Feature Archives

Car photos needed for Aero, Allstar awards

VINTON, Iowa (Sept. 17, 2024) – IMCA drivers will be big winners even after the point season ends, courtesy of Aero Race Wheels and Allstar Performance. Aero, of Estherville, Iowa, awards a complete set of wheels to the driver with the most feature wins during the 2024 point season. Allstar, of Watervliet, Mich., gives a $100 gift card to every driver winning 10 or more heat races and a $250 gift card to the driver winning the most heats. What’s required as part of both programs is for drivers to email pictures of their race car proving display of the heat and/or feature win decals they received after making checkered flag runs at weekly and special events through Sept. 29. Those pictures can be sent to IMCA Marketing Integration and Sponsorship Director Carson Becker-Gramm at contingencies@imca.com. Deadline for doing so is 4:30 p.m. CST Friday, Nov. 1. Gift cards will be presented during the IMCA national awards banquet in Lincoln, Neb., on Nov. 30, or mailed beginning the following week. “These are great programs with the potential [Read More]

Rookie rules at IMCA Modified Sean Lias Memorial

By Morgan Colegrove SUSQUEHNNA, Pa. (Sept. 14, 2024) – A Friesen Performance IMCA Modified rookie reigned at the Sean Lias Memorial, part of the King of the Can show Saturday at Penn Can Speedway. Brad Delamater earned $1,037 for his career first win in the division while becoming eligible for 2025 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying. The 57-year-old from Wyalusing was making his fifth Close Racing Supply NY-Penn IMCA Modified Series presented by Insinger Performance start. “This was probably one of my most exciting wins ever, especially with how competitive this class is,” said Delamater, who had a goal of getting a heat race win this season and got a feature win instead. “We’ve had some decent starts and knew we had the car (a 2014 Victory) to win. We just had to keep ourselves out of trouble and stay smart.” Brandon Smith and A.J. Hunsinger made last-lap moves in their respective heats to get into the redraw for the feature and drew the front row starting spots to lead the field to green in [Read More]

Corn State Nationals outing yields $5,000 payday for Fitz

DAVENPORT, Iowa (Sept. 14, 2024) – Trevor Fitz had himself quite a night Saturday at Davenport Speedway’s Corn State Nationals. The California native made his first-ever visit to Davenport, a track he says is pretty different than any other he’s been to, winning the Saturday night Corn State Nationals feature for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and $5,000. “It was awesome. I met a lot of good people there and made a lot of friends,” Fitz said following the career-best payday. “I always like doing that, and the money was good.” Now eligible to qualify for the 2025 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, Fitz was driver and sole crew member until some buddies in two to watch Late Models pitched in and helped him with the car. He started the main event from fifth and ran third most of the first 20 of 31 laps. Fitz then swapped the lead back and forth with Austen Becerra, finally taking over at for good with just two circuits to go. Becerra ended in the runner-up spot, a second and [Read More]

Harnick, Brillhart are great at Crystal’s Great Lakes Nationals

CRYSTAL, Mich. (Sept. 14, 2024) – A career-best season for Austin Harnick got even better Saturday night, while Rob Brillhart made history of his own at Crystal Motor Speedway. Harnick won the 32nd annual Great Lakes Nationals feature for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and $5,000 while Brillhart topped the $2,000 to win IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main, in that division’s debut at Michigan’s premier sanctioned event. Not much more than a month removed from his 22nd birthday, Harnick had the second quickest time in Friday qualifying and started outside Mitchell Hunt on the front row for the Modified 40-lapper. Winner of the Rage Chassis Race of Champions at Boone the previous weekend, Hunt saw early advantages erased by a couple cautions. Harnick took the lead following a restart 12 laps in and the front pair fought for the lead most of the way, before Harnick was able to pull away as the race wound down. “The last five laps or so was just pretty much going for it with everything I have,” said Harnick, newly eligible to [Read More]

Gottschalk finds fastest line at Fose Memorial

WaKEENEY, Kan. (Sept. 14, 2024) – After starting 11th, Daniel Gottschalk admitted he didn’t think he’d be a contender at WaKeeney Speedway’s inaugural John Fose Memorial. After being involved in an early-race scuffle and restarting in the back row of the 20-car Friesen Performance IMCA Modified field, he was even more skeptical. Then he found the fast line. Gottschalk raced to the first of what would become two weekend feature wins – he’d also top Sunday’s season championship night show at RPM Speedway – and earn $1,527 along with Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility with the Saturday checkers. “To be honest, with Dylan (Sherfick) starting out front, I didn’t know if anyone had a shot at catching him,” said Gottschalk. “But it all worked out.” Gottschalk found his speed on the lower line while Kyle Rohleder, who’d also been involved in that early incident and restarted at the back, took a higher line in his own charge toward the front. Wheeling the 2021 VanderBuilt Chassis that had taken him to a top three finish [Read More]

Shryock, Thornton, Anderson, Ballard are super on Saturday at Super Nationals

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 7, 2024) – All the would have’s and could have’s of Kelly Shryock’s IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s were forgotten, while Dylan Thornton raced his way into the record book at America’s Racin’ Vacation again on Saturday night. Shryock, 59, won an epic battle with Dallon Murty for the Stock Car checkers, earning his first Super Nationals title in his 23rd career main event start. Thornton, 23, became the first driver to win championships in three different divisions, holding off Tanner Black in the nightcap, the 40-lap Modified feature. Nathan Ballard earned a career second Hobby Stock title while Logan Anderson posted a convincing win in earning his first Northern SportMod crown. A record 1,036 cars competed at the Sept. 2-7 Super Nationals, coming to Boone from 30 states, two Canadian provinces and Australia. New divisional car count records set this year were 266 Stock Cars, 168 Hobby Stocks and 78 STARS Mod Lites. Jake McBirnie and Dallon Murty ran up front in the Stock Car feature before Shryock passed both following a [Read More]

Chanse Hollatz got a shot of confidence with his flag to flag run in the first of two Stock Car qualifying features Friday at Boone Speedway. (Photo by Tom Macht, www.photofinishphotos.com)

Confidence boosting qualifying wins go to Hollatz, Murty

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 6, 2024) – Chanse Hollatz and Dallon Murty will have big boosts of confidence on their side when the green flag flies for their Saturday IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s Championship event. Hollatz impressed in a flag-to-flag run at the front of the field in Friday’s first Stock Car feature, holding off a bid by Matt Looft and then winning ahead of Looft, Tyler Pickett and 18th starting Casey Woken. Already a two-time Super Nationals champion, Murty high-tailed it all the way from 12th starting, taking the lead from Justin Addison on the 25th and final lap to top the nightcap. Travis Barker and Troy Swearingen rounded out that top four. Just a couple cautions on each side of midway delayed Hollatz in his drive to the checkers. Former Northern SportMod champion Looft caught picked for the runner-up spot and briefly pulled alongside the leader before Hollatz shut the door. “This feels amazing,” he said post-race. “The beginning felt a little chaotic and I was a little worried but I just stayed [Read More]

Troy Morris III celebrated his biggest win at Boone Speedway, topping the first of two Friday night Modified qualifying features. (Photo by Tom Macht, www.photofinishphotos.com)

Morris, Thornton score final Modified qualifying feature wins

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 6, 2024) – Troy Morris III and Dylan Thornton had IMCA Modified fans all the way from California on their feet Friday night. Morris, from Bakersfield, led a top four of Tanner Black, 23rd starting Brett Berry and Joel Rust to the outside row of Saturday’s IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s Big Dance at Boone Speedway, in a slug fest of a first qualifying feature. And California native-turned-Iowan Thornton, already winner of Monday’s Late Model main event, stole the front spot late from long-time leader Dylan Sherfick in heavy traffic in the nightcap. Zane DeVilbiss and Cole Czarneski complete that top four, also bound for the outside row on the Saturday grid. Morris, who had some atoning to done after spinning out of the lead in the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational earlier in the program, chased Kyle Heckman and Black to midway, then drove by for the lead on lap 14. The front was the place to be, ahead of multi-car tangles in turn three on laps 16 and 17, [Read More]

As the check states, Tom Berry Jr.’s win in the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational Friday during the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s was priceless. (Photo by Tom Macht, www.photofinishphotos.com)

Berry is the fastest in Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 6) – Tom Berry Jr. was good enough to get in the race. Then he proved he was good enough to win it. Berry started sixth and took over the front following an early restart, then led the last 29 of 30 laps in winning the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, during the IMCA Speedway Motors fueled by Casey’s Friday evening at Boone Speedway. The Modified checkers were good for $1,000, plus another $725 in lap money courtesy of Elmquist Towing. “This means a lot. At Super Nationals, the main goal is to win the ‘A’ feature but in the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, you’ve got to be good enough to win a race to be eligible, then qualify,” said Berry, who’d won 13 IMCA features paying $1,000 or more since last September, including the Modified Anniversary special in Boone in May. “You’ve got to be good enough to qualify for the race and that means that all 30 cars in it had to have some kind of speed.” Troy Morris III led [Read More]

Kelly Shryock secured a career 24th IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s main event start, and his fourth straight Stock Car berth, with his Thursday night qualifying feature win at Boone Speedway. (Photo by Tom Macht, www.photofinishphotos.com)

Shryock, Luinenburg speed to Stock Car checkers

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 5, 2024) – The driver might get older but the winning never gets old. Veteran Kelly Shryock, the winner of more than 700 races over a career that spans four decades, drove from 11th starting to win the first Stock Car qualifying feature during Thursday’s IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s program at Boone Speedway. He’d be followed to the top of the podium by Justin Luinenburg, who led every lap of fast-paced nightcap. Top four finishers from both features move on to the middle row of Saturday’s Championship Night show. Donavon Smith and then Austen Brauner ran in first as Shryock made his way toward the front. He caught Riley Christensen for second with seven laps to go and Brauner for the point with four to go. Kaden Reynolds and Buck Schafroth each made late charges, relegating Brauner to fourth. “I love this more than ever. “You never know when a win is going to be your last,” said Shryock, also qualified for the Modified Dance. “I’m still having fun.” [Read More]