Feature Archives

Kay tops IMCA Modified main to repeat as Governor’s Cup champ at Davenport

DAVENPORT, Iowa (Sept. 22) – Even when you’ve won as often as Justin Kay has, you can enjoy new accomplishments. And on Friday night at Davenport Speedway, that feat was accompanied by a $5,000 check. Kay earned his second straight Iowa Governor’s Cup crown along with the IMCA Modified checkers. His 2016 Governor’s Cup title had come with Late Models as the premiere division. “It was pretty cool. There were a lot of good cars here,” Kay said after the biggest payday of his Modified career. “It rained earlier in the week so the track was a little rough in spots, but I kept looking for the smoothest way around and tried not to let the car push.” He started fourth in the 25-lapper and passed Eric Barnes and then Kurt Kile to get to the front on the sixth circuit. Chris Simpson was running second when the final caution of the night came out, with six laps left. “I’ve raced with Chris enough in a Late Model that I was not going to give [Read More]

2017 IMCA point season ends this weekend

VINTON, Iowa – Final point races of the 2017 season will be held this weekend for all IMCA divisions. Modifieds, Sprint Cars, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods, Southern SportMods, Hobby Stocks and Sport Compacts wrap up the IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season on Sunday, Sept. 24. The final national and state points for Late Models will be given at through the West Liberty Raceway Deery Series event on Sept. 23. The Late Model track point season ended on Aug. 27. Bonus points will be figured and national and regional champions and rookies of the year announced as soon as possible. Local track officials will have until noon Central Standard Time on Monday, Oct. 23 to notify IMCA of corrections that affect their top 15 point standings before all standings for those divisions become official. Questions about IMCA point totals and standings should be directed to Virginia Lindsey, director of membership and points, at vlindsey@imca.com or by calling 319 472-2201, ext. 215.

IMCA Modifieds chase $2,000 check at Stuart’s Ron Little Memorial

STUART, Iowa – A $2,000 top prize and 2018 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot berth are at stake this Saturday at Stuart Speedway’s Ron Little Memorial. Also on the Sept. 23 card are IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods, all racing for $500 to win. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional and Allstar Performance State points will be awarded. There is no entry fee for the draw/redraw show. Grandstand admission is $10 for adults, $4 for kids and free for five and under. Pit passes are $30 for drivers and $20 for crew members. Pit gates will be open all day. The grandstand opens at 5 p.m. and hot laps are at 78 p.m., with racing to follow. More information is available by calling 515 238-6945, by emailing stuartracetrack@gmail.com and at the www.stuartspeedway.net website. The Ron Little Memorial will be broadcast by IMCATV.

Iowa Governor’s Cup returns to Davenport Speedway

DAVENPORT, Iowa – Davenport Speedway hosts the Iowa Governor’s Cup, the official stock car championship of the State of Iowa, this Friday, Sept. 22. The premier class will be IMCA Modifieds racing for $5,000 to win. This will be the largest Modified purse in the history of the race track and the winner earns a berth of the 2018 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot as well. Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods run for a $2,000 top prize. All racing will be on the quarter-mile oval and there are no entry fees for the draw/redraw show. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National and Allstar Performance State points will be awarded in both divisions. Modifieds also earn Side Biter Chassis North Central Region points. Hot laps are at 6:15 p.m. and racing is at 6:45 p.m. Twenty-four cars will start each IMCA feature. Spectator admission is $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and students, and free for kids ages 12 and under. Pit passes are $35. The first Iowa Governor’s Cup race was held in 1986, at Hawkeye Raceway. [Read More]

Deery Series heads to West Liberty for $5,000 to win Liberty 100 finale

WEST LIBERTY, Iowa – The final Deery Brothers Summer Series checkers of the season fly this weekend at West Liberty Raceway. The 21st annual Ideal Ready Mix Liberty 100 program is also the final event IMCA Late Model drivers can vie for IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National and Allstar Performance State points. Time trials, qualifying races and a $1,000 to win race of champions are on the Friday, Sept. 22 card. Last-chance qualifying precedes the $5,000 to win, minimum $600 to win 100-lap main event on Saturday, Sept. 23. Jesse Sobbing of Malvern brings the point lead to town, with Jake Neal of Omaha, Neb., Chad Holladay of Muscatine, Matt Ryan of Davenport and Marshalltown’s Darrel DeFrance rounding out the top five. Qualifying also gets underway Friday for IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts. Modifieds run for $1,000 to win and a 2018 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot berth on Saturday. Stock Car and SportMod features both pay $600 to win while the Sport Compact feature pays [Read More]

Phillips shows the way to $10,000 World Nationals checkers

By Joyce Eisele MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (Sept. 16) – Veteran Terry Phillips made his way to Marshalltown Speedway from the Show Me State and showed his IMCA Modified expertise on the track, topping Saturday’s $10,000 to win World Nationals main event. Richie Gustin of Gilman gave Phillips a run for the big money when he took the lead on lap 21, only to have Phillips come right back and regain it on the next lap. From there on, Phillips put distance between himself and Gustin, and took the 50-lapper by a comfortable margin. Along with the big payday, the checkers put Phillips on the ballot for the 2018 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Gustin had to be content with the runner-up spot. Cayden Carter of Oskaloosa started ninth and finished third, fourth was Chris Abelson of Sioux City and Joel Rust of Grundy Center rounded out the top five. Fifty-nine Modified drivers from nine states began qualifying heats Friday at the 11th annual event. Damon Murty of Chelsea swept $1,000-to-win IMCA Sunoco Stock Car features during the weekend while [Read More]

Richie Gustin reigns again at Super Nationals

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 9) – After finishing second in his qualifying feature on Friday night, Richie Gustin figured he had a pretty good chance to win Saturday’s IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s Modified main event. He was right. The 2011 Super Nationals champion, Gustin passed 2007 winner Todd Shute to get to the front of the 40-lap headliner, then outran defending champion Ricky Thornton Jr. in taking the Boone Speedway checkers. “I felt like we had a pretty good race car when we qualified last night,” said Gustin, who had passed 24 cars to finish second behind Thornton on Friday. “People say there’s a lot of luck that plays into this deal but when you get your second championship, it’s not luck. This is unbelievable.” Shute ended in third and Ricky Stephan was fourth. Three other former champions were in the show, with Gustin’s brother Jimmy finishing fifth, Randy Havlik seventh and Kyle Strickler 18th. Mike Nichols became a first-time Stock Car champion, beating Devin Smith across the stripe by not much [Read More]

Super Nationals Feature Results

Modifieds – 1. Richie Gustin, Gilman; 2. Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz.; 3. Todd Shute, Des Moines; 4. Ricky Stephan, South Sioux City, Neb.; 5. Jimmy Gustin, Marshalltown; 6. J.D. Auringer, Evansdale; 7. Randy Havlik, Ankeny; 8. Jeremy Mills, Garner; 9. Ricky Alvarado, Delta, Colo.; 10. Nick Roberts, Des Moines; 11. Jeremy Payne, Buckeye, Ariz.; 12. Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa; 13. Jordan Grabouski, Beatrice, Neb.; 14. Josh Most, Red Oak; 15. Jonathan Snyder, Ames; 16. Kelly Shryock, Fertile; 17. Drew Christianson, Minot, N.D.; 18. Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, N.C.; 19. Justin O’Brien, West Union; 20. Cody Laney, Torrance, Calif.; 21. Troy Cordes, Dunkerton; 22. Nick Meyer, Whittemore; 23. Jesse Richter, Great Bend, Kan.; 24. Eric Elliott, Boone; 25. Jason Wolla, Ray, N.D.; 26. Paul Stone, Winton, Calif.; 27. Corey Dripps, Reinbeck; 28. Ryan Ruter, Clear Lake; 29. Chris Abelson, Sioux City; 30. Chris Mills, Sioux City; 31. Jay Noteboom, Hinton; 32. Randy McDaniel, Olivehurst, Calif.; 33. Darin Duffy, Urbana. Stock Cars – 1. Mike Nichols, Harlan; 2. Devin Smith, Lake City; 3. Dustin Larson, Rushmore, Minn.; 4. [Read More]

Saturday Roundup

Kyle Strickler starts his bid to complete the Super Nationals triple crown from inside row one. Already a Super Nationals champion and winner of the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, Strickler drew the ace to earn the pole start in Saturday’s Harris Auto Racing Race of Champions. Mike Jergens is on the outside of the front row and two-time race winner Dustin Smith lines up third. Starting fourth through 12th will be Josh Ruby, Todd Shute, Ryan McDaniel, Bob Moore, Vern Jackson, Mike VanGenderen, Joel Rust, Johnny Scott and Anthony Roth. * The ace put the Westin Abbey on the inside of the front row for the start of the Sunoco Race Fuels Stock Car Race of Champions Two-time RoC winner David Smith will line up on the outside. Completing the 10-car grid are Randy Brands, Shaun Bruns, Bryan Rigsby, Matt Schauer, 2014 race winner Devin Smith, defending winner Dustin Larson, Brandon Czarapata and Kyle Clough. * Todd Shute rock-paper-scissored his way to the outside row one start in tonight’s Modified main event, getting the Rochambeau [Read More]

Super Nationals finale starts with I do’s

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 9) – The bride wore a beaded ivory gown. The groom, of course, wore a checkered flag tie. Nebraska Stock Car driver Bob Chalupa and Carol Koch exchanged vows Saturday afternoon on the infield stage at Boone Speedway before pre-race ceremonies got underway for the final day of the 35th annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. “We’ve been coming here for four years and I wanted to get married in Las Vegas,” Chalupa said. “She said no, let’s get married in Boone.” While he’d have liked to have qualified for tonight’s main event, Chalupa agreed that getting married at Super Nationals was a bigger highlight. His car served as a backdrop to post-ceremony pictures and Carol waved to the grandstand crowd from the passenger side window as they drove back to his trailer. Doug Cue, pastor at First United Methodist Church in Boone, officiated.