Feature Archives

IMCA announces 2024 national champions

VINTON, Iowa (Oct. 15, 2024) – Record-setting racers and first-time kings and a queen are among the 2024 national champions announced today by IMCA. Mike Nichols’ 13th IMCA Sunoco Stock Car crown is the most all-time in IMCA while Cory Dumpert’s sixth straight IMCA Sunoco Late Model title sets a new record for the sanctioning body in its modern (1979-) era. Kaylee Richards became the first driver to win both a national championship, in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts, and Lady Eagle award. Other first-time national champs were Lee Goos Jr. in the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car and Jeff Shepperd in the Smiley’s Racing Products IMCA Southern SportMods. Matthew Looft’s Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod title was his career seventh, Dillon Raffurty’s Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lite crown his career fourth. Chaz Baca went back-to-back in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and Cory Probst topped the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock standings for the second time. A 30-time feature winner, Nichols complemented his latest national title with EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region and Crawford County Speedway, [Read More]

Berry brings broom to Batesville’s IMCA Race for Hope 71

BATESVILLE, Ark. (Oct. 12, 2024) – The last thing Tom Berry Jr. loaded in his trailer Saturday night was the broom. Berry completed his three-night sweep of Batesville Motor Speedway’s Race for Hope 71, leading all 71 laps of the $7,500 to win Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event. Coupled with $2,500 feature wins Thursday and Friday and a $2,500 bonus for winning all three nights, his weekend take added up to $15,000. “It was an awesome payday,” acknowledged Berry, already Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible. “I had it in my mind going down there that I might be able to win three in a row if everything worked out the way we needed it to.” “Also, I was alone this weekend. I had no crew, it was just me and my dog Sidekick,” he added. “I had a few people jump in and help me with the fuel stop but other than that it was a one man band all weekend, so to run that good being alone was pretty cool.” Berry, third [Read More]

DeVilbiss delivers another big money IMCA win at Batesville

BATESVILLE, Ark. (Oct. 12, 2024) – Another big money race at Batesville Motor Speedway ended with Zane DeVilbiss taking home the big money. The Farmington, N.M., flyer led the last 33 of 50 laps in winning Saturday’s Schoenfeld Headers Mid-America IMCA Sunoco Stock Car Championship. “The track’s been beautiful. That’s why we love coming to Batesville. I drive 17 hours to race here,” said DeVilbiss, trying to make himself heard over the noise of the fireworks that followed his run to the $10,000 checkers. “I wish this was my home track.” Those sentiments are understandable as DeVilbiss raced to a career-best $50,000 payday at Batesville’s IMCA Modified Race for Hope 71 in 2021. Third in last year’s Mid-America main event, he started outside Dallon Murty on the front row and chased the Chelsea Charger the first 17 times around the track. DeVilbiss was scored in the lead by all of nine thousandths of a second on the next circuit. Murty stayed close while Peyton Taylor rallied after restarting at the tail early on, racing into [Read More]

Czarneski stars at 141 Car Wars finale

By Joe Verdegan FRANCIS CREEK, Wis. (Oct. 11, 2024) – 2024 track champion Cole Czarneski stormed past Shawn Kilgore on a lap nine restart into the lead and cruised to victory in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at 141 Speedway’s Car Wars curtain closer. The victory was worth $2,000 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility for the second-generation ace. Kilgore swapped the lead with fellow front row starter Cody Apfelbeck for the first several circuits. While that scrum was going on up front, Czarneski, who started 10th on the grid, quickly threaded his way through traffic, jumping into the third spot on lap four. Czarneski quickly closed in on the lead duo and a three car duel quickly evolved for the lead. Czarneski worked the high line inches from the concrete retaining wall and the lead trio began weaving through lapped cars by lap eight. A lap nine yellow tightened up the field and when racing resumed, Czarneski made his move. Czarneski skillfully weaved his way through those lapped cars and fought off a [Read More]

Bill Bowers Memorial checkers fly for Pearce

By Candice Martin ANTIOCH, Calif. (Oct. 5, 2024) – Andrew Pearce won the 49-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event Saturday at Antioch Speedway. The occasion was the fifth annual Bill Bowers Memorial. The win was worth $1,500, plus Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility and a special winner’s flannel jacket in memory of Bowers. Pearce had won Friday night feature as well. Bobby Hogge IV started on the front row and was looking for his career second win in this event. He charged into the early lead ahead of Pearce and defending race winner Troy Foulger. An outside pass on the front stretch gained Foulger second on lap eight. The yellow flag waved moments later for a Chris Long spin. Hogge continued to lead the restart with Pearce moving back into second. Hogge slowed as Pearce and Foulger raced by. The yellow flag ended up waving on lap nine for Hogge. Pearce led Foulger and Kellen Chadwick on the restart. Following a yellow flag on lap 16 for Randy Shafer, Chadwick moved past Foulger [Read More]

Another rookie finds NY-Penn IMCA Modified success at Woodhull

WOODHULL, N.Y. (Sept. 28, 2024) – Dalton Maynard sold out his crate sportsman equipment and joined the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified ranks for the 2024 Close Racing Supply NY-Penn Series presented by Insinger Performance season. The New Albany, Pa., pilot struggled a bit with the change, with good runs through the season but inconsistent results, as he learned the changes needed in set up and driving style. The S&S Custom Auto Body team showed up at Woodhull Raceway determined to pull out a solidresult in the MJH Oilfield-sponsored season finale and instead of a period, Maynard’s story ended with an exclamation point. After a second place finish in his heat race put him on the inside of the second row for the main, the rookie grabbed the lead on the second lap and fought off every challenge to record his first IMCA feature win, earning $1,000 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility as well. The redraw put four-time series winner Rodney Morgan on the outside of the front row while three-time winner Keith Lamphere [Read More]

It’s big money for IMCA Modified winner Clay Money at Fall Nationals

HAYS, Kan. (Oct. 5, 2024) – Clay Money put the demons of 2024 behind him Saturday night at Hays. After going winless in 14 sanctioned starts during the IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season, Money motored to a career-best $5,000 payday in topping the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event at RPM Speedway’s Fall Nationals. He passed Jeremy Frenier for the lead midway through the 30-lapper, earning Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility in addition to the big check. “Hays is my home track and we’ve run this event since at least 2012,” said Money, who had started at the back of Saturday night ‘B’ SportMod qualifiers after playing high school football on Friday night early in his career. “We been running a Modified here since 2016 (he was fourth in 2020 after starting 16th) but were just never able to get it done until this year.” Tanner Black, Clay Sellard, Frenier and John Hansen rounded out the top five. “They did track prep right before the feature and that probably helped us,” Money [Read More]

IMCA.TV Winter Nationals moves to Central Arizona Raceway

By Ben Deatherage CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Oct. 2, 2024) – Race teams and fans looking to kick off their 2025 racing season will be excited to know that the IMCA.TV Winter Nationals is just a few short months away from commencing. Historically held at Cocopah Speedway, that facility has unfortunately been closed due to “unsurmountable increases in the costs of liability insurance.’ However, the prestigious Winter Nationals will move to the Central Arizona Raceway, a 3/8-mile clay oval located at the Pinal County Fairgrounds in Casa Grande. The Big House will keep all the original dates of Jan. 7th to the 18th and be presented by Pitt Stop Motorsports. “We apologize to all the fans and teams that have made all their hotel and Air BnB reservations, but we hope this gives everyone enough notice to move everything over to the Greater Casa Grande area,” commented promoter Brad Whitfield. Regarding the future of Cocopah Speedway, long-time promoter Whitfield is committed to finding a solution to have the Somerton 3/8-mile back up and operational, instilling hope in the [Read More]

Geist gets top spot on Flatlander podium

By Sheldon Wickwar GOODLAND, Kan. (Sept. 28, 2024) – After finishing top three on opening night, Trevor Geist topped the night two feature for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds at the Sherman County Speedway Flatlander. Geist started outside the front row in the 20-lapper, took the lead at the drop of the green and controlled the feature start to finish on the bottom dominant oval. A couple late race cautions allowed hard charger Jake Nightingale to advance on restarts but was he was unable to track down Geist, who earned $1,000 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility with the win. Third was Anthony Rhoades. A caution around midway opened the door for Tathan Burkhart in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature. That 20-lap grind started with a front row of Burkhart and Cole Younger. Burkhart led until lap seven, when Jason Rogers got around him. They battled side-by-side for a few laps before Tubbs went for a spin. The restart saw Burkhart get a great run to take charge of the race. He survived a [Read More]

Hurst, Braaksma shine at Davenport Dirt Stars show

DAVENPORT, Iowa (Sept. 28, 2024) – He’s been wrenching a lot more than he’s been racing again this season but Jeremiah Hurst still knows how to find the fastest way around the oval. The Dubuque star led all 30 laps of the Dirt Stars main event for IMCA Sunoco Late Models Saturday night at Davenport Speedway, earning $3,000 for his first sanctioned win since 2019, the season after he reigned as national champion in the class. “My brother Ian started racing four years ago and I’ve been helping him,” explained Hurst, who ran a Modified in the Clash on the Coast and had just a handful of starts before running fifth in the Friday show at Davenport. “The car was very, very good and I knew if I could get to the lead and get into lapped traffic, I’d be all right.” Hurst took the initial green from inside row two and was quickly in front, staying on the inside line, catching up with the back of the pack by lap 18 and working through traffic. [Read More]