region.  Robertson had a pair of feature wins and consistent showings throughout her 31 starts at six different tracks in California and Nevada, far exceeding any expectations she had for her first Friesen Performance IMCA Modified season.  “At the beginning of the year, I didn’t think we’d see top five in anything,” admitted the Susanville, Calif., native and Reno, Nev., transplant. “Then we realized how close we were to being able to run at the front.” “That was pretty cool. I still can’t believe it. Winning the regional rookie of the year is one of my proudest accomplishments,” she continued. “It was definitely a lot of work. We ran with the big boys in the division, we did a lot of traveling and it all paid off. It was pretty neat to race from last to the top five and even [Read More]

PARK RAPIDS, Minn. (Nov. 22, 2022) – If the remake of the movie Six Pack was filmed in Minnesota, Randy Randall would be the obvious choice for the lead role previously played by Kenny Rogers. His six children would play the titular race car savvy kids in the cast.  From Park Rapids, Minn., Randall brought a Six Pack theme to the track, making most of his 37 IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock starts at home state venues Buffalo River Speedway, North Central Speedway and Red River Valley Speedway. He shared time behind the wheel, catching up on bonding with oldest son Brayden before he went into the United States Marine Corps in August.  “I had always liked the movie and my kids like working on the car as much as I do,” said Randall, also father  to Reid, McKenzie, Gracie, Blake and Dixon and rookie of the year in the Big Daddy Race Cars Northern Region. “They will probably all be involved in racing at some points in their lives.”  The 49-year-old Randall bought a car from friend Chad Visser [Read More]

HERRIMAN, Utah (Nov. 22, 2022) – Getting to race against more cars got C.J. Thorne into the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock division. Three feature wins and season-long consistency got him the national rookie of the year award. From Herriman, Thorne became the first driver from Utah to win a national IMCA rookie award in any division, and the second from the Beehive State to earn the Big Daddy Race Cars Southern Region rookie prize in as many seasons.  “I raced in open wheel classes since I was seven and came to the Hobby Stocks from a 360 open wing sprint car class,” said the 20-year-old Thorne. “We were racing in fields of 5-7 cars. A friend, Andy Pearce, suggested that I should get a Hobby Stock and run with more cars.”  He bought a former Drew Schafer ride for his rookie campaign, making all but two of his 38 starts at home state tracks and 24 of those at Desert Thunder Raceway.  Thorne’s career first win in the class came on May 7 at Price.  [Read More]