Feature Archives

Marriott motors to IMCA Modified checkers in Challenge Series finale

By Tony Steele PEORIA, Ariz. (Jan. 28) – Hunter Marriott picked up the $1,000 win in Sunday’s IMCA Modified main event evening the score with Ricky Thornton Jr. in the four race Winter Challenge Series at Canyon Speedway Park. It was apparent from the start the bottom side of the track would be the fastest way around the oval and once Marriott worked his way into the lead early he stayed there to the checkers. The last half of the race was a major battle through lapped traffic. Cody Laney and Thornton reeled the leader in but Marriott, already a Fast Shafts Allstar Invitational ballot candidate, narrowly held on for the victory while Laney and Thornton ran 2-3. Jeremy Payne brought his borrowed car home in fourth while defending national champion Jason Wolla was finally able to put together a solid day, earning a heat race win and finishing fifth in the feature. Speedy Madrid picked up his second win of the series in the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods while Cody Center picked up his first [Read More]

Thornton scores second IMCA Modified Winter Challenge Series win

By Tony Steele PEORIA, Ariz. (Jan. 27) – Ricky Thornton Jr. rolled through the middle of the track and around Hunter Marriott on his way to capturing his second IMCA Modified win of the Winter Challenge Series at Canyon Speedway Park. After a three-wide start to the race that lasted more than a full lap, Marriott battled his way into the lead position early in the Saturday feature ahead of Thornton and Chaz Baca. As the race approached halfway, Thornton began to show his nose to the inside of Marriott, finally pulling up alongside. With Thornton pressuring to the inside, Marriott changed his line just enough for Thornton to go to the middle of the track and drive around the leader on the outside. Thornton, already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, secured the $1,000 win while Marriott began to fade, making way for Tim Ward to grab the runner-up spot in his first race back in his home state of Arizona. Marriott held onto third ahead of Cody Laney and Jeremy Payne. George Fronsman [Read More]

2018 Deery Brothers Summer Series schedule marked by milestones

VINTON, Iowa – A schedule packed with milestone events sees the Deery Brothers Summer Series make its 50th visit to one race track and its first-ever to another speedplant this season. Thirteen race dates are on the calendar for the 32nd annual IMCA Late Model tour, which opens April 13 with the $5,000 to win Rebel 5K on the quarter mile oval at Davenport Speedway. Davenport also hosts the series finale, on the-half mile track on Sept. 21. “There are a lot of milestones this year,” acknowledged Tour Director Kevin Yoder. “Bookending events on different sized tracks at Davenport is unique and it’s been several years since we’ve had two shows in Illinois.” “It’s a really different looking schedule, which is great,” he added. “There are a lot of places where series drivers don’t have a lot of laps.” Deery drivers are at Cedar County Raceway in Tipton on April 21, at Maquoketa Speedway on May 5 and at Quad City Speedway in East Moline, Ill., on May 6 before the May 28 Memorial Day [Read More]

Boone County bringing back IMCA Modifieds

ALBION, Neb. – The number of calls they got convinced Boone County Raceway track officials to bring IMCA’s premier division back to their weekly race program. IMCA Modifieds return to Albion following a two-year hiatus. They’ll be on regular Friday cards that also feature IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts. “We have quite a few locals who drive IMCA Modifieds and wanted to bring them back here,” explained promoter Mike Trollope. “We called ‘em on the phone and put it out on Facebook, and they started calling us back.” “We had 15 Modified drivers who confirmed that they would race with us so we made the decision to pull the trigger and bring them back,” he continued. “I raced a Modified myself. I like the division and I’m glad to have them back at Boone County.” Opening night for the IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season is April 20. Thirteen more Friday night shows are scheduled through Aug. 17. All five weekly divisions are in [Read More]

Speedway Motors signs new five-year pact backing IMCA Weekly Racing, Super Nationals

LINCOLN, Neb. – Speedway Motors, America’s Oldest Speed Shop, will continue its association with IMCA, America’s oldest sanctioning body, for another five years. The Lincoln, Neb., high performance parts manufacturer, retailer and distributor has played an invaluable and incomparable sponsorship role with IMCA since the 1950’s. The latest marketing agreement runs through the 2022 race season. “We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with IMCA,” Speedway Motors President Clay Smith said. “Speedway Motors and IMCA have a long history together supporting racers, teams and tracks. This partnership highlights our commitment to making racing safe, fun and affordable for all racers.” Notably, Speedway Motors will continue its title sponsorship role of IMCA Weekly Racing for an 11th consecutive season and returns as title sponsor of Super Nationals for the 23rd straight year. Speedway Motors renews a program benefitting more than 200 tracks in the United States and Canada by providing jackets, promoter and tech official shirts and discounts on tech inspection equipment, flags and signage to help those facilities defray costs of their weekly programs, plus decals, driver’s [Read More]

Waller takes promotional reins at 105 Speedway

CLEVELAND, Texas – The new promoter at 105 Speedway has already been around the track a time or two. Randy Waller takes charge this season of the ¼-mile red clay oval, where IMCA Modifieds will be a Saturday night fixture. Waller’s Southern United Sprints also makes Cleveland a regular stopping spot over the course of 2018. The track is now owned by Jerry Brown. “We want to bring stability to the numbers in the pits and the grandstand,” said Waller, the long-time promoter at Gator Motorplex in Willis, which closed last year because of urban sprawl. “Our main goal is to make sure drivers in all divisions are treated fairly.” Modified drivers vocalized their support for Waller and the IMCA sanction during a meeting earlier this month. “I’ve been involved with the IMCA Modified division and the Southern United Sprints for a long time and that’s something I wanted to continue doing,” he said. “I talked to Mr. Brown and a lot of the IMCA drivers. Once you become part of this industry, you don’t [Read More]

Marriott banks $1,000 for Sunday Winter Challenge IMCA Modified win

By Tony Steele PEORIA, Ariz. (Jan 21) – As if we are reliving the 2016 Winter Challenge, Hunter Marriott evened the score on Sunday with opening night IMCA Modified winner Ricky Thornton Jr. Marriott snagged the lead early in the $1,000 to win IMCA Modified main event at Canyon Speedway Park and never relinquished it as Jason Noll and Thornton battled for the runner-up position. Marriott utilized a front row starting spot to establish an early lead in the 25-lap feature event. Once he gained control, Marriott – already on the ballot for the Fast Shafts Allstar Invitational –never looked back while Thornton and Noll tussled for second. Utilizing the middle to the high side of the track, Thornton and Noll swapped the spot numerous times before Thornton eventually took it over with Noll holding onto third. Brian Schultz charged from the 12th starting spot to fourth with defending national champion Jason Wolla rounding out the top five from his 11th starting spot. Speedy Madrid brought home his first win of the year in the Karl [Read More]

Opening night Winter Challenge checkers fly for Thornton

By Tony Steele PEORIA, Ariz. (Jan 20) – The last time we wrote about Chandler, Ariz., driver Ricky Thornton Jr., it was February of 2016. Thornton had just come off of three victories in five Winter Challenge events before sweeping two nights of the Desert Classic. After an almost two-year hiatus from Peoria, Thornton once again sat in victory lane at Canyon Speedway Park after taking the opening night $1,000 IMCA Modified Winter Challenge Series win. Jason Noll jumped to the lead at the start of the 25-lap feature before Thornton capitalized about a third of the way into the race. Once in front, Thornton never saw a true test for the lead even after a handful of restarts. “I knew when I got the lead on the bottom I had to stay there and just keep it as smooth as I could,” Thornton said from victory lane. Smooth was the story up front as Thornton, already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, picked up the win in his new Jet Chassis. Missouri wheelman Hunter [Read More]

Speedway Motors Racer Appreciation Week is Feb. 5-11

LINCOLN, Neb. – Speedway Motors is helping racers get a head start on the 2018 season with its annual Racer Appreciation Week Feb. 5-11. We’re packing the week full of expert tech tips, new products, exclusive looks into our manufacturing, great deals, giveaways and more! Be sure to join our email club, visit us at SpeedwayMotors.com and follow our Facebook page to catch all the action.

Sports Park Raceway achieves goal of IMCA sanction

FORT DODGE, Iowa – The promotional team at Sports Park Raceway can put a big check next to the third and final goal they set for the half-mile speedplant last year. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts will run Sundays this season at the Fort Dodge dirt track. Opening night is scheduled for April 22. “We ran the track last year with IMCA rules and goals to establish our car count and grandstand attendance,” explained Jason Vansickel, who co-promotes Sports Park Raceway with Marty Pringle and Dave Doughty. “We wanted to be IMCA sanctioned this year, so now we’ve accomplished all three of those goals.” “It’s huge that we’re sanctioned with IMCA. This is IMCA country and it’s what the drivers and fans wanted,” Vansickel added. “This track has never been sanctioned before and other sanctioning bodies were not the answer.” A test and tune session is planned for April 15. After taking the last weekend of July off, season championship night will [Read More]