Feature Archives

Ryan, Dumpert are named IMCA Late Model national champs

VINTON, Iowa (Aug. 26) – Veteran Matt Ryan and newcomer Cory Dumpert will reign as national champions in the IMCA Late Model division. Both finished the 2019 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season with 594 points and 10 40-point feature wins. “This was an extraordinary season in terms of growth of our Late Model division, both in the number of licensed drivers and the number of sanctioned race tracks,” IMCA President Brett Root said. “It is only fitting that the national title chase ends shared by drivers from areas with established tracks and with newly-sanctioned tracks.” “Both drivers,” he added, “deserve all the recognition they receive.” Ryan, from Davenport, Iowa, and Dumpert, from York, Neb., will both receive $5,000 shares of the national divisional point fund. Ryan has been runner-up in the national points race in three of the past four years. Now a three-time E3 Spark Plugs Illinois State champion, he has 57 wins over the course of his career, 16th on the all-time list for the division. The national rookie of the year, [Read More]

IMCA heroes celebrated at Sept. 2-7 Super Nationals

BOONE, Iowa – Dirt track racing heroes will be celebrated at an event that already has a Super Heroes theme. Boone Speedway hosts the 37th annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s on Sept. 2-7. More than 600 drivers from across the United States, and from Canada and Australia as well, have already pre-entered. “Super Nationals is a bucket list event for most drivers,” IMCA President Brett Root said. “Qualifying for a 30- or 33-car feature field when there are 200-plus entries is an accomplishment most racers should hang their hat on.” Early Modified entry numbers have already topped 200 while Stock Car entries are nearing the division record 193 that competed at the 2015 Super Nationals. The richest event in grassroots racing will see nearly $300,000 paid out, plus another $60,000 in contingency awards. Late Models following the Deery Brothers Summer Series headline the opening night show on Labor Day. The complete Sport Compact program is Tuesday, Sept. 3. The Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational tops the Friday, Sept. 6 card. Modified, Stock Car, Hobby Stock and [Read More]

Six points separate top three drivers as West Liberty show is next for Deery Series

WEST LIBERTY, Iowa – The points race going into the night is every bit as close as the racing will be when the Deery Brothers Summer Series travels to West Liberty Raceway this weekend. The Saturday, Aug. 24 IMCA Late Model tour feature pays $2,000 to win and a minimum of $300 to start. Consistent Andy Eckrich has four top-five finishes through the first seven events of the season and brings the series point lead to town. Joel Callahan and Matt Ryan have each won once and sit four and six points out of first, respectively. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5 p.m. Saturday. Hot laps are at 6:30 p.m. and racing starts at 7 p.m. Spectator admission is $18 for adults, $15 for seniors and teens, and free for kids 12 and under when accompanying a paid adult. Pit passes are $30. Justin Kay has owned West Liberty Raceway, winning eight of the 14 Deery events held there since 2013. The Saturday show will be the 498th in series [Read More]

Super Nationals deadline for early registration now Aug. 29

BOONE, Iowa – Drivers planning to compete at the 37th annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s have an additional six days to do so at the current pre-registration rates. More than 600 drivers have already completed the online registration process for the Sept. 2-7 Super Nationals and those that do so by noon CST Thursday, Aug. 29 pay entry fees now in place … $40 for Modifieds, $25 for Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks and Northern SportMods, and $15 for Sport Compacts. Modified, Stock Car, Hobby Stock and Northern SportMod drivers are also required to pre-register to reserve pit stalls and to compete in the Aug. 31 Prelude at Boone Speedway. The form for pre-registration can be found at www.imca.com and www.raceboone.com under the Super Nationals menu. Drivers who do not already have a MyRacePass account can create one when they go to that link. Pit stall application links are on Super Nationals menus on both IMCA and Boone Speedway websites as well. Late Models following the Deery Brothers Summer Series will pay $50 entry fees regardless of whether [Read More]

Big excitement guaranteed at RaceSaver Nationals, today is final day to pre-enter at $15 discount rate

EAGLE, Neb. – The competition is already guaranteed to be top-rate at the seventh annual RaceSaver Nationals Aug. 29-Sept. 1. But Eagle Raceway and event promoter Roger Hadan hopes to see even more entries for the event with the Big Wings, Big Excitement billing. “We’ve got right around 100 drivers from 16 states pre-entered for this year’s event,” noted Hadan. “A lot of them have competed here before. They know what a prestigious event RaceSaver Nationals is. They want to come for the racing as well as the post-race atmosphere.” “Defending champion Kevin Ramey and 2017 winner Jason Martin have already entered,” he continued. “It would be great to see them get to race against more of the 2019 IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car national contenders.” Today (Tuesday, Aug. 20) is the final day drivers can pre-enter at the discount rate of $15. Pre-tech starts at 9 a.m. and practice starts at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29. Qualifying for Saturday’s $1,000 to win Jake Ita Memorial Race of Champions starts at approximately 9 p.m. Racing starts at 6 [Read More]

Hurst leads every lap in race to Quincy Deery checkers

QUINCY, Ill. (Aug. 18) – There was no catching Jeremiah Hurst Sunday night, on a track he’s predictably run well at. Hurst led all 30 laps in winning the Deery Brothers Summer Series main event at Quincy Raceway. His career fourth IMCA Late Model tour victory was good for $2,000. “I’ve always run good at Quincy. When I started running Late Models, it always seemed like I did pretty good, I’ve always been comfortable there.” “Of course,” he added, “it always helps to start up front like I did tonight.” Pole starter Hurst and Matt Ryan, who made his way to second from sixth starting, made their way around the oval on the lower line. Jay Johnson made like a rocket in racing from ninth to third, with three-time Deery champion Mark Burgtorf returning to series action on his hometown track and joining him on the higher side. A caution with nine laps to go bunched the field back up and Hurst held off all challengers. Ryan, Johnson, Burgtorf and Andy Nezworski rounded out the [Read More]

Deery Series back in Illinois for Sunday show at Quincy

QUINCY, Ill. – Another Sunday date at another Illinois speedplant is next on the schedule for the Deery Brothers Summer Series. The IMCA Late Model tour travels to Quincy Raceway for a $2,000 to win, minimum $300 to start main event on Aug. 18. That will be the first Deery race held at Quincy since July of 2011. Pit gates open at 3 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 4 p.m. on race day. Hot laps are at 6:15 p.m. with racing to follow. Spectator admission is $18 for adults, $15 for seniors, $10 for students and free for kids 10 and under. Pit passes are $35. Jeff Aikey won the first Deery event held at Quincy, in 1998, and is the only driver with two tour wins to his credit so far this season. One-time winners in 2019 include Justin Kay, Joel Callahan, Eric Pollard and, most recently, Matt Ryan. Ryan was first to the checkers last Sunday at Quad City Speedway. Point leader Andy Eckrich has three runner-up finishes in the first six [Read More]

Eagle Raceway amps up for RaceSaver Nationals

EAGLE, Neb. – Just a little over two weeks from today, the initial night of the 2019 RaceSaver Nationals kicks off at Eagle Raceway with qualifying heats for the Jake Ita Memorial Race of Champions and a practice night for all competitors. Prior to being able to compete at the Aug. 29-Sept. 1 Nationals, each and every IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car and engine that will see action has to go through the most rigorous and thorough technical inspection seen in any sprint car sanction in the world. Not one wheel will hit the track without passing that inspection to ensure that every team has the opportunity to compete on an even footing. Then on Friday, the teams will go through a complete show of heats and features to determine the first three rows of the final “A” main on Sunday. Saturday sees another set of heats and features to set the next three rows for the finale. Sunday will have nothing but features, all run to find out who the final nine cars will be [Read More]

Ryan capitalizes on late restart to win Quad City Deery

EAST MOLINE, Ill. (Aug. 11) – Matt Ryan didn’t lead the most laps, just the most important ones. Ryan passed Brandt Cole following a late restart and led the last two circuits in winning Sunday’s Deery Brothers Summer Series main event at Quad City Speedway. The $2,000 checkers were Ryan’s IMCA Late Model tour career third, and first since August of 2016. Cole took runner-up honors in his first career series start while point leader Andy Eckrich was third. Justin Kay, Brian Harris and Curt Martin also did stints at the front, with polesitter Kay holding off high side challenges from Tommy Elston and leading the first nine of 30 laps. Elston was forced to retire following a multi-car tangle on lap eight and Harris shot to the front before Kay drove to the infield. Harris was slowed by a flat tire and surrendered the lead to Martin on lap 20. Martin appeared to survive a rough restart on lap 21 but soon had a flat of his own, falling back as Cole, Eckrich and [Read More]

Berry is best at Britt’s Night of 10,000 Stars

BRITT, Iowa (Aug. 9) – Tom Berry Jr.’s string of second-place finishes ended with the win at Hancock County Speedway’s Night of 10,000 Stars. Berry passed Mike Mullen for the lead with nine laps left, then held on to the front spot after two late restarts in winning Friday’s IMCA Modified main event, and $7,000, at Britt. Berry had started eighth and chased Ethan Dotson most of the first half of the race. Mullen threatened to pull away from the pack following the mandatory pitstop at halfway but Berry made up ground as the two ran in lapped traffic. A single lapped car separated the two when lap 41 was scored. Berry rolled the dice and came up a winner with that nifty drive around the outside the next time around. “I didn’t know who was behind me or how much tire I had left,” admitted the 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier. “All kinds of things were running through my head. This was the biggest race I’ve ever led. I can’t be more [Read More]