Feature Archives

Southwest IMCA Dakota Tour checkers are third for Marriott

DICKINSON, N.D. (July 12) – Hunter Marriott raced to a couple firsts Wednesday night, en route to his third win of the Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Tour for IMCA Modifieds. As a result, the defending champion is just three points out of the top spot in the point standings heading into the Thursday tour finale. Marriott caught Justin O’Brien for the lead, then withstood numerous challenges to the finish of the 30-lap main event at Southwest Speedway before picking up his latest $2,300 winner’s check. The ninth starting Marriott had raced three-wide with point leader Johnny Scott and O’Brien, following O’Brien into second and ultimately taking charge up front. He became the first driver since Jeff Taylor in 2014 to win back-to-back Dakota Tour Modified features, and the first since Taylor in 2012 to win three times in the same year. O’Brien finished second for the second straight night. Scott was third, Jordan Grabouski fourth and Jay Noteboom fifth. Joe Flory was the $800 IMCA Sunoco Stock Car winner after regaining the lead from fellow [Read More]

Defending champions Marriott, Zevenbergen earn Dakota Tour repeat wins at Williston Basin

WILLISTON, N.D. (July 11) – Familiar faces were in a familiar place following Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Tour main events at Williston Basin Speedway. Defending champions Hunter Marriott and Elijah Zevenbergen became the first repeat winners of the 2017 tour on Tuesday night, Marriott in the IMCA Modified feature, Zevenbergen in the headliner for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. Marriott started fifth and was quickly into the lead. Multiple cautions, however, prevented him from checking out. Marriott held off the 12th starting Justin O’Brien and Marlyn Seidler in leading all 30 laps for the $2,300 victory, his ninth in a 2017 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying event. Jeff Taylor and 13th starting Johnny Scott completed the top five. Drivers from 11 states and Canada were represented in the starting grid. Zevenbergen scored the $800 Stock Car checkers after starting fourth and completing a three-wide pass of Austin Daae and Dalton Flory for the lead. Daae and Flory battled over second while sticking close to the leader. The front trio got into lapped traffic late but neither challenger [Read More]

Career 100th Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod win is the latest lofty accomplishment for Looft

SWEA CITY, Iowa – Winning a single feature was a pretty big deal during Matthew Looft’s Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod rookie season. He’s raised the bar considerably since then. The Swea City, Iowa, driver won for the 100th time in his career in the division on June 30 at Jackson Motorplex. The checkers were the ninth of the season for Looft, who has averaged better than 17 wins a year since his rookie campaign in the IMCA division. “It’s pretty surreal,” admitted Looft. “If someone told me back in 2010 that I’d get 100 wins, I would have said they were crazy. It’s something I never planned on. It took a lot of work by a lot of people.” Looft won a career-best 26 features in 2013. He became the only driver to earn back-to-back national championships in the class on the strength of 18 wins the following year. Along with a division-leading 18 track and special series championships, Looft is a five-time Allstar Performance Minnesota State titlist. “Winning a national championship is a commitment to [Read More]

Scott weathers storm, wins Dakota Tour IMCA Modified feature at Estevan

ESTEVAN, Sask. (July 10) – After weathering the storm, Johnny Scott raced to the Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Tour IMCA Modified feature win Monday at Estevan Motor Speedway. Heavy rains hit right the track right after the first IMCA Sunoco Stock Car heat race was completed. Unlike last year, when flooding and a state of emergency grabbed the headlines and the tour event was canceled, the rains subsided and the track prep crew got the 3/8-mile clay oval ready and racing resumed. Scott took advantage of his front row start spot in the 30-lap main event to take the early lead ahead of Jason Wolla. As the laps ticked by, the frontrunners entered lapped traffic and Scott had to hold off Wolla again as well as Jordan Grabouski, up from ninth starting. Scott stayed strong up front to lead all 30 laps, earning $2,300 and sole possession of the top spot in the point standings for his efforts. He was already on the ballot for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Grabouski pulled a late-race pass [Read More]

Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Tour checkers fly for defending champ at Minot

MINOT, N.D. (July 9) – Once he found his way back to the front, there was no catching Hunter Marriott on night two of the Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic IMCA Modified Tour. The defending tour champion got the lead back from Billy Kendall and checked out on the way to the $2,300 checkers Sunday at Nodak Speedway. The 30-lapper ran caution-free and Marriott was in and out of lapped traffic much of the way. Ninety Modifieds, plus 42 IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, checked in at Minot. Johnny Scott, former tour champions Ricky Thornton Jr. and Aaron Turnbull, and Joel Rust rounded out the top five behind Marriott. Already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, Marriott started third and had the lead when the first lap was scored. Kendall ran higher on the oval to take the front spot away. The front pair ran side-by-side before Marriott got the lead back and ran away from the pack, winning a straightaway ahead of Scott. “I didn’t think the race would be won from the top so [Read More]

100 IMCA Modifieds at Jamestown as Wilson tops record-setting Dakota Classic Tour opener

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (July 8) – Spencer Wilson laughed when he was asked if he was ready to consider himself an IMCA Modified special series specialist. The answer was no – not yet, anyway. With a track record 100 Modifieds checked in for opening night, Wilson led all 30 laps of Saturday’s 28th annual Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Modified Tour main event at Jamestown Speedway. The win paid $2,300. Wilson had raced his way onto the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot in February with a win in the Arizona Modified Tour. The Saturday checkers came on a night when Modified drivers from 17 states and two Canadian provinces converged on Jamestown. “I enjoy going to big shows like this and racing with this level of competition,” said Wilson. “This was a great group of drivers. I knew I could run with them. I just needed to stay smart and not overdrive the car.” Wilson pulled away from 2015 champion Ricky Thornton Jr. and Johnny Scott following a series of restarts. Cody Baumann and Tracy Domagala rounded out [Read More]

Boone’s 50th anniversary special event combines with Prelude to Sept. 4-9 IMCA Super Nationals

BOONE, Iowa – As its name would imply, Boone Speedway’s 50th anniversary event will serve as a Prelude to the World’s Largest Dirt Track Event. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods fill the card at the Saturday, Sept. 2 Prelude, giving early arrivals for the Sept. 4-9 IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s another night on Iowa’s Action Track. The Modified feature will be a qualifying event for next fall’s Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. The complete purse, as well as race night schedule, are to be announced. “Boone’s 50th anniversary event was originally scheduled in March but was rained out. They had considered rescheduling mid-season but decided the prelude would be a better time,” explained IMCA President Brett Root. “There are always a lot of drivers who get to Boone before Labor Day and this will be a good event between weekly racing and Super Nationals.” Regardless of when they get to Boone, drivers and fans will be greeted by a familiar schedule at the 35th annual Super [Read More]

IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National Point Standings Through July 5

IMCA Modifieds – 1. William Gould, Calera, Okla., 1,143; 2. Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, 1,136; 3. Matt Guillaume, Haslet, Texas, 1,112; 4. Jason Wolla, Ray, N.D., 1,074; 5. Cory Sample, Winnemucca, Nev., 1,047; 6. Ricky Stephan, South Sioux City, Neb., 1,045; 7. Anthony Roth, Columbus, Neb., 1,013; 8. Brian Schultz, Casa Grande, Ariz., 1,006; 9. Dean Abbey, Roanoke, Texas, 989; 10. Scott R. Smith, Davenport, Neb., 985; 11. Brandon Hood, McGregor, Texas, 970; 12. Ethan Dotson, Bakersfield, Calif., 949; 13. Tom Berry Jr., Medford, Ore., 935; 14. Bryce Garnhart, Shannon, Ill., 920; 15. Clinton Luellen, Minburn, Iowa, 912; 16. Kelsie Foley, Tucson, Ariz., 910; 17. Tim Ward, Chandler, Ariz., 906; 18. Chaz Baca, Mesa, Ariz., 877; 19. Steven Bowers Jr., Topeka, Kan., 854; 20. William “Pat” McGuire, Belton, Texas, 836. IMCA Late Models – 1. Todd Cooney, Des Moines, Iowa, 775; 2. Jeremiah Hurst, Dubuque, Iowa, and Matt Ryan, Davenport, Iowa, both 770; 4. Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown, Iowa, 747; 5. Rob Toland, Colona, Ill., 720; 6. Joe Zrostlik, Long Grove, Iowa, 630; 7. Joel Callahan, Dubuque, Iowa, [Read More]

2017 Super Nationals logo required for best appearing car contest

BOONE, Iowa – There’s no particular theme, just one important requirement for Modified and Northern SportMod drivers planning to enter the Best Appearing Car contest for their respective divisions at the upcoming IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. In addition to required decals for the divison, entries must incorporate the 2017 Super Nationals logo, in original and unaltered colors, in the overall design. The logo must be a minimum of 20 inches wide and 13 inches tall and located on the nose or side of the car. “Designs can and should be unique,” commented IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. “I will email the logo to graphics companies and anyone else who needs the logo can contact me at the IMCA home office.” Golden Empire Towing of Bakersfield, Calif., awards $200 in cash to drivers of the cars judged best appearing in both divisions. Speedway Motors gives $100 gift cards to all drivers entering the contest while Sweet Manufacturing awards an ignition box to the Modified winner. Both the Modified and Northern SportMod winners [Read More]

Dakota Classic Modified Tour: From a Dream to A Premier National Tour

By Tom Berg Dakota Classic Modified Tour: From a Dream to A Premier National Tour In 1990 John Gartner had a vision about having a series of dirt-track racing during the summer in North Dakota, similar to Speedweeks in Florida during the week of the Daytona 500 each February. Out of that vision was born the Dakota Classic Modified Tour. Some thought the idea was crazy. As it turns out, Gartner’s tour dream was far from crazy; it has blossomed into the largest Modified touring series in the United States. Sponsored by Kupper Chevrolet of Mandan, the Dakota Classic Modified Tour is entering its 28th year in 2017 and begins on Saturday, July 8 at Jamestown Speedway in Jamestown. That is followed by stops at Nodak Speedway in Minot, Estevan Motor Speedway in Saskatchewan, Canada, Williston Basin Speedway in Williston, Southwest Speedway in Dickinson and wrapping up on July 13 at Dacotah Speedway in Mandan. Incidentally, the six-night tour will be followed by the Legendary 50 at Dacotah Speedway, an event paying $10,002 to win. The [Read More]