Feature Archives

Schmitt crowned king at the King of the Park

By Zack Krueger SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. (Aug. 13, 2023) – Brandon Schmitt was crowned the winner of the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature, at the end of a grueling 20-lap event Sunday at Angell Park Speedway. Schmitt outdueled his teammate Dan Roedl to pick up the first IMCA sanctioned event in track history and his second Fast Shaft All-Star Invitational qualifier of the season. Twenty cars signed in to run the $1,000-to-win IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Razor Chassis North Central Region and Wisconsin State points event. Drivers who have picked up wins at other tracks in the area and made the trip included Schmitt, Jeff Schmuhl, Don Scheffler and Dave Schoenberger. Other drivers competing included Bart Sievert, Doyle Buzzell and even Spencer Diercks all the way from Davenport, Iowa. Matt Rechek found himself running double duty in a Modified and midget. The main event would see Scheffler line up from the pole with Schmitt alongside in second. Schmitt took the early race lead as Scheffler and Roedl battled for the second place spot. [Read More]

Grabouski schools IMCA Fair Street Face Off foes

ALGONA, Iowa (Aug. 10, 2023) – Jordan Grabouski had a couple good reasons to get to the end of Thursday’s Larry Evers Fair Street Face Off feature for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. First was the $5,000 that accompanied the checkers at Kossuth County Speedway’s Thursday night special. Second and more importantly was the little girl looking forward to her dad taking her to her first day of pre-school the next morning. Grabouski started on the pole and led start to finish of the 25-lap nightcap, said his thank you’s from victory late and loaded up and made that all-important quick trip back to Beatrice, Neb., where he had time for a quick nap before getting daughter Jorja to pre-school at 8:15 a.m. sharp. “I had never raced at Kossuth County Speedway before but everything went great,” said Grabouski, who queried track regular Jeremy Mills about the nuances of running at Algona. “It helped drawing the one, of course, but we had a really good car.” “The car felt best higher on the track,” added Grabouski, [Read More]

Fast, furious finish sees Flippo first in IMCA Night of 10,000 Stars feature

BRITT, Iowa (Aug. 9, 2023) – The first Friesen Performance IMCA Modified win in Iowa this season for Jerry Flippo came in late June at Hancock County Speedway. The California transplant’s biggest win in the Hawkeye State came Wednesday night, in the same location. Flippo got the best of Tripp Gaylord in a late battle of fast and furious lead changes on his way to the $5,000 checkers at Hancock County’s Corteva Agriscience Night of 10,000 Stars show, in the second installment of IMCA.TV Speedweek. Gaylord had caught Cody Thompson shortly after the mandatory pit stop halfway through the 50-lapper at Britt. Flippo made his way forward from 11th starting and restarted second following the latter of two lap 44 cautions. “I’m glad we had that restart,” said Flippo, just as glad to come out of the back-and-forth battled that ensued before he gained some separation from Gaylord over the last three circuits. “I got my first win in Iowa this season here and was just trying to race tonight the same as a weekly show, staying [Read More]

“Huge” IMCA Harris Clash win will be unforgettable for Ward

SPRING VALLEY, Minn. (Aug. 8, 2023) – Tim Ward wasn’t even sure if he made the main event field the first couple times he tried to qualify for the Harris Clash. For sure, he won’t forget how he finished at the 32nd annual special for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. Ward led the last five times around the track in winning Tuesday’s main event at Deer Creek Speedway, on the first night of IMCA.TV Speedweek. “This win was huge. It’s so tough to win here,” Ward said after the $5,000 checkers flew for his 19th victory of the season. “It’s something we’ve always looked forward to being able to do.” The Clash brought nearly 130 entries to Spring Valley for IMCA’s longest-running one day event. Pole starter Cody Laney led the first two of 30 Modified laps before giving way to Brandon Beckendorf. What proved to be the only caution of the contest came on lap five. Austen Becerra and Jacob Hobscheidt chased Beckendorf past midway, with the ninth starting Ward making his way to third on lap [Read More]

Tradition, prestige and the pay all highlight 32nd annual IMCA Harris Clash at Deer Creek

SPRING VALLEY, Minn. (Aug. 4, 2023) – Being part of a tradition and the prestige bring Friesen Performance IMCA Modified and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods back to Deer Creek Speedway for the Tuesday, Aug. 8 Harris Clash. The pay is pretty good, too. IMCA’s longest running one-day special returns to Spring Valley, Minn., for its 32nd annual event, which sees the Modified winner earn $5,000-plus to win along with Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility while the SportMod winner takes home at least $2,500. “We have a good payout throughout the field again this year,” said event promoter Bob Harris, noting that nearly 100 drivers from 16 states are already entered for the upcoming Clash. “The Modified winner gets another $500 if their chassis builder is part of our manufacturers’ cup, plus $100 for every position they advance from their original starting spot from the TraLo Companies.” The Modified main pays a minimum of $500 to start. Wehrs Machine and Racing Products gives a $500 random draw award on lap 15 and also returns [Read More]

Salute to Veterans show at Kossuth County draws 137 cars

By Greg Grabianowski ALGONA, Iowa (July 27, 2023) – It was the eighth annual Hunting With Heroes Salute to Veterans night at Kossuth County Speedway on Thursday as the event just continues to break more records every year. An event-high 137 cars signed in the pit shack to compete for an increased purse but more importantly a hand-carved trophy and an opportunity to give a veteran a prize worth at least $300 with a top three finish. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature saw a veteran driver win what he said in the winner’s circle was the biggest victory in his racing career. Todd Stinehart took the top spot early and built a lead but the yellow flag came out lap number three and again three laps later. But after that, the feature went non-stop as emotional Stinehart was elated in victory lane with the biggest win of his 28-year career and a nice $3,500 first place check helped a little bit, too. The big win also made Stinehart eligible to qualify for the Fast [Read More]

Let the good times roll – IMCA cars, drivers, fans are Boone Bound for Sept. 4-9 Super Nationals

BOONE, Iowa – There’s no exact number yet but this is guaranteed: The cars – race cars, not the band – are coming to Boone Speedway. Nearly 650 drivers from 27 states and three Canadian provinces are already pre-registered for the 41st annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s Sept. 4-9 at Iowa’s Action Track, and the goals of every one of those drivers are to win the most prestigious championship in dirt track racing and have a good time while they’re doing it. “The general format for Super Nationals remains the same. We are still working on little tweaks to make sure that from the time racers pull into the pits and park their hauler or fans get their campers situated, to the time they go home that they have a good time,” said IMCA President Brett Root. “Most people come to Super Nationals to have a good time and that’s what we want, too,” he added. “It’s a great week for us and we want every driver and every fan to have the [Read More]

Checkers for Ward at Boone’s Hunting with Heroes Salute to Veterans Night

By Joyce Eisele BOONE, Iowa (July 29, 2023) – It was a night filled with patriotism and thanking our veterans at the Boone Speedway on Saturday when Boone held its annual Hunting with Heroes Salute to Veterans Night sponsored by EMW Trucking and Waltert Farms. A whopping 241 race cars came to try their hand at Iowa’s Action Track. Prior to the racing, Veterans enjoyed a free meal, drink, gifts, and free admission to the races. Specially wrapped Salute to Veterans race cars were on display behind the grandstand and a stirring pre-race ceremony was also held. Winners on the night were Tim Ward in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, Kaden Reynolds took the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car win, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod winner was Matt Avila, the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock win went to Dylan Nelson and Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites saw Scott Bailey take a trip to victory lane. Feature racing kicked off with the 15-lap Mod Lite main. After two initial no starts of the race, this one would go [Read More]

Clay County Salute To Veterans checkers are IMCA Modified career 100th for Shute

NORWALK, Iowa (July 26, 2023) – Todd Shute came up big-time again, at another big-time IMCA event. Shute won for the 100th time in his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified career Wednesday at Clay County Fair Speedway, in the Hunting With Heroes Salute To Veterans main event at Spencer. “It didn’t sink in for a bit,” said Shute, so focused on the drive from 11th starting to the lead and then the $2,000 checkers that he need a post-race reminder from brother Troy he’d just earned win number 100. “There was a time when we were in the 80’s for wins and thought it would be nice to get to 100. It seemed unattainable for a while, but we got there and now it’s something we can hang our hat on.” Shute grew up going to the races at Des Moines and Knoxville, made up his mind he was going to race himself and turned his first laps in a used dwarf car he bought from Jim Cooper. Now from Norwalk and a 20-year veteran of the IMCA [Read More]

Done just in time, new bridge is a big deal for Smiley’s Southern SportMod Super Nationals

KENNEDALE, Texas (July 24, 2023) – Being able to host hall of fame night in conjunction with the second annual IMCA Southern SportMod Super Nationals powered by Smiley’s Racing Products, says promoter James Lopez, is a pretty big deal. Not having to take the detour from town to get to Kennedale Speedway Park will be a pretty big deal, too. The new, wider bridge on New Hope Road that takes traffic over Kennedale Creek, to and past the track opened late last week. Traffic of all shapes and sizes had been rerouted since last year, with the entrance to the pit area at KSP tantalizingly close but on the wrong side of the orange and black detour signs. “If you knew how long you had to drive around to get to the track …” Lopez began. “It’s a long ways, especially if you’re coming from the north or the west and you’re hauling a trailer. The detour was probably 10 miles. Smiley’s isn’t that far from here and you had to take the detour to [Read More]