Feature Archives

Baca gets best win in Arizona Dirt Track Tour opener for IMCA Modifieds at San Tan Valley

SAN TAN VALLEY, Ariz. (Feb. 7) – A driver who’s already been busy racking up feature wins this season had a career highlight victory to talk about following the IMCA Modified feature on opening night of the IMCA Arizona Dirt Track Tour. Chaz Baca got the best of Ricky Thornton Jr. in the $2,000 to win main event Friday at Arizona Speedway. The quick-paced 25-lapper at San Tan Valley ran caution-free and saw the front pair work through heavy traffic before Baca edged ahead and beat Thornton to the stripe by half a second. “That was the most exciting race I think I’ve ever run. It’s a big deal to run with Ricky Thornton like that,” said Baca, already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. “It was definitely the best win I’ve ever had … Holy cow, that was exciting.” Baca and Thornton, both two-time track champions at Arizona Speedway, started on the front row, with Baca just ahead when the first lap was scored. Defending tour champion Thornton was the leader on lap [Read More]

First Junior National Champion standings posted on IMCA website

VINTON, Iowa – The first Junior National Champion point standings have been posted on the IMCA website. Drivers ages 13-18 racing in any of the eight IMCA divisions are eligible to compete for the inaugural title, which will be determined based on their best 20 finishes out of their first 40 starts. Drivers must purchase a 2020 competitor’s license and submit required minor release forms to be eligible. “No points will be awarded to non-members or to any driver who has not submitted a correct minor release form,” emphasized IMCA President Brett Root, “nor will points be awarded retroactively.” The Junior National Champion gets a trophy, ring and jacket, and will take their turn at the podium speaking during the IMCA banquet in November. All top 10 drivers in Junior National Champion point standings receive $500 scholarships applicable toward their post-high school education in the first year of the program. Individual scholarship funds will accumulate over multiple seasons and be paid out at one time. Point totals for all drivers vying for the Junior National [Read More]

Baca, Noll notch Winter Challenge wins while Duggins is double winner at Canyon

By Tony Steele PEORIA, Ariz. (Feb 1-2) – Chaz Baca raced to his second Winter Challenge feature win Saturday while at Canyon Speedway Park while Jason Noll took home the Sunday IMCA Modified checkers. Both main events at Peoria paid $1,250 to the winners and both Baca and Noll were already Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot candidates. Alex Stanford looked to have the opener in hand before Baca made a late challenge for the lead. Baca closed a large gap, making his move in turn one after the white flag flew to the inside of Stanford. As the leaders raced off turn two, Baca edged ahead on his way to take home the trophy for the second time in as many weeks. Stanford was second, ahead of Ryan Roath. Justen Yeager paced the Sunday show, battling hard through traffic until Noll drove inside and took hold of the top spot as lap 17 came to a close. Noll led the final nine laps en route to the win ahead of Yeager and Zachary Madrid. Andy [Read More]

Arizona IMCA Dirt Track Tour primed for Feb. 6-15 run

SAN TAN VALLEY, Ariz. – With three successful tours in as many years, the fourth annual IMCA Arizona Dirt Track Tour will boast half a dozen $2,000 to win, minimum $150 to start IMCA Modified events Feb. 6-15. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods both race for $750 to win Friday and Saturday, Feb. 7-8 at Arizona Speedway; Sunday and Tuesday, Feb. 9 and 11 at Central Arizona Speedway; and Friday and Saturday, Feb. 14 and 15 at USA Raceway. “With the addition of the IMCA Stock Car division, we felt it was important to rebrand the tour with a name that reflects all the divisions that will be joining us for the 2020 edition and beyond for the 10-day traveling series,” series promoter Jonah Trussel said of the former Arizona Mod Tour. “Our longstanding partnership with IMCA, as well as the addition of Speed Shift TV coming on as our broadcast partner has given us the ability to pay a little more money per night along with adding some bonuses that [Read More]

Lone Star Tour adds $10,000 IMCA Stock Car, Modified bonuses

ABILENE, Texas – Everything just got even bigger in Texas. Ten thousand dollar bonuses have been announced for any IMCA Sunoco Stock Car or IMCA Modified driver who can win both Sniper Speed Lone Star Tour main events Saturday, Feb. 15 at Abilene Speedway and Wednesday, Feb. 19 at Texas Motor Speedway. The IMCA SportMod driver who can accomplish the same feat earns a $5,000 bonus. Drivers in each of those divisions must be pre-registered for the tour by Feb. 10 – they can go to the sniperspeed.com website to do so – and must have perfect attendance during the Feb. 15-22 tour. All tour competitors must be 2020 IMCA licensed members and it is highly recommended that those drivers who have not already purchased licenses for the new race season complete that process before the start of the much-anticipated tour. Licenses can be purchased online under the forms pulldown on the imca.com website. Champion of the third annual Stock Car tour earns a $5,000 share of the $13,600 point fund. One thousand to win features for both Stock [Read More]

Thornton, Baca split Winter Challenge IMCA Modified features

By Tony Steele PEORIA, Ariz. (Jan. 25-26) – Two drivers already familiar with the view from victory lane at Canyon Speedway Park made their way back to that locale following season-opening IMCA Modified Winter Challenge feature victories. Ricky Thornton Jr. continued right where he left off last winter at Canyon, earning the $1,250 win on Saturday before Chaz Baca broke Thornton’s streak with the victory on Sunday. Both drivers were already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Andy Altenburg and Brad King each swept their respective divisions in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, respectively, while Shelby Frye and Cody Thompson split Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod features. Thornton beat fellow front row starter Zachary Madrid to the Saturday lead and outran everybody en route to a dominating green to checkered victory. Madrid and Baca made up the top three. John Parmeley paced the first two laps of the Sunday show before Baca made his way to the front. Baca walked away from the field until the ninth starting Thornton worked [Read More]

Speedway Motors marks new milestones in 2020 IMCA sponsorship season

LINCOLN, Neb. – Speedway Motors begins a new decade of IMCA support while marking a quarter-century as title sponsor of the biggest dirt track racing event in the world. Recognized last fall for 40 consecutive seasons of sponsorship, the Lincoln, Neb., high performance parts manufacturer, retailer and distributor continues unique roles backing both IMCA Weekly Racing and Super Nationals. Speedway Motors will sponsor the upcoming Super Nationals, held September 7-12 at Boone Speedway, for the 25th consecutive year. And for a 13th straight year, Speedway Motors renews a program benefitting 200-plus race tracks in the United States and Canada. Speedway Motors program provides jackets, promoter and tech official shirts as well as discounts on tech inspection equipment, flags and signage. The program helps race facilities defray weekly program costs, decals, driver’s suit patches and feature winner hats. Speedway Motors will mail $100 Gift Certificates during the season to drivers who complete the rookie application process and win career-first features. The postseason slate of awards from Speedway Motors includes helmets for all national champions and the first-ever Junior National [Read More]

Arneson’s first Arizona win comes in finale at Cocopah

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 18) – Casey Arneson’s first IMCA Modified feature win in Arizona came on the final night of Cocopah Speedway’s Winter Nationals. After finishes ranging from a solid third to a not-so-sweet 16th in his first five outings at Somerton, Arneson drew the pole start and led all 25 times around the oval. “It was good to be able to get that first win,” said Arneson, $1,000 richer and already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. “We had a good car and everything worked out for us.” A couple yellows kept Arneson out of lapped traffic. Jake O’Neil, in the hunt for a fourth straight Winter Nationals victory, started fifth and got to within a couple car lengths. Completing the top five were Tim Ward, Kollin Hibdon and 16th starting R.C. Whitwell. The win by Arneson came in an El Dorado ride he and Riley Hatfield built. Fellow North Dakota driver and family friend Don Gumke, who’d raced with Arneson’s father “back in the day” was honored with the empty pole position during parade [Read More]

O’Neil makes it three straight Winter Nationals wins

By Mike Spieker SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 17) – Jake O’Neil cruised to his third Winter Nationals victory Friday night at Cocopah Speedway. O’Neil started third on the grid and took the lead away from front row starter Joey Price on lap three. Once out front, the Tucson pilot never looked back as he led the remainder of the 25-lap, $1,000 to win main event. Eighth place starter R.C. Whitwell moved into second at the halfway point, but was never able to threaten the leader. O’Neil was loyal to the low side of the speedway throughout the race while Whitwell used the high side in the entry of the corner before diving low on exit. The margin of victory for O’Neil was 2.2 seconds over Whitwell at the checkers. “I saw on the scoreboard that the 96 (Whitwell) was behind me. He is super fast and a pretty good wheelman and I knew if I made one mistake, he would be right there to capitalize,” said O’Neil. “I just tried to minimize my mistakes as much as [Read More]

O’Neil bests Thornton in Cocopah classic as Morris tops Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods

By Mike Spieker SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 16) – Some of the best racing seen to date at Winter Nationals was displayed Thursday evening, and Jake O’Neil ended the night at Cocopah Speedway with a second straight $1,000 IMCA Modified feature win. O’Neil made a bold three-wide pass on the high side to drive from fourth to second in the first set of corners, then powered around the outside of Kollin Hibdon to lead lap one. Ricky Thornton Jr. moved his way up to the second spot from the fifth starting position by lap four and quickly set his sights on O’Neil. Thornton searched every inch of the oval before taking command of the lead on lap 15. O’Neil quickly mounted another charge as the lead duo sliced their way through slower traffic. O’Neil finally cleared Thornton Jr. to take the point with four laps to go and held on for the victory. “I thought once he got by me it was over. Usually when that guy gets to the lead there is no catching him,” O’Neil [Read More]