Feature Archives

Red River Valley Speedway set to re-open in 2016

WEST FARGO, N.D. (Dec. 21) – Friday night racing is back at the Red River Valley Speedway. JS Bitker LLC reached a 3-year agreement with the Red River Valley Fair Association to hold a full schedule of races starting in 2016. JS Bitker LLC will be operating the track with the first race slated for Friday, May 6 with a start time of 7 p.m. Thirteen race dates are scheduled for the 2016 season with the following tentative classes: Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Pure Stocks and INEX Legend cars. Modified points will apply in IMCA’s Belleville Motorsports North Central Region, Hobby Stock points in the Big Daddy Race Cars Northern Region. Allstar Performance North Dakota State points will be given in all three IMCA divisions. One of the season’s highlights will be a special race during the Red River Valley Fair on July 17 featuring the Northern Outlaw Sprint Association Sprint Cars presented by the Red River Valley Fair Association and Buffalo Wild Wings. Red River [Read More]

Record number of champions crowned in IMCA’s centennial season

LINCOLN, Neb. (Nov. 28) – A record number of champions were honored during IMCA’s centennial season national awards banquet Saturday evening in Lincoln, Neb. In all, an IMCA record 478 track, series and special series, and 102 state champions were crowned this season. More than 9,000 drivers competed in sanctioned events this season and more than 3,400 of them received shares of a $650,000-plus point fund. National champions were Chris Abelson, Xtreme Moor Sports IMCA Modified; Justin Kay, Late Model; Chad Wilson, IMCA Eagle Motorsports RaceSaver Sprint Car; Travis Van Straten, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car; Justin Luinenburg, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks; Tyler Frye, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods; Jesse Baldwin, Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMods; and Nate Coopman, Mach-1 Sport Compact. Kay and Coopman were both three-time national champs while Abelson, Wilson, Van Straten, Luinenburg, Frye and Baldwin all were first-time kings in their respective divisions. Abelson is a former Northern SportMod national champion; Luinenburg became the first Hobby Stock titleist from Minnesota, Baldwin the first Southern SportMod champ from New Mexico. Kay was also champion [Read More]

Whitwell puts on clinics at Desert Thunder Nationals

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Nov. 21-22) – R.C. Whitwell put on a passing clinic Saturday at Central Arizona Speedway. The lesson he taught on Sunday was working lapped traffic. A night after racing from 24th starting to fourth, Whitwell was the flag-to flag leader in the 30-lap, $3,000 to win Desert Thunder Nationals main event for Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds. “I just stayed focused on the lapped cars. I was pretty surprised when I saw the checkers,” admitted the new Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier. “There weren’t any cautions and I got into heavy lapped traffic by midway. The race went by pretty fast.” Jeff Taylor cut into Whitwell’s advantage in the later circuits and finished five car lengths back. Opening night winner Ricky Thornton Jr., Jason Noll and Lance Mari completed the top five. Whitwell was driving a Mike Wedelstadt-owned car and finished second to the Wisconsin traveler in his Sunday heat race. “Redrawing the pole was really key,” he said. “I was fortunate to start on the front and have a good car.” [Read More]

There’s evolution but no revolution in IMCA rules for 2016

VINTON, Iowa – There’s evolution but no revolution in the IMCA rules for 2016. Most notably, Modified drivers will not be allowed to use a spoiler, regardless of whether they’re running a crate or a claim engine. Plastic valances will be allowed on the nose, to go with previously allowed plastic skirting on doors and quarter panels. A horizontally placed top door bar will be required on the passenger side door in the Modified, Northern SportMod and Southern SportMod divisions in an attempt to stop the movement and potentially unsafe placement of the top passenger side door bar. The maximum hood rake for those classes has also increased from three to six inches. “Most of the changes or clarifications in the rules for next season in any division are a result of evolution,” explained IMCA President Brett Root. “There are better ways of doing things without creating a competitive advantage.” “As always, we tried to eliminate gray areas in the way the rules are written to make them easier for everyone, drivers, builders and tech [Read More]

BMS captures sixth Manufacturers’ Cup title

BELLEVILLE, Kan. – Belleville Motorsports will be making room in the trophy case for another Manufacturers’ Cup award. For the fifth straight year, and for the sixth time in the program’s seven-year history, the Belleville, Kan., chassis builder had the top point total among manufacturers entered in the Cup contest; points were awarded based on top 10 drivers (10 points for first, nine points for second, etc.) in each of the five Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified regions. BMS continued its dominance in the Eastern Region while totaling 53 points. GRT Race Cars won both Western and Central Region titles and was second with 25 points. Chase Allen Motorsports ruled again in the South Central Region and tied Skyrocket Chassis for third place with 21 points. Razor Chassis and Rage Chassis share the North Central Region crown. Larry Shaw Race Cars completed the top five in points with 20. All regional winners get plaques and BMS receives a $500 cash prize and trophy during the IMCA national awards banquet in Lincoln, Neb., on Nov. 28. [Read More]

Record 102 IMCA drivers race to state championships in 2015

VINTON, Iowa – With the biggest divisional increase attributed to the Sprint Cars, a record 102 IMCA drivers earned Allstar Performance State championships this season. Thirteen Sprint Car drivers were crowned state kings, eight more than in 2014. Modified champions were named in 26 states, the most since 2001. Myron DeYoung ruled the Modifieds in Michigan for the fifth time in his career. Ricky Stephan repeated in South Dakota; he’s also won the Iowa state crown three times.. Drew Armstrong will hang a fourth Arkansas state plaque on his wall. Drivers winning career second titles were Dean Deming in New Mexico, Mike Densberger in Nebraska, Jeremy Meirhofer in Montana, Robert Miller in Nevada and Spencer Wilson in North Dakota. First-time title winners were Jason Barnhill in Florida, Justin Elmer in Wyoming, Van Gemmill in Oklahoma, Kevin Green in Texas, Daryl Hay in Missouri, Scott Hogan in Iowa, Jeff Hunter in Colorado, Jake Donnelly in Idaho, Justin Jones in Minnesota, Keith Lamphere in New York, Jesse Richter in Kansas, Dusty Safley in Utah, Brian Schultz in [Read More]

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]