Feature – IMCA – International Motor Contest Association

Noll goes with what he knows to get IMCA All Star Night win

SAN TAN VALLEY, Ariz. (March 16) – Going back to the drawing board got Jason Noll back in victory lane. Noll topped Saturday’s All Star Night main event for IMCA Modifieds at Arizona Speedway, outrunning hard-charging Kelsie Foley for the $1,000 checkers. “It was a really racy track,” said Noll, already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. “It was fast if you could hit the top right and the bottom in (turns) one and two was really good. I could get through there really well.” Noll had started fifth and dueled early with Shawn Strand, Zach Madrid and Tyler Mecl. He caught Strand for the lead following a lap seven restart and stayed in front to the finish. Foley motored from 14th to take runner-up honors. Tenth starting John Morris was third, Zach Madrid was fourth and 20th starting Spencer Wilson completed the top five. “This was just our seventh or eighth start of the year. We didn’t do so well in our four Arizona Modified Tour starts,” Noll said. “We were trying some new things [Read More]

Hughes tops two IMCA Modified features, Thornton collects final Stampede checkers

ARDMORE, Okla. (March 7-9) – Jason Hughes was a double winner before Ricky Thornton Jr. made his way to victory lane at Southern Oklahoma Speedway’s Southern Stampede special. New Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational candidate Hughes was the $2,000 IMCA Modified winner on Thursday and the $1,000 winner on Friday. Thornton paced Saturday’s $3,000 to win event. The IMCA car count for the second annual Stampede topped 100 and included 51 Modifieds. Hughes had to reel in Jared Hoefelman for the opening night lead, then won ahead of Thornton and defending IMCA Red River Tour champion Chris Elliott. The Sooner State speedster led every circuit on Friday. Thornton repeated as runner-up while Rodney Sanders rounded out the podium finishers. “I’m happy with the weekend. Everything went pretty well,” said Hughes. “We didn’t tear anything up and we made some money.” Thornton had worked his way up from 10th starting on Thursday and from 12th starting Friday. He drew the pole for the Saturday show at Ardmore and led start to finish of the caution-free contest. “It’s awesome to [Read More]

Stanford is outstanding at Pahrump’s Stormin’ Mormon

PAHRUMP, Nev. (March 2) – February starts in Arizona helped put California IMCA Modified driver Alex Stanford in victory lane in Nevada. Stanford topped Saturday’s Stormin’ Mormon special at Pahrump Valley Speedway, passing Ethan Dotson for the lead 30 circuits into the 40 lapper and then holding Hunter Marriott at bay for the $2,000 checkers. “I was able to pick cars off one at a time after the field started to spread out,” said Stanford, who had started seventh. “There were a couple cars I went around but the bottom was the place to be. I just concentrated on hitting my marks and got them one at a time.” “There were some yellows at the right time so the leaders didn’t get away from me,” he added. Kollin Hibdon led early from the pole before the sixth starting Dotson took over up front on lap six. Marriott, coming off the midweek victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, charged into contention late in the contest. Stanford, however, pulled away following a restart with five laps to [Read More]

Too much winter: Beatrice cancels Spring Nationals

BEATRICE, Neb. – Winter weather will be the winner of Spring Nationals. Beatrice Speedway officials have announced that the traditional season-opening special, originally scheduled March 8 and 9 and then postponed to March 15 and 16, has now been canceled. “We’ve been watching this weather for a month. We’ve still got a foot of snow on the ground and no warm days in the forecast,” Promoter Toby Kruse said. “Canceling was not an easy decision. There was just no way to make Spring Nationals happen.” “Scheduling is another issue,” he added, noting upcoming early-season events at area tracks. “We want to be a good neighbor.” IMCA Modified, IMCA Late Model, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod and Mach-1 Sport Compact drivers who entered early will receive refunds by mail. This is the first time in Spring Nationals’ 25-year history the entire event has been lost to weather; the last time a single nightly program was snowed out was 2014.

Hoegh rethinks turning around, turns in IMCA Modified win at Bagby Memorial

ELM MOTT, Texas (March 1) – Just 30 minutes into the 3-1/2 hour tow to Heart O’ Texas Speedway and already running late, Jeff Hoegh thought about turning around and starting his season another night. Instead, he got back on the road, got to HO’T in time and won the Jack Bagby Memorial main event for IMCA Modifieds, earning both $1,000 and a berth of the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. “Getting on the ballot is a pretty big deal for me. I’m glad we started off the year the way we have,” said Hoegh. “It was one of those nights when everything turned out good.” It was also one of those nights that didn’t start out that way. Hoegh had to stop for fuel half an hour into the trip, then needed another half hour to fill up. He had already missed the draw when he pulled up to the pit gate and learned the wristbands were his unlucky red. That’s when things turned around. Hoegh finished fourth and starting last in a heat [Read More]

Abbey stars on final day of Lone Star Tour, clinches crown with IMCA Stock Car sweep

STEPHENVILLE, Texas (Feb. 23) – A career-first accomplishment led to a career payday for Jeffrey Abbey. Abbey won the final two events of the Sniper Speed Lone Star tour Saturday at 281 Speedway, earning $750 for each feature victory and $5,000 for the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car tour crown. “I’ve won two features in the same day before but not in the same division,” said Abbey. “It’s always fun when you have cars from all over. It’s fun to race with cars you haven’t raced before.” Both features were moved to Stephenville because of weather in Kennedale and Friday features wound up being postponed to Saturday. Abbey took his first $750 checkers of the day from the pole. Brother Dean pulled alongside before a late caution and Jeffrey held him off following the restart. Aaron Benedict was third and Kyle Falck fourth. Jason Rogers won his ‘B’ feature, started 15th and rounded out the top five in the main event. After starting sixth in the finale, Abbey ran third much of the way and hung [Read More]

Lund goes 2-for-2 at 281 with second Lone Star Tour victory

STEPHENVILLE, Texas (Feb. 18) – The top line took Curt Lund to his second $750 Sniper Speed Lone Star Tour feature win in as many nights Monday at 281 Speedway. Lund posted back-to-back checkers by making a strong run on the outside groove. The top five in the fleet IMCA Sunoco Stock Car field represented as many different states, as Elijah Zevenbergen, Hesston Shaw, Dean Abbey and Joe Bellm chased Lund across the stripe. Lund had started third and dropped back a couple spots. He worked his way back toward the front, taking over the lead for good on lap 10. Gregory Muirhead and Clifton Whisenant both raced from eighth starting spots to win the Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod and Mach-1 Sport Compact main events, respectively. Justin Nabors and James Hanusch completed the SportMod top three. William Creese was the runner-up and Harold Clifton finished third in the Sport Compact feature. Feature Results Stock Cars – 1. Curt Lund; 2. Elijah Zevenbergen; 3. Hesston Shaw; 4. Dean Abbey; 5. Joe Bellm; 6. Dean Cornlius; 7. [Read More]

Thornton wins again at USA Raceway reopening

By Jackson Braun TUCSON, Ariz. (Feb. 15) – The grand reopening of the fast USA Raceway was a successful one for many. The track had been shut down for a few years but hard work and dedication to bringing racing back to the facility led to the final two dates for the 2019 edition of the Arizona Mod Tour. Ricky Thornton Jr. and John Hansen led the IMCA Modified field to the green and from that point on Thornton was arguably the smoothest racer on the speedway as he scampered away even after the lone caution of the event. Racing was phenomenal throughout the pack as the drivers adjusted to the track conditions and swapped positions back and forth. Colorado racer Brett Smith had a strong run as he jumped into second place early. Behind him, young guns Zachary Madrid and D.J. Shannon raced hard against veterans Jeff Taylor and hometown racer Jake O’Neil. Thornton claimed his fourth $1,500 victory of the week as Smith finished second with Shannon, Madrid, and O’Neil completing the top [Read More]

Lund lands round two Lone Star Tour victory

STEPHENVILLE, Texas (Feb. 17) – A driver who knows a thing or two about winning tour races far from home did just that Sunday night at 281 Speedway. Minnesota veteran Curt Lund, making his first racing visit to Texas, won round two of the Sniper Speed Lone Star Tour for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. The checkers were good for $750. “The tracks down here are smaller than I’m used to,” said Lund, who has racked up 100-plus wins in both the IMCA Modified and IMCA Sprint Car divisions. “I was real happy to win and to have competed with all the guys (59) down here.” Lund started fourth and led the last 17 of 20 circuits. He was catching up with the back of the field when the checkers flew and was chased across the line by opening night winner Jeffrey Abbey and Shawn Ritter. Lund was a winner last summer in North Dakota, during the Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Tour. He raced his way out of ‘B’ features both nights at Abilene, finishing seventh [Read More]

Sweeps! Abbey, Elliott, Tucker all are double winners at Abilene’s Ice Breaker

ABILENE, Texas (Feb. 15-16) – Three drivers brought the broom to Abilene Speedway’s season-opening Ice Breaker. Jeffrey Abbey won both IMCA Sunoco Stock Car features, earning $750 for his Saturday Sniper Speed Lone Star Tour victory, Chris Elliott swept Friday and Saturday IMCA Modified features and Gabe Tucker topped both Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod mains. Eighty Stock Cars from 10 states were in town for tour action. Abbey was racing a Stock Car at Abilene for the first time and left the track 2-for-2. “We put the car together for this tour. I ran it the weekend before at Stephenville (281 Speedway’s Big Chill Throwdown) and won there,” he said, “so I came here confident and was able to come out with two wins.” Friday’s checkers flew ahead of Elijah Zevenbergen and Dean Cornelius. Abbey had started third, caught Cornelius for the lead near midway of the 20-lapper and was catching up to the back of the field before a caution with three laps left. He won his heat, drew the pole and led [Read More]