Feature Archives

2020 IMCA National Awards banquet canceled

LINCOLN, Neb. – In light of restrictions now in place and uncertainty regarding future Covid-19 guidelines, IMCA officials have announced the difficult decision to cancel the national awards banquet to have been held Nov. 28 in Lincoln, Neb. “This decision needs to be made today and currently, we would be limited to 50 percent capacity, or approximately 300 people, to hold our banquet at the Marriott Cornhusker,” explained IMCA President Brett Root. “The IMCA national banquet draws an annual attendance of nearly 600 IMCA members, families and friends. Limiting the attendance would force IMCA to choose which champions should attend and we are not going to be placed in that situation. Table seating also becomes quite problematic regarding the permitted group size restrictions. Based on the group settings, it’s challenging to seat people with people they do not know. We don’t want to place anyone in a situation they are personally uncomfortable with.” “We can’t predict the future. We have no way of knowing what restrictions will be in place in two months and will [Read More]

Engine auction adds $18,200 to Super Nationals main event purse

BOONE, Iowa – Proceeds from the auction of champions’ engines added another $18,200 to the main event purse paid at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Stock Car champion Donavon Smith’s engine sold for $6,400, so each of the other 29 starters in that event get another $220.69 on top of their purse shares. Northern SportMod champion Johnathon Logue saw his engine gavel at $5,600, translating to $193.11 shares for each of the other 29 drivers in that race. Top bid for the engine that took Nathan Ballard to the Hobby Stock title was $3,300. The other 29 drivers in that race each receive $113.80. Modified champion Ricky Thornton Jr.’s engine sold for $2,900. The other 32 starters in that minimum $1,000 to start race each get an additional $90.63. Thornton, Logue and Ballard all received new crate engines from Karl Kustoms. Smith went home with an engine built by Midstate Machine with parts contributed by IMCA and event sponsors. All auction proceeds are being mailed this week from the IMCA home [Read More]

2020 IMCA point season ends Sunday, Sept. 27

VINTON, Iowa – The 2020 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season ends this Sunday, Sept. 27. Final points races will be held that day for sanctioned Modifieds, Late Models, Sprint Cars, Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks, Northern SportMods, Southern SportMods and Sport Compacts. Bonus points will be figured and national and regional champions and rookies of the year announced as soon as possible. Local track officials have until noon Central Standard Time on Monday, Oct. 26 to notify IMCA of corrections that affect their top 15 point standings before all standings for those divisions become official. Questions about IMCA point totals and standings should be directed to Virginia Lindsey, director of membership and points, at vlindsey@imca.com or by calling 319 472-2201, ext. 215.

Aikey, Carter cash in with IMCA Modified wins at World Nationals

By Joyce Eisele MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (Sept. 18-19) – Jeff Aikey and Cayden Carter were $2,000 IMCA Modified feature winners at Marshalltown Speedway’s 14th annual World Nationals. Aikey made it back-to-back trips to victory lane, following his Thursday night Dale DeFrance Memorial IMCA Late Model victory in the 500th and final Summer Series event. Carter joined Aikey on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot with the Saturday checkers. Aikey drew the pole for Friday’s 25-lap feature and led the entire race to take the win. Carter and Ethan Dotson challenged Aikey several times, but he fended them off. Carter finished second and Dotson took third, followed by Todd Shute and 18th place starter Tim Ward was fifth. J.D. Auringer paced the opening laps on Saturday but Carter quickly moved from his fifth starting position and into the lead. Carter never relinquished that lead, though Tom Berry did his best to reel him in. Berry, Auringer, the 21st starting Dotson and Cody Laney completed the top five. Cayden Carter put his name on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational with his [Read More]

IMCA Summer Series standouts DeFrance, Aikey are celebrated at 500th, final event at Marshalltown

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (Sept. 17) – The two drivers synonymous with IMCA’s Summer Series for Late Models were honored before and at the end of Marshalltown Speedway’s Dale DeFrance Memorial. Darrel DeFrance, Dale’s son, was recognized for his perfect attendance through the series’ 500th and final event. Jeff Aikey won that final feature, leading all but the first three of 44 laps to win for the series-best 71st time. One of, if not the most respected drivers in division history, the Ironman DeFrance received a custom door panel, a stone plaque engraved with pictures of his cars from different eras, and a die cast replica of his father’s race car during pre-race ceremonies. A standing ovation from his hometown fans followed congratulations from IMCA officials and promoter Toby Kruse. “I raced every race I could, trying to win every race I could,” DeFrance said of his streak. The Late Model feature brought the third annual special to a close. Dave Wada led the first two times around the track before Aikey took charge, checking out on the rest [Read More]

Dale DeFrance Memorial, World Nationals at Marshalltown Sept. 17-19

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa – Two of the biggest special events in Central Iowa will be held back-to-back at Marshalltown Speedway with the Dale DeFrance Memorial on Sept. 17 and World Nationals Sept. 18 and 19. Five IMCA divisions are on the card for the rescheduled DeFrance Memorial. IMCA Sunoco Late Models run for $2,619 to win that evening in their 500th and final Summer Series event while top prize for IMCA Modifieds is $1,125 in a Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying feature. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars race for $650 to win, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods for $575 and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks for $400. There is no entry fee for the draw/redraw show. Grandstand admission is $15 for adults and free for kids 10 and under. Pit passes will be $30. The pit gate opens at 5:15 p.m. and the front gate opens at 5:30 p.m. Hot laps are at 6:50 p.m. with racing at 7:30 p.m. Modifieds chase $2,000 top checks and All-Star ballot berths while Stock Cars and Northern SportMods run for $1,000 to win [Read More]

Days don’t get better than this: Logue sweeps RoC, Super Nationals SportMod main event

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 13) – When Johnathon Logue woke up Sunday morning, his first thought was that it was going to be a good day. He just had no idea how good. Logue won the BSB Manufacturing Race of Champions for the first time, then won his career third IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s Northern SportMod championship. “When I woke up, I was thinking it was going to be a good day. There was no rain in the forecast so maybe we would be able to get some racing in,” he said. Logue led 35 of the 42 laps he’d run Sunday at Boone Speedway, the last eight in the RoC and the last 27 of the 30-lap main event. He was inches ahead of Brett Berry when the fourth lap was scored in the main. He pulled away from the field following each of five restarts, getting a lapped car ahead of Cody Thompson before winning by half a straightaway. “The track transitioned very quickly. Brett beat me on the start [Read More]

A win for the Super Nationals record book as Thornton ends week with Modified crown

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 13) – Ricky Thornton Jr.’s race to the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s record book began on Monday and ended Sunday, with another visit to victory lane in between. Thornton became the first driver in the 38-year history of dirt track racing’s biggest event to win two championships at the same Super Nationals, the Late Model feature on Labor Day and the Modified feature on Sunday at Boone Speedway. He passed Cody Laney in lapped traffic on the 24th of 40 laps, then checked out on the way to the $7,000 win in the final event of the week. “This track really suits my driving style and we’ve been very successful here. We work hard and our equipment is always well prepared,” said Thornton, also winner of Saturday’s Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. “I flipped in my (Wednesday) Stock Car heat and that was really the only bad luck we had all week.” Defending champion Ethan Dotson led the first two laps before giving way to fellow Californian Laney. The only [Read More]

First-time champion Ballard impressive in Super Nationals Hobby Stock title run

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 13) – Nathan Ballard was impressed by the competition when he won his qualifying feature to make the Hobby Stock main event at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Then he impressed everyone at Boone Speedway by leading all 30 laps of Sunday’s $2,000 to win main event. The Super Nationals crown was Ballard’s career first and came after a season that had seen him make just 18 weekly starts. “It’s kind of hard to believe. To win an ‘A’ main and get into the dance, you have to race against so many good drivers,” he said, pointing out that the competition got even better in the main event. Ballard was chased early by defending champion Dylan Nelson. The green flag stayed out the last 24 of 30 laps and Ballard eased away from all challengers, leaving Nelson, two-time champ Jason Wilkinson and Jeff Ware to fight for second behind him The three ran in that order before Ware eked ahead for third on the last lap. “I wanted [Read More]

Improbable, unlikely, incredible! Donavon Smith is Stock Car king

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 13) – Donavon Smith had the best seat in the house to watch as the improbable became the incredible Sunday afternoon at Boone Speedway. A last-chance qualifier earlier in the day, Smith raced from 25th starting to take the lead with two laps left in the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s Stock Car main event. When those two laps were complete, Smith had a career-best $5,000 payday and career third Super Nationals championship to show for his day’s work behind the wheel. “We had showed up Sunday morning just hoping to make the main event. I had a streak going (a division record 13 consecutive Super Nationals starts) and that was really our only goal. It really weighed heavy on us,” Smith said. “After the last chance race, I was probably as laid back as I ever was.” After a Super Nationals record 207 cars vied for the 30 starting spots, Jared Siefert led much of the way, chased by Jesse Sobbing while Jeff Mueller and Ricky Thornton Jr. duked [Read More]