Feature Archives

Super Tuesday voting is Aug. 11 for IMCA Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational

VINTON, Iowa – Super Tuesday voting will be Aug. 11 to elect 28 of the 30 drivers who will start the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational during the upcoming IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. All voting will be done through the IMCA Facebook page, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. CST. The top three vote recipients from each of the five IMCA Modified regions become All-Stars, with their region of candidacy determined by where they made the majority of their sanctioned starts. The next 13 drivers with the highest vote totals, regardless of region, join the All-Star field. The final two All-Stars will be drivers with the top national point total and the most 40-point wins as of Aug. 28 competing at Super Nationals. Final qualifying events for the 2020 ballot will be held Aug. 6 with an updated list of candidates to be announced the next Monday. Tripp Gaylord and Chase Hansen put their names on the ballot with Wild West Tour wins. Casey Skyberg was Mountain States Tour winner and Nick [Read More]

Gaylord finds glory at Dacotah, Zevenbergen wins 5th

MANDAN, N.D. (July 15) – When Tripp Gaylord drew the pole position for the IMCA Modified “A” feature on the Moritz Sport & Marine Dakota Classic Tour presented by Bismarck Motor Company at Dacotah Speedway, the real test began. A week with many frustrations for the Colorado racer finished out with a feeling of euphoria. Gaylord did double duty in the Modified and Stock Car all week long until Dacotah Speedway, handing the reins over to brother Ryan in order to focus on the Modified. He had made every feature in both classes until that point. Gaylord was a rocket from the drop of the green flag in Mandan, leading by over three seconds at one point and maneuvering lapped traffic to grab the $2,400 win. Already on the Fast Shafts Al-Star Invitational ballot, Gaylord was followed across the stripe by Jake O’Neil, Robert Hellebust, Shawn Strand and Alex Stanford. Consistent Austin Arneson captured the tour championship. Elijah Zevenbergen is the best accomplished IMCA Sunoco Stock Car driver the tour has seen, winning for the [Read More]

Health care heroes theme for best appearing car contest at Super Nationals

BOONE, Iowa – The health care heroes who have given us their all throughout the Covid-19 pandemic will be celebrated at the upcoming IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Modified and Northern SportMod drivers competing at Boone Speedway during the September dirt track racing spectacular are encouraged to enter cars with the Health Care theme, promoting the contributions made by anyone from individual providers to specific hospitals. “All our lives have been impacted by the pandemic and we owe so much to those who have cared for us, our family and our friends,” said IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. “Super Nationals is our biggest stage and as such the perfect time to thank all in the health care profession.” Along with $250 IMCA.TV broadcasting bonuses, drivers of contest winning cars in each division receive trophies. Speedway Motors gives $100 gift cards to all drivers entering the contest while Sweet Manufacturing gives a steering box to the Modified winner. Required decals must be part of cars’ overall design. Both winners will be announced during the week [Read More]

IMCA Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights Tour opens with three races in three states

VINTON, Iowa – Three nights to remember take the Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights Tour for IMCA Modifieds to three tracks in as many different states. Park Jefferson Speedway in Jefferson, S.D., hosts its first opening night tour event, paying $1,500 to win the Monday, July 20 show. Events on Tuesday, July 21 at Jackson, Minn., Motorplex and Wednesday, July 22 at Buena Vista Raceway in Alta, Iowa, both pay $1,000 to win. All three races are Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying events and will feature top drivers from around the Midwest as well as travelers from around the IMCA Nation. The tour has yet to see a repeat champion through its first 10 seasons. While the Tuesday show will be the first tour event held at Jackson, Dirt Knights traveled to Park Jeff each of the last two years and to Alta eight of the last nine. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Side Biter Chassis North Central Region, KMJ Performance State and series points are awarded at all Dirt Knights Tour events, [Read More]

Southwest Dakota checkers fly for Thornton, Zevenbergen

DICKINSON, N.D. (July 14) – Ricky Thornton Jr. returned to the 31st annual Moritz Sport & Marine Dakota Classic IMCA Modified Tour presented by Bismarck Motor Company feature ranks to claim yet another feature win Tuesday at Southwest Speedway. Starting from the inside of row two, Thornton made quick work of polesitter Ryan Gaylord, claiming the lead early on. A handful of cautions scattered throughout the race did not deter Thornton on his way to the $2,400 checkers. Jake O’Neil, Tripp Gaylord, Jason Wolla and Austin Arneson rounded out the top five. Matt Speckman looked like he had the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature handled but became the victim of circumstance when second running Cole Trickle checked up and caught Speckman in the left rear, sending Speckman up and over and ending both of their nights.The winner in the situation turned out to be tour dominator Elijah Zevenbergen, who took command of the field with 11 to go and only faced a brief challenge from Dalton Flory before motoring to his fourth win of the [Read More]

Mike Hagen collects hometown win, O’Neil charges to Williston checkers

WILLISTON, N.D. (July 13) – A day after forgetting to go to tech after winning his ‘B’ main, Jake O’Neil started 14th in the Moritz Sport & Marine Dakota Classic IMCA Modified Tour presented by Bismarck Motor Company feature at Williston Basin Speedway. What ensued after that was a memorable contest for the Arizona racer. Collen Winebarger started on the pole and jumped out to the lead early. Robert Hellebust, made a move around the outside of Winebarger on lap eight but jumped the cushion, allow Hagen and O’Neil to drive under and set their sights on the leader. Hagen shot around the top side, officially taking the lead on lap 12. Hellebust followed as the top line became the preferred line. O’Neil drove around Hellebust, then ripped around the top lane, catching up to Hagen, who was catching the back of the field. On lap 27, O’Neil got spun by a lap car and got his spot back for the restart. The race ended green, white, checkered and O’Neil had a great restart, motoring [Read More]

Nodak show sees Thornton, Zevenbergen win again

MINOT, N.D. (July 12) – The battle was for second place on night three of the Dakota Classic Modified Tour. Ricky Thornton Jr. started on the pole and stayed in front every time around the Nodak Speedway oval, earning $2,400 for his latest IMCA Modified tour checkers. He was catching up with the back of the field just after midway when the caution came out and took traffic temporarily out of the equation. The top five pulled away after the ensuing restart and while Thornton was lapping cars the final five circuits, Austin Arneson, Jason Wolla, Eddie Belec and Spencer Wilson could not catch the leader and followed him across the stripe on that order. Elijah Zevenbergen ran his streak to three straight IMCA Sunoco Stock Car tour checkers. Chanse Hollatz and Dalton Flory took turns at the point before Zevenbergen gained the lead 10 laps in. Feature Results Modifieds – 1. Ricky Thornton Jr.; 2. Austin Arneson; 3. Jason Wolla; 4. Eddie Belec; 5. Spencer Wilson; 6. Robert Hellebust; 7. John Corell; 8. Billy Kendall [Read More]

Kendall chases O’Neill to Jamestown checkers

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (July 11) – Runner-up Billy Kendall III was the talk of the town Saturday night at Jamestown Speedway. Kendall raced from 10th starting and battled Jeff Taylor and Jacob Bleess before chasing Jake O’Neil to the checkers in round two of the Dakota Classic Tour for IMCA Modifieds. Wheeling a home-built car, Kendall swapped the second with, and then had the former tour champion close behind as he pursued O’Neill. Blees ended in fourth, Kelsie Foley fifth. A lap 16 restart opened the door for Elijah Zevenbergen to continue his winning ways in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car half of the tour. Zevenbergen caught Eric Mahlik on the way to collecting his second straight tour checkers of 2020. Matt Speckman would end in second, Mahlik in third. Feature Results Modifieds – 1. Jake O’Neil; 2. Billy Kendall III; 3. Jeff Taylor; 4. Jacob Bleess; 5. Kelsie Foley; 6. Jason Wolla; 7. Austin Arneson; 8. Alex Stanford; 9. Casey Arneson; 10. Tanner Black; 11. Ricky Thornton Jr.; 12. Collen Winebarger; 13. Eddie Belec; 14. Grey Ferrando; [Read More]

Former champs top Dakota Tour openers

WEST FARGO, N.D. (July 10) – Two former champions were feature winners for the Friday night lidlifter at Red River Valley Speedway. Ricky Thornton Jr., the 2015 Modified and defending Stock Car king, started ninth and motored to the $2,400 IMCA Modified checkers. Already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, Thornton led Tyler Hall, Austin Arneson, Alex Stanford and Jake O’Neil to the finish. And Elijah Zevenbergen began adding to the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car Tour legacy of his own as the five-time tour champion started from the pole and took that $1,000 win ahead of Eric Mahlik. Rob VanMil, Joe Flory and Travis Ulmer were next across the stripe. Feature Results Modifieds – 1. Ricky Thornton Jr.; 2. Tyler Hall; 3. Austin Arneson; 4. Alex Stanford; 5. Jake O’Neil; 6. Tripp Gaylord; 7. Grey Ferrando; 8. Casey Arneson; 9. Justin O’Brien; 10. Billy Kendall III; 11. Jason Wolla; 12. Brad Hartigan; 13. Tanner Black; 14. Allen Kent; 15. Dylan Goplen; 16. John Nord; 17. Cody Laney; 18. John Hansen; 19. Jesse Skalicky; 20. Eddie [Read More]

IMCA extends offset nose compliance deadline to 2021

VINTON, Iowa – IMCA has extended the deadline for Modified and Northern SportMod drivers with offset nosepieces to comply with divisional rules from Aug. 14 to opening night of the 2021 race season. “With the shortened racing season and unanticipated volume of Modifieds and Northern SportMods this impacts, we feel it is in the best interest of our members in these divisions to extend the deadline,” stated IMCA President Brett Root. “These repairs are time consuming and can be costly. Because we do not believe it is a performance enhancing issue, we will extend the deadline and focus on notifying drivers we see competing with these cars.” “We will add wording to the 2021 rules for both divisions so there will be no confusion or doubt where the nosepiece must be and that will be centered on the race car,” he added. Questions can be directed to Executive Director of Competition Dave Brenn.