Feature Archives

IMCA Wild West Speedweek sees repeat winners at Cottage Grove

COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (June 20, 2024) – After taking a night off, the Wild West Speedweek returned to action and Collen Winebarger, Ethan Killingsworth and Chase Berkeley all returned to victory lane following their Thursday IMCA feature wins at Cottage Grove Speedway. Winebarger won his second Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature of the week, Killingsworth collected a second straight Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod checkered while Berkeley topped a third consecutive IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main event. The night three winner at Coos Bay, Winebarger pocketed his second $1,000 of the week after winding his way to the front following a lap three restart. He hit lapped traffic the 25th time around the track but that did not slow down his quick pace. Winebarger dominated what became a 33-lap green run to win by more than four seconds. The victory was the 13th of his Wild West Speedweek career and came ahead of Geoff Morris, Paul Rea, Kevin Williamson and Tyler Smith. Berkeley drew the fourth starting spot in the Stock Car feature, taking over up [Read More]

James repeats Wild West Speedweek heroics with win at Douglas County

By Ben Deatherage ROSEBURG, Ore. (June 18, 2024) – Bricen James and Chase Berkeley both raced back to victory lane while Ethan Killingsworth captured his first checkered flag of the 2024 IMCA Wild West Speedweek Tuesday at Douglas County Dirtrack. James, who’d topped the opening night show at Yreka, banked $1,000 for his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified victory while Berkeley followed his Monday Coos Bay win with an impressive run from 11th starting. Killingsworth paced the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods. A pair of former Speedweek champions made up the front row in the Modified tilt, with Troy Morris III and Kellen Chadwick fighting for the initial lead. Morris used the top of the track and beat Chadwick to the line to pace the field. Chadwick settled into second with Jacob Mallet Jr. and James in pursuit. Lapped traffic became a factor with eight circuits negotiated. Mallet got the second spot on lap nine but James and Chadwick quickly came to challenge. The 2022 Speedweek champ, James took over second on lap 12 but was well [Read More]

Winebarger, Sanders, Berkeley top Wild West features at Coos Bay

By Ben Deatherage COOS BAY, Ore. (June 17, 2024) – Tour career win number 12 for Collen Winebarger came on night three of IMCA Wild West Speedweek at Coos Bay Speedway. Winebarger completed his drive from fifth staring to the front on the 25th circuit, then outran Bricen James for the $1,000 Friesen Performance IMCA Modified checkers and qualifying eligibility for the upcoming Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Timothy Allerdings was a strong third. Lawrence O’Conner and Tyler Blankenship completed the top five. Perfect coastal weather greeted Speedweek competitors for the Monday night show. The Modified main began with 2022 tour champion James motoring ahead of Chance Hyser for the lead at the line. The two battled for a few more laps before James secured the position. Winebarger passed Hyser for second following a lap six restart. A twist to the plot was thrown in the mix after a caution with 20 laps to go in the form of a melee for fifth between Kellen Chadwick, Tim Balding and Tyler Blankenship. Blankenship kept the other two [Read More]

Morris hustles to IMCA Wild West Speedweek win at Southern Oregon

By Ben Deatherage WHITE CITY, Ore. (June 16, 2024) – The driver nicknamed TM3 was the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified winner on night two of Wild West Speedweek. Bakersfield, Calif., ace Troy Morris III motored all the way from 14th in winning Sunday’s main event and $1,000 at Southern Oregon Speedway. Already eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, his dominating victory came over Mark Wauge, Katelynn Robertson, Ian Whisler and Kevin Williamson. The race was a thriller from the start, with Whisler and Wauge fighting up front and Robertson and Tim Balding slugging it out for third behind them. Morris made the most of the top line following a lap restart to crack the top five. He made it around Balding on lap seven for fourth and dispatched Robertson on the ninth circuit for third. Wauge came under fire from Morris before a lap 10 caution erased Whisler’s big lead. Morris kept his faith on the high side on the twelve times around the 3/8-mile clay oval to pick up the runner-up spot [Read More]

Ferrando banks $5,000 at Yreka’s Biehn Memorial

By Ben Deatherage YREKA, Calif. (June 14, 2024) – A threat to win wherever he tows, Grey Ferrando’s latest Friesen Performance IMCA Modified victory was good for $5,000 when Yreka Speedway hosted the inaugural Rich and Nicky Biehn Memorial Friday night. From Stayton, Ore., and newly eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, led from the end of lap seven to the checkers in the headline race at the event dedicated to honoring the legacy of two beloved racing enthusiasts and car owners. Kellen Chadwick initially took the lead and had a moment where he could have some breathing room as Ferrando was occupied with keeping back Collen Winebarger and Tyler Blankenship. Ferrando kept both in check, then went back on the offensive and poured more pressure on Chadwick. Ferrando overtook Chadwick at the wire as the seventh circuit was scored and led the rest of the distance in the caution-free main event to score his first win of the season at Yreka and his fourth victory in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region. [Read More]

James, Ryland start IMCA Wild West Speedweek with wins at Yreka

By Ben Deatherage YREKA, Calif. (June 15, 2024) – Prospectors came to Yreka to strike in rich in the Gold Rush of the 1850s. Bricen James and Fred Ryland both struck gold of their own Saturday night at Yreka Speedway with feature wins on opening night of the IMCA Wild West Speedweek. James’ won the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature and $1,000 while two-car star Ryland ruled both IMCA Sunoco Stock Car and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod main events. When the green flag came out for the Modifieds, Collen Winebarger beat the field to the line for the opening lap. The Corbett, Ore., chauffeur and 2021 Speedweek champion tried to get a big lead, but Tyler Blankenship kept it close for the first few laps. Winebarger got into a good rhythm and began to pull away from the rest of the pack, but before he could get too far ahead, the yellow flag came out with six laps down. Winebarger was masterclass on the restart as Blankenship and James, the 2022 Speedweek champion, battled [Read More]

Leonard lands $1,000 STIMS win at I-37

By JM Hallas PLEASANTON, Texas (June 15, 2024) – Cody Leonard landed a $1,000 punch when the South Texas IMCA Modifieds Series (STIMS) returned to do battle at I-37 Speedway on Saturday night. The series’ fourth trip to the track this season saw Leonard front on lap three and in charge the rest of the way en route to Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. “I’ll be honest. I did not feel good in the heat race. I really didn’t feel too good at the start of the feature even though we went forward,” he admitted afterwards. “This place was kind of low and slow which fits my driving style. We went back to some stuff we were doing in 2020 when we were really good, really quick. It’s sort of a hybrid now that we got the car redone.” “Going back to some old things helped us pick the speed back up.” As the 20-lap main event for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds roared to life, Chris Morris grabbed the point pursued by Leonard, Chris [Read More]

LaCrosse is IMCA Modified star on night 2 of Clash

FRANCIS CREEK, Wis. (June 12, 2024) – Two-car star Benji LaCrosse gave a hint of even bigger things to come, racing from 10th to win the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature and taking Friesen Performance IMCA Modified runner-up honors on opening night of 141 Speedway’s Clash on the Coast. On Wednesday, the Casco clipper motored all the way from 12th on the initial grid to earn the $10,000 top prize, plus qualifying eligibility for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, helping bring the flag down on two of the richest days of racing this season for IMCA Modifieds. LaCrosse, previously a two-time winner of 141’s King of the Creek special for Stock Cars, quickly became part of a five-car pack running at or toward the front in last night’s 50-lapper. He completed the pass for the lead on the 32nd circuit and ran in heavy lapped traffic before winning ahead of Jordan Grabouski, Josh Long, Dallon Murty and Cody Schroeder. Tuesday’s Stock Car win was the career 44th for LaCrosse in The Class Too Tough To Tame; his Wednesday win was [Read More]

Ward rewarded with $10,000 on opening night of Clash at the Creek

FRANCIS CREEK, Wis. (June 11, 2024) – A regular at 141 Speedway’s Clash at the Creek since 2018, Tim Ward could recall “hanging around for a while” before falling back and out of contention in his best prior outing in the Francis Creek. That changed Tuesday night as Ward took charge after midway of the 50-lapper for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, earning $10,000 and his career 99th victory in the class. “This is such a tough place to win,” Ward acknowledged, after matching career-best paydays from the 2021 Land of 10,000 Lakes Tour finale and last year’s IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s main event. “I was one of the favorites here last year, started 13th, got up to sixth and just ran out of time,” he said. “This time I had a really good race with Jake (McBirnie) the first half. It reminded me of Super Nationals – we raced really hard.” The one caution flew on lap 27. Ward beat Benji LaCrosse … winner of Tuesday’s IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature … [Read More]

McBirnie, Kuehl are roofless in runs to big money at Boone

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (June 8, 2024) – Fans at Iowa’s Action Track were treated to the annual topless racing spectacular Saturday night, as both Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods ran sans roofs. The Capital Signs Co. Dirty 30’s saw the roofs and sails removed from both divisions as they raced for $1,200 for the Modified victory and $1,000 for the SportMods. Jake McBirnie and Taylor Kuehl got the distinct honors of taking home those prizes. Johnathon Logue clawed his way to the front and took checkers in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Braden Gifford got his first-ever win in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks in a wild and crazy race, and Charlie Brown got back to victory lane in the Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites. Feature racing kicked off with the 15-lapper for the Mod Lites. Brown, who returned to the racing scene this season after several years off, started on the pole and drove off from the rest of the field. He was still leading at lap seven when [Read More]