Feature Archives

Turnbull checks out for Arizona Mod Tour victory on night two at Cocopah Speedway

By Mike Spieker SOMERTON, Ariz. (Feb. 18) – Aaron Turnbull dominated the penultimate night of the Karl Performance Arizona IMCA Modified Tour, leading all 25 trips around Cocopah Speedway Saturday evening. The $1,500 victory put the Canadian clipper on the ballot for the upcoming Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Pole sitter Cody Laney jumped out to the early lead at the drop of the green flag but Turnbull powered around the outside off turn four to lead the opening lap. Laney quickly had his hands full with Jeff Taylor, who was seeking his best finish of this year’s tour. Taylor snuck by Laney on lap three and set his sights on Turnbull, who had already established a seven car length lead. Ricky Thornton Jr. became a contender early on as well after he moved by Laney to crack the top three. Lapped traffic tightened things up late in the going. Turnbull’s comfortable lead evaporated to just two car lengths as both Taylor and Thornton reeled him in. Thornton passed Taylor for second just as the caution [Read More]

Marriott wows ‘em with flag to flag run in Cocopah Arizona Modified Tour show

By Mike Spieker SOMERTON, Ariz. (Feb. 16) – Round seven of the Karl Performance Arizona IMCA Modified Tour brought the series to Cocopah Speedway and defending champion Hunter Marriott remained untouchable during Friday night’s 25-lap, $1,500-to-win Winter Nationals main event. Marriott led every trip around the 3/8-mile dirt oval, despite challenges from Casey Arneson and Jake O’Neil throughout the race. “Tonight was one of the toughest races I have had to race in a long time,” Marriott said following his 10th 2018 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying victory. “I could hear those guys back there the whole time. I knew I had to keep my corner entry speed up or else they were going to eat me up. I straightened the car up after I saw that car on the outside of me and just hoped the right rear would stay up. I was burning it into the corner pretty hard.” Marriott grabbed the race lead at the drop of the green flag from the pole position. The man on the move early was [Read More]

Dominant Madrid charges to Canyon Arizona IMCA Modified Tour checkers

By Mike Spieker PEORIA, Ariz. (Feb. 15) – A dominant performance put Zach Madrid in victory lane and on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot Thursday night. Madrid became the fourth different $1,500 feature winner in five Karl Performance Arizona IMCA Modified Tour events, checking out on the rest of the Canyon Speedway Park field. Madrid had started eighth on the grid and quickly made his way toward the front on the fast, tacky and somewhat choppy racing surface. Madrid cracked the top three on lap eight as front row starter Chad Andersen paced the field. Lapped traffic played a factor as the leaders battled for the top spot. With 14 to go, Andersen made heavy contact with a lapped car in turn four. That allowed polesitter Hunter Marriott and Madrid to move into second and third, respectively. At the halfway point, Madrid pulled even with Marriott down the front stretch amidst heavy lapped traffic. Madrid powered by defending tour champion Marriott, who had won two of the first four events entering the night, to take [Read More]

Colorado’s Honor Speedway sanctions six divisions with IMCA

PUEBLO, Colo. – The Colorado track Alan Davis remembers taking practice laps at nearly a quarter century ago is the newly IMCA-sanctioned track he’ll promote beginning this season. Opening night at Honor Speedway in Pueblo is scheduled for April 7. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing points will be awarded at Saturday shows on the quarter-mile clay oval for IMCA Modifieds, IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts through Sept. 15. “The majority of racers in the area are already IMCA. We thought the best decision would be to sanction so they could race here for national, regional and state points,” Davis said. “IMCA is a very credible sanctioning body and I like the consistency of their rules.” The circle track, a quarter-mile asphalt drag strip and a 2.2 mile road course all are located on 2,600 acres of city-owned property known as Honor Farm Park overseen by an appointed park board. Built in the 1970s, the track had seen rare use – [Read More]

Rain is winner of Valentine’s Day Arizona Tour show at Canyon

PEORIA, Ariz. – Race fans who had planned to spend Valentine’s Day with their special someone at Canyon Speedway Park will have to make other plans. Rain is the winner of what was to have been round five of the Karl Performance Arizona IMCA Modified Tour. Race programs for both the IMCA Modifieds and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods scheduled this evening (Wednesday) at Peoria have been canceled. Those two divisions will be back in action Thursday, Feb. 15 at Canyon beginning at 7:30 p.m. Mountain Time.

Champion of inaugural IMCA Lone Star Stock Car Tour earns $5K

ABILENE, Texas – They do everything big in Texas and the Lone Star IMCA Sunoco Stock Car Tour will be big. Very big. The champion of the inaugural tour, sponsored by Sniper Speed, takes home a $5,000 share of the nearly $15,000 in point fund money to be paid out following the Feb. 16-24 tour. The runner-up earns $2,500, with $2,000 paid for third, $1,500 for fourth, $1,000 for fifth, $500 for sixth, $400 for seventh, $300 for eighth, $250 for ninth and $150 for 10th. In addition, drivers finishing 11th on back with perfect attendance will be eligible for a $1,000 cash drawing. Eight $750 to win events are on the tour schedule, starting with Friday and Saturday, Feb. 16 and 17 features during Abilene Speedway’s traditional season-opening Ice Breaker special. The tour is at 281 Speedway in Stephenville on Sunday and Monday, Feb. 18 and 19 and Boyd Raceway hosts Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 20 and 21 shows. Wrapping up the tour is the Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23 and 24 twinbill during [Read More]

Thornton adds Arizona IMCA Modified Tour win to resume

By Mike Spieker CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Feb. 12) – He already has wins at many of IMCA’s biggest events on his resume. Ricky Thornton Jr. added another when he took the $1,500 Karl Performance Arizona IMCA Modified Tour checkers Monday night at Central Arizona Speedway. Thornton started outside of row two and quickly made his way to the front. By lap four of 25 circuits, Thornton had reeled in leader Ryan Gaylord. Thornton executed a perfect slide job in turns three and four to take the lead while Casey Arneson ran within striking distance in third. Once out front, Thornton set sail and checked out from the field throughout the remainder of the caution-free main event. Further back in the top five, Arneson and Hunter Marriott, battled for third. The door opened for Marriott when Arneson pushed up the track in turn two. Marriott took the position and set his sights on Gaylord for the runner-up spot. Marriott quickly erased Gaylord’s advantage but had trouble maneuvering by the no. 7R in lapped traffic. With six to [Read More]

Marriott collects second Arizona IMCA Modified Tour checkers

By Mike Spieker CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Feb. 11) – Round three of the second annual Karl Performance Arizona IMCA Modified Tour continued with a Sunday matinee at Central Arizona Speedway. Just as he did on opening night, Hunter Marriott picked up the $1,500 feature win. “I just had to keep hitting my marks. The checkered came out and I thought it was the yellow. I figured we had another 10 laps to go. I was just focused on keeping my speed up and not letting them get too close,” said Marriott in victory lane. Marriott, who started on the outside of the front row, grabbed the lead on the opening lap over pole sitter Chaz Baca. Casey Arneson moved into second and rode right on the rear bumper of Marriott in the early going of the 25-lap event. By lap 10, 19th starting Ricky Thornton Jr. moved into third with a pass of Russell Allen. With nine circuits remaining, Allen’s top five effort came to an end when he and Ethan Dotson were racing for the [Read More]

O’Neil rebounds for round 2 Arizona IMCA Modified Tour victory

By Mike Spieker QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. (Feb. 10) – After a solid third place effort was negated the night before in post-race tech, Jake O’Neil cruised to the win on night two of the Karl Performance Arizona IMCA Modified Tour at Arizona Speedway. O’Neil started on the pole for the 25-lap main event with Kody Scholpp to his outside. O’Neil led the opening circuit with Scholpp in tow. Meanwhile, Jason Wolla, Casey Arneson and Ethan Dotson raced three-wide for third. The race for third quickly became a battle for second as Dotson and Arneson reeled in Scholpp. Dotson, who was the lone driver in the top five riding the rim around the thin cushion, squeezed around Scholpp for second and brought Wolla with him. Wolla snuck by Dotson for second with 18 laps to go but O’Neil had already stretched his advantage to over two seconds. Lapped traffic slowed O’Neil’s pace significantly, which allowed Wolla to close the gap to just over a half second. Fortunately for O’Neil, the caution was displayed as Wolla was closing [Read More]

Marriott charges to opening night Arizona IMCA Modified Tour victory

By Mike Spieker QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. (Feb. 9) – Defending champion Hunter Marriott was the $1,500 main event winner when the highly anticipated Karl Performance Arizona IMCA Modified Tour got underway Friday at Arizona Speedway. Eighty-eight Modifieds checked in for battle on opening night of the second annual tour. Marriott powered from the eighth starting position to battle Jason Wolla for the lead with four laps to go. Marriott placed a bid for the lead entering turn one as he attempted a slide job on Wolla amongst lapped traffic. Contact was made between Marriott and Wolla, which sent Wolla into the outside retaining wall and Marriott over the thick cushion. “That happens on this kind of race track,” said Marriott of the pass for the lead on Wolla. “[Wolla] messed up exiting turn four and I had a run on him. I knew that would be a good shot to take the lead if I was going to win. We weren’t quite clear, but it was close, though. I wasn’t going to lift and I [Read More]