Feature Archives

Northeast Shootout totes top check for IMCA Modified Empire State Series

KIRKWOOD, N.Y. – The Empire State Series for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds starts its trek toward a new milestone at the same track that hosted the last one. Opening night for the 14th annual series is Sunday, April 12 at Five Mile Point Speedway in Kirkwood, site of the 100th event in tour history last November. In all, nine dates are scheduled at five different tracks this season. The top paying event – the winner goes home with $2,500 – doubles as the inaugural Northeast Shootout at Weedsport Speedway on Sunday, May 3. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Dirt Works Eastern Region, special series and Allstar Performance State points will also be awarded when the tour is at Black Rock Speedway in Dundee on Fridays, May 22 and Sept. 18; at Skyline Raceway in Cortland on Sunday, May 24 and Saturday, Sept. 19; and at I-88 Speedway in Afton on Fridays, June 12 and July 31. Special series points only will be given for the Saturday, Oct. 10 finale at Five Mile Point. [Read More]

IMCA Modifieds delivering something different for River Cities Speedway fans

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Promoters at River Cities Speedway were looking for a new class of race car to bring to Grand Forks this summer Their interest sparked by officials from neighboring tracks, they decided on the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds. The sanctioned division headlines Friday, June 26 and Saturday, June 27 shows during the Grand Forks County Fair. IMCA Modifieds return for Friday shows on the 1/3-mile clay oval Aug. 14 and Sept. 18. “We like to do some different things here every year,” explained Darren Evavold, long-time co-promoter at Grand Forks with Linus Mack, Don Mack, Wayne Anderson and Rick Rea. “We have talked with our neighboring tracks about the IMCA Modifieds and I think they’ll satisfy our fans looking for something different.” Kevin Nathe at Buffalo River Race Park and Jake Bitker at Norman County Raceway both gave enthusiastic thumbs up to the idea. The three tracks are working together to avoid scheduling conflicts. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National and Belleville Motorsports North Central Region points will be awarded for [Read More]

New promoter Kappmeyer bringing new ideas, events to Santa Maria Raceway

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Second-generation racer Mike Kappmeyer takes over as promoter at his home track this season. Kappmeyer takes charge at Santa Maria Raceway, where IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds return and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods are new to regular Saturday programs. Opening night on the 1/3-mile dirt oval is April 11. “The IMCA cars are fun divisions. My grandson (Christian Copley) drove one and I owned one,” said Kappmeyer, a former off-road competitor. “IMCA has been around for a while and they’re a good sanctioning body. Their rules make it easier for me as a promoter and I learned a lot working for Jim Naylor at Ventura Raceway.” Concessions have been remodeled and work on updating restrooms is well underway. Also of note, the pit area was moved from the infield to a portion of the parking lot and Kappmeyer added a smaller oval for classes designed for younger drivers. “We are diversifying,” he summarized. “We’ll put on a couple sand drags this year and will hold two concerts. We can make use [Read More]

Deery Series champion, rookie of the year earn awards from Robert & Sons Aluminum

NEWNAN, Ga. – New awards for Deery Brothers Summer Series drivers are in store this season from Robert & Sons Aluminum. A third-generation family business located in Newnan, Ga., southwest of Atlanta, Robert & Sons gives 10 sheets of aluminum to both the champion and rookie of the year for the 29th annual IMCA Late Model tour. “We want to help support our current customers while getting our name out more with dirt track chassis builders,” explained company Vice President Steve Hinely. “We’ve had racing customers for most of the 25 years we’ve been in business. Now we want more people in the industry to know who Robert and Sons are.” Founded in Atlanta, Robert and Sons moved 30 miles southwest to Newnan in 2002. That location was key in providing needed space to add more production equipment and still be able to provide quick transit times for shipments. In addition to race car application, Robert and Sons distributes aluminum for commercial uses that range from trailers to signage and storefronts throughout the US, Canada, [Read More]

$1,100 is top IMCA Modified check at Cottage Grove opener

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. – IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified drivers planning to attend the Cottage Grove Speedway season opener on Saturday, April 4 will be pleased to know that the amount of money to win the feature has been increased. At the night’s end the main event winner will receive a cool $1,100 courtesy of Crocker’s Cars, making it a very big incentive to tackle the historical 1/4-mile clay oval. The CGS lidlifter is a qualifying event for the 2015 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. The IMCA Modified division features some of the most exciting racing that Cottage Grove Speedway has to offer and attracts teams from all over the Pacific Northwest. Other classes on tap that evening include the 360 sprints, late models and the Quality RV Repair hornets. Also, during intermission a Easter Egg Hunt will take place with 1,100 eggs to be hidden for the kids.

Weather wins at Batesville

BATESVILLE, Ark. – The combination of too much rain and not enough time to get work on the race track done added up to postponement of Batesville Motor Speedway’s Mid-American IMCA Modified Championship, originally scheduled for this Friday and Saturday, March 20 and 21. New races dates will be announced as soon as they are confirmed. More information is available by calling 870 251-0011.

Charger Chassis starts second season as title sponsor for IMCA’s Southern Hobby Stock region

DAVID CITY, Neb. (March 18) – Charger Chassis returns in 2015 for its second season as title sponsor of the Southern Region for IMCA Hobby Stocks. The Southern Region includes tracks in Arizona, western Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. Owned by long-time driver Jamie Richards, the David City, Neb., chassis manufacturer will provide a portion of the point fund to be paid to top five drivers in official regional standings. “We are excited to renew the title partnership with Charger Chassis for the Southern Region and the stability there is really good for our Hobby Stock division,” IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to carry this forward for years to come.” In addition to Hobby Stock chassis, Charger builds for a growing number of Stock Car and Sport Compact customers. Since its first chassis rolled off the line in 2004, Charger now boasts 342 feature wins – including 68 in 2014 – 27 track and two IMCA national championships. Point fund checks will be distributed during the national awards banquet in [Read More]

Therwhanger, Herring are heaviest Modified hitters at Cardinal’s Black Gold special

EUNICE, N.M. (March 13-14) – It didn’t take long for Michael Therwhanger to show he could run with the heavy hitters at Cardinal Speedway. Therwhanger won the first start of his IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified career, along with $600, in the opening night Black Gold Showdown program at Eunice. “It was a heck of a night. I’ve been nervous about it for months,” he admitted the next morning. “I still can’t believe it. I’ve watched the video like 14 times to make sure it really happened.” Christy Barnett kept the race close and finished second. Triston Sikes was third. Therwhanger had started from inside row two. He passed Slade Johnston near midway and led to the checkers despite several late cautions and Barnett’s best efforts. “I never dreamed my first win in a Modified would come this quick. A lot of the heavy hitters from around here were behind me and I didn’t know what to expect, ” Therwanger said, noting that the victory came on engine builder Jacob Penner’s birthday. “This is something [Read More]

IMCA Stock Car, SportMod track champions earn Bassett Race Wheels contingencies

BURLINGTON, Wis. – Bassett Race Wheels begins a third decade of IMCA sponsorship by contingency awards for drivers in three divisions. Eighty IMCA Sunoco Stock Car and more than 100 Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod and Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMod track champions all earn $60 product certificates, applicable toward the purchase of four wheels from the Burlington, Wis., manufacturer. National champions in each of those divisions also receive sets of four wheels. Bassett also returns to the national decal program for both Northern SportMods and Southern SportMods. Drivers in both divisions are required to display two Bassett decals on their race car. “As the number of SportMod and Stock Car track champions continues to climb, so too does the support of Bassett Race Wheels,” observed IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. “Only seven companies have been a part of IMCA longer than Bassett and that longevity makes us proud to continue our partnership for a 21st season.” Information about Bassett-manufactured wheels is available at the www.bassettwheel.com website, by calling 888 888-7199 and on Facebook.

Grabouski completes Spring Nationals sweep with Saturday checkers

BEATRICE, Neb. (March 14) – Jordan Grabouski brought the broom back to Beatrice Speedway’s Spring Nationals Saturday night. Grabouski completed his sweep of the weekend’s $2,000 to win IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified main events by gaining the lead following a lap 17 restart and pulling away to the checkers. He’s now a seven-time Spring Nationals winner. His latest victory was also his IMCA career 115th. “This was definitely right up there as far as the top weekends I’ve had racing. There were a lot of good cars here,” Grabouski said. “It’s always great to win at your hometown track, especially with that many people in the grandstand. It was crazy how many people who were there.” Grabouski had won his heat race after starting last and drew the pole for the 30-lap headliner. Jesse Sobbing was the leader early on before Clayton Christensen charged to the front. A restart after midway helped open the door for Grabouski, who caught Christensen for the point before the yellow waved again. He led to the finish with [Read More]