Feature Archives

An IMCA Super Nationals first for Tennessee as Choate claims STARS Mod Lite crown

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 3, 2023) – Ronnie Choate returned to Boone Speedway and the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s to run with the best. On Sunday night, he proved he was the best. Choate, from Cookeville, became the first driver from Tennessee to win a Super Nationals championship in any division, driving past Jon Padilla on the final circuit for the history-making STARS Mod Lite Big Dance victory. “This means a lot to us. There have been several big races we have won and this is one of the biggest,” said Choate, again sharing much of the credit with brother-in-law, crew chief and Precision Bulldog Chassis partner Logan Rittenberry. “There had been times when we weren’t very good and thought about quitting, but I didn’t give up, he didn’t give up, and here we are.” “We’re basically a two-man crew. I couldn’t do this without him.” Choate had started fifth and ran somewhere in the top five all 30 laps. R.J. Gonzales, winner of the final qualifying feature held earlier Sunday, battled [Read More]

Wilson shines in IMCA STARS Mod Lite Race of Champions

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 3, 2023) – The caution Jeromy Wilson didn’t want to see came out with four laps left in Sunday’s STARS Mod Lite Race of Champions. “I was a sitting duck,” the Mabelvale, Ark., driver said from victory lane at Boone Speedway, after holding off Jon Padilla to win the first RoC of the 41st annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. “But I knew there were good, clean racers behind me.” Wilson led the distance from the pole. Padilla made his way from eighth starting to finish just 12 hundreth’s of a second off the pace and two-time defending race winner Dillon Raffurty was third. 2023 track, series and state champions or point leaders, and former Super Nationals champions and race of champions winners – Raffurty, in both the last two cases – were eligible to qualify for the 12-lap race. Ronnie Choate and Bryce Vowan completed the top five. Eight states were represented in the 12-car field. “This is huge,” Wilson said following his win, in the third appearance by [Read More]

IMCA Double Down Prelude checkers are first for Van Genderen

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 2, 2023) – Checkered flag runs by a driver who has been in victory lane at Boone Speedway before and a first-time winner bookended opening night of the Wild Rose Casino Double Down Prelude. A record 402 cars saw action during the Saturday show, which saw former race winner and defending IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s champ Jake Benischek top the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature and Rowdee Van Genderen win for the first time in an IMCA Sunoco Stock Car in the nightcap. In between, Tim Ward and Jimmy Gustin both won Friesen Performance IMCA Modified features and $1,500, and Tyler Wilson won $1,000 and a Stock Car feature of his own. The 16-year-old Van Genderen, in a borrowed ride and in just his second full season in The Class Too Tough To Tame, led the last 27 of 30 laps and was never challenged by a stout field following a restart at midway. “I don’t know what to say. It’s my first win,” admitted Van Genderen, a sure [Read More]

Padilla, Raffurty star in IMCA Super Nationals Mod Lite qualifiers

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 2, 2023) – The drivers who finished 2-1 last year at Boone Speedway will line up 1-2 in this year’s IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s STARS Mod Lite championship event. 2022 runner-up Jon Padilla led start to finish in winning Saturday’s first 25-lap qualifying feature, earning the pole start in Sunday’s Big Dance. Two-time defending champion Dillon Raffurty was just as impressive in the second qualifier, outrunning Ronnie Choate following a late restart in his own flag-to-flag run. He’ll start from the front of the middle row in the main event. “It felt great,” Padilla said from victory lane, admitting he “didn’t know if anyone was keeping up” with him. Joel Huggins did his best, chasing the Silvis, Ill., speedster around the track the last 24 circuits. Following the front pair across the stripe and into the inside row in the main event were 14th starting Brandon Freeburg, Josh May, Justin Kinderknecht, Jeromy Wilson, Garrett Stonum, Tanner Gannon, Blake Wilson and Michael Raffurty. Dillon Raffurty paused to remember his late [Read More]

2023 IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s pre-entries

MODIFIED Chris Abelson, Sioux City, IA Larry Adams, Van Alstyne, TX Jeff Aikey, Cedar Falls, IA Chance Allen, Alma, MI Ricky Alvarado, Hotchkiss, CO Chase Alves, Sioux Falls, DS Cody Apfelbeck, Burnett, WI Steve Askew, Valley View, TX Robert Avery, Des Moines, IA Chaz Baca, Mesa, AZ Jeremy Baker, Nebraska City, NE Curtis Barnes, Lindsborg, KS Eric Barnes, Colona, IL Jesse Barnhill, Milton, FL Owen Barnhill, Milton, FL Austen Becerra, Carthage, IL Brandon Beckendorf, Danube, MN Tommy Belmer, Evansdale, IA Kyle Bentley, Aurora, IA Jeff Berens, Dakota Dunes, SD Brett Berry, Omaha, NE Tom Berry, Altoona, IA Dennis Betzer, Central City, IA Luke Bird, Winthrop, IA Brady Bjella, Williston, ND Tanner Black, Otis, KS Jeff Bodendorfer, Waterford, WI Steven Bowers Jr., Topeka, KS Ethan Braaksma, Des Moines, IA Chance Brown, Merkel, TX David Brown, Kellogg, IA Keith Brown, Green Briar, AR Kyle Brown, Madrid, IA John Burrow, Denver, CO Jeremy Busby, Graford, TX Joel Bushore, Boone, IA Roy Capps, Howe, TX Rob Charapata, Green Bay, WI Jonah Chinn, Sioux City, IA Drew Christianson, Minot, ND [Read More]

IMCA Super Nationals entries at record 1,022

BOONE, Iowa (Aug. 30, 2023) – Chandler Fullenkamp and Chuck Ledbetter have assured themselves places in event history nearly a week before the start of the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Fullenkamp, a Sport Compact driver from West Point, Iowa, became the 1,000th driver to pre-register for the 41st annual Super Nationals, slated Sept. 4-9 at Boone Speedway. Minutes later Tuesday afternoon, Hobby Stock driver Chuck Ledbetter of Loomis, Neb., became the record-breaking 1,005th to do so. A record 1,000 drivers competed at Super Nationals in 2022; 1,004, another all-time Super Nationals best, had pre-entered. Thirty states, another record, and three Canadian provinces are represented by Boone Bound drivers and pre-entries had reached 1,022 as of 9 a.m. Wednesday. “Super Nationals continues to be a snapshot of our weekly racing program and reflects the strength of these weekly divisions across the country,” said IMCA President Brett Root. “We are working very hard to host the best possible event for IMCA drivers,” he continued. “A lot of different things over the course of the season lead up [Read More]

Focus turns to track prep for Sept. 7-9 Southern SportMod Super Nationals

KENNEDALE, Texas (Aug. 29, 2023) – Sponsorships and contingency awards have been finalized. Early registration is winding down, and new Hall of Famers have practiced their thank you’s. The focus, then, on the IMCA Southern SportMod Super Nationals powered by Smiley’s Racing Products is getting Kennedale Speedway Park in the best shape it can be in for the second annual spectacular Sept. 7-9. Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods race for $5,000 to win and a minimum of $500 to start their Saturday night main event, a 30-lapper with a purse that totals more than $20,000. While keeping up with weekly racing and with all that money on the line, promoter James Lopez and his crew have turned their focus 24/7 to getting the quarter-mile dirt oval as close to perfect as possible. “The biggest thing we have been doing for the last six weeks or so now is track preparation,” stated Lopez. “We are lucky to have one of the most knowledgeable and winningest racers to ever put on a helmet, with over 50 years [Read More]

Entries on record pace, more money for IMCA Super Nationals

BOONE, Iowa (Aug. 28, 2023) – More of the pieces that make up the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s are falling into place. And just in time, with the 41st annual event coming up Sept. 4-9 at Boone Speedway. “It’s a challenge, sometimes frustrating but always satisfying, to keep up with everything that has to be finalized before Super Nationals starts,” admitted IMCA President Brett Root. “There’s always some tinkering that can be done to make the best event in dirt track racing even better.” Updated numbers see 970 cars, representing 29 states and three Canadian provinces, pre-entered. Two features are scheduled for divisions with 100 or more entries in the Wild Rose Casino Double Down Prelude Sept. 2-3 at Iowa’s Action Track. “There has been lap money, start money and hard charger awards added. The list of stuff, from sponsor money to contingencies, can be hard to keep track of,” Root said. “Carson (Becker-Gramm, IMCA marketing integration and sponsorship director) has done a very good job getting new awards for a lot of drivers [Read More]

Entries top 100 for IMCA RaceSaver Nationals at Eagle

EAGLE, Neb. (Aug. 28, 2023) – The biggest Sprint Car event in the world plays out this weekend at Eagle Raceway and promoter Roger Hadan plans lots of new stuff and making old stuff even better. In return, he has a simple request for the 100-plus drivers competing in the 11th annual RaceSaver Nationals at the eastern Nebraska speedplant. “Make it easy on our tech guys,” he asks. “Show up with no fuel in your car.” Reason why, RaceSaver and distributor Leiting Motorsports are giving each driver 40 gallons of VP Race Fuel after they pass pre-race tech on Wednesday. “We’ve got 111 drivers pre-registered now, from 14 states, and I sure haven’t heard any complaints about the fuel deal,” said Hadan. “With these kind of entry numbers, RaceSaver is donating roughly $40,000 in fuel.” An open practice and race of champions heats are on the Thursday, Aug. 31 card at Eagle. Qualifying features Friday, Sept. 1 and Saturday, Sept. 2 pay $700 to win and $250 to start. Also on tap Saturday is the $1,000 [Read More]

Sobiesczyk sails to redemption and $10K at Captain of the Creek

FRANCIS CREEK, Wis. (Aug. 16, 2023) – Tyler Sobiesczyk earned $10,000 worth of redemption Wednesday night at 141 Speedway’s East Central Coin Captain of the Creek. The Shawano speedster got to the lead late in the 50-lapper, then outran fellow Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod heavyweights Logan Anderson, Colby Fett and Cam Reimers to the career-best payday. “It doesn’t get any better than this. Everything just came together for us,” Sobiesczyk said following his eighth checkers of the season. “We’ve been having an awesome year in general but to win this crown jewel race is huge. It’s huge for me as a driver, it’s huge for our team and huge for our sponsors, especially doing it racing against so many good drivers.” He’d started second and pursued Coy Vlies early on, then lost another position when Anderson drove by and into the lead. The chase was on from that point, with Sobiesczyk catching Vlies and finally reeling in Anderson in heavy lapped traffic. “For a while I was trying to stay relevant. The middle line [Read More]