Feature Archives

Arkansas Spring Nationals checkers fly twice for Taylor

BATESVILLE, Ark. (March 25-26) – Another early-season special at Batesville Motor Speedway brought out the best in Jeff Taylor. Taylor swept $1,000 to win Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified main events on Friday and Saturday during the Arkansas Spring Nationals lidlifter. He’d brought the broom to Batesville as recently as 2014, winning all three season-starting special main events that spring as well. “I was really comfortable with my car,” said Taylor, coming off an IMCA career-best 14 feature wins in 2015 and already on the ballot for the upcoming Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. “I’ve been racing here since 1996. I don’t know how many laps I’ve got here but I learned from the best. My car could do anything this weekend.” Taylor started Friday’s 30-lapper from inside the second row and led most of the way, holding off Tyler Droste after getting into lapped traffic. Droste got a look inside Taylor once but wasn’t able to get by and settled for second. Richie Tosh, Robby Arnold and Brint Hartwick completed the top five. Arnold, Tosh, [Read More]

Four drivers double up at RPM’s Sunflower Classic

By Mike Hughes HAYS, Kan. (March 25-26) – One-hundred and ninety race teams from eight states converged on RPM Speedway for the fourth annual Sunflower Classic and four drivers backed up their Friday night main event wins with another trip to the winner’s circle on Saturday. Jordan Grabouski topped both $1,000 to win, Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying features for Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds. Other two-time winners were Mike Nichols in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Dustin Daniels in the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Scott Spellmeier in the Mach-1 Sport Compacts. IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock victories went to Garrett Hager and Cody Williams. On Friday night, Dominic Ursetta jumped to the early lead in the 25-lap Modified feature. After a lap 13 caution, Jesse Sobbing took control and was followed by Ursetta and Grabouski. Grabouski took the lead on lap 22 and a late-race caution set up a green, white, checkered finish. Grabouski held on for the win over a hard-charging Tyler Frye. Sobbing was third. The Stock Car feature was close [Read More]

Hodges, Lathram, St. Jude’s are big winners at Cardinal’s opening weekend

EUNICE, N.M. (March 25-26) – Sam Hodges and Jordan Lathram were the big winners at Cardinal Speedway’s season-opening doubleheader. So was St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Hodges won Friday and Saturday night features for IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks. His $500 in winnings – $200 from opening night, $300 from night two – didn’t stay in the bank long as the former Cardinal promoter called St. Jude’s on Monday to donate the full amount toward children’s cancer research. “This is the time last year I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I raced opening night in a SportMod, then had surgery and spent the rest of the season as a spectator,” he explained. “I made a deal with the Lord that he saved me and I’d help save somebody else.” “I’m going to donate all the money I win this season,” continued Hodges. “I’ve been good for a year now. Every day is a bonus.” (The St. Jude’s website is www.stjude.org). Hodges won from fourth starting on Friday, ahead of Errick Rogers and Gerald Spalding Jr., and from [Read More]

Foster ends absence from Lee County winner’s circle

DONNELLSON, Iowa (March 26) – The first IMCA sanctioned event in Iowa this season ended with Josh Foster in victory lane for the first time in three years. Foster battled with Hunter Marriott, then held off Kyle Brown in winning Saturday’s Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified feature at Lee County Speedway’s Spring Extravaganza. The $1,000 win put Foster on the ballot for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Cayden Carter and Kelly Shryock rounded out the top five. “We raced weekly at Lee County back in the day and won four track championships (between 2006 and 2011). I live about 2-1/2 hours away now so it’s harder to get back there now. This was our first time back since 2013,” said Foster. “I really wanted to get back to Donnellson this year. We have a lot of laps at Lee County, and a lot of family, friends and sponsors there.” Foster started sixth and was in the lead 14 laps into the 20-lapper. He tussled with Marriott the next three times around the track. “We went [Read More]

Drueke wins dash to Sprint Series of Nebraska opening night checkers

By Greg Soukup RISING CITY, Neb. (March 25) – The winner of last season’s Sprint Series of Nebraska finale now has an IMCA EMI RaceSaver Sprint Car tour streak of two straight checkers. Tyler Drueke held off Joey Danley to top the 2016 SSN opener Friday at Butler County Speedway. The victory paid $700. After restarting third following a caution with seven circuits to go in the 25-lapper, Drueke passed Danley on the top side in the first set of turns, then drove by Jason Martin for the lead on the extreme lower line. The white flag was out when Danley got back alongside but Drueke took advantage of a lapped car in the final turn and won the dash to the finish line. Doug Lovegrove and then Terry Richards were the early leaders. Martin got the lead on lap nine but Clint Benson and Boyd Petersen looped it in turn three.  Martin grabbed the lead again on the restart. Drueke moved to third the next time around.  Danley cracked the top four on the [Read More]

IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National Point Standings Through March 24

Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds – 1. Lance Mari, Imperial, Calif., 569; 2. Chaz Baca, Mesa, Ariz., 520; 3. Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz., 506; 4. Brian Schultz, Casa Grande, Ariz., 490; 5. Hunter Marriott, Brookfield, Mo., 482; 6. Tim Ward, Chandler, Ariz., 469; 7. Jason Noll, Peoria, Ariz., 450; 8. Cody Laney, Torrance, Calif., 408; 9. Ryan Gaylord, Lakewood, Colo., 385; 10. R.C. Whitwell, Tucson, Ariz., 372; 11. Ethan Dotson, Bakersfield, Calif., 369; 12. Brent Schlafmann, Bismarck, N.D., 351; 13. Paul Stone, Winton, Calif., 350; 14. Anthony Roth, Columbus, Neb., 344; 15. Michael Jergens, Plover, Iowa, 306; 16. Zachary Madrid, Phoenix, Ariz., 281; 17. Marlyn Seidler, Underwood, N.D., 279; 18. Matt Guillaume, Haslet, Texas, 269; 19. Steve Simpson Jr., Kingman, Ariz., 259; 20. Shawn Strand, Mandan, N.D., 239. IMCA EMI RaceSaver Sprint Cars – 1. Logan Scherb, Decatur, Texas, 188; 2. Marcus Thomas, Corsicana, Texas, 149; 3. John Ricketts, Burleson, Texas, 137; 4. John Carney II, Lubbock, Texas, 136; 5. Chase Parson, Abilene, Texas, 122; 6. Shane Gloeckler, Joshua, Texas, 120; 7. Chad Wilson, North Richland [Read More]

Rutkoski is best in Emerald Coast Tour opener

MILTON, Fla. (March 19) – When the high side didn’t work, Kyle Rutkoski followed the lower line to the winner’s circle in the Bay Area Emerald Coast Tour opener at Southern Raceway. Rutkoski led the final five circuits in Saturday’s Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified feature at Milton. He’d won three of the last five tour events last year, all at the fast Florida oval. “I had tried to make the high side work early, then went to the lower line,” said Rutkoski, who passed defending series champion Jason Barnhill for the front spot following the second of the race’s two cautions. “I told my dad afterwards if I didn’t win I’d be disappointed. When you put in as much work on your car as we do, you feel like you should win.” Barnhill and Josh Goodwin went back and forth before Barnhill settled in up front and looked to check out. The first yellow erased Barnhill’s big advantage and Rutkoski made his pass for the lead after the second caution came out, with Barnhill [Read More]

Attention to little details pays off big for Hammock in Sprint Series of Texas opener

PAIGE, Texas (March 19) – Added attention to little details helped pay off for Jerry Hammock in the Saturday night Sprint Series of Texas opener at Cotton Bowl Speedway. Hammock led start to finish of the 20-lapper for IMCA EMI RaceSaver Sprint Cars at Paige and had an advantage of close to half a straightaway over Jeff Day at the checkers. “We ran the bottom. The track was hard and slick and never built a cushion. The sweet spot was right around the bottom,” said Hammock, who’d started outside the front row. “It seemed like every time we caught lapped traffic somebody would spin and there was a caution, so lapped cars weren’t a problem.” Jason Howell, two-time and defending champion Dustin Woods and Johnny Miller completed the top five. Hard charger Kenny Elwood gained the last transfer spot after starting last in his “B” and ended in 10th. Hammock was a three-time SST winner and finished second in the points race last season. He’d won previously at Cotton Bowl in 2014. “We’re excited about [Read More]

Top IMCA Modified cash at Kegger goes to James

POCOLA, Okla. (March 20) – Jeff James couldn’t recall too many details of his one previous visit to Tri-State Speedway, as a spectator some time in the late 1990s. He’s got $2,000 to help him remember his second trip to the Pocola, Okla., speedplant. James led all 25 laps of the Sunday Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified main event at the Cecil Harlan Memorial Kegger, building a lead of as much as a straightaway before pulling away again after a caution bunched the field back up with just two circuits to go. “It was a pretty good way to start off the season,” understated James, who’d earned the pole by winning his Saturday qualifier, “especially considering I’d never raced there before.” The win came in just his third start in a new Skyrocket. James had been 12th and then seventh in outings at Beatrice Speedway’s Spring Nationals. The new Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier took the checkers ahead of defending race winner Tate Cole, outside row one starter Richie Tosh, Drew Armstrong and teammate Todd [Read More]

Ken Schrader joins IMCA Modified fields for Frostbuster specials at Oskaloosa, Vinton, Marshalltown and Boone

OSKALOOSA, Iowa – Ken Schrader returns to Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified fields for all four nights of Frostbuster Week. Southern Iowa Speedway at Oskaloosa hosts opening night on Wednesday, March 30. Frostbusters follow on Thursday, March 31 at Benton County Speedway in Vinton, Friday, April 1 at Marshalltown Speedway and Saturday, April 2 at Boone Speedway. Top prize each night for the Modifieds is $1,000 with a berth on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot at stake as well. Most recently a Frostbuster competitor last spring, Schrader has enjoyed early-season success in the BMS North Central Region in the past. The popular NASCAR driver was a Frostbuster winner in 2012. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars run for $500 to win, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods for $400 to win and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks for $250 to win each night of the Frostbuster. One thousand dollar point funds will be paid to top five drivers in each division. Champions will be eligible to qualify for their respective race of champions events during the IMCA Speedway Motors [Read More]