Feature Archives

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]

Thornton sets tone with Night of 1,000 Stars feature win

BRITT, Iowa (Aug. 8) – At halfway, Ricky Thornton Jr. had to be wondering if fuel issues were going to resurface and knock him out of the running. But at the end of Hancock County Speedway’s 25th annual IMT Transport Night of 1,000 Stars feature for IMCA Modifieds Thursday night, Thornton was standing in victory lane with another tall trophy and a check for $4,500. Thornton caught Benji LaCrosse for the front spot just five laps before the mandatory front stretch pitstop on lap 25. He maneuvered through traffic as the second half of the 50-lapper ran caution free, beating Tom Berry Jr. to the finish line by two-plus seconds. “Winning tonight was huge,” said Thornton, already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot and looking forward to Night of 10,000 Stars and Bob Shryock Memorial All Stars events at Britt. “When you run good tonight, it helps set the tone for the rest of the week.” 2011 race winner LaCrosse started third, had Thornton right behind for a couple early restarts and brought Thornton along [Read More]

Sunday show at Quad City Speedway next for Deery Series

EAST MOLINE, Ill. – The first of back-to-back events in Illinois is this weekend for the Deery Brothers Summer Series. Quad City Speedway is next on the schedule for the IMCA Late Model tour, with a $2,000 check going to the winner of the Sunday, Aug. 11 main event. Pit gates open at 3 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 3:30 p.m. at East Moline. Hot laps are at 5:15 p.m. with racing to follow. Spectator admission is $15 for adults, $8 for students ages 6-12 and free for five and under. Pit passes are $35 Also on the Sunday card are IMCA Modifieds and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods for national, regional, state and track points. More information about the Sunday show, the 22nd at East Moline and the 496th event in Deery Series history, is available by calling 309 792-5030. Jeff Aikey is the only driver with multiple tour wins so far this season, with his most recent and career 70th checkers coming on Aug. 2 at Lee County Speedway. Justin Kay, Joel Callahan and Eric Pollard [Read More]

Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights checkers are Minnesota first, Beckendorf is Fairmont winner

FAIRMONT, Minn. (Aug. 7) – The first Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights Tour event in Minnesota ended with a home state driver getting his career first IMCA Modified tour victory. Brandon Beckendorf led all 25 laps of the Wednesday night feature at Fairmont Raceway, earning $1,500 along with a place on the 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot for his efforts. Forty-nine Modified drivers from 10 states and Canada vied in the Bob Shryock Memorial midweek show. “To win the first race held in Minnesota was pretty cool. It means a lot to me to be able to do it here,” said Beckendorf, the defending track champion and current point leader at Fairmont. The Danube driver started outside the front row and took charge from the get-go, with 2012 tour champion Jay Noteboom, Berry, tour point leader Richie Gustin and Kollin Hibdon his closest pursuit. His advantage was more than a half a straightaway before Beckendorf caught up with the back of the field. Noteboom had reeled in the leader before the only caution of [Read More]

Arneson’s great night at Deer Creek ends with IMCA Modified Harris Clash checkers

SPRING VALLEY, Minn. (Aug. 6) – An IMCA Modified driver who’s been racking up some impressive wins this summer added another one to his resume Tuesday nigh Austin Arneson topped the 28th annual Harris Clash at Deer Creek Speedway, leading the last 11 of 30 laps and outrunning fellow North Dakota hotshoe Tom Berry Jr. in the dash to the checkers coming out of the final turn. “It was a great night for me. It was a fun race with a lot of sliding back and forth,” said Arneson, who earned $3,000 for the victory in addition to a 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot berth. More than 140 race teams from 14 states saw action in front of another big Clash crowd at Spring Valley. Berry had caught race-long and defending Clash winner Cayden Carter for the lead on lap 18, then saw Arneson drive by the next time around. He couldn’t quite make a last-shot slider stick, however, and had to settle for a close second. Carter, hard charger Jake O’Neil and Ricky Thornton [Read More]

Fairmont date will be Minnesota first for IMCA Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights

FAIRMONT, Minn. – Regardless of who stands in victory lane, history will be made Wednesday night at Fairmont Raceway. The Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights Tour makes its first-ever visit to Minnesota on Aug. 7, with IMCA Modifieds running for $1,500 to win and a spot on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot during the Bob Shryock Memorial program. All but three of the previous 91 events in the tour’s 10-year history have been held in Iowa, with two in South Dakota and a single foray to Wisconsin. Pit gates open at 3 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5 p.m. tomorrow at Fairmont. Hot laps are at 6:30 p.m. with racing to follow. Grandstand admission is $15 for adults, $12 for students ages 13-17 and kids 12 and under are free when accompanying a paid adult. Pit passes are $30 IMCA.TV broadcasts Wednesday’s Dirt Knights program. Final tour dates of 2019 are Sept. 21 at 34 Raceway and Sept. 28 at Benton County Speedway. Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights Tour top 20 point standings [Read More]

Early entries top 110 for 28th annual IMCA Harris Clash

SPRING VALLEY, Minn. – Early entries are in hand from more than 110 drivers for Tuesday’s Harris Clash. IMCA Modifieds and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods headline the 28th annual event at Deer Creek Speedway on Aug. 6. Thirteen states are represented by the list of pre-registered competitors. Modifieds race for $3,000 to win, plus a $500 bonus if their chassis was built by a Manufacturers’ Cup participant, plus a berth on the 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Top prize for the Northern SportMods is $1,200. New this year is the 10-lap, $1,000 to win Harris Clash Race of Champions open to all former Clash winners and sponsored by Wehrs Machine and Racing Products. The highest finishing non-qualifier in that race receives a provisional start in the main event. Pre-registered Modified drivers include: Chris Abelson, Sioux City, Iowa J.D. Auringer, Waterloo, Iowa Aaron Benson, Clear Lake, Iowa Tom Berry Jr., Newburg, N.D. Jacob Bleess, Chatfield Ethan Braaksma, Newton, Iowa Mike Burbridge, Delhi, Iowa John Burrow Jr., Denver, Colo. Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa, Iowa Rob Charapata, Green Bay, [Read More]