Feature Archives

Thornton goes 3-for-4 with latest Race For Hope win

BATESVILLE, Ark. (Oct. 11) – New car? No problem. Thornton topped the $12,000 to win Race For Hope 71 feature for IMCA Modifieds at Batesville Motor Speedway. Sunday’s checkered flag run was his second straight and third in the four years the event has been held. “It’s awesome to be able to win this race three out of four years. This was definitely one of our biggest wins,” said Thornton, who led start to finish in the 71-lapper. “We brought a new car (a Lethal Chassis), went back to our notes and didn’t have to change a thing all week.” Already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, Thornton set fast time to start the week and never slowed down. After rain postponed the main event from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon, he weathered a handful of cautions before and after the mandatory fuel stop on lap 40. The final yellow came with three laps left. Jake O’Neil pulled to Thornton’s back bumper before chasing him to the checkers. “This year we were really good [Read More]

Bowers repeats run to Missouri IMCA Nationals crown

By Jacob Blair OSBORN, Mo. (Oct. 10) – The second annual IMCA Missouri Nationals at US 36 Raceway crowned one back-to-back champion and three first-time event winners. Steven Bowers Jr. repeated as the IMCA Modified winner while Trevor Grossenbacher, Mike Nichols and Adam Vrbka prevailed in IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod main events, respectively. The 30-lap IMCA Modified main event was led early by Josh Munsen before Chad Andersen made the move to the front. Andersen set the pace for the first half of the race. While he controlled the field, however, all eyes were on Bowers as he charged through the field. After Saturday night trouble, Bowers had to come from 11th starting and methodically worked through the field. At halfway, Andersen began to fade while Bowers continued to find more speed. Once Bowers got to second, Andersen didn’t have much left to fend him off. Bowers took off to dominate the final 10 laps and make the trip to Westfall GMC Victory Lane. The back-to-back wins [Read More]

Aftermarket transmission option approved for IMCA Stock Cars in 2021

VINTON, Iowa – IMCA Sunoco Stock Car drivers see a rule already familiar to Modified racers go into effect beginning next year. IMCA aftermarket transmissions with an aluminum case and internal clutch will be legal for use at sanctioned Stock Car events beginning Jan. 1, 2021. The current approved aftermarket transmission list includes: * Falcon p/n 60100; * Bert p/n LMZ and Generation II models 1300 and 1400; * Brinn p/n 70001 and Brinn Predator p/n 70600 (new addition);   * Mitchell Machine Bullet Internal Clutch;   * and RaceGator p/n 140002.   These are aluminum case transmissions and the transmission rule specifically states No ball-spline transmissions. The use of any other aftermarket transmission, including magnesium case or ball-spline is not legal.  Transmissions may not have any type of coatings or paint. “The Stock Car division has been one of our most popular and talked about divisions and we continue to see it expand with new sanctions where the Modified division is already established,” explained IMCA President Brett Root. “As supply and demand issues continue to present [Read More]

Berry headlines IMCA national championship class of 2020

VINTON, Iowa – Tom Berry promised to run hard in 2020 following a breakout season last year. He delivered on that promise, winning 21 features and earning his first IMCA Modified national championship. The Oregon native had raced out of North Dakota en route to his first Side Biter Chassis North Central Region crown in 2019. After relocating to Des Moines this spring, he repeated as regional champion, earning Marshalltown Speedway and Stuart Speedway titles as well as KMJ Performance Iowa State honors. “Last year we had 12 wins and thought ‘Holy cow, that’s unbelievable.’ To get 20-plus wins this year is unreal,” said Berry. “With the level of competition and the tracks I race at, it’s not that often you can do that, especially in a shortened season.” “We were very fortunate. Once we got that first win (on June 5 at Marshalltown) things started to change for us and we had like eight wins in our next 13 or 14 starts,” continued the Brodehl Trucking-backed driver. “That’s when we decided to run for [Read More]

Bowers is at his best for biggest IMCA win

HAYS, Kan. (Oct. 2-3) – Already a regular visitor to victory lane at RPM Speedway, Steven Bowers Jr. parked there again Saturday night after the biggest win of his IMCA Modified career. Bowers caught and passed long-time race leader Tom Berry for the $5,000 Fall Nationals feature win, adding another exclamation point to what has already been an amazing season. “This was pretty exciting, after the season we’ve had. I’m almost speechless,” Bowers said. “Running with Tom Berry, who is my closest friend, and battling with him for $5,000 was an honor.” While Tripp Gaylord and Bowers started on the front row, Berry – who’d drawn for the tardy Bowers – quickly charged from the fourth row to take control. After an early caution, the 40-lapper ran green to the finish. Bowers caught] up with and chased Berry into traffic, the two touched briefly and then Bowers edged ahead. “I reeled him in with five to go and passed him with three to go,” said Bowers, who pilots a homebuilt SB Chassis. “I had to [Read More]

Batesville’s IMCA Modified Race For Hope boasts $12,000 payday

BATESVILLE, Ark. – One of the biggest races on the IMCA Modified calendar will benefit two area non-profit organizations this season. Batesville Motor Speedway’s fourth annual Race For Hope 71 is Oct. 6-10, with $12,000 paid to win and a minimum of $1,500 to start the main event. The Saturday night main event is a qualifier for the 2021 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Top two finishers in each heat on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday advance to qualifying features that send the top 10 finishers to the inside, middle and outside rows, respectively, of Saturday’s 30-car starting grid. Drivers who don’t advance to the nightly feature earn points in one of four (B-C-D-E) non-qualifier races. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Racing starts at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; sponsor awards will be presented and drivers introduced beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, with the race program to follow. The 71-lap feature will be halted for a fuel stop on lap 40 Spectator admission [Read More]

Tiny Lund wins different kinds of IMCA firsts for Shryock, Van Horn

HARLAN, Iowa (Sept. 25-26) – Kelly Shryock’s Saturday IMCA Modified win was his first ever at Shelby County Speedway’s Tiny Lund Memorial. Dusty Van Horn’s IMCA Sunoco Stock Car win the same night was his first-ever in the division. Shryock, already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, started on the pole, then had to get the lead back from Jacob Hobscheidt before collecting the $1,528 checkers. “He’s “He’s pretty fast. Lucky for me and unlucky for him, a lapped car kind of got him out of shape,” Shryock said. Anthony Roth ended in second, Chris Mills in third. While Shryock has won his share and then some of IMCA’s biggest events, races like the Tiny Lund stand out. “It’s really cool to add my list to the names of the drivers who have won this event,” he said. “The Tiny Lund is a huge event and any time you can win a memorial race it’s special. Memorial races have a special place in my heart.” Van Horn shared similar sentiments, after a late-race pass [Read More]

Baca, Hibdon, Rosevear take top checks at Cocopah

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Sept. 25-26) – Two of the young guns in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region raced to notable $1,000 IMCA Modified feature wins at Cocopah Speedway’s season-ending Mike Corning Memorial. Chaz Baca doubled his 2019 win total on opening night, collecting his 16th checkers of the season. Kollin Hibdon, racing closer to home after a summer spent in the Midwest, won for the sixth occasion in his second full season in the division. Already on the Fast Shafts Al-Star Invitational ballot, Baca started the Friday feature from the pole and led all 22 laps en route to career win number 49. He caught up with the back of the field twice before cautions cleared the way. Hibdon was second and Ryan Roath third. On Saturday, Hibdon worked his way to the front from fifth starting to put his name on the 2021 All-Star ballot before the 2020 season ended. “There was a lot of lapped traffic but we were able to get through it and hold everybody off,” he said. Baca was second, Russell [Read More]

Grabouski is 3-for-4 at Mid-America Clash

SALINA, Kan. (Sept. 25-26) – A driver who had a lot of good nights in 2019 had two more of them to end 2020. Jordan Grabouski swept Friday and Saturday IMCA Modified features at Salina Speedway’s Mid-America Clash, won the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature on Friday and then ran second to Elijah Zevenbergen in the Saturday show. The defending national champion in both divisions, Grabouski has followed a more limited schedule this year. Some tinkering before hitting the track helped bring back some of that last season’s magic. “We had a couple pretty good nights there with the Modified. I’ll take them,” Grabouski said following the $1,550 and $1,500 to win Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifiers. “We have struggled a little bit so we tried some different things setup wise. We were good when we unloaded and better on the track.” Clay Money and Shane Hiatt chased Grabouski across the stripe on Friday. Jordy Nelson was second and Josh Vogt third on Saturday. Grabouski also earned $1,550 for his opening night Stock Car [Read More]

Who’s who in California IMCA racing at Ocean as Hogge wins career fifth Pettit

WATSONVILLE, Iowa (Sept. 25-26) – Bobby Hogge IV stood in victory lane at Ocean Speedway after the IMCA Modified finish that had everybody talking. Hogge chased race-long leader Troy Foulger, then made his last-lap move to the front on the higher line for the $3,006 checkers on night two of the Pettit Shootout at Watsonville. The Pettit win was Hogge’s fifth in the 10 years the special, one of the premier events in IMCA’s Shaw Race Cars Western Region, has been held. “Any time you get a win it’s special and we had almost the whole who’s who in California racing was here this weekend,” the Salinas veteran said, noting the 60-plus IMCA Modifieds and 50-plus Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods entered in the season-ending special. “Ocean is my home track. It’s 25 miles from my doorstep and I’ve raced with the Pettit family for a long time.” Foulger had led the first 32 laps after starting outside pole. Robby Sawyer raced his way from 10th starting to second while Hogge made his way ahead from seventh. [Read More]