Feature Archives

Braaksma is first at Fairmont for third IMCA Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights win

FAIRMONT, Minn. (Aug. 5) – Ethan Braaksma’s first visit to Fairmont Raceway ended with his third Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights Tour for IMCA Modifieds feature win of the summer. Braaksma started outside the front row and led all 25 laps Wednesday on the fast half-mile oval, earning $1,000 for his efforts. “I had a good car tonight and hit some good, consistent laps,” he said. “We haven’t changed much on the car this year and kind of went with what we’ve been doing. I don’t have a lot of experience on half miles and thought we did a good job making adjustments from our heat to the feature.” After an early caution, the Bob Shryock Memorial headliner ran green another 17 straight laps. Braaksma led by more than four seconds and was catching up with the back of the field when home track heavyweight and 12th starting Brandon Beckendorf passed Todd Stinehart for second, just before midway. Beckendorf made up ground in a hurry as the front pair ran in heavy traffic. Braaksma’s challengers got [Read More]

Dotson, Thompson are IMCA Harris Clash winners on record-setting night at Deer Creek

SPRING VALLEY, Minn. (Aug. 4) – Ethan Dotson had raced his way into the record book with his first Harris Clash victory. He joined a select group of IMCA Modified drivers with his second on Tuesday night at Deer Creek Speedway. With total entries at a record 155 for the 29th annual Clash, Dotson became just the sixth driver to win one of IMCA’s most prestigious events twice, leading all 30 laps and holding off defending race winner Austin Arneson in the process. “I don’t know what else is more fun,” said Dotson, chased much of the distance by Jeff Aikey and 2018 Clash winner Cayden Carter. “It was an awesome track and we got lucky starting where we did.” The Californian drew the pole and set a blistering pace over the first half of the race, halted by the first caution on lap 17. Dotson continued to make the most of the fast higher line in the race to the checkers as Aikey and then Carter ran in second. Arneson had started ninth and moved [Read More]

Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights return to Fairmont for another Minnesota show

FAIRMONT, Minn. – A Minnesota track that made Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights Tour history last summer welcomes traveling IMCA Modifieds back on Wednesday night. Fairmont Raceway became the first speedplant in the North Star State to host the IMCA tour in August of 2019. The Dirt Knights will be back in town on Aug. 5, running for $1,000 to win the Bob Shryock Memorial headliner. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5 p.m. Hot laps are at 7 p.m. with racing to follow for the 98th event in the tour’s 10-plus seasons. One thousand dollars is also the top prize when the tour is at Kossuth County Speedway in Algona, Iowa, for the Thursday, Aug. 6 Denny Hovenga Memorial Pit gates and the grandstand open at 5:30 p.m., with 7 p.m. hot laps to precede racing. Six previous Dirt Knights events have been held at Algona since 2011. Modified features at Fairmont and Algona are qualifying events for the 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Also running each night are [Read More]

Clay County Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights IMCA Modified checkers fly for Abelson

SPENCER, Iowa (Aug. 3) – The top side of the big Clay County Fair Speedway oval took Chris Abelson to victory lane in Monday’s Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights Tour IMCA Modified main event. Forty entries from nine different states vied in the fourth round of the 2020 tour and after Tanner Black led the first two laps, Abelson took charge on the high groove. Kelly Shryock made a charge of his own from 11th starting but ran out of laps and ended in second. “The cushion kept getting closer and closer to the wall. You had to negotiate it just right,” Abelson said. “He’s (Shryock) a tough competitor and always one to look for.” Abelson had started fourth and quickly drove past Brandon Beckendorf, Nick Meyer and Black to take over the front spot. Cautions on laps six and 10 brought the field back together briefly before Abelson was pulling away. Jesse Rogotzke worked his way to third late in the 25-lapper, Nick Meyer was fourth and tour point leader Ethan Braaksma was fifth. Meyer [Read More]

Park Jefferson’s rich Iron Cup pays $7,000 to IMCA Modified winner

JEFFERSON, S.D. – Seven thousand dollars is the top prize at the richest IMCA Modified race in South Dakota, Park Jefferson Speedway’s seventh annual Iron Cup special Friday and Saturday, Aug. 7 and 8. Qualifying starts on opening night with the 2021 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying main event set for night two. A race of states is also on the Friday program, with one Modified driver from each state represented at Park Jefferson selected by random draw to compete in a $500 to win event. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars race for $1,000 to win both nights. IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks race for $400 to win, Mach-1 Sport Compacts for $150 to win on Friday. Saturday’s card includes a $700 to win feature for IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars while Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods race for $400 to win. Modified entry fee is $150 if paid by Aug. 1 or $200 on race day. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional and KMJ Performance state points will be given at the draw/redraw show. Gates open [Read More]

29th annual IMCA Harris Clash Aug. 4 at Deer Creek

SPRING VALLEY, Minn. – IMCA Modifieds and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods return to Deer Creek Speedway for the legendary Harris Clash on Tuesday, Aug. 4. The 29th annual event will be broadcast by IMCA.TV. Modifieds run for $3,000 to win, plus a $500 bonus if their chassis was built by a Manufacturers’ Cup participant, as well as a spot on the 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Northern SportMods race for a top prize of $1,200. Drivers can pre-enter at the www.harrisclash.com website. Pre-entry is now $75 for Modifieds and $50 for SportMods. Entry after July 31 is $100 for Modifieds and $75 for Northern SportMods. More information is available on the www.harrisclash.com and www.deercreekspeedway.com websites, and by calling event promoter Bob Harris at 515 292-9200. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National and KMJ Performance Minnesota State points will be awarded in both divisions; Modifieds also earn Side Biter Chassis North Central Region points. Pit gates at Spring Valley open at 3 p.m. Hot laps are at 6 p.m. with racing at 7 p.m. Spectator admission is $20 for adults and $5 [Read More]

IMCA Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights start busy week at Clay County

SPENCER, Iowa – Three races over the course of four nights are next for IMCA Modifieds following the Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights Tour, starting Monday at Clay County Fair Speedway. The Aug. 3 show at Spencer boasts a $1,000 to win, 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying feature. Pit gates and the grandstand open at 5 p.m. Hot laps are at 7 p.m. with racing to follow for the 97th event in the tour’s 10-plus seasons. Fairmont Raceway’s Aug. 5 Bob Shryock Memorial and Kossuth County Speedway’s Aug. 6 Denny Hovenga Memorial are headlined by $1,000 to win, All-Star ballot qualifiers as well. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts complete Monday, Wednesday and Thursday night cards. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and racing follows 7 p.m. hot laps at Fairmont. Algona opens the gates at 5:30 p.m. and also hot laps at 7 p.m. All Dirt Knights events are broadcast by Speed Shift TV. Point leader Ethan Braaksma of Newton won the first [Read More]

Final week for 2020 IMCA Fast Shafts All-Star qualifying

VINTON, Iowa – The race for IMCA Modified drivers to get their names on the 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot heads into the final week. Winners of sanctioned events held through Aug. 6 that pay $1,000 or more to win become vote eligible. Super Tuesday voting will be Aug. 11 to elect 28 of the 30 drivers who will start the All-Star Invitational on Friday, Sept. 11 during the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s at Boone Speedway. Super Tuesday voting will be conducted through the IMCA Facebook page, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. CST. The top three vote recipients from each of the five IMCA Modified regions become All-Stars, with their region of candidacy determined by where they made the majority of their sanctioned starts. The next 13 drivers with the highest vote totals, regardless of region, join the All-Star field. The final two All-Stars will be drivers with the top national point total and the most 40-point wins as of Aug. 28 competing at Super Nationals. Most recent additions to the [Read More]

IMCA expands RoC qualifications for 2020 Super Nationals

BOONE, Iowa – IMCA officials have announced that more drivers will be eligible to qualify for the race of champions in their respective divisions at the upcoming IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. 2019 track champions, as well as 2020 champions or current point leaders, along with former RoC winners, Super Nationals, national and regional champions, will be eligible to qualify. “There was a need to adjust eligibility because of the situation a number of tracks have experienced in 2020,” explained IMCA President Brett Root. “We expanded eligibility to include these deserving drivers due to the restricted schedules at these facilities resulting from the pandemic.” The Harris Auto Racing Race of Champions for Modifieds, Sunoco Race Fuels Race of Champions for Stock Cars, Stephenville Starter Race of Champions for Hobby Stocks and BSB Manufacturing Race of Champions for Northern SportMods will be held Saturday, Sept. 12 at Boone Speedway. Twelve cars will qualify for and run 12 laps in each of those events. The list of 2020 track champions and point leaders will [Read More]

Rust is sharp in Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights IMCA Modified Tour win at Hancock County

BRITT, Iowa (July 28) – The game plan Joel Rust brought to Hancock County Speedway and the third installment of the Speed Shift TV Dirt Knights Tour for IMCA Modifieds played out to perfection Tuesday night. Rust led all but the opening circuit in the 25-lap contest, outrunning Ethan Braaksma and Jeremy Mills to the $1,000 checkers. “We had a good draw, got to the lead quick and had to keep hitting our marks,” said Rust, who had taken the initial green flag from inside row two. “There were a lot of good cars here tonight and we got it done.” Rust was pulling away from the rest of the field when cautions came out on lap seven and again on lap 16, when his advantage over the second-running David Brown was nearly six seconds. Braaksma, winner of the first two tour events of the summer, started 11th and took over the runner-up spot for good on the ensuing restart. After spinning out of second on lap eight, Mills restarted at the tail and worked his [Read More]