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Thornton sweeps Snowbird IMCA Modified features

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Feb. 19-21) – Three Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified feature wins in as many nights resulted in another first for Ricky Thornton Jr. Thornton swept Snowbird Classic features at Central Arizona Speedway, topping $1,000 to win events Friday and Saturday and then taking the $2,000 checkers on Sunday. “We’ve had a couple weekends where we’ve won the first two nights but not the third,” said Thornton, already an eight-time winner this season and a qualifier 11 times over for the 2016 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. “This was definitely the best weekend we’ve ever had.” Thornton earned the pole start for Sunday’s main event by topping the heat winners’ dash. He led the feature from green to checkered despite the best efforts of R.C. Whitwell, who pulled alongside on several occasions but was unable to complete the pass. Whitwell had to settle for second, with Jeff Taylor, Jason Noll and Tim Ward next across the stripe. Clearing traffic more quickly proved the key to Thornton’s win on Friday. He beat pole starter [Read More]

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Wojtek is Friday night IMCA Modified hero at Ice Breaker

ABILENE, Texas (Feb. 19-20) – Fred Wojtek broke the ice with his career first Ice Breaker win Friday at Abilene Speedway. Wojtek moved from eighth to fourth for an early restart, took the lead on the fifth circuit and led to the end of the Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified 20-lapper. A single caution interrupted the second half of the race as he pulled away to win by half a straightaway. “Finally … it was a good start to the season,” said Wojtek, $700 richer for his efforts. “The last two years I’ve been second in points here. Hopefully, this year I can get the championship.” Cody Davis, Chris Bragg, Justin Cass and Justin Shaw completed the top five. Matt Guillaume became the Saturday Modified winner when the apparent first- and second-place cars were disqualified in post-race tech, both for illegal brake systems. “We’ve had a lot of luck at the Ice Breaker and won the Stock Car race (the Ryan Bard Memorial Southern Challenge) here last fall,” Guillaume said. “We were gifted this one.” [Read More]

Events

$5,000 is top IMCA Modified check at Canyon’s Desert Classic special 

PEORIA, Ariz. ­– Canyon Speedway Park’s Desert Clas­sic moves to an early-point season date in 2016, with a top prize of $5,000 for Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modi­fieds on the line at the Friday and Saturday, Feb. 26-27 special. The Desert Classic feature pays a minimum of $300 to start and is a Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot quali­fying event. The entry fee of $100 will be payable at the gate. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Larry Shaw Racing Western Region, Allstar Performance State and local track points will be awarded. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5 p.m. Hot laps follow the 5 p.m. drivers’ meeting at racing starts at 7 p.m. Spectator admission is $18 for adults, $6 for kids ages 7-13 and free for six and under. Pit passes are $30 for members or $35 for non-members. An open practice runs from 7-10 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 25. More information about the Desert Classic is availa­ble by calling 602 258-7223, on Facebook and at the www.canyonspeedwaypark.com website.

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IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National Point Standings Through Feb. 18

Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds – 1. Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz., 346; 2. Lance Mari, Imperial, Calif., 338; 3. Hunter Marriott, Brookfield, Mo., 335; 4. Tim Ward, Chandler, Ariz., 328; 5. Paul Stone, Winton, Calif., 297; 6. Brian Schultz, Casa Grande, Ariz., 266; 7. Ryan Gaylord, Lakewood, Colo., 262; 8. Ethan Dotson, Bakersfield, Calif., 259; 9. Anthony Roth, Columbus, Neb., 243; 10. Chaz Baca, Mesa, Ariz., 242; 11. Jason Noll, Peoria, Ariz., 237; 12. Cody Laney, Torrance, Calif., 223; 13. Brent Schlafmann, Bismarck, N.D., 188; 14. Collen Winebarger, Corbett, Ore., 163; 15. R.C. Whitwell, Tucson, Ariz., 159; 16. Nick Deal, Walnut, Iowa, 157; 17. Brian Mullen, Seymour, Wis., 139; 18. Steve Simpson Jr., Kingman, Ariz., and Garth Dushanek, Red Deer, Alb., 137; 20. Russell Allen, Brawley, Calif., 130. IMCA EMI RaceSaver Sprint Cars – 1. Chad Wilson, North Richland Hills, Texas, 40; 2. Marcus Thomas, Corsicana, Texas, 39; 3. Josh Hawkins, Whitehouse, Texas, 36; 4. Bryan Debrick, Irving, Texas, 34; 5. Tucker Doughty, Heath, Texas, 31; 6. Robert Vetter, Wolfe City, Texas, 29; 7. [Read More]

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Wilson works lapped traffic, survives brush with backstretch wall to win Smackdown at Lone Star

By Darin Short KILGORE, Texas (Feb. 15) – Running in lapped traffic much of the way kept Saturday’s Sprint Smackdown at Lone Star Speedway a challenge for Chad Wilson. That contact with the backstretch wall at midway made the season-opening event for IMCA EMI RaceSaver Sprint Cars even more interesting for the defending national champion. Wilson started from the 25-lapper from the pole, lost the lead briefly to Marcus Thomas and then rallied to take the $1,200 checkers, winning the Smackdown for the second straight year. “Getting this win was a really good way for us to start the season,” he said. “We got into lapped traffic really quick early in the race but it was easy to pass the first 12 laps. After the caution it wasn’t as easy. The track started to take rubber and it was a lot harder to get through lapped traf­fic.” The only caution of the contest came on the 15th circuit. Wilson had already worked his way back to the front at that point, despite a nasty brush with [Read More]

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Thornton tops IMCA Modified finale at Winter Nationals

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Feb. 12-13) – The Ricky Thornton Jr. express rolled on Saturday at Cocopah Speedway. Thornton raced from 13th starting to win the final Winter Nationals feature for Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds. Runner-up was Mike Jergens. Lance Mari, Ryan McDaniel and 21st starting Hunter Marriott rounded out the top five. The $3,000 win was Thornton’s fifth of the season, all of them coming at Fast Shafts All-Star Invita­tional ballot qualifying events. He’s now won 83 times in his IMCA career, tied for 66th on the all-time list for the Modified division. Total car counts topped 100 both Friday and Saturday, with 60-plus Modifieds from 14 states and Canada entered each night. After starting Winter Nationals with back-to-back third-place finishes, Nebraska’s Justin Zeitner won a second straight Modified main event, and another $1,000, on Friday. Zeitner started from the pole and led all 25 laps of a caution-free contest. Dylan Smith, himself no stranger to victory lane at Cocopah, was second while Thornton was third. Cody Laney and Ryan Gaylord were scored next as the top five [Read More]

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IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National Point Standings Through Feb. 11

Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds – 1. Tim Ward, Chandler, Ariz., 279; 2. Lance Mari, Impe­rial, Calif., 270; 3. Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz., 268; 4. Hunter Marriott, Brookfield, Mo., 265; 5. Paul Stone, Winton, Calif., 253; 6. Brian Schultz, Casa Grande, Ariz., 221; 7. An­thony Roth, Columbus, Neb., 217; 8. Ethan Dotson, Bakersfield, Calif., 205; 9. Chaz Baca, Mesa, Ariz., 197; 10. Ryan Gaylord, Lakewood, Colo., 195; 11. Jason Noll, Peoria, Ariz., 176; 12. Brent Schlafmann, Bismarck, N.D., 164; 13. Cody Laney, Torrance, Calif., 151; 14. Collen Winebarger, Corbett, Ore., 132; 15. Jesse Rogotzke, Sanborn, Minn., 125; 16. Curt Lund, Redwood Falls, Minn., 124; 17. Joshua Rogotzke, Sanborn, Minn., and Garth Dushanek, Red Deer, Alb., both 115; 19. R.C. Whitwell, Tucson, Ariz., 112; 20. Marlyn Seidler, Underwood, N.D., 111. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars – 1. Manny Baldiviez, Yuma, Ariz., 145; 2. Thomas Daffern, Brawley, Calif., 134; 3. Steve Kihle, Williston, N.D., 129; 4. Joe Haines, Yuma, Ariz., 117; 5. Greg Wich­man, Bonduel, Wis., 115; 6. Andy Altenburg, Truman, Minn., 110; 7. Tony Hill, Cortez, Colo., 106; [Read More]

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Zeitner collects top IMCA Modified cash at midweek Winter Nationals show 

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Feb. 9) ­– Nebraskan Justin Zeitner was the Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modi­fied main event winner at Cocopah Speedway’s midweek Winter Nationals show. Zeitner captured the $1,000 checkers from his outside row one start Tuesday night, taking the lead on the first of 25 circuits and staying in front through a series of cautions. The first-time feature winner and new Fast Shafts All-Star ballot qualifier took the checkers ahead of Tim Ward, Nick Deal, Tony Wedelstadt and R.C. Whit­well. “I got a pretty good jump at the start and it was smooth sailing,” said Zeitner, who won in the GRT ride that was displayed on Manufacturers’ Row at last September’s IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. “It’s feels pretty good to have won that race and it’s pretty cool to be on the All-Star ballot.” “I’m proud of what I did but it was more for the people back home,” he continued. “I’ve got a lot of people behind me and it was neat to see all the posts on Facebook.” [Read More]

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IMCA Modifieds featured Friday’s at Tri-City Motor Speedway

AUBURN, Mich. ­– Tri-City Motor Speedway will have fans on the edge of their seat on action-filled Friday nights featuring Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds beginning April 22. Every Friday night of the 2016 season is packed full of entertainment through the season finale in September.
 TCMS has lined the upcoming schedule with many of the fan favorites such as Kids and Autograph Night, Figure 8 racing and the third annual Faster Pastor race. The Great Lakes Super Sprints will take to the track as will the new mini-wedge series for 6-14 year olds to gain skills on the Auburn clay. TCMS will host the popular free fireworks demo show sponsored by Wolverine Fireworks Display on Saturday, May 7. The three-part figure eight series will run on May 27, July 8 and the champion­ship on Aug. 12. Kids get to meet their favorite drivers during two autograph sessions on June 17 and Aug. 19, get to test their racing skills on July 22 with the return of the Box Car Races. Season championships wrap up the [Read More]

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New Sprint Series of Oklahoma aligns with IMCA, RaceSaver

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Economics and rules sold Sprint Series of Oklahoma officials on IMCA and RaceSaver. The inaugural tour opens with the March 4 and 5 Red River Roundup at Red River Speedway. Fifteen dates are scheduled in all, at five different tracks. Southern Oklahoma Speedway, Longdale Speedway, Brill’s Motor Speedway and Oklahoma State Park also host SSO shows before the series returns to Red River and Wichita Falls, Texas, for its final events Oct. 28 and 29. “What we’re trying to do in this area is get more people in race cars. We like the cost of this class and we like the rules,” explained Race Director Jim Messmer. “This is a dynamite thing (RaceSaver founder) French Grimes and (RaceSaver owner) Roger Hadan have put together.” “We’ve already gotten a lot of calls about this series. We had an informational meeting about a month ago and had 40 to 50 guys show up. We’ve probably got a dozen guys right around Oklahoma City putting cars together,” Messmer added. “All the tracks are pretty [Read More]