Feature Archives

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.

2020 Harris Clash is coming to IMCA TV

We are extremely pleased to announce the LEGENDARY Harris Clash has been added to the 2020 IMCA TV schedule. The Harris Clash started in 1992 with Kelly Shryock winning the first event. The race was then held at Webster City, Boone and Harlan, Iowa. In 1996, the Clash was moved to Knoxville. This allowed racers to compete at the famed half-mile on a level playing field, as the Clash was the only Modified race held there every year. The Harris Clash quickly became an IMCA must-win event for all Modified competitors. Kelly Shryock, Bill Davis, Kyle Strickler and Greg Metz are all two-time winners of the Harris Clash in the Modified division. In 2006, the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod division was added and has been a part of the event ever since. 2018 was an especially exciting year for the Harris Clash and featured a new venue as the race moved to Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn. This was the first opportunity for IMCA competitors to turn laps at this prestigious track. The [Read More]

Deming gets IMCA Stock Car job done at Cardinal’s Sheen Memorial

EUNICE, N.M. (July 4) – Colby Deming got the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car win he’s always wanted Saturday night. Deming led all 30 laps of Cardinal Speedway’s Kelly Sheen Memorial Shootout, taking home $1,500 along with the prestigious checkers. “This is a win I’ve wanted since I got in a Stock Car. It nice to finally get it,” said Deming, runner-up in the 2017 race and fifth last year. “I kept my car straight and clean and got the job done.” The win was the third this year for Deming, a two-time track champion at Cardinal now in his 13th season behind the wheel of the Hydrostatic-owned ride. He crossed the stripe ahead of Caleb Stone, fresh off a $1,250 IMCA Modified victory, Don Sheen, Jeremy Bradley and Josh Cain. Stone, the 2018 track champion at Eunice, came within a whisker of duplicating his Modified-Stock Car sweep from the previous weekend at Abilene Speedway. His Cardinal checkers put him on the ballot for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. “We’ve qualified on the pole and come close [Read More]

Marshalltown Speedway primes for July 9 Dale DeFrance Memorial

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa – One of Central Iowa’s best known racing families will be celebrated Thursday at Marshalltown Speedway. Five IMCA divisions are on the card for the third annual Dale DeFrance Memorial on July 9. IMCA Sunoco Late Models run for $2,619 to win that evening in their 500th and final Summer Series event, and DeFrance’s son Darrel will complete his perfect series attendance streak at his hometown track. 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. “The number of individuals and businesses who have contributed to the expanded purses to be paid in each division or given contingency awards for this event is amazing,” commented promoter Toby Kruse. “These are the people who support Marshalltown Speedway, IMCA and IMCA drivers. This event is not possible without them.” Minimum start money is $220 for the Late Models, $200 for the Modifieds, $130 for the Stock Cars, [Read More]

Inaugural California IMCA Modified Speedweek dates announced

By Ben Deatherage MERCED, Calif. – Something exciting is around the bend in the California IMCA Modified scene. Doug Lockwood, promoter at Merced Speedway, has put together the first-ever Modified Speedweek in the State of California. The series will race from Monday, Aug. 10 to Saturday, Aug. 15 at six different racetracks in as many nights. The racing extravaganza will be open to both IMCA Modifieds and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods. Each race will feature a 20-car main event for $1,000 to win and $50 to start for the Modifieds while SportMods will race for $600 to the winner and $40 to start. Modified features are Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying events. Point funds will be up for grabs in both divisions, with $1,000-$400-$200-$100-$100 shares being paid in the Modifieds and $600-$300-$200-$100-$100 shares paid in the SportMods. The whole party kicks off at Placerville Speedway on Aug. 10, before the tour travels west to Petaluma Speedway on Tuesday. Wednesday will be spent at Antioch Speedway while the Thursday date is reserved for Merced Speedway. The series continues its southern [Read More]