Feature Archives

Camaro nose pieces approved for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars in 2019

VINTON, Iowa – Camaro nose pieces have been approved for use by IMCA Sunoco Stock Car drivers beginning next season. Rules for 2019 have been clarified to include the Camaro nose as well as the Mustang nose. Nose pieces must have a maximum installed width of 73 inches, noted IMCA President Brett Root. “This is another update that stems from our attendance at the PRI show earlier this month in Indianapolis, where Performance Bodies and Dominator Race Products debuted Camaro nose pieces,” Root said. “Our rules will specify that if used, Camaro nose piece must be used with the GM body and the Mustang nose piece with the Ford body.” Performance Bodies part numbers are 45X040 for the Camaro nose piece, 46X040 for the Mustang nose piece and 45X100 for the tail piece, which can be used with either nose. The Dominator Camaro nose piece is part number DOM330. 2019 rules have been updated on the IMCA website to reflect the clarification.

Dates announced for 30th IMCA Dakota Classic Tour

MANDAN, N.D. – They’ll celebrate a milestone each night of the 2019 Kupper Chevrolet IMCA Dakota Classic Tour. IMCA Modifieds race for $2,400 to win along with berths on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot each night of the 30th annual tour, scheduled July 6-11. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars are also on the card at Saturday through Thursday shows, running for $800 to win. The North Dakota and Saskatchewan-based tour starts at Jamestown Speedway on Saturday, July 6. This will be the 11th time Jamestown has hosted the series. Round two is Sunday, July 7, at Nodak Speedway. The Minot track was one of the three original tour venues and has hosted a date each year of the long-running series. Estevan Motor Speedway in Saskatchewan is next up on Monday, July 8. Estevan has been a tour track every year since it opened in 2000. On Tuesday, July 9, Williston Basin Speedway hosts the series for the 27th time. Southwest Speedway in Dickinson is next up on Wednesday, July 10, also for the 27th time. And [Read More]

$43,500 in Chevrolet Performance bonuses paid to IMCA crate engine track champions

GRAND BLANC, Mich. – As part of one of the most lucrative programs for IMCA competitors, Chevrolet Performance has paid $43,500 in bonuses to drivers who won track championships while competing exclusively with crate engines in 2018. In all, 174 drivers in the IMCA Modified, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod divisions received $250 checks, mailed this month from the IMCA home office. Both the number of drivers receiving bonuses, and the total bonus amount, were the most ever in the history of the program. This was the second season in the current three-year bonus agreement with Chevrolet Performance, which has now awarded more than $280,000 to eligible drivers over the course of the crate engine track championship program. “Chevrolet Performance has recognized IMCA racers for well over a decade and their support continues to grow each season,” IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder noted. “We are proud to work with such an outstanding company and be able to give weekly dirt track racing recognition at the highest [Read More]

Further amendments made to 2019 Late Model rules

VINTON, Iowa – On the heals of the PRI trade show last week, several clarifications and rule amendments have been made to the IMCA Late Model division for 2019. As announced in November, bump stops will be legal for use in the division; however, “spring” bump stops will not be permitted. All bump stops must be of rubber or a similar material composition. Additionally, spring rubbers will be allowed as well for the 2019 racing season. “Although confusing on the surface, these two issues are separate and will be treated as such during inspection,” stated IMCA President Brett Root. As previously announced, a 604 Chevrolet Performance engine option will be new in 2019. Drivers utilizing a spec engine must run an unaltered one inch carburetor spacer. The approved spacer is the Governor spacer no. 100 125000 with four .95-inch restrictors, no. 100-125095. “The restrictor plate on the spec engines will be a work in progress throughout 2019, We’re reviewing dyno numbers as this release is being produced,” said Root. “We’ll do our best to monitor the [Read More]

IMCA Modifieds new in 2019 at Springfield Raceway

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The “something different” Springfield Raceway owner and promoter Jerry Hoffman was looking for is the IMCA Modified division. The sanctioned class will be new to Saturday programs at the quarter-mile, high-banked clay oval in southwest Missouri in 2019. Opening night will be in March with first point races in April. “It was time for a change. Sometimes you have to wait ‘til the time is right to do something different,” Hoffman said. “Tracks in the area are down to single digit car counts and even the nights big money was added car count did not grow like you thought it would.” Hoffman and Doug Bland had purchased the track 12 years ago. “We had been the first track in the area to sanction both USRA Modifieds and ‘B’ mods,” said Hoffman, now the sole owner. “You can really run an IMCA Modified cheaper than you can a USRA ‘B’ mod.” Springfield Raceway will be part of IMCA’s Jet Racing Central Region. After the season-opening March Madness special, the IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly [Read More]

Best of the best honored at IMCA national awards banquet

LINCOLN, Neb. (Nov. 24) – Champions and top rookie drivers of 2018 were honored at the IMCA national awards banquet Saturday in Lincoln. National champions recognized during the evening were Jordan Grabouski, IMCA Modifieds; Jeremiah Hurst, IMCA Late Models; Kevin Ramey, IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars; Mike Nichols, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars; Shannon Anderson, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks; Gabe Tucker, Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods; Matthew Looft, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods; and Ramsey Meyer, Mach-1 Sport Compacts. Regional Modified kings were Grabouski in the Jet Racing Central, A.J. Ward in the Dirt Works Eastern, Brandon Beckendorf in the Side Biter Chassis North Central, Josh McGaha in the Razor Chassis South Central and Zane DeVilbiss in the Larry Shaw Race Cars Western. Nichols reigned in the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region, Westin Abbey in the EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Stock Car Region. Anderson led the way in the Big Daddy Race Cars Northern Region and Dennis Spencer sped to the Big Daddy Race Cars Southern Region Hobby Stock championship. Earning national rookie of the year awards were [Read More]

IMCA releases 2019 rules for six of eight divisions

VINTON, Iowa – The 2019 rules for six of IMCA’s eight divisions have been announced. “While minimal, the changes or clarifications we’ve made in rules for 2019 are an effort to head off the direction some of our divisions are headed,” explained IMCA President Brett Root, “such as suspension or aerodynamics.” Maximum and minimum free-standing spring heights are specified for front and rear suspensions for Modifieds and both SportMod divisions, and the nose piece must be the same width from front to back. “We want to keep the open wheeled look of all these divisions,” Root explained. “We have done that with the nose rules.” Maximum and minimum roof dimensions will include the sides when Modifieds, Northern SportMods and Southern SportMods are measured in tech. No bends or breaks will be allowed in sail panels for any of those divisions. Modified and Northern SportMod roofs must be mounted within half an inch of the rear roll cage. And Modified drivers competing with a 604 crate engine must use one of two carburetor spacers, the Speedway [Read More]

Entries top 300 for 21st annual Duel as Hughes, Sachau get LVMS Dirt Track wins

By Mike Spieker LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Nov. 10) – Entries numbered more than 300 and Jason Hughes backed up his opening night qualifying feature victory by winning Saturday’s IMCA Modified Duel in the Desert main event and taking home a $7,777 check. More than 20 states were represented at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track and drivers from 13 of them qualified for the Modified main event while a record 97 Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods took the green. Hughes had earned the Modified pole by virtue of his Thursday victory and started the 40-lap main event with Friday’s qualifying feature winner, Ricky Thornton Jr. to his outside. At the drop of the green, Hughes powered to the lead and brought third-place starter Ricky Alvarado with him. Hughes quickly opened up a 10 car length lead in the first lap as all the drivers inside the top five rode around the low side of the speedway. Thornton challenged Alvarado for the runner-up position on a restart with 23 circuits remaining. That allowed Hughes to pull away [Read More]

Thornton, Frenier collect wins on night two of IMCA Duel in the Desert

By Mike Spieker LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Nov. 9) – The 21st annual IMCA Duel in the Desert continued Friday evening at the Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. By night’s end, Ricky Thornton Jr. and Jeremy Frenier visited victory lane with qualifying feature wins in the IMCA Modifieds, while Jake Sachau claimed the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod qualifying feature. Zane DeVilbiss applied heavy pressure to Frenier in the closing laps of the first IMCA Modified qualifying feature. Frenier and DeVilbiss distanced themselves by a straightaway over the rest of the field as they both jockeyed for position on the low side of the speedway. DeVilbiss pulled to within a car length of Frenier on the final lap, but could not get any closer as Frenier held on to take the win. “It seemed like I could hear him on me,” said Frenier of the pressure from DeVilbiss behind him. “I didn’t want to have to push it any harder than I needed to. Until I felt a bumper, I was going to keep my same [Read More]

Hughes, Alvarado visit victory lane at Duel in the Desert opener

By Mike Spieker LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Nov. 8) – The 21st annual IMCA Duel in the Desert kicked off Thursday evening at the Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. With the largest number of pre-entries in five years, the IMCA Modifieds boasted a field of 206 drivers, while the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods came in at a record 97 entries. Jason Hughes and Ricky Alvarado picked up $777 wins in their respective IMCA Modified features. The first main event began with Hughes taking the lead from the pole position, but the race was quickly slowed on lap one for a multi-car pile up in turn one. On the ensuing restart, Hughes led over Tom Berry Jr. and Peyton Taylor as Cody Laney slipped from second to fourth. R.C. Whitwell took advantage of the lap five restart, moving by Laney for the fourth and final transfer position to Saturday night’s $7,777 to win main event. Whitwell applied heavy pressure on Taylor but couldn’t complete the pass. Hughes and Berry broke away from the rest of the [Read More]