Feature Archives

IMCA adapts point structure, track title bonuses to unique 2020 race season

VINTON, Iowa – IMCA will respond to the challenges of a unique race season with one-year adaptations to national and regional point structures, as well as the awarding of track championship bonus points. National standings for all eight IMCA divisions, as well as regional Modified, Stock Car and Hobby Stock standings will be based on drivers’ best 20 finishes out of their first 40 home region starts. Championships earned at tracks scheduling and holding a minimum of six weekly events will be worth as many as 15 bonus points; bonus points will be pro-rated at tracks holding four or five of six scheduled events. “The changes we are making for the current point season were made necessary by the pandemic and cancellation of approximately two months of racing,” explained IMCA President Brett Root. “These changes are in the best interest of our members and sanctioned tracks.” “We have no intention of reducing national or regional point funds, or the contingency award programs in place at this time,” he continued. Modified, Stock Car, Hobby Stock, Northern [Read More]

Lucky and good, Winebarger sweeps holiday weekend IMCA Modified features at Antioch

ANTIOCH, Calif. (May 23-24) – A driver who says he’d rather be lucky than good was both Sunday at Antioch Speedway. Collen Winebarger three-wheeled his way to the $2,200 IMCA Modified checkers, completing a sweep of the Covid 19 special/George Steitz Memorial despite a tie rod broken in an early-race dustup with an infield tire. “I was super embarrassed because I thought I’d given it away. I was lucky that was all that broke,” said Winebarger, from Oregon and making just his career second visit to the California speedplant. “I had no steering on the left side at all but was fortunate the yellows that came out late got lapped traffic out of the way.” He’d started from the pole and got too close to that tire about seven circuits in. Ryan Porter, Darrell Hughes, Troy Foulger and Trevor Fitz-Gibbon rounded out the top five. There were fewer anxious moments before Winebarger put his name on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot with Saturday’s $1,000 win. He started fourth and was in the lead before [Read More]

IMCA extends rookie of the year eligibility to 2021

VINTON, Iowa – First-year competitors in all IMCA divisions will have a second year to run for national and regional rookie of the year honors. With the exception of drivers winning national and/or regional rookie honors in 2020, drivers eligible to compete for those titles will be eligible to do so again in 2021. The reason, of course, is COVID-19 and the resulting interruption or delays in racing at the local level at tracks nationwide and in Canada. Previously, drivers could make no more than four career sanctioned starts during the point season(s) in any division before losing rookie status. “We have done our best to find a solution that is fair to all rookie drivers,” explained IMCA President Brett Root. “While a number of rookies have been able to race more often in Western and Southern states, many of those in the Northern and particularly Eastern parts of the country have yet to get on the track.” “Situations are different in every state and that affects when and how tracks can open,” he continued. [Read More]

May IMCA Dirt Knights Tour dates postponed

VINTON, Iowa – The three May dates for the Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights Tour for IMCA Modifieds have been postponed. What was to have been opening night on May 7 at Marshalltown Speedway will now be held Tuesday, June 9 during the Dale DeFrance Memorial. The Dirt Knights Tour event at Stuart Speedway on May 20 has been postponed but opening night IMCA racing is still on the schedule that evening. The traditional Memorial Day event at Vinton has also been postponed but Benton County Speedway will still open its season Sunday, May 24 with the first $1,000 to win Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier this year in Iowa. New Stuart and Vinton dates are to be announced. Promoters at both tracks cited restrictions on fans attending in the grandstand in their decisions to reschedule. All Dirt Knights Tour events will be broadcast by Speed Shift TV.

IMCA This Week: Essential Events update added to website

VINTON, Iowa – With more tracks across the country announcing plans for the 2020 season, the IMCA This Week: Essential Events listing of those weekly and special races has been posted here: https://www.imca.com/2020/05/14/imca-this-week-essential-events/ Track officials are asked to contact Executive Secretary Ryan Clark at rclark@imca.com or 319 472-2201 with those updates. Drivers are reminded to contact track officials (that information is available by visiting https://www.imca.com/view/trackdirectorymap/) before traveling to confirm events are still on as originally scheduled and which divisions are scheduled to compete; and to be sure to check back as additions are made on a regular basis. “It’s important that our drivers have access to information about upcoming events,” said IMCA President Brett Root, “and we will continue to update IMCA This Week: Essential Events as long as necessary.”

Sprint Series of Nebraska, Fast Shafts qualifier for IMCA Modifieds on Friday ticket at US 36 Raceway

OSBORN, Mo. – This Friday, May 15, U.S. 36 Raceway welcomes the Sprint Series of Nebraska for its first appearance of 2020. U.S. 36 has also added a $1,000 to win, Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying IMCA Modified show to the night’s events. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars are also racing. U.S. 36 Raceway officials are monitoring the weather forecast and will keep teams and fans updated on the status of the event. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. with the grandstands opening at 6 p.m. Hot laps are at 7:30 and the first race hits the track at 8 p.m. Tickets for the event are $20 for general admission, $18 for senior and military and children 12 and younger are free. Social distancing guidelines remain in effect at U.S. 36 Raceway.

IMCA addresses awarding of points despite participation restrictions

VINTON, Iowa – IMCA points will be awarded at sanctioned events with limits on entry numbers beginning this weekend. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional, state and track points will be given at those events as of May 15. “We are seeing more tracks with restrictions placed on them on state and local levels regarding their number of participants,” explained IMCA President Brett Root. “We have always had an unwritten policy against awarding points at events that limited entries, especially at track championship nights late in the point season when drivers were still competing for state, regional and national titles.” “This is a season like none of us have experienced, however,” he continued. “We will give track, state, regional and national points for races held beginning this Friday regardless of any restrictions placed on the number of participants.” That policy will likely remain in place through the end of the point season this fall. Tracks can indicate which points (national regional and state, or all points) are to be given when submitting race result [Read More]

Roth sweeps Spring Nationals with twin $1,000 IMCA Modified feature wins

JEFFERSON, S.D. (May 8-9) – Anthony Roth brought the broom to Park Jefferson Speedway, sweeping $1,000 to win Spring Nationals features for IMCA Modifieds on May 8 and 9. The 2019 Nebraska State champion and already a Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational candidate, Roth started from the pole and rumbled away to the opening night win after holding off challenges from track regular Chris Abelson and Colorado invader Ricky Alvarado. Front row starters Jesse Skalicky and Daniel Gottschalk got things off to a roaring start on Saturday, sliding and shooting for the lead while Shane DeMey joined the fray. Roth then threw a go for broke slide in turn three entering in the fourth position and exited in first. It was a position he would not relinquish. DeMey was second and hard-charging Tyler Frye was third. Shane Stutzman outran hard-charging rookie Justin Luinenburg and Taylor Williams for the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car win on Friday. Luinenburg, a former Hobby Stock national champion, held off Travis Barker and Elijah Zevenbergen in winning the Saturday show. Another Minnesota [Read More]

Sobbing, Drueke, Baumli, Stallbaumer win U.S. 36 Raceway openers

By Jacob Blair OSBORN, Mo. (May 8) – After a long wait for racing to return to the high banks of U.S. 36 Raceway, more than 100 IMCA entries hit the track on opening night Friday, May 8. In the IMCA Modifieds, Kelsie Foley, out of Tucson, Ariz., led the first half of the feature. Jesse Sobbing lurked behind as he methodically worked his way through the field. Using the high line, Sobbing worked around Foley and led the remaining laps to win the opening Modified race of 2020. Chad Andersen charged from a ‘B’ feature and 15th place starting position to finish second, with Foley third. Tyler Drueke dominated the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car feature, leading every lap and cruising to Westfall GMC Victory Lane. Stuart Snyder finished second, with Cincinnati, Ohio driver Saben Bibent in the third spot. J.J. Baumli made quick work of the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car field, jumping to the early lead out of the fourth starting position. Mike Albertsen ran second most of the feature but never could run down [Read More]

IMCA home office re-opens

VINTON, Iowa (May 11) – The IMCA home office re-opened today with all employees returning to regular duties. Regular hours will be 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. “While we are open to individuals purchasing 2020 competitor’s licenses, necessary safety practices are in place for those entering or visiting our office. Most licenses are sold online and we encourage drivers to continue doing that,” noted IMCA President Brett Root. “More tracks are beginning to open or have announced their plans to do so and we look forward to the steady return of racing across the country.”