Feature Archives

Seymour, Stuart, Boone receive 30-year IMCA sanction awards during banquet

LINCOLN, Neb. – Three tracks synonymous with IMCA racing will each be recognized for three decades of sanctioning, during the national awards banquet late this month in Lincoln, Neb. Seymour, Wis., Speedway and Stuart, Iowa, Speedway have both sanctioned Modifieds while Boone, Iowa, Speedway has sanctioned Stock Cars with IMCA for 30 years. In all, 58 length of sanction award plaques will be presented to officials from 39 different tracks during the Saturday, Nov. 28 banquet at the Cornhusker Marriott in Lincoln. Twenty-five year awards go to I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark., for Modifieds and the Iowa State Fairgrounds Speedway in Des Moines for Late Models. Tracks to be honored for 20 consecutive years of sanctioning are Shelby County Speedway in Harlan, Iowa, for Modifieds and Stock Cars; Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City, Iowa, for Late Models; and Aztec, N.M., Speedway for Stock Cars. Fifteen-year plaques will be presented to Tri-State Speedway at Pocola, Okla., for Modifieds; Jackson County Speedway in Maquoketa, Iowa, for Late Models; and Benton County Speedway in Vinton, Iowa, [Read More]

Overnight options for IMCA national banquet weekend

LINCOLN, Neb. – With every room in the Cornhusker Marriott booked Friday and Saturday, Nov. 27-28 during the national awards banquet weekend in Lincoln, IMCA has announced contact information for four potential overnight options: *Country Inn & Suites, located on West Bond Circle (1 855-201-7819); *Hilton Garden Inn Downtown/Haymarket, located at 801 R Street (402 475-9000); *Holiday Inn Downtown, located at 141 North 9th Street (402 475-4011); *And Hyatt Place Downtown/Haymarket, located at 600 Q Street (402 742-6007). “Hotel rooms are at a premium that weekend. We have already reached our allotment of rooms at the Cornhusker, which has also booked guests coming to town for the Iowa-Nebraska football game,” IMCA President Brett Root said. “I encourage anyone who wants to attend our banquet who hasn’t done so yet to make arrangements for overnight accommodations as soon as possible.”

IMCA Modified Duel In the Desert checkers fly for swift Schott

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Nov. 14) – Once he regained the lead, there was no catching Lucas Schott. Schott passed Jordan Grabouski for the front spot on the 29th of 40 laps and stayed in front to the finish of Saturday’s Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified main event at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track. The $7,777 victory put the Chatfield, Minn., driver on the ballot for next year’s Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Scott Drake, R.C. Whitwell and Ryan Ruter rounded out the top four. Grabouski was missing his right front shock when Scott drove by, collected Hunter Marriott the next time around and wound up in 19th. “This is awesome,” said Schott, who’d also won his Friday night qualifier. “I knew we were capable of making the show and I’ve got to give credit to Kody Scholpp and his dad for everything they do and giving me good cars to drive. I was able to pull it off.” “I was just hoping (Grabouski) would mess up and it looked like he had something wrong with [Read More]

Rudolf reigns in Friday SportMod qualifier at Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Nov. 13) – He hasn’t seen his name in lights yet but Chase Rudolf stole the headlines Friday night at the Duel In the Desert. The 17-year-old from Norwalk, Iowa, led every lap of the $500 to win qualifying feature for Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track. He’ll advance to Saturday’s $1,777 to win show along with fellow top six finishers Rick Diaz, Clay Money, Ryan Wolla, Nick Spainhoward and Adam Armstrong. The race ran caution-free and Rudolf stayed flawless up front, leading by a straightaway when lap 12 was scored. A flat tire took Michael Johnson out of a transfer spot with three laps left. Diaz took second well ahead of Money and Wolla. Qualifying feature results – 1. Chase Rudolf, Norwalk, Iowa; 2. Rick Diaz, Los Banos, Calif.; 3. Clay Money, Penokee, Kan.; 4. Ryan Wolla, Williston, N.D.; 5. Nick Spainhoward, Bakersfield, Calif.; 6. Adam Armstrong, Beatrice, Neb.; 7. Jerry Hoffman, Oronogo, Mo.; 8. Kyle Smith, Yuma, Ariz.; 9. Wayne Dotson, Bakersfield, Calif.; 10. Brian [Read More]

Schott, Grabouski ace Friday Modified Duel qualifying features

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Nov. 13) – Night two at the Duel In the Desert saw Lucas Schott and Jordan Grabouski ace Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified qualifiers at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track. Schott won Friday night’s first feature ahead of Ryan Ruter, Dylan Smith and John Hansen. Joining Grabouski in the top four for the nightcap were R.C. Whitwell, Hunter Marriott and Travis Hagen. All eight drivers advance to Saturday’s $7,777 to win main event. Both qualifying features paid $777 to win. Schott led the first qualifier from the drop of the green and pulled out to nearly a half straightaway lead before fifth-running Jeremy Payne, a four-time Duel winner, slowed in turn two. The race was for second following the ensuing restart as Hansen had his hands full holding off Ruter for second while David Murray Jr. motored behind in fourth. Ruter had caught Hansen for the runner-up spot before 2008 race winner Murray spun on unlucky lap 13. Twenty-sixth starting Benji LaCrosse drove by Eddie Belec and Dylan Smith to [Read More]

Sobbing, Drake score Thursday IMCA Modified qualifiers at Duel In the Desert

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Nov. 12) – Jesse Sobbing and Scott Drake hit the jackpot with Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified qualifying feature wins Thursday at the Duel In The Desert. Sobbing checked out and won the first, caution-free qualifier at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track ahead of Terry Phillips, Kyle Strickler and Lance Mari. Drake didn’t have it as easy in the nightcap, as he crossed the line with Rodney Sanders and Bobby Hogge IV right behind. Ken Schrader held off Hunter Marriott for the fourth transfer into Saturday’s big $7,777 to win show. Both Thursday qualifiers for the Modifieds paid $777 to win. Sobbing, the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod Duel winner in 2011, opened a quick 10 car length lead over second-running Mari. Mari, three-time and defending Duel winner Phillips and Strickler were battling for the runner-up spot by lap five. Sobbing was in another time zone and negotiating lapped traffic by lap 10. Phillips took over second on lap 15 but had nothing for Sobbing, who stayed way out front. Strickler [Read More]

Frye dominates opening night Duel qualifier for IMCA Northern SportMods

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Nov. 12) – Tyler Frye will start his pursuit of another big payday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway from the pole. Frye ran away with the qualifying feature win Thursday on opening night of the Duel In The Desert. He’ll look to parlay those $500 checkers into a $1,777 victory in Saturday’s Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod main event on the half-mile Dirt Track at LVMS. The top six from Thursday’s 20-lapper advance to the big show. Frye will be joined by Chris McKellar, Kevin Johnson, Robert Elliott, Brylon Holder and Jorddon Braaten. Holder led early on Thursday, finally giving way to Frye on the ninth lap. Showing the same speed that netted him the IMCA national championship this season, Frye opened a half straightaway lead with three laps to go and won by that margin. Feature results – 1. Tyler Frye, Belleville, Kan.; 2. Chris McKellar, Bakersfield, Calif.; 3. Kevin Johnson, Bakersfield, Calif.; 4. Robert Elliott, Clinton, Okla.; 5. Brylon Holder, Bakersfield, Calif.; 6. Jorddon Braaten, Central Point, Ore.; 7. Shawn Harker, [Read More]

Michigan’s I-96 makes change to IMCA Modifieds

LAKE ODESSA, Mich. – Ending an absence of more than a decade, Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds return to Friday race programs at Michigan’s I-96 Speedway in 2016. The sanctioned division first ran at Lake Odessa in 1988 and most recently there in 2005. Weekly point races will tentatively run from May 6 through Aug. 26 next season. “We are super excited about sanctioning our Modifieds again with IMCA,” said promoter Mike Mouch, who anticipates sharing cars with Saturday venue Crystal Motor Speedway 45 minutes to the northeast. “We ran a pro mod class that had rules very similar to IMCA’s and averaged 16-18 cars a week this year. Those drivers will be able to race with us and at Crystal next year.” “Dropping the IMCA sanction after I bought this track was probably the stupidest mistake I ever made,” he added. “The class went out of control cost-wise after that.” The 3/8-mile dirt oval at I-96 has a configuration similar to the old half-mile track. Mouch brought in turns two, three and four along [Read More]

Thornton wins Desert Classic IMCA Modified main at Canyon

By Lonnie Wheatley PEORIA, Ariz. (Nov. 7) – Ricky Thornton Jr. proved his mastery of the 1/3-mile Canyon Speedway Park clay oval by racing to victory lane to capture the $5,000 winner’s share in Saturday’s 27th annual Desert Classic Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified main event. The 40-lap finale quickly turned into a non-stop battle between Thornton and Kyle Strickler, who topped Friday’s qualifying session and then won his 20-lap qualifier to earn the pole starting position. The duo swapped the lead several times along the way before Thornton, the 2014 CSP track champion, came away with the victory. After Strickler failed to pass post-race tech inspection, Iowan Jesse Sobbing was promoted to runner-up with Friday’s second “Twin Twenty” winner Lance Mari rounding out the podium in third. New Mexico’s Zane DeVilbiss and Missouri’s Hunter Marriott rounded out the top five. Already qualified for the 2016 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, Thornton also took top pure stock honors. Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod feature winners were Jason George on Friday and Chris Toth on Saturday. Nov. 6 [Read More]

Stakes are high for IMCA’s Duel In The Desert

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – What happens in Vegas this week will be the talk of the dirt track racing nation. Las Vegas Motor Speedway rolls out the red carpet for hundreds of IMCA drivers and thousands of fans traveling to the Entertainment Capital of the World for the 18th annual Duel In The Desert special Nov. 11-14. Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds race for $7,777 to win and a minimum of $777 to start their main event on Saturday. Nov. 14 at the half-mile Dirt Track. Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods run for $1,777 to win that evening. Two hundred and twenty-five drivers have pre-entered for the Duel. Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace join the IMCA Modified field in seeking the big payday and a spot on the ballot for the 2016 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Heat races, “B” features and qualifying features are on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 12 and 13 race programs. Modified qualifiers pay $777 to win and SportMod qualifiers $500 to win both nights. Last-chance races and both Modified Young Guns and [Read More]