Feature Archives

IMCA features pay $2,000 to win at Abilene’s 25th Ryan Bard Memorial Southern Challenge

ABILENE, Texas – Two thousand dollars is the top prize in IMCA Modified, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod features at Abilene Speedway’s Ryan Bard Memorial Southern Challenge. The 25th annual event is Friday and Saturday, Oct. 18 and 19. The Modified feature is a qualifier for the 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot and pays a minimum of $300 to start. Both the Stock Car and SportMod features pay a minimum of $200 to start. An open practice runs from 6-10 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17. Pit gates and the grandstand open at 3 p.m. and racing starts at 7 p.m. both days. Adult grandstand admission is $12 on Friday and $15 on Saturday. Kids ages 6-12 get in for $5 and five and under are free both nights. Military with ID are $10. More information is available from promoter Rob Poor at 325 725-3849 or 325 692-8800, on Facebook and at the www.abilenespeedway.com website. The Southern Challenge will be broadcast by IMCA.TV.

Little line takes Gottschalk to big Fall Nationals payday

HAYS, Kan. (Oct. 5) – After finding a little line, Daniel Gottschalk took the big check at RPM Speedway’s Fall Nationals. A caution late in the 40-lapper helped open the door as Gottschalk topped the $5,000 Saturday night main event. “I didn’t know if I had a chance midway through but I found a little line and made it work,” said Gottschalk, who passed Tanner Black and Cody Laney for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying victory. “I don’t get real emotional but that was probably the most excited I’ve ever been after taking the checkered flag.” Once in front, he pulled away on the white flag circuit and took the win half a second ahead of Black, who’d raced his way up from 14th starting. Laney, Jeff Taylor and defending race winner Jordan Grabouski completed the top five. “We broke last year at Fall Nationals and DNF’d,” said Gottschalk, who started seventh this time around and wheeled a Slider Chassis. “This year we found some extra speed. This was our last race of the [Read More]

IMCA season full of firsts ends with six first-time national champions

VINTON, Iowa (Oct. 8) – An IMCA race season that saw its share of first-time accomplishments will end with the crowning of six first-time national champions. Those titles went to Kenneth Duke in the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars, Jeff Ware in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, James Hanusch in the Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods and Alex Dostal in the Mach-1 Sport Compacts. Duke, from Selinsgrove, is the first Pennsylvania driver to win an IMCA national championship in any division. He won 10 features as well as Pennsylvania Sprint Series and E3 Spark Plugs Pennsylvania State titles. Columbus, Neb., pilot Ware was a 29-time feature winner and also the top driver in the Big Daddy Race Cars Northern Region, in Nebraska State points and in Boone County Raceway, Dawson County Raceway, Eagle Raceway and U.S. 30 Speedway standings. Hanusch hails from Belton, Texas. He had five feature wins and the 281 Speedway track title to his credit this season. Dostal collected 25 feature wins. From Glencoe, he’s also the Minnesota State and Arlington Raceway, Princeton [Read More]

Money banks second straight Salina Mid-America Clash win

SALINA, Kan. (Sept. 27) – A second straight Mid-America Clash feature win had Clay Money already looking forward to the 2020 season-ending special at Salina Speedway. Money topped Friday’s main event for IMCA Modifieds, earning $1,500 and a spot on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. “It’s pretty cool. I wish we could have gotten both shows in (Saturday was a rainout) and gone back-to-back racing against a lot of the best competition in Kansas,” said Money, who started outside row one and led the last 19 of 20 circuits. “Hopefully we can win it again next year.” Also the winner of a topless special at Salina earlier this season, he took the Friday checkers following a late restart, beating Dustin Daniels and Clay Sellard to the stripe. Tim Watts and 12th starting Kurtis Pihl rounded out the top five. “I just tried to hold my line and be smooth after the last restart,” he said. After a number of early restarts, Kyle Pfeifer raced from seventh starting to the lead five laps into the IMCA [Read More]

Late pass gives Schoknecht edge to Larson, Shryock tops IMCA Modified main at Arlington

ARLINGTON, Minn. (Sept. 28) – His last-lap pass to regain the lead took Jeff Larson to the $5,000 IMCA Sunoco Stock Car checkers at Arlington Raceway’s Scott Schoknecht Shootout. Larson led 11 early circuits before the seventh starting Dan Mackenthun found the extra bite on the bottom and buzzed by for the front spot. The rest of the 30-lap race went caution free with the lead pair battling back and forth as Larson had to contend with brother Dustin, who had moved up from his ninth place start. When the white flag came out, Jeff Larson stepped on the pedal and got around Mackenthun on the backstretch to take the checkered flag and the top check. Mackenthun took second ahead of Kelly Shryock, who passed Dustin Larson on the last lap. John Oliver Jr. rounded out the top five. Longest tow money of $300 went to Colorado’s Angel Munoz. The hard charger was Jeff Lyon, who passed 13 cars. Random $500 draws went to Chad Schroeder, Kevin LaTour, lap one leader Shaun Bruns and Matt [Read More]

Allstar Performance rewards winners of 10 or more heats with $100 certificates

WATERVLIET, Mich. – Allstar Performance makes heat race success pay off again this season for IMCA drivers in all divisions. The Watervliet, Mich., high-performance parts manufacturer gives $100 gift cards to drivers who won 10 or more heat races at sanctioned events this season and who send in photos providing proof of heat race winner decal placement. The driver with the most heat wins receives a $250 gift card. Photos should be directed to Marketing Director Kevin Yoder at kyoder@imca.com. Deadline for doing so is Wednesday, Nov. 13. Gift certificates will be presented during the national awards banquet on Nov. 30 or mailed from the IMCA home office beginning the following week. The 2019 season was the second for Allstar Performance as title sponsor of IMCA’s heat race winner decal program. “Now that the point season has wrapped up, we want to start recognizing drivers for their accomplishments in 2019,” Yoder commented. “Heat race wins are significant and winning 10 of them is an achievement Allstar Performance continues to support. Take time now to send photos [Read More]

Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights finale, IMCA Modified tour title to Richie Gustin

VINTON, Iowa (Sept. 28) – Richie Gustin clinched the Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights Tour championship by taking the green flag Saturday night. He earned $1,500 by taking the IMCA Modified checkers 25 laps later at Benton County Speedway. Gustin passed long-time race leader Cayden Carter following a restart with six laps left en route to his record-extending fifth tour win of the season. He became the 10th different driver to win the championship in as many years the tour has been held. Carter was a lapped car ahead of Gustin before that yellow and still had the lead when the 20th circuit was scored. Gustin had a half car length advantage at the stripe the next two times around, however, then pulled ahead. Carter, early leader Tim Ward, Joel Rust and Jeff Larson completed the top five. Hard charger Al Hejna advanced a dozen spots from his original starting position. The all-time leader with 13 tour victories, Gustin had also won at the Vinton Bullring in 2014. Already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, he’ll [Read More]

Thornton dominates opening night of Race For Hope 71

By Mike Spieker BATESVILLE, Ark. (Sept. 26) – After having the first two scheduled nights postponed due to rain, the third annual IMCA.TV Race For Hope 71 got underway Thursday night at Batesville Motor Speedway. Ninety-five of the best IMCA Modified drivers from across the country were checked in for action at the high-banked three-eighths mile oval. Inaugural Race For Hope 71 champion Ricky Thornton Jr. of Adel, Iowa, by way of Chandler, Ariz., cruised to the 30-lap qualifying A-main feature win. Thornton started on the inside of row two and quickly moved by front row starters D.J. Shannon of Merced, Calif. and Curtis Cook of Conway, Ark. Once out front, Thornton Jr. distanced himself from the rest of the field. “The car was really good. We were able to get into the lead on the first or second lap, then I just kind of rolled around the bottom,” said Thornton. “I looked at the track right before our feature and decided to make a few changes. I think that really helped us a bunch. We should be [Read More]

Wet weather wins at West Burlington, 500th Deery event moves to Davenport

WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa (Sept. 27) – Inclement weather was again the winner at 34 Raceway. The Deery Brothers Summer Series event scheduled tonight (Friday) in West Burlington has been canceled because of rain and a less than promising forecast for later in the day. The 500th event in series history and finale for the 33rd annual tour for IMCA Late Models now moves to Davenport Speedway to headline the Iowa Governor’s Cup program on Saturday, Sept. 28. Pit gates open at 1 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 2 p.m. Hot laps are at 4 p.m. with racing to follow. Grandstand admission is $20 for adults, $17 for seniors and teens, and free for kids 12 and under accompanying a paid adult. The main event pays $2,000 to win and a minimum of $300 to start. More information is available by calling 563 340-4079. Deery Brothers Summer Series top 20 point standings – 1. Andy Eckrich, Oxford, 412; 2. Joel Callahan, Dubuque, 395; 3. Matt Ryan, Davenport, 386; 4. Curt Martin, Independence, 372; 5. Jeremiah Hurst, Dubuque, 368; [Read More]

Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights Tour finale set Saturday at Benton County

VINTON, Iowa – The final checkers fly this weekend at Benton County Speedway for the 10th annual Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights Tour. IMCA Modifieds race for $1,500 to win in their Saturday, Sept. 28 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying feature. Also on the card at Vinton are IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods. In addition to special series points for the Modifieds, IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional and E3 Spark Plugs State points will be awarded. Pit gates open at 2 p.m., the grandstand opens at 4 p.m. and hot laps are at 4:30 p.m. with racing to follow. Grandstand admission is $15 for seniors, $12 for students and military, and free for kids ages five and under. Pit passes are $30. Saturday’s race program will be broadcast by IMCA.TV. More information is available by calling 319 429-6931. Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights Tour top 20 point standings – 1. Richie Gustin, Gilman, 276; 2. Joel Rust, Grundy Center, 242; 3. Kelly Shryock, Fertile, 226; 4. [Read More]