Feature Archives

Callahan, Carter collect Drive For Five qualifier wins at Lee County

By Brian Neal DONNELLSON, Iowa (April 30) – Joel Callahan and Cayden Carter took home $1,000 checks from Lee County Speedway’s first Drive For Five qualifier of the season Friday night. Callahan and Ben Seemann drew front row starts for the IMCA Sunoco Late Model 25-lapper and it was Callahan jumping into the lead on lap one over Seemann and Matt Strassheim. While Seemann tried to stay in Callahan’s tire tracks, the rest of the field was racing all over for positions behind them. Callahan’s fast pace put him into lapped traffic on lap 14 and this allowed Seemann to close in. Callahan was able to maneuver the lapped traffic without any problems however and pulled away over the later part of the caution-free race to score the top prize. Seemann finished second, Logan Duffy was third and Tommy Elston was fourth, with Strassheim fifth. Already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, Carter and Jeff Waterman drew the front row for the IMCA Modified main with Carter leading Ethan Braaksma and Waterman early on. A [Read More]

Reichenbach, Nation open California IMCA Speedweek with Bakersfield wins

By Ben Deatherage BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (April 30) – Clint Reichenbach and Jason Nation dazzled in their respective features as the California IMCA Speedweek presented by Hoppes Motorsports opened Friday at Bakersfield Speedway. Reichenbach parlayed his outside front row starting spot into the $1,000, Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying feature win while Nation won the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod main event and $750 from the fifth starting spot. Forty-two Modifieds and 37 Northern SportMods saw action in the tour lidlifter. Reichenbach bolted into the front at the start and just a single caution waved during the Modified headliner, which meant for a long green-flag run. Lapped traffic did come into play but was not a major obstacle for Reichenbach, who nonetheless was pressured by hard-charging Ethan Dotson toward the end of the race. Reichenbach pulled away in the final laps to earn his first win of 2021 ahead of Dotson and Jake Pike. Jerry Flippo grabbed fourth with Cody Laney, via transferring out of a “B,” ending in fifth. Tanner Thomas managed to beat [Read More]

IMCA sets maximum rear tail height for Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks

VINTON, Iowa – IMCA has announced that maximum rear tail heights for Stock Cars will be set at 42 inches and at 40 inches for Hobby Stocks. The rule goes into effect on June 1. Height measurements will be enforced across the top of the rear tailpiece in both divisions. “The rear tailpiece mounting rule, along with the rule that doesn’t permit any rear bumper bars to be lower than the tailpiece, has always controlled this issue,” said IMCA President Brett Root. “The height of aftermarket tailpieces has always been in the 20-23 inch range and we do not permit additional plastic to be mounted to the bottom of the tailpiece. All of these issues control the rear trunk height. However, creative personal interpretation and ignoring some of these rules in combination with adjustable body mounts has forced IMCA to publish a dimension that all cars will be required to follow.” “Due to the different body makes and models IMCA permits in the Stock Car division, 42 inches is plenty of rear tail height in that [Read More]

Expanded California IMCA Speedweek primed for eight race dates

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – West Coast fans who called for an encore after the inaugural California IMCA Speedweek can mark April 30-May 8 on their race calendar. The second annual tour, presented by Hoppes Motorsports, expands to feature eight dates at as many different tracks for IMCA Modifieds and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods. Modified main events pay $1,000 to win and a minimum of $100 to start and are qualifying races for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot; SportMod mains pay $750 to win and a minimum of $75 to take the green. Opening night is Friday, April 30 at Bakersfield Speedway. Speedweek travels to Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare on Saturday, May 1; Kings Speedway in Hanford on Sunday, May 2; and Merced Speedway on Monday, May 3 before a travel day. The second half of the tour sees dates Wednesday, May 5 at Antioch Speedway; Thursday, May 6 at Petaluma Speedway; and Friday, May 7 at Placerville Speedway, with the Saturday, May 8 finale at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. Point funds will be paid to [Read More]

Long distance chat with dad follows Blixt’s first IMCA Modified Wild West Tour victory

BATTLE MOUNTAIN, Nev. (April 16-17) – Like he does after every race, Cody Blixt had a chat with crew chief and father Kelly Saturday night at Battle Mountain Raceway. What was different this time is that Cody had just won his first IMCA Modified Pitt Stop Motorsports Wild West Tour feature, while his dad was in Kuwait, recently deployed with the National Guard. “We FaceTimed after I went through tech,” explained Blixt, the first Montana driver to win a Wild West Tour event and new to the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot after taking the $1,000 checkers. “He watched on IMCA.TV and was thrilled that I won. He told me how well I drove.” After a 10th place finish Friday night, Blixt drew the pole on night two and led start to finish. “It was 25 laps but it felt like the longest race ever,” said Blixt, chased by Bert Beech and opening night winner Chaz Baca. ”Last year I raced a lot of specials and ran almost 50 nights. The Wild West Tour win is [Read More]

Stock Cars added to IMCA Manufacturers’ Cup contest

VINTON, Iowa – Another chassis building champion will be crowned in 2021 as the IMCA Manufacturers’ Cup contest expands to include Stock Cars. Top Modified builders will be recognized based on both national and regional point standings for a 13th consecutive year. Inaugural Stock Car awards will also be determined on the same basis. “The continued growth of our Stock Car division warrants a Manufacturers’ Cup competition of its own,” said IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. “We will sanction weekly racing and special events for Stock Cars at nearly 90 tracks in 18 states and Canada this season, making chassis builders for those competitors deserving of cup recognition as well.” Chassis builders interested in being part of the Manufacturers’ Cup can contact Yoder at 319 472-2201 or by email at kyoder@imca.com.

IMCA.TV Weekly Racing bonuses added to track point fund checks

VINTON, Iowa – IMCA drivers who compete at tracks hosting events broadcast by IMCA.TV or any of its affiliates will see increased track point fund checks this fall. Twenty-five percent of all revenue generated by monthly IMCA.TV replay subscriptions will be added to 2021 point funds paid at those tracks. IMCA.TV Weekly Racing bonuses will be included in track point fund shares presented during the national awards banquet or mailed beginning the following week. “This bonus program is designed to support and reward the IMCA racer,” said IMCA President Brett Root. “We are able to do this because of our direct involvement with IMCA.TV,” he explained “We are able to allocate revenue in a way that other broadcasters can’t and the ultimate winners are the IMCA racers.” While IMCA.TV continues to build its network of affiliates, expansion of in-house production will further benefit drivers competing at sanctioned events and promoters of tracks that host them. IMCA.TV broadcasts provided approximately $20,000 in bonus money to competitors at the 2020 IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s [Read More]

MAVTV Super Nationals highlights air April 22, 29

BOONE, Iowa – IMCA fans and drivers alike will enjoy highlights from the largest event in all of dirt track racing, from the comfort of their favorite recliner in the living room or the race car shop Thursdays April 22 and 29. MAVTV broadcasts both evenings feature Modified action from the 38th annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Voiced by Ralph Sheheen and Jerry Vansickel, each hour-long show begins at 7 p.m. EST with footage from IMCA.TV shot during the week at Boone Speedway. MAVTV air dates for Thursday Night Speed Sport segments focused on Super Nationals Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks and Northern SportMods are to be announced.

Sproul capitalizes, collects $1,000 checkers in headliner at IMCA Havoc on the Hi-Plains

COLBY, Kan. (April 8-9) – Another Thomas County Speedway special ended with Dakota Sproul in victory lane. Sproul paced the Jeff Hartwell Memorial last August en route to earning IMCA Modified national and Jet Racing Central Region rookie of the year honors. He was the winner at Colby again Saturday night, scoring the night two $1,000 Havoc on the Hi-Plains checkers after leader Clay Sellers got caught up with a lapped car near midway. Sproul had started fifth. “We had been fast on opening night and went from ninth to third. The car was really good all weekend,” he said. “The track was pretty good around the bottom. I stayed there and was able to hold my own. It was a good race.” Kyle Rohleder and Tanner Black were next across the stripe. Daniel Gottschalk and Clay Money, the 2019 and 2020 track champions at Thomas County, respectively, were the top two in Friday’s $500 to win Modified feature. Jason Rogers raced from 12th starting to win his IMCA Sunoco Stock Car career 100th feature on Friday. [Read More]

Rogers is first from Kansas to get 100th IMCA Stock Car win

SELDEN, Kan. – They broke out the congratulatory banner and the bubbly Friday for Jason Rogers. Rogers won his 100th career IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature on April 9, opening night of the Havoc on the Hi-Plains at Thomas County Speedway. The Selden, Kan., driver started that race 12th and beat rookie Tathan Burkhart to the checkers by not much more than the width of his bumper. “I had a fast car. I knew the cautions needed to fall and they did,” said Rogers. “This was a big weight off my shoulders. Getting my 100th win was a goal of mine, especially after last year. If it could break last year, it broke.” After winning just twice in all of 2020, Rogers won his first two starts of 2021 to reach the 100 career mark. He’s the 27th driver in division history, and the first from Kansas, to join the Century Wins Club. Rogers caught the dirt track bug helping and watching friend Nate Schaben’s father Lennie race an IMCA Modified. He enjoyed a brief and successful career in [Read More]