Feature Archives

Southern Challenge checkers fly at Abilene for IMCA Modified winner Allen

ABILENE, Texas (Oct. 14) – Another win at another late-season IMCA Modified special put another $2,000 in Chase Allen’s bank account. Allen aced Abilene Speedway’s Ryan Bard Memorial Southern Challenge main event, taking the lead early and running away from the rest of the 20-car field. “We got a little redemption this year, thankfully,” said Allen, who broke leading his previous Southern Challenge outing. “We had a tough Friday night in qualifying and tore up the car some but we got everything fixed and we were fast the next night.” The 2013 race winner, Allen started outside row two and passed tough customers Dean Abbey on the outside and Josh McGaha on the inside in making his way to the front. Abbey ended his night in second. Chris Elliott, Tommy Fain and McGaha rounded out the top five in the 25-lapper. Allen had raced his way onto the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot by winning Kennedale Speedway Park’s rescheduled Showdown special the previous weekend. Other winners at Abilene’s 23rd annual Southern Challenge were Andy Roller in [Read More]

US 36 plans Oct. 21 special for IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars

OSBORN, Mo. – IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars debut at a Show Me State track built with Sprint Cars in mind later this month. The Saturday, Oct. 21 main event at US 36 Raceway in Osborn pays $700 to win and a minimum of $250 to start. Promoter Jon Boller Jr. said interest from local drivers will be complemented by competitors from the Kansas Ciy area and as far away as Minnesota. “I’ve been hearing a lot about IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars. A lot of people have told me they’d like to see them run here,” said Boller, looking to add the division to his IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing Friday night programs beginning next April. US 36 is a 3/8-mile clay oval located in the northwest corner of Missouri. “This track was built for sprint cars. It’s high-banked and super fast,” said Boller, citing comparisons to Eagle Raceway in Nebraska, the flagship track of RaceSaver and home to the RaceSaver Sprint Nationals. “There isn’t a bad seat in the house and we want to get [Read More]

Abelson gets 5,000 reasons to remember his first IMCA Modified Fall Nationals feature win

HAYS, Kan. (Oct. 7) – If he’s remembering right, Chris Abelson had never won a race before Saturday at RPM Speedway. There are 5,000 reasons why he won’t forget his first IMCA Modified main event win at Hays. Abelson led all 40 laps of the Fall Nationals fueled by Casey’s feature, taking the $5,000 checkers ahead of Tyler Frye. After Friday’s program was lost to inclement weather, Abelson won his heat and topped the second qualifying feature Saturday afternoon to start on the outside of the front row in the main event that evening. “For the amount of rain they’d gotten, the track wasn’t that rough,” said Abelson. “I could run top, middle, bottom. I used different lines in traffic and to avoid rough spots.” Kelly Shryock, Tim Ward and Scott Drake rounded out the top five. “It’s been four or five year since the last time I was here,” said Abelson, already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. “This year, the race we’ve been going to was on a different weekend so it [Read More]

Abilene Speedway set for 23rd annual Southern Challenge

ABILENE, Texas – The 23rd annual Ryan Bard Memorial Southern Challenge sees four IMCA divisions in action Friday and Saturday, Oct. 13-14. IMCA Modifieds race for $2,000 to win their main event, a qualifier for the 2018 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMods both run for $1,700 to win. IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks run for $650. An open practice runs from 6-10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12. All four divisions can time trial as part of that evening’s Fast Lap Challenge, with the top two cars in each class receiving an optional provisional if they don’t qualify. Pit gates and the grandstand open at 3 p.m. and racing starts at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Grandstand admission is $12 for adults, $10 for military with ID, $5 for kids ages 6-12 and free for five and under. Pit passes are $30. More information is available from promoter Rob Poor at 325 725-3849 or 325 692-8800, on Facebook and at the www.abilenespeedway.com website.

Wolla’s IMCA Modified national championship is North Dakota first

VINTON, Iowa (Oct. 3) – The driver known as The Big Show is the big name in IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing this season. Jason Wolla raced to the national IMCA Modified championship. The 25-time feature winner, from Ray, is the first North Dakota driver to win a national crown in any IMCA division. “We didn’t have any expectations for this season. We just wanted to put some wins together,” said Wolla, also the first driver from North Dakota to win IMCA’s Side Biter Chassis North Central Regional title. “We had no intentions of running for the national title. We were just racing.” “About midway through the season we were coming home after winning at Minot, got to looking at the points and started to think maybe it was doable,” he continued. “That was when we made the commitment to run for the national championship.” Wolla was track champion at Nodak Speedway and Southwest Speedway and scored Allstar Performance North Dakota State honors as well. Other first-time national champions were Marcus Thomas of Corsicana, Texas, in the [Read More]

Kennedale Speedway Park reschedules Showdown special for this weekend

KENNEDALE, Texas – Rain might have had the upper hand on the original race date but IMCA drivers in four divisions will race for even bigger paydays at Kennedale Speedway Park’s rescheduled Summit Racing Equipment Showdown this Friday and Saturday, Oct. 6 and 7. IMCA Modifieds are in the running for $2,500 to win their 2018 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier while IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMods all vie for $1,500 top checks. All four IMCA features pay a minimum of $200 to start and Modified, Stock Car and SportMod drivers racing both days who do not qualify for the main event get $100. New sponsor money will also go to hard chargers. On Friday, gates open at 4 p.m. and Modified, Stock Car and SportMod qualifying starts at 7 p.m. Grandstand admission is $13 for adults, $10 for seniors and military, $5 for kids ages 6-11 and free for five and under. Gates open at 4 p.m. Saturday and racing is at 6 p.m. [Read More]

$5,000 is top IMCA Modified prize at RPM Fall Nationals

HAYS, Kan. – RPM Speedway wraps up 2017 with one of the richest post-season events on the IMCA schedule, the Fall Nationals fueled by Casey’s. IMCA Modifieds race for $5,000 to win and a minimum of $400 to start their main event at the 11th annual event, scheduled Oct. 5-7 at Hays. That feature is a qualifying event for the 2018 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Also on the card this weekend are IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars racing for $3,000 to win and $250 to start, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods for $2,000 and $175 to start, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks for $1,500 and $175 to start, and Mach-1 Sport Compacts for $300 and $50 to start. Registration fee and non-qualifier pay is $150 for Modifieds, $100 for Stocks and $75 for SportMods and Hobby Stocks. Tow money for Sport Compacts is $25. A test and tune session for all divisions and the Sport Compact program are on Thursday, Oct. 5. Grandstand admission is free on Thursday. Adults pay $10 on Friday and $15 on Saturday; children [Read More]

Thornton is $20,000 richer after Race For Hope 74 victory

By Mike Spieker BATESVILLE, Ark. (Sept. 30) – Ricky Thornton Jr. captured the inaugural Race For Hope 74 title Saturday night at Batesville Motor Speedway. Thornton took the lead on lap 28 of 74 before going on to score the $20,000 IMCA Modified payday. “This one is definitely at the top of my list of races I’ve ever won, honestly,” said Thornton in victory lane following the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier. “It’s definitely the most money I’ve ever won. It’s pretty cool to get it done in Larry Shaw’s backyard.” Preliminary night feature winners Kyle Strickler, Justin Kay, and Jordan Grabouski led the 27-car field to the green for the three-wide start. Strickler grabbed the lead on the opening lap while Grabouski settled into second. Kay and Thornton both moved by Grabouski on the low side on lap four to take second and third, respectively. By halfway of the first 40-lap segment, Kay remained within five car lengths of Strickler, as the lead duo distanced themselves from the rest of the field. Thornton found [Read More]

Grabouski grabs Race For Hope 74 qualifier Win

By Mike Spieker BATESVILLE, Ark. (Sept. 29) – Jordan Grabouski captured the third and final Race For Hope 74 qualifying night feature Friday at Batesville Motor Speedway. Grabouski started fourth on the 30-car starting grid before taking the lead on lap eight. “Sometimes when you struggle, you need to do your homework. We did our homework tonight and made a few changes on the car. The thing was a rocketship tonight,” said Grabouski in victory lane. Travis Dickson took the lead on the opening lap from the outside front row starting spot. Meanwhile, Grabouski moved by Chad Andersen and Brian Hartwick to claim the runner-up spot at the completion of lap one. Seventh starting Jason Wilkey charged his way into third by lap three after driving around Anderson. The caution waved on lap five after Hartwick spun in turn four. Jacob Murray had nowhere to go and made heavy contact with Hartwick. Both drivers were OK. On the restart, Dickson pushed into turn one, which allowed Grabouski to easily take the lead exiting turn two. Tyler [Read More]

Kay captures Thursday Race For Hope 74 IMCA Modified qualifier at Batesville

By Mike Spieker BATESVILLE, Ark. (Sept. 28) – Justin Kay captured night two of the inaugural Race For Hope 74 IMCA Modified special at Batesville Motor Speedway Thursday evening. Kay led 21 of the 25 laps en route to the victory, which locked him into the front row for Saturday’s $20,000 to win main event. “I’ve never been here before. What an awesome race track,” said Kay in victory lane. “I knew what line I needed to run and I just had to hit my marks. Ricky (Thornton Jr.) has been so good lately and Kelly (Shryock) has been doing this a long time … this is just awesome. I’m so excited.” The race got underway with Kay, Dennie Gieber and Jason Wilkey on the front row for the three-wide start. The green flag was quickly replaced with the caution on the opening lap as Tyler Droste and Tyler Stevens got together exiting turn four. Droste was able to rejoin the field while Stevens was done for the night. On the complete restart, Wilkey raced his [Read More]