Feature

SPI announces sale of Farley Speedway

By Jerry Mackey FARLEY, Iowa – Keith Simmons, owner/operator of the Farley Speedway located on the west edge of Farley, Iowa, announced he has sold the popular 3/8-mile dirt track along with all the assets of Simmons Promotions. The new ownership group is headlined by Dubuque businessman Joel Callahan, owner of Calla­han Construction. Callahan is the majority investor of the new ownership group which also in­cludes Farley businessmen Jason Rauen and Roger Simon. Simmons owned and operated the Farley Speedway for 16 seasons bringing the track national recognition by providing outstanding stock car racing action that included a wide variety of Na­tional sanctions and many different types of race cars. Simmons has agreed to remain on as an advisor and will continue to oversee all track prepara­tion. “Selling the Farley Speedway was a very difficult decision for me to make but at the same time, I am very excited to see this group of owners come on board with a plan to keep racing alive and make several improvements to the Farley Speedway that I [Read More]

Feature

IMCA Stock Cars find Wyoming home at Sweetwater 

ROCK SPRINGS, Wy. (Jan. 9) – Sweetwater Speedway brings IMCA-sanctioned Stock Cars to Wyoming in 2017, debuting the new class during a three-day Memorial Weekend show. In all, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars will join Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds and IMCA SportMods at Rock Springs on 13 nights this season. The finale is set for Sept. 16. “We’ve used rules very similar to IMCA’s for our street stock class for a while and have averaged 15-20 cars a night the last couple years. We’ve had some great shows,” explained promoter Kara Beech, also noting that the proximity of Addiction Chassis had contributed to increased car counts. “The IMCA Modified and SportMod divisions have worked great for us so I thought what the heck, hopefully we can do the same with the Stock Cars.” Sweetwater will be part of the EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region. In addition to the May 26-28 dates, IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional, Allstar Performance State and local track points will also be awarded at June 9, 10 and 30, [Read More]

Feature

Opening night postponed at Perris

PERRIS, Calif. – Rain and forecasts calling for more precipitation have resulted in postponement of the 2017 opening night event for Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds at Perris Auto Speedway. The Saturday, Jan. 7 show at Perris has been called off with the Winter Heat Challenge Series to resume on Saturday, Jan. 21. The series continues Feb. 11 and 12.

Feature

Four IMCA divisions featured at Jan. 14 Cocopah opener

YUMA, Ariz. – Four IMCA divisions see their first action of 2017 at Cocopah Speedway on Satur­day, Jan. 14. Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks tussle in an afternoon show that starts at 1 p.m. Pit gates open at 9 a.m. and the grandstand opens at 11 a.m., with hot laps starting at approxi­mately 12:15 p.m. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional, Allstar Performance State and track points will be awarded. Spectator admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors 55 and over and military personnel, and free for kids 12 and under. Both a family pass (two adults and four kids) and sky box tickets run $25. Pit passes are $35. More information is available at the www.cocopahspeedway.com website or by calling 928 344-1563. Cocopah hosts the inaugural Cactus Clash Friday and Saturday, Feb. 3 and 4 with IMCA Modi­fieds chasing $1,000 checks in their Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying features. Stock Cars race for $500, Northern SportMods for $400 and Hobby [Read More]

Feature

IMCA crate engine track champions earn $39,500 in Chevrolet Performance bonuses 

GRAND BLANC, Mich. – Bonuses totaling $39,500 have been paid by Chevrolet Perfor­mance to IMCA drivers winning 2016 track championships while competing exclusively with crate engines. One hundred and twenty-one different drivers in the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod, Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMod and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock divisions won a total of 158 track titles with crate engines this season. Bonuses of $250 per track championship were mailed this month from the IMCA home office. This was the third season in the latest three-year bonus agreement with Chevrolet Performance, which has now awarded some $200,000 to eligible drivers over the course of the bonus program. “This has been a lucrative program for our members since its inception over a decade ago and we appreciate the support Chevrolet has shown IMCA racers during that time,” noted IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. “We’ll continue to structure this program to put cash in the pockets of IMCA drivers and recognize track championships.” The 52 crate-powered Modified drivers winning 66 track titles and [Read More]

Feature

Further clarifications announced to 2017 IMCA rules

VINTON, Iowa – Several further clarifications have been announced to 2017 rules initially released by IMCA in November. A left front take-up spring will now be allowed in the Late Model division. The maximum spoiler width was increased from 72 to 72-1/2 inches while the maximum diagonal measurement from the center of the rear axle to the top of the interior deck was upped from 52 to 54 inches. No tolerance will be allowed in measuring either dimension, emphasized IMCA President Brett Root. Wording regarding standard weight axles tubes has also been added for Late Models and Modifieds and Root said drivers in both divisions should read those rules again. The rule implemented during the 2016 season allowing a claim/exchange for Stock Cars with the 350 cfm carburetor option but not the 500 cfm option will be continued. And wording allowing flat milling on the combustion side of the head only in the Stock class has been removed. “With the PRI trade show held after the release of our rules and proof reading by our [Read More]

Feature

IMCA Modifieds new in 2017 at N.Y.’s Thunder Mountain Speedway

CENTER LISLE, N.Y. – IMCA-sanctioned Modifieds return to Thunder Mountain Speedway in 2017, headlining Saturday programs at the south central New York speedplant. The first point race for the newest addition to the Dirt Works Eastern Region will be April 15. The tentative schedule for the 3/8-mile clay oval just north of Center Lisle sees the Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified season running to Sept. 2. “There are a lot of IMCA Modified drivers in this area and I know many of them person­ally,” Thunder Mountain owner and promoter Karl Spoonhower said. “IMCA Modifieds are good looking cars, they put on pretty decent shows, the fans like them and that’s the name of the game.” The upcoming season will be the 26th at Thunder Mountain. Spoonhower had started his own construction company to build the facility in the early 1990s and got back into the race track promo­tional business in 2014. “I think we’ve got the nicest racing surface of any track in the area. We put 700 truckloads of new clay on it last year,” [Read More]

Feature

Brenn named IMCA executive director of competition 

VINTON, Iowa – Dave Brenn has a new job and some new responsibilities with America’s oldest au­tomotive racing sanctioning body. Brenn has been named executive director of competition for IMCA. As such, he’ll be in charge of the competition department while continuing the same responsibili­ties he’d held as the organization’s director of division development for the past four years. “This is really a change in workload,” explained IMCA President Brett Root. “Competition Director Tom Gutowski will continue his current duties. While Dave will be taking on more responsibilities, for example he’ll still research new products for their possible use in IMCA.” While Brenn will continue traveling to and heading up tech at IMCA events around the country, he also becomes the first point of contact for drivers and local track officials with tech-related ques­tions. “This seems like a natural progression. I am very excited about this position and am proud to be associated with IMCA,” Brenn said. “After a career of 30-plus years in the telecommunications industry, I’m happy to be working for IMCA. I [Read More]

Feature

IMCA national awards banquet honors 2016’s best

LINCOLN, Neb. (Nov. 26) – IMCA honored the best of the best Saturday night, during the national awards banquet in Lincoln, Neb. National champions taking their turns on stage and at the podium were Jordan Grabouski, Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified; Rob Toland, IMCA Late Model; Andy Shouse, IMCA EMI RaceSaver Sprint Car; Mike Nichols, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car; Shannon Anderson, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock; Jeffrey Abbey, Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMod; Tony Olson, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod; and Nate Coopman, Sport Compact. Nichols, who matched Coopman’s single-season record with 54 wins this season, and Anderson became the first drivers in IMCA’s modern era to win career sixth national crowns in the same division. Coopman raced to his career fourth crown, Toland to his third and Grabouski to his second. Shouse, Abbey and Olson all earned career-first national titles. Modified regional champions included Cory Sample, Larry Shaw Race Cars Western; Grabouski, Jet Racing Central; Matt Guillaume, Razor Chassis South Central; Chris Abelson, BMS North Central; and A.J. Ward, Dirt Works Eastern. Nichols reigned in the [Read More]

Feature

IMCA Manufacturer’s Cup winner has new name, seventh title in eight years

GREAT BEND, Kan. – While the name engraved on the trophy will be different, BMS by Xtreme continued its IMCA’s Manufacturer’s Cup success in 2016. The chassis builder now located in Great Bend, Kan., had the top point total for the sixth straight year, and for the seventh time in the program’s eight years. Points are awarded based on the make of chassis driven by drivers finishing in the top 10 in each of the five regions for Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds. BMS by Xtreme paced both the Western and Eastern regions and finished with 49 points. Razor Chassis ruled in the North Central region and was second with 37 while GRT Race Cars led the way in the Central and South Central regions and totaled 36 points. Larry Shaw Race Cars was fourth with 20 points. Harris Auto Racing was fifth with 18 points and Victory by Moyer rounded out the top six builders with 13 points. All regional cup winners get plaques and BMS by Xtreme receives a $500 cash prize and [Read More]